App of the Week: Tophatter
20.05.12
A few weeks ago, a friend of mine alerted me to a Web site called Tophatter where she had started selling her photos, suggesting I might consider doing the same. Before I could take a look, it was explained to me that Tophatter was a live auction Web site for selling handmade or vintage goods marketed to members of Etsy .
Now having taken a look, I realize that the site is part Etsy, part eBay, part Turntable.fm and a really interesting way to shop for and buy these types of products, mainly because it is extraordinarily well built.
Etsy has long been known for their sometimes twee, mostly handmade and always interesting sellers and goods. Think of Etsy as Amazon.com for knitters. It's a great site for finding odd and unique stuff, but Tophatter takes the Etsy experience and revs it up, adding the feel of a live auction...and the look of one.
Last year, I was turned on to Turntable.fm, a site that allows you to create a virtual room where you can deejay music from Turntable's streaming catalog. Others can join in by requesting songs or even deejaying alongside you. Everyone who comes into the room is represented by an animated character (nerds call them avatars) and little talk bubbles appear from their heads when they make a comment.
Source: Houston Press (blog)