The same $20?

On the Canadian BuyNSell Promo thread on Etsy today, someone posted a chart from May that listed, in order of sales, the highest selling Canadian shops on Etsy. I laughed right out loud, because I keep reading in the Forum that supply sellers are the only ones making any money on Etsy-and lo and behold-it's true.

http://etsybynumbers.blogspot.com/2009/05/top-se.html

On some level, I'm really glad to have this list-I always try to buy as many supplies as I can from Canada, not just out of loyalty, but because they don't have to cross the border and so they get here faster-critical when I'm in production mode, especially for earrings-if I get frustrated about supplies, I have to stop, and who knows when that urge will return-and yes, I am not an automaton, I have to want to...
Guess the point I'm trying to make is that I wonder how many of us sellers (and buyers) on Etsy are the ones keeping these shops in funds...If the only action seems to be for supplies, soap, ad a few long-time jewelers (okay, most of it) then am I just wasting my time online?
My work seems to be popular at craft fairs, Farmers Markets, etc. but no online sales yet. Patience is a virtue I possess in only minimal amounts-usually in reserve for children, animals, and men (less and less for men as time goes on) but if it seems that all my efforts are in vain, well, why bother?
Does the same $20 bill move from hand to hand, from creator to supply seller to soap maker, then the crumbs (small change) down to whatever lucky seller makes the grade? Is there any wealth being created by creativity, or is it only lodged in the production of the means to be creative? Poor old Marx must be rolling in his grave...