Dark Knight, when a given item becomes old enough it magically metamorphoses and is reborn as an antique. Etsy requires items to be 20 years old to qualify as vintage, and I also believe that they were incorporated onto the site for their search engine value. The vintage / antique items have established identifying names, and there is a world of collectors who are looking for specific items within this genre.

Etsy has also reworked some of their rules and regulations to help encourage a re birth in cottage industries, and as an effort to help OUR economy. Sadly, I believe that there will be too many Americans incapable of seeing this opportunity, and who will whine instead, as has become an almost national pastime within our country.
I sell on the site. There are ALL LEVELS of goods available. There are those that might not meet your self proclaimed discriminating palette, but there are also QUALITY HIGH END PRODUCTS TO BE FOUND, BY QUALITY VENDORS.
The average person CAN AFFORD to list goods on a venue, whereas opening a Brick and Mortar store in a good location can be an expensive risk in these very uncertain times.