When I hear Top Hatter, I think of Johnny Depp  (the Mad Hatter) and his colorful attire, carrot orange head, and questionable frame of mind. Well, I’m not talking about him.

It was a normal day of answering e-mails and checking out my favorite blogs. I received an e-mail about my latest post “Why Shop Etsy”. On the side I saw and ad that said, “If you love Etsy, you love Top Hatter.” I know this ad came up because of my e-mail. Normally, I do not succumb to these ads, but I thought, “Why not?”

To my surprise, the first thing that popped up where these two-dimensional people surrounding a podium. A lady stood next to a man calling out numbers and calling for a higher bidder. To my surprise, the characters were bidding live for jewelry.  When people stopped biding, the hammer was slammed to let everyone know the bid was closed.

So how does this work? Well, let start with the bid.

Bid

On the top right corner of the page, you will see a box. The rectangle box will contain the title and photo of the item. Under it is a blue rectangle. This is how you start the bid. Generally, an item starts at a low price. The green button will raise that price by two dollars. People can continue to click on it. Once the last bid is made, the winner will be declared. The winner will then pay the seller directly, and the seller will ship the item directly to them.

Chat

Below the people is a box. Those participating in the auction or simply passing through can leave comments. There are no guidelines for this. Most people talk about the piece or the person putting the item up for sale.

Auctions

Auctions are organized by time and give a general title. There appears to be no limit to what can be auctioned. In addition, you can RSVP for an auction. However, this will cost you. If you do not see any lots that peak your interest. Top Hatter provides a list of auctions for the next seven days.

Catalogue

Still having trouble finding something you like? Try out the Catalogue! Here items are broken down into several categories. Those are jewelry, supplies, artisan jewelry, home decor, accessories, and so much more! If you’re not a fan of text, you can always scroll down. Like Twitter and Lemon Crate, pictures will fill the screen with titles.

Overall, the site is easy to navigate. The auction process is pretty self-explanatory. In addition, the site has a blog with interesting content. I think it adds a nice flair to auctions. By using the simple characters and background, it makes the on-line auction process a bit more eventful. Most importantly, there is something here for everyone! For your fashion diggers to shameless foodies, there is something to bid. It’s up to you to determine how much your willing to bid for it. 😀

What do you think of the Top Hatter?

Have you won and action or participated in one?

Additional Information:

To join in the fun click Tophatter and follow on Twitter , Facebook, and Pinterest