This is what you can sell on Etsy in 2024. ETSY UPDATE.

[@EugeneHoverhand]

They shouldn't have let that trash on the platform in the first place, 'handpicked' from aliexpress They should also stop repeatedly disabling the search filters so I can source actual handmade materials

[@serendipidus8482]

Yeah I feel like i could sórt the stuff out pretty easily by just dumping the things into different catagories. I spend hours on etsy looking for vintage things that are actually vintage and hell if they paid me id probably have the whole website sort out for them in a year or something 😂

[@TheCatD]

Right!

[@SammiJoReviews]

Agreed! I spent months looking for a specific type of hand knitted wrap. If you have watched Outlander &/or A Discovery of Witches, you will see that Jaime Frazier wears a wrap (NOT the tartan colored kilt) that Gleason around his body, across his upper body & drapes down. Diane, the witch on ADOW, wears the same kind of wrap. Most of the ones I’ve seen have writing from the books on them & they are NOT hand-knitted. I found a woman in the UK who knits them. Her pricing is very fair. My problem is that I am legally blind & I have lupus, Sjogren’s, & fibro along with issues from impinged nerves in L4-L5 that causes severe pain in my right hip & this worsens damage in my left knee. I get a type of gel injection every 6-10mos. My income is severely limited after paying the mortgage & other bills. I keep telling myself that the stars will align one of these months where the wrap add & ready & I have enough $$$ to buy it. Fingers crossed.

[@haliesjewelryandcrafts]

It is INFURIATING to try and sell LEGITIMATE vintage and antique jewelry when these people are allowed to put 'vintage' and 'antique' in the title AND description but they are just cheap remakes from aliexpress... REAL vintage and antique jewelry sellers can't compete with the prices of the fakes.

[@FindingGod365]

Seems like they could or should just ban aliexpress. ​@@haliesjewelryandcrafts

[@girlfridayfinds9359]

I am an artist and vintage seller on Etsy. I am so tired of Etsy allowing art made in China by factory workers. I just reported 3 different stores selling the same art piece, in addition, there were 2 other stores online selling that same art. All different prices. They are not made by the Etsy seller. The frustrating thing is Etsy does nothing to get rid of these fake sellers. This is not outsourcing. I cannot compete with China.

[@SatoshiOfBitcoin]

Yes, you CAN. Nobody looking for what you handmake & sell will be buying mass-produced art from China. The problem is the littered landscape so its harder to find what's vintage or handmade and the change in the clientele using Etsy - or not. What they now buy or why they left.

[@catnapper7509]

Someone will start a better site for real, vetted, artists and make a fortune! Hopefully soon!

[@DJarry394]

I think Etsy just cares about money being raked in by these scams

[@girlfridayfinds9359]

@@DJarry394 It's all about the $$ NOT the people who are the creators. They are lining their pocket with money from scammers, which in my opinion, makes them no different.

[@marigrace3865]

I design and hand craft one of a kind hats. There is no way I can compete with goods from China when they can sell for less than what costs me for shipping. Maybe they should have a new category for junk.

[@peachesscales4782]

Yeah a category called Cheapskate

[@marielanomade]

Imagine the icon: 🗑

[@Martina_BCJdesign]

This. 🙌 Same. I sculpt notebook covers with polymer clay. But my dragon can't compete with AliExpress dragon notebooks that flooded Etsy. I've been on Etsy since 2015 with two shops but my sales are gone. Cause who would buy a 150$ artisan notebook if there's a 30$ China crap that copied someone's design...

[@piscinaiv7937]

worse yet those same producers will steal your ideas too.

[@northernlassie2755]

​@@piscinaiv7937yes...they copy everything...

[@debcarroll8192]

I had hoped for a return to their early days, when I knew I was getting handcrafted goods. Instead it sounds like they are justifying the garbage they have already been allowing.

[@samuela6271]

They take a cut, those folks sell volume, this means a bigger cut for shareholders best value. This sort of thing happens to all publicly traded companies.

[@jeanettemarkley7299]

@@samuela6271 True. These companies MUST make the most possible money for shareholders. It actually a law.

[@AyalaMatherd]

$$$

[@tankgrrl07]

Makes no difference. Everyone will still lie and say that stuff from alibaba is either handmade or designed by. They just need better resources to take them down. OR a better vetting system so they can’t create an account to start with.

[@dianevanderlinden3480]

the other day I googled an air conditioner part. There was actually an Etsy ad for that. I thought it was a mistake but no, there was actually an air conditioner part being sold on Etsy. Brand new, not vintage, lol. I couldn't believe it.

[@PeleLua1]

Yup. Just attempted to look up placemats. Being sold as “handmade” but clearly not from USA, and clear;y being resold by the USA Seller. Probably are handmade … just not by that seller.

[@MiaTheodoratus]

I miss it when they were indie. They would have a handmade fair in greenpoint, Brooklyn.

[@HelenBeeee]

The last purchase I made on Etsy I got scammed badly. It was a craft kit it looked the real deal but when it arrived it was clearly mass produced sent from china and the poorest quality that meant I couldn’t actually even complete the kit I contacted the seller but knew this wouldn’t go anywhere so took the hit and swore I’d never buy from Etsy ever again. I guess this is what they are trying to address.

[@sprite65]

I think I've made two purchases on Etsy - a wooden footstool and a wooden crate foot rest. Great buys! But I rarely shop there for things.

[@Ohiopotter]

I am leaving Etsy and opening my own shop through Square. Several reasons why. I make pottery, free shipping is not an option for me due to weight, the fees that are charged is another reason. I cannot compete with items from China! Etsy has become very greedy in order to satisfy the Share Holders!!

[@LoriNicolls]

Good Luck! Trying to steer traffic into your own website has proven difficult.

[@oakmaiden2133]

Share holders, ewwwww! We need laws that pay employees before shareholders.

[@spottedsparrowgardens9999]

Etsys free shipping is a joke cosnubhabe to mar up prices to cover shipping and their match other items prices is a joke as well. They want me to make a bar of artisan soap i sell for 8 dollars up to 15 dollars and that is a plain bar of soap the the next plain bar of soap they suggest ie 7. They sell 50% resell. It is so frustrating.

[@Ohiopotter]

@@LoriNicolls Yes, it is going to be difficult but I do several large art shows a year . People are always asking for my website. I also have a following on social media that should help too. Either way, I have control of my own website . I wish me luck🤣😊

[@susantroeter7143]

Their fee’s are really becoming an issue for my Etsy shop too…

[@BohoJouelSandraMBelz]

I think Etsy is putting on a marketing show. The problem has always been that they don't actually take down the shops that don't follow the rules. Sad

[@serendipidus8482]

Yeah theres a lot of bad about it. The only thing i ever bought was some fabric which was supposed to be silk and was sythnthetic...I did get a refund but because i had got a refund i couldnt leave a review at all whatsoever to warn anyone else. So all the reviews were positive.

[@Catgirlhelen1]

My daughter reported a shop the other day and had no reply. The item still had the invoice from India for what equates to £11 when he has them on a permanent 60% discount from £111. Had the wrong initial etched on it too. He keeps sending her messages to take down the 1 star review she left to get a partial refund. No policing of these sellers at all. Just awful.

[@serendipidus8482]

@@Catgirlhelen1 dont take down the review. People are waking up. But if they refund you they can remove your review. Which is disgusting. If it was only 11 dollars. If you got it by credit card ..always do use a card to buy things... report it as a scam to your bank and the bank will refund you more than likely. You have to show where they have refused to refund your emails so be polite when you email them. When the bank sees you genuinely could get a refund they have a scam refund system. Or at least my bank does. And if you used credit card the bank can even take back the money from them too. Debit card they can't do that. Always use the credit card because of this protection.

[@NiaLaLa_V]

Do any of you know what it means when a company goes public? It generally means they were failing and needed rich people to bail them out. And then they must please those rich investors, forever. That website will NEVER treat you sellers and shoppers with respect. NEVER.

[@Robin-qc4gn]

Very true, as in Three Birds Nest with their "handmade" (AliBaba's hands, LOL) back in the day.

[@CoventinaSoapery]

Etsy's 'shoddy sorting hat' has listed virtually all of my products as 'Designed By', but ALL of my products are handmade by me! Thanks a bunch Etsy. Now the agony of trying to put it right...

[@JessVanDen]

Oh God, how frustrating!

[@CoventinaSoapery]

@@JessVanDen Thanks, it is! I was on chat earlier & all they could do was assure we that it has been flagged, but no timescale given as to when (or if) my listings would be placed in the correct category. So I'll just have to keep monitoring. The person on chat was lovely, but couldn't reset my listings. I think they did all they were allowed to do.

[@serendipidus8482]

​@@CoventinaSoaperyugh i hate that costomer service people who can do absolutely nothing. All the bad things ive heard about etsy i just cant be bothered even trying. I made some cool felt charecters but not a lot of them i dont want to be a factory making the same thing over and over again.

[@CoventinaSoapery]

@@serendipidus8482 I think they didn't have any authority to do anything but log the complaint. It is very frustrating.

[@Zetamomma]

Interesting - I had that thought when I read; what about when you design the thing but also make the thing? Can't it be put under handmade?!

[@silversagestudiobc]

Either you make it yourself or you don’t. Sourcing from china, drop shipping via china. It should be NO.

[@Shetooktothewoods]

I appreciate the finer cuts with “handmade by seller,” “designed by seller,” and such as a buyer. For instance, all crochet is handmade - it can’t be done by machine like knitting - but reselling crochet items from Temu is definitely what buyers not going to Etsy for. I imagine it’ll be a PITA for artists who are selling prints of their original work, though (those who don’t do the printmaking themselves). Maybe it would be helpful to make the “report this item” link more prominent, rather than on the dead bottom of the listing page (in the app, at least). I’d be perfectly happy to report listings that are obviously mass produced because several sellers are offering the same item.

[@scarleto3231]

The way I understand their announcement is nothing has changed except they are legitimizing POD, AI art and items from Ali Express.

[@mishkalarsoncreations]

I’m glad I never actually used Etsy to sell anything. I had products that featured my own photographs printed on fabric to create wall hangings, totes, etc. then I would see same type of product from another seller covered with stock photos - of course selling for less. Handmade artists can’t compete on price on these platforms.

[@anieth]

Where do you sell? I used to sell so much on Etsy and now, well, not nothing, but close.

[@cofoothills]

Hope they don't get rid of supplies, materials, and rare tools, etc because they're vital to hand-makers & crafters

[@SewingBoxDesigns]

I make certain I locate the sellers own store elsewhere.

[@flootzavut30daychallenge]

I think this would fall under "sourced by seller"?

[@jay-by1se]

This actually sounds really good. I make custom knives that take 3 to 5 days to make each.. and I’m next to Chinese knives that look the same in pictures, but we can literally cut through them with one of our knives.. I got off of Etsy because there was so much garbage that made everybody’s look fake.

[@glass1258]

What’s the name of your knife brand ? I’m a collector and would like to take a look 👀

[@eivez]

I'm strictly a buyer and not seller. I think it's a step in the right direction. I hope it'll get us closer to what it was. I've been 50/50 disappointed in my purchases the last couple years, and have gone other places for certain things now.

[@KSMP]

I started shopping on Etsy at least 15 years ago and even then most of the "supplies" were from AliExpress and marked up ridiculously. I went right to the source and just ordered from China myself. I don't really bother with vintage items on Etsy either because the shipping rates to Canada (even within Canada) are asinine. I find it overwhelming to shop for jewelry on there now because everything is probably mass produced or every seller has all the same items. I don't think the changes you talked about would make any difference whatsoever.

[@Shetooktothewoods]

Absolutely agree about the shipping cost. I’m in the US and see sellers wanting to charge $4.99 to $18.99 for the same secondhand item within the same or contiguous postal zone as me. I just mentally label the one wanting the ridiculous shipping as dishonest and move on but wow.

[@janbounds911]

I make jewelry, as do many associates. All our work is handmade and many sell on Etsy. Your statements hurt the ones who are still there. We work hard to produce quality wearable art for our customers. They're original, one-of-a-kind, often custom, and you won't be getting our work for $20. Shipping depends on the item, not just weight, but value. Your statements include us, and it is false and misleading. Don't condemn the artists please.

[@KSMP]

@@janbounds911 I wouldn't expect to get an original handmade jewelry item for $20. It's extremely difficult to weed out the mass produced items from the OOAK ones. Also I wouldn't consider buying ready made charms etc. and linking them together as OOAK, which most of the sellers are doing. I agree there are still a few actual artisans but I don't have time to go through 1000 items to find them. That's an Etsy issue, not a "you" issue.

[@mollymollie6048]

Well, I’ll be willing to go and shop on Etsy again after giving it a little time for things to be fully changed. I loved Etsy and getting beautifully made, one of a kind items…or even just something fun, like a personalized license plate border. I went shopping for something several months ago, and was gobsmacked at all of the obvious rip-off Temu-esque dropship junk from China and having to go through 30-40 different results to find something that actually looked like it even resembled an individual artist/crafter/designer. If I want mass produced junk, I can get that anywhere. I hope this does help because otherwise, the artists need to band together and just create a new marketplace site where people can actually trust what they are getting.

[@cattuslavandula]

Etsy has been reclaiming the handmade gavel over and again for years, while turning a blind eye to mass produced crap because they make money on it. I remember way back when Rob Kalin was still in charge. On and on and on about handmade products and artist culture and human touch items. Meanwhile, the site was bulging with junk. People used to make treasuries featuring the same items with the same catalog pics from different sellers. I especially remember jewelry listings being swamped with the dreaded bubble necklaces, most wholesale items being pushed as handmade. That's a small example. It's never ending with Etsy and it won't change.

[@Lollipopmorgue]

I was on Etsy trying to buy a skull ring for under $100 while supporting a small business. All of the items, pages and pages, were Temu items that had been labeled handmade and were marked up x10. I looked on Amazon and eBay, and it was the same. I gave up and went to Temu, and got the ring for under a $1.00. I try to buy handmade, American, or secondhand, but it’s getting really difficult.

[@posthumanistpotato]

So... I wonder where the thing I'm making would fall under. I have a Gameboy game I programmed, did the art/music for, etc. I ordered a few dozen GB blank flash cartridges and burn the game onto the flash cartridge. I give the game a custom printed (cricket cut) logo sticker with art of my own making. I make a manual printed on magazine style paper through a service, I then cut and assemble the manual that I wrote/designed. I then print (either myself or again a printing company with better quality ink/paper) and cricket cut a cardstock box and put it together with the game and manual with it. This took a lot of work on my end. About the only thing I could do is buy a better printer and print the manual/box myself and 3D print the cartridge body. The guts I have no means nor know how on making circuit boards so that's not happening. And I doubt I could make a plastic cartridge plastic body that cost less than $0.27 and anywhere near the same quality. Selling my fully assembled game, while using some parts that were obviously made elsewhere, but it seems like it would qualify as either altered or hand made at this point... I mean it depends on where the line is drawn. If you knit an afghan but use store purchased yarn and didn't spin your own, is it still "handmade" or is it "altered", lol. lol yeah, the obvious answer is handmade, but you have people who literally argue if you didn't grind your own flour than you aren't baking from scratch (or as I call them, crazy people).

[@leslie594]

I once encountered a woman that found out I was a truck driver. She asked if I changed the tires and I replied no . Gotta say I was flabbergasted when she said, oh so ALL you do is drive 😳 Somehow I totally understand what you are getting at 😂

[@427skies]

I honestly would do made by because some of the people complaining don't make every single tool or item that goes into their products but because they are making jewelry, clay dishware, etc., they think they own the title "made by". Also, I am interested in your game! Do you have the link to your shop?

[@lrbolotin1227]

That sounds handmade to me!

[@halflink]

I think it will be very helpful to buyers who care (at least to those who still care about handmade) about where items are coming from

[@JustME-ft4di]

You think the others won’t lie?

[@PeleLua1]

So recently I saw some placemats listed as “handmade” … the Seller obviously purchased the placemats from a different country (seller was in USA), and was reselling them as “handmade” … they probably are handmade … but not from the USA, or other comparable, because the cost was so low you couldn’t even buy the materials to make them here. But because they were “handmade” I’m sure they are considered still okay by these rules. And they weren’t “vintage” either. So where would that fall into Etsy’s rules?

[@rachaelt3294]

I make handmade soap and I've been in the process of moving and renovating for the past 3.5 years. I'm trying to decide if I want to list on etsy, mercari, ebay, or make my own site again. I know things are different and I have to research seo and shipping cost again. On top of that everything I need to make soap has gone up significantly. I'm unsure if I can keep prices low enough yet still make a profit. I don't make boring bars so it takes a lot of time. I've also contiplated moving jnto minitures and home decor with my soaps. I sold a bit of it before taking my break. I'm so torn.

[@annenna2354]

I'm at a point with Etsy where I just assume nothing is handmade and base my willingness to buy something with that assumption in mind. It's really sad.

[@lrbolotin1227]

It’s as frustrating for the person shopping as it is for the makers. Last time I bought something on Etsy it was extremely difficult to find, and then the customer service was bad.

[@savannah115]

Similar on Amazon tbh. You never know if Amazon stores are legit anymore and I have to consider how much money I might be wasting if I end up with unusable crap. So I just don't use it anymore. Back to box stores for me, or if I have to buy online, I go right to a source.

[@1RealRoyalPain]

I use to sell on Etsy one of a kind handmade and designed leather items. When they changed, I pulled all my stuff and shut my store down. They don’t stand behind their sellers, they don’t do the right thing. Their ethics are absolutely horrific. I have boycott Etsy and will continue. Just maybe they’ll get the message if enough of us continue to boycott. Lots of revenues the only thing that these executive corporate vultures seem to understand. They seem to forget that it’s a satisfied customer that makes their paycheck possible, and that satisfied customer is the sellers. Without product they have nothing to sell and can’t make commissions off of nothing.

[@FeatnikSF]

I’m not an Etsy shopper. Is there an alternative site to find truly handcrafted items?

[@gloriasilveira5332]

So besides your own website, where are you selling now? I'd love to support truly indie crafters but there's no good central place to find them.

[@anieth]

Where do you sell? I need to have a storefront, but yes, my sales tanked when they changed.

[@vectorwolf]

Also wondering what the alternative is...

[@1RealRoyalPain]

@@FeatnikSF I haven’t found one to sell on.. my business was word-of-mouth so that was my saving grace.

[@learnDigitalMarketing1]

I have decided to make my Etsy shop all digital. And take my pod on to Shopify and my own site. Good luck on your e-commerce journey. 🎉

[@ephemeraphilesbytomi]

I am moving my Etsy shop to my own personal site.

[@สุจิตราอ่วมกลัด]

Are u run your shop with shopify?

[@angelacarter6593]

Rules are only as good as their willingness to enforce them which until now was only done on behalf of large companies so no, I don't think it will make a difference.

[@ColorwaveCraftsCo]

It’s all just lip service. They aren’t actually going to change anything. Very sad but thank you for sharing this info 😊

[@megamancards]

I'm just selling as a hobby but it's kind of weird for me. I take vintage handhelds like Game Boy and customize the buttons and mod them to have backlights or LCDs (hand soldering). So is that vintage, hand sourced, or made by me?

[@shadowmatrx]

I am a buyer & it can be really hard to tell sometimes if the seller is a drop shipper or not. For eg, I recently ordered linen fabric from 2 separate sellers both supposed to ship from US (I live IN). The fabric from CA arrived within a week & was what it was advertised as. The fabric from TN took over a month to travel 2 states over and does not appear to be what was advertised. If I had never worked w/linen before I wouldn't have known any better. I kind of like the idea of the "handmade by" etc tags. But I agree that time will tell.

[@pineapplesyumyum]

Hand made can still technically be stuff from AliExpress or Temu if you order different keychain components and put them together that’s hand made or is this what the difference in categories are ?

[@christinegreywolf]

Another big problem that is not addressed. People lie! I am a professional artist and I have been dealing with this issue for years now. People are using AI to create designs 'art" that are then printed out and sold as their work. A couple of photography competitions were won last year where when the awards were being handed out, the photographer admitted that he had done so. He did this to bring awareness to the problem. In my opinion there should be no use of the computer to aid in any portion of creating a piece of art. I stopped shopping at Etsy years ago when the majority of the items stopped being actually handmade by the seller.

[@michelleleehuntemann4706]

How do we change designed by to made by. I don't understand why my listing is designed by and not made by?

[@CupcakeCottage]

I don’t like the word sourced. That could be anything.

[@MrsBrit1]

Right? "sourced via temu" 🙄

[@susancook1448]

So where does a necklace for instance that sources beads from Temu but hand crafts/designs strings and closes by a human in the US?

[@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396]

@@susancook1448Or upcycling? Where does that fall?

[@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396]

@@susancook1448You will have to make your own beads now. :)

[@kathyryder828]

​@@susancook1448that is hand made. You don't have to make all the components yourself.

[@Needle2Needle]

I write knitting patterns, so I wonder what category that falls into now since I’m not creating piece of knitwear to sell, but just designing the knitting pattern. Of course I knit a sample to show what the pattern looks like when it’s knit up. But I’m selling digital copies of the written patterns I design.

[@AmberLove]

This was so helpful for sorting out those definitions. Thank you!

[@sandraludwig1546]

I'm very glad to see that the search boxes on the side allow differentiation between digital products and physical. Every time I was looking for ephemera, I was getting tons of printables.

[@Earthy-Artist]

I've heard so many negative things about being a seller on Etsy from several different sellers, I can't even think of one positive thing I've ever heard an Etsy seller say. Etsy isn't a hassle I need in my life.

[@annamossity8879]

I was considering getting back to my shop, which I opened a decade ago, with a new product. I tried to sell paintings. My first sale turned into a scam and I lost faith right there. I’m older, wiser and thought I’d give it a go now. But I’ve heard nothing but horror stories, I will not return. As for being a customer, I used to love to shop with Etsy but the last few times I had to wade through so much garbage it just wasn’t worth it so I’m done. I wish someone would open another site with Etsy’s original idea!

[@faeriesmak]

I personally don’t see any of this helping at all. I used to sell handmade and vintage until I could no longer sell my handmade items at all and switched to just vintage for the most part. The funny thing to me, though, is that I originally had my own website and Etsy put me out of business. They made it incredibly easy for people to steal my original designs and then sell them for half of the price that I was asking.

[@SoulsJourney]

So people can just say "sourced by ..." and still resell crap from Temu, is what it sounds like.

[@HORSLOVR]

Well then maybe they should vet the factories in India and China that are saturating real handmade sellers right out of Etsy

[@countessdelancret2447]

So in order to sell a vintage or antique book they will have to turn it into a gift basket??

[@glendabrown6659]

This change was not necessory. All they had to do was add a 4th category for POD and Ai. It was a word change. But I did like how they explain in the creativity standard policies.

[@ingridperlongo2291]

Question: I make cards but I use elements I don't make such as stickers, gift tags, parts of manufactured cards. Would this still be considered handmade? Also, I'm an amateur and often use construction paper so while friends and family love them, these aren't the most professional cards. I've looked into selling them but seems like the fees are too high and too much of a hassle. I'm fine with my cards just being a fun hobby and not a side hustle.

[@JustME-ft4di]

There are ppl selling labradorite dangle earring with granulation etc. Each pair has 4 big stones They would take ages to make. They are under £20 on Etsy. They claim they are sterling silver. Nobody can compete with that whether it is true or not.

[@vectorwolf]

They probably are, there's a big source for them in India, you can order stuff by the pound and get a huge assortment of silver pendants with labradorite, moonstone, garnet and so forth in bulk. Definitely handmade but you also know the silversmith that made it probably got less than 50 cents US for the effort.

[@seedy6538]

Scaves made in India. Drop shipped via a hippie couple who "live in a bus" featured on their gift guide recently. The shop is not a verified handmade "partner"

[@agl5132]

I was with Etsy when they first started but left about seven years ago. There are other resources out there and Etsy will soon find out. Too many companies start out with a good idea and then get greedy. When they started messing with the crafters pay schedule, and increasing fees and pushing for next day delivery I refused them my business. I can contact the sellers directly on their websites or social media and buy direct. Is it my imagination or did a lot of this correlate when they started bringing in celebrities to endorse and curate their favs. Those celebraties don't come cheap. Etsy needed to bring in money for that advertising budget certainly.

[@splitprissm9339]

"Restored by" seems to be sadly missing - and restorers are probably one of the groups you DO want on the platform given the direction they want to go. There'd also be a lot of potential in helping pair up people that can restore and people that are qualified to do safety certification (eg with vintage computers, radios, lamps, appliances, cars, g*ns...).

[@ourgeorgiasuburbanhomestea6309]

do you offer a tutorial on how to sell on etsy? I have a page and people go to it, but dont buy... is it presentation? Also, if you have multiple items that are ... say you like my beaded pens. How do I show them pens in a way that when someone chooses one they can do so by number, and then I go back and delete that or label it as sold assuming I should be advertising them in separate photos.. advice?

[@JessVanDen]

I actually have a whole course on how to set up a successful online shop that's starting soon: www.createandthrive.com/courses/set-up-shop I also have a lot of videos on this channel dedicated to Etsy, check out the Etsy playist on my channel.

[@ourgeorgiasuburbanhomestea6309]

@@JessVanDen i'll check it out, thanks!

[@janerobinson5944]

Etsy lost is Handmade vintage soul years ago! I had a handmade shop for ten years and finally closed this year. Too much cheap competition!

[@debrascott8775]

As I read it, a POD seller should have an actual item to photograph, not just an image that they created or what the item should looks like...do you read it that way?

[@somelurker6115]

Literally incredible how Etsy has managed to screw over and drive away both physical and digital artists. It's unbelievable that they pretend to be a platform for artists while making actual artists compete with dropshippers and AI image generators.

[@SewingBoxDesigns]

A friend of mine wanted a dress of Etsy and was told it was sold out and she would have to wait until more were made, but would she care to make a deposit and give measures. Sure enough same exact 'custom made' sundress ruffles and all was on AliExpress for 1/5 the price! The exact price of said deposit. 🧐

[@bycarolyndahl]

I sell vintage digital art that I alter and update myself (no AI) on my computer. I technically did not make the art, but I'm not selling it as is either. What category do I list in??

[@bkspielman0]

5:08 talks about hand-altered, so I would assume you'd be Made By Hand/ Made by a Seller category

[@belindaroadley]

What's the end product? Digital downloads and print on demand are "designed by".

[@serendipidus8482]

Well who owns the digital art that your amending? If you own it and youve amended it into your own art then its technically your artwork. They make factory canvases which are sold as handpainted by irish artists which are just a printed canvas and then somone in ireland ..some complete twat i might add...blobs a blob of paint on it and now its " handmade in ireland" ..... if you purchased the digital art rights to reproduce the art and amend it then its your own artwork now. If you don't have the rights to the artwork or its open source stock then i have no idea. Stolen art catagory? 😂

[@charlottebooth7614]

It's not vintage if it's digital art - it would be "vintage style" - I get so sick of looking for genuine vintage items to get non-vintage stuff on the feed

[@cristagalli96]

@@charlottebooth7614 Yeah I hate when I look for vintage and it's just modern reproductions of vintage stuff. Or it's literally just "distressed" to look vintage.

[@hazelblair6634]

I am totally confused. Some one who crochet will buy a hook, buy the yarn, and may be a patern. But the putting together is what makes it hand made. SO, if I buy card stoke (hook) and die cut a Shap (yarn) and mount that Shap on card (patern) I have covered is this then hand made. I am / was about to open a store, but now I am uncertain. Happy Crafting everyone. X

[@AwakeningWarrior]

Those "new" categories are actually not categories you pick, they are just categories Etsy files your listings into automatically after gathering more information about your products. You have no control over which category your products go into... it's determined based on how you answer questions. So nobody is actually able to select "handpicked" or "designed by" in a listing.

[@omnimetric84]

I had a series of problems with Etsy, starting several years ago when they refused to intercede with a seller who simply refused to ship a purchased item I haven’t used them since. There are too many other sources to buy from.

[@ColumbusDixon]

I’m a punter who is waiting for my parcel via Etsy. If I had read these comments beforehand I would have researched a bit deeper & wider to make sure the supplier is the maker ( bee cuff links). It’s going straight back if it’s Chinese crap. My heart goes out to you self employed producers. Been there, did that for 40 years and agree 100% that it becomes a financial race to the bottom when Etsy sells anything from anywhere just like fleabay. I appreciate the buyer beware heads-up and will think twice before using it again. Thanks

[@jpendowski7503]

Not too much change as far as I can see. I make OOAK earrings and have considered Etsy, but when I go to shop, there is no place for me. So sad.

[@GoingGreenMom]

This might be a stupid question, but I keep seeing spreadsheet templates on KZbin where they are listed on Etsy. Is this actually legal on Etsy? Is there an alternative that is better? I was under the impression it had to be physical to sell on Etsy?

[@thewickedmrshicks]

I've sold digital stamps on Etsy since 2011. You can definitely sell digital downloads on Etsy.

[@kaistockman6443]

So if you print artwork that you’ve painted or a photograph you’ve taken and you printed it on your home printer is that made by? But then, if you get it printed it a local print shop that would be designed by? Just wondering, I sell supplies so it doesn’t apply to me, but my dad is an illustrator and I want to help him sell his prints. He sells a book he illustrated, but it’s 50 color illustrations with die cut doors so he can’t make that at home so that is obviously designed by. But just wondering if you print the artwork at home, can you call that made by?

[@PaintedSkyArts]

Yeah, there’s a lot of vague space for the artists who wish to market their art and prints without selling their original pieces on platforms like this. That is/was one of the really nice things about POD, but everyone has to have a piece of our pie in the end…

[@daynasafranek7807]

I have bought some of the most interesting and incredible pieces on Etsy. Vintage finds and handmade finds…. I love that about Etsy. I never got into selling anything, but a platform should be fair to all users.

[@brit1945]

I will never shop from Etsy again. It’s awful, everyone I tried to purchase from never sent my orders and Etsy had to refund me. Ridiculous.

[@CamilaPradaTV]

Thanks for clarifying this

[@astartesol7720]

I’ve been selling on Etsy for 18 years. It’s been a downward spiral ever since they became a public company. We were forced into doing free shipping otherwise our items won’t show up in the search. There is no such thing as free shipping because the item cost has to be raised to cover the shipping cost. The seller costs have gone way up. I used to sell tinctures I made, but my listings kept getting taken down because you can’t describe the healing properties of the tincture. So without a proper description they don’t sell. I can’t say any of my oils are an aphrodisiac either or it gets pulled. Ever since I’ve had to change my descriptions to not reflect any physical symptoms help, I don’t sell as much. My customers keep me going because I consistently get messages about how much my products are needed and I’m doing exactly what I should be doing. At this point it feels like my charity that I’m giving to the community. And it pays my cell phone bill every month. 😊

[@CHT420]

I usually can’t afford the shipping prices on Etsy on a $4.50 item the shipping (on less than an 16 oz. weight) is $6.99 or more I don’t find that ridiculous shipping where I shop elsewhere online🤔

[@conifercrow]

That's the actual shipping cost, though. The USPS keeps raising those prices, and it has to come from somewhere. If that seller listed that item for $4.50, a chunk goes to etsy, a chunk goes to paypal, a chunk goes to materials and taxes, and that doesn't leave a $7 margin to pay for shipping costs, too. If you want cheap and handmade, PLUS free/low cost shipping...you're barking up the wrong tree for small independent makers. To even break even, that seller would have to price that $4.50 item at $11.49, and then people would complain the price is too high. Ugh.

[@robynkloosterhof5289]

Everything needs structure and consistency., I understand that. There’s always so much focus on that sellers are breaking the rules but what about the bad buyers? Etsy claims the buyers have to prove the refund is justified, but sellers are not allowed to get involved, unless I am wrong? there’s a lot of people going on Etsy buying things claiming they didn’t come as described and then getting refunds. Leaving handmade sellers with very limited profit as it is, even worse off. Maybe there would be more success if both sides were addressed.

[@niamarieturek9281]

When they have comparison AI to help remove items from Etsy found on other non hand crafted sites then maybe it might get better. I quit going to farmers markets for this same reason.

[@TheNightshadePrince]

Seems very confusing now, and if you grow plants that is made by you, gardening is an art so having it be under sourced by seems pretty rude. I stopped shopping on Etsy cause the prices, and some sellers were very rude.

[@sewvintagebysunraedoll]

I was doing good with my handmade & vintage shop till customs lost an order overseas. I was forced to pay for the loss and my shop got shut down. 🙈 not trusting them again. They are supposed to have insurance to cover these kinds of issues-instead starving artists are penalized

[@DonTimmons-kh4dz]

I supply a handwritten note to each of my customers with every sale. I feel it lets them know I'm human, and that their purchase is truly handmade by me. Unfortunately now I struggle to log into my shop on account of AI, or whoever is responsible for this robot verification thingy. Trust me Etsy, I'm human. But if you really just can't figure it out, I feel the end is near. Have a blessed day and thanks for all you do.

[@emeraldviking1919]

I lost two plant orders because Etsy didn't send the email saying that the order is being shipped...

[@jasonsummit1885]

It's why I'm hesitant to sell my handmade jewelry on Etsy. Been just selling at local markets and from my Facebook page.

[@ieshadover]

Lol, over all it hasn't been an issue for custom handmade items. The issue have always largely resting in vintage and supplies. As items not really used for making items are still allowed to list mass produced end products, for example hair clips with bows that are massed produced, or hand bags to make those gift baskets. The other side was vintage stuff that was never vintage.

[@AyalaMatherd]

They make money when they let more people sell things that aren’t handmade. They have little incentive to protect creators unfortunately. The only reason they’re putting any effort into this show of “rules” is to avoid losing their main claim, which is their handmade artisan sellers.

[@HeavenLeeMadeOnEtsy]

so, will they also get rid of the Celebrities hawking good you KNOW they don't craft themselves???

[@eh1702]

A replay of when “youtube” became “theirtube”. Corporate feudalisation gathers pace.

[@simmimon]

i've stopped selling on etsy since 2019, they keep putting out things that make people unhappy. I don't buy very often on etsy either. Unless I know what I am buying is 100% handmade by finding the seller through their socials and they have behind the scenes showing how they make/draw their stuff.

[@blueheartcrochet19622]

Bottom line, shop local and only from your trusted “ETSY” sellers! I’m 62 and follow many younger women/men that create BEAUTIFUL handmade items, whether crochet, jewelry,pottery, and many more great items. Let’s bring back more craft markets, farmers markets and “SHOP LOCAL”.

[@sharonbobbe2717]

Well, it appears I do not have to personally choose the descriptions in my shop (Muse of Memorabilia). I sell vintage, some items handmade by myself, and seeds as I am a grower of hot peppers. I'm glad Etsy made the choice for my Black Scorpion Tongue Chili Pepper seeds; my best seller... they are "DESIGNED BE ME." 🤔

[@app103]

Ha! They made it sound like you are selling GMO seeds.

[@empressbat]

I used to sell my hand made items on etsy a long time ago - but could not compete against the mass produced rubbish they allowed on there so gave up. Not sure this makes much difference really

[@ceciliajones7816]

They need better vetting. Dedicate a team to verify sellers and their products. Better way to report fraud.

[@SideBurns]

$85?! I think my Wallet just became Minimalist 😂

[@johncarter4411]

I love looking thru Etsy for handmade things, but it sounds like now I'm going to have to sort thru things, just like anywhere else. How disappointing.

[@robertawalsh2995]

Etsy is already no different from eBay. As a buyer, I used to report to Etsy when merchandise turned out not to be what it claimed but Etsy has made that more difficult. Now they accept reports from the copyright holder, but not from customers who have been ripped off.

[@KathyTincler]

I have never sold on Etsy or any other online space. I sell at craft fair type places. It makes me so mad when many times they allow in 'Mary kay' etc, (and even known worst of the worst known MLMs in). At one place we were well united, stood up for ourselves and they were out. I am stunned that these organizers don't get the meaning of 'hand crafted, handmade, actual skilled trades people'...sigh

[@bbarnett4213]

Etsy is the place to go when you have wayyy too much money and need to burn some somehow. There's nothing on Etsy I can afford.

[@LilyGazou]

Etsy lost me forever.

[@mollieanne]

Me too

[@pricklypear7934]

Trust is the hardest thing to earn back and the damage that they have done to people like myself who were there with them from their beginning is irreparable! The fact that many if us sunk years of our blood sweat and tears for them to do an IPO that brought in the mass growth that stole many designers product ideas and charged such low costs to crowd out the handmade will never bring back the old members. That said, sadly, they will cater to the new generations.

[@romeoslover817]

It'll work if sellers are honest. Good

[@TheChroniclesOfYarnia]

Etsy can’t go back 😂 they are hated by the actual art community, Let’s set this up for a visual so we remember how it went down. They created a platform for the underdog the artists, the poets, the makers, and the creatives. They allowed us to be inthis space for as long as it took for the buyers market to see THEM Etsy as US. ETSY a BIG BUSINESS became synonymous with the underdog artist. Then they opened the doors for their cousins in big business they crunched numbers and taxed and gave us extra fees until we couldn’t afford to be a part of our own community. Then their audience noticed their are now just another Amazon or TEMU or SHEIN just more expensive and so it is IRRELEVANT. Now that Etsy is dead in the water they will let us get on the wardrobe they are floating around on??!?!!! No thank you 🙂‍↔️

[@metoudesign]

As if they care ... Just like the copyright and laws and so on ... there is only one thing they care about: Money

[@Bongwater33]

ETSY is over= someone should start a new craft selling platform, this one has gone to big bucks corruption, nobody is going to believe ETSY has quit using fake drop shippers for most items.

[@MamaMOB]

He's not wrong when he says nothing is going to change. In fact this probably will be helpful. Cuz now you can actually see what is handmade and what is coming from China or Pakistan. I've accidentally bought products that were made in a third world country when I thought I was buying from a first world country. That was my fault so it is what it is but still. And this was years ago.

[@missychan63]

Why do they have to rebrand? They were originally for sellers of homemade and handmade items... It's their own damn fault that they everyone else in and now they're back pedaling because we are all leaving.

[@MrsBrit1]

So they've just justified the company is in the crapper.....cool. I'll probably never buy from there again, unfortunately. It needs to go back to 100% handmade. Not even vintage. There are other apps and sites for that. No shite printed on totes and t shirts by another company (if you're doing your own silk screening or something, fine!). No reselling cheap tat from temu and Ali express type places. You're either making the item yourself or it shouldn't be being sold there.

[@tammigraham4289]

I bought a lot of lapidary stones during the pandemic so that I had stock built up to create items with silversmithing and beadwork. Since then, I have been inundated with messages from other sellers in India that want me to take a look at their stock. I haven't bought much of anything since 2020 because every time I looked for something, you could tell that it was Chinese junk and not made by an artisan. Just because you stamped "925" on it, doesn't make it Sterling Silver either. You get what you pay for. If it looks to good to be true, it probably is...remember that phrase? Also, don't expect perfection when you pay next to nothing for something. I can appreciate the price charged by an artist, because I have taken the time to create my own works of art, so I know it costs time and money to create an item. I don't really sell anything yet that I have made. My grandma traveled the country selling her jewelry, so I learned from her how to make jewelry and inherited her supplies last year when she passed away. I see junk at craft shows too, which is really disappointing. I create to keep me from going nuts, so if I don't sell anything, I am okay with that.

[@Kay_Watermelon]

So why would you put on your thumbnail "No more handmade...."? This isn't really good practice because it's far from the truth.

[@tigerlily3058]

I bought handmade nails for $18. I then saw them on TEMU for 3.49. So done with Etsy

[@AmberGarrett-py6ry]

Thank you.

[@robbiegleason4462]

Tee shirt sellers are screwed. Nobody has the time or resources to create a sample of the hundreds of designs they make and take a picture if each one. All the mock-up sellers are screwed too.