, based in Germany, is the second-largest marketplace in our comparison: It features 130,000 registered merchants, compared to Etsy's 875,000. While there is certainly a critical mass of shoppers from all over the world here, you'll note that all items are priced in euros, not dollars--even if both buyer and seller are in the United States. That may be a plus if you're trying to build a European audience, but it will probably turn away domestic buyers concerned about getting hit with foreign currency charges on their credit card.

DaWanda has no listing fees--though the company says it will be adding them this year--but it does charge a 5 percent closing fee on sold items, which is considerably higher than the 3.5 percent you'll pay at Etsy.

As Europe's largest marketplace for handmade items, DaWanda is a growing company with an expert understanding of the complicated legal, taxation, and business considerations of the Euro region. That might not matter if you just want to sell baby bibs to Midwest moms; but if you're a crafter with your eyes set on a bigger prize, it's worth a look. After all, what business--large or small--doesn't want to "go global" these days?

Heavily focused on higher-end clothing and fashion, U.S.-based has just 25,000 registered businesses. But its 4 million listed items put its total inventory at about a third the size of Etsy. Even though that means your store might have more trouble standing out, that's good news for shoppers, as deep racks may keep customers browsing the site longer. Just as in the real world, no one wants to shop at a store where the merchandise looks thin and picked over.