The human-to-human relationship between the person who makes the product and the person who buys the product is the core essence of what Etsy is all about. In 2011, Etsy sales topped $500 million. They are amongst hundreds of global Internet companies bringing consumers and producers together in networks – virtual marketing spaces — and helping to democratize marketing and advertising costs across the globe. With Etsy, small craft producers have access to global markets with nearly zero cost of entry giving them an edge they never had before and an opportunity to compete in this new networked economy.