I just discovered 1000 Markets yesterday, and I love it! Much like our beloved Etsy, it's a site where independent artists and craftspeople can sell their wares and connect with other artists. So far I've noticed several things that I prefer over Etsy. The look is a little cleaner and prettier (which is saying quite a lot, since I generally approve of Etsy's overall appearance) - I think this is mostly due to the fact that 1000 Markets staff reviews new shops before allowing them in. As far as I can tell, they aren't actually judging artists' work, but rather the quality of their photographs, banners, descriptions, etc. Another feature that is a lot of fun is the markets themselves; in addition to individual shops, you can also shop virtual marketplaces. These are groupings of artists organized around a theme - either a geographical area, or a style, or lots of other things (wedding products, luxe items, etc.) - it's kind of like being able to visit a bunch of different craft fairs all in one day from the comfort of your couch. :-) Anyways, go check it out, it's a lot of fun. I set up a shop there but I haven't loaded too much yet.
