Since opening his own online shop to sell paintings at the popular arts and crafts website Etsy.com in 2009, James Thurman has found an investment of his time can equal sales.

Thurman, a watercolor painter and ceramic sculptor from Sullivan, Mo., had only sold his work at art shows or galleries until he began using the site.

He said when he began he didn't know if he would be comfortable not seeing customers face to face when they were viewing one of his paintings for the first time, but his art started selling right away.

"I was really surprised because many of the buyers were from all over the country," Thurman said. "I even got a buyer from Canada."

While Thurman said his success selling on Etsy hasn't allowed him to quit his day job, his efforts have been worthwhile because the experience gave him an opportunity to get his name and artwork out there, which is important for any artist.

According to the Etsy website, buyers and sellers in more than 150 countries participate in a "world's most vibrant handmade marketplace." On the site's home page buyers are enticed with items in categories ranging from art and music to handmade jewelry, knitting, housewares and clothing. There are sections for weddings, vintage items, toys and categories named "Geekery" and "Everything Else."

Etsy is just one of several online arts and crafts sales websites seeing high traffic in the past few years. In 2010, Etsy.com reported sales of $300 million in goods through the site.

Stephani Schuchart of Cape Girardeau sells handmade hair accessories and miniature top hats in her online Etsy shop. She said most of her success selling online comes from personal sales to friends who go to the site to see her items but then buy directly from her.

She visited the site often to buy crafting supplies before opening her shop. She also uses sites like Craftster.com and Punkrockdomestics.com for selling.

"I love using Etsy to shop a lot more than as a seller," Schuchart said.

Schuchart said a downside to using the site is the time it takes to promote a shop and build up trust with members.

"I recently changed the name of my shop to a more business friendly name than my personal buyer account, and that has brought my feedback and sales down to zero, even though I have been using it for years," she said. "It is very easy to use though, and once you build up fans it can be really rewarding."

Schuchart said the upside of Etsy is that shopping on the site inspires her to make her own creations.

"Once I see something there that I love, I'll try my hardest to re-create it or make a variation of it," she said.

Another plus for Schuchart is the number and variety of items available. The site has vintage clothing, original artwork, jewelry and sculptures, soaps, perfumes, graphic T-shirts, car decals and hundreds of other items.

"I think that it is the best place to find gifts or items that are hard to find in such a small town like we live in," she said.

For artists looking to sell online or take the "Etsy-plunge," Thurman said they should first have realistic expectations about sales.

"While some people make a living selling their handmade wares through their Etsy shops, not everyone is successful," he said. "It takes time and effort to manage your shop, and in addition you need to make sure your product is one consumers will be interested in purchasing."

Other sites, such as Artfire.com and BuysOfTheWorld.com, are popular for buying and selling arts and crafts. Etsy does not allow users to search for art by region, but many local artists list their Etsy shop address on Facebook, giving admirers access from there.