I mentioned a while ago, I think, that I love Etsy. The missus and I have taken the charge to invest in hand made items as gifts, and when we collect things relevant to our interests we prefer to go the same route. We’re supporting talented and creative individuals by investing in their ability to do awesome things, and what we get out of it is a hand made and often one-of-a-kind item that we can truly say nobody else has. This is a perfect example of what I mean.

AN AMIGURUMI GHOSTBUSTER!! Holy coolshit, Batman! The missus is into the amigurumi pretty big. In fact, she makes little amigurumi cellphone charms that she sells at her own Etsy shop (and even hand turned crochet hooks), as well as other bits that she sells at conventions when we’re able to get a table (haven’t been lucky the past couple of years.) Mix together amigurumi AND Ghostbusters, and this is something that, if not already reserved for someone, I’d jump all over as a collectible.

It’s actually more or less what I look for when I go to conventions. Unfortunately, a lot of Artist Alleys are going the way of Illustration Only, and are forcing out 3D fanarts entirely. It’s a shame, because I can only tolerate so many bad renders of Naruto and Inuyasha (and mostly yaoi at that) before the Artist’s Alleys cease to be worth my time anymore. Thankfully, Etsy picks up the slack and I can find gems like this to help renew my interest in things I enjoy. If you’re the type of person that enjoys to pick up fandom related merch, consider buying from artists to support their craft, and also because they’re in this because they love it, not because it’s their job.