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Etsy acquires indie-gadget marketplace Grand St.

Gadgets are probably the last thing you'd look for on Etsy's DIY-heavy marketplace, but that could soon change. Today the NY-based company announced that it's acquiring Grand St., an online retailer focused on electronics with a creative, maker bent (think app-enabled piggy banks and Wifi-enabled kids' toys). In the short term, at least, Grand St. will continue to operate as its own marketplace, but it's possible that such hardware could someday have a home on Etsy.

In a blog post announcing the acquisition, Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson said, "What unites Etsy and Grand St. is a shared vision of the way making is changing, and we're excited to learn from their community." Grand St., which is also based in New York, curates all the products on its site, and a beta feature lets buyers give feedback to makers. The deal is still closing -- and financial details haven't been shared -- but it definitely seems to be positive news for those in the small-batch maker space.