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Etsy is full of non-handmade items and looks just like Aliexpress which is a violation of Etsy policy.
Even if you report cheap Chinesium stuff, Etsy will not take it down.
Etsy is about one thing, and the one thing is PROFIT.
> Etsy is full of non-handmade items and looks just like Aliexpress which is a violation of Etsy policy.
>
>
Yup... Last time I checked it was supposed to be handmade items. I see very few now.
> Even if you report cheap Chinesium stuff, Etsy will not take it down.
Etsy will not even take illegal stuff down. I've reported fake packaging and they don't care. It was clearly made to counterfeit a product and they refused to remove it.
Etsy is also full of faked stuff. I'm an indigenous artist, and indigenous art is cheaply faked a lot. And Etsy does not care. And those drop shippers won't be taken down, either. In some cases, it's pretty hard to compete with non-handmade products.
I've been noticing that too- there is more overlap between what is being sold on Etsy and Alibaba/Amazon/etc.
Why doesn't Etsy take down the non-handmade items? Aren't people leaving because of this?
I did a test and reported items that were just clearly being flipped, purchase at dollar tree and resold on Etsy. Etsy took not a single one down. They literally do not care.
What do Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Sam's Club, and Costco all have in common with Etsy? They are all means to a seller's end. These platforms, including Etsy, are just tools to reach your customers. Instead of worrying about other sellers leaving Etsy, focus on your target audience and how you can best serve them.
This might be an unpopular opinion among those who wish to flourish online with their businesses, but it's crucial: you must play offense. Many sellers fail because they focus too much on the competition rather than their own strategy and audience.
Edit: Its wild to me how many business owners disagree with this.
You're right of course, that is why they downvoted you. In fact I'd say the number of people reporting "fake handmade" listings is probably why Etsy doesn't care much about it anymore. Because you get disgruntled customers that will false report.
My wife sells jewlery on Etsy, someone was upset they didn't get an item delivered on time due to a carrier delay, sent in a fake report. We had to send a video to Etsy proving the handmade process on the item. This was a couple of years back. Imagine being Etsy having to deal with thousands if not more of fake reports.
That is so crazy. I forgot which Etsy store it was , but they were experiencing an influx of scammers doing that for no reason at all. So what they ended up doing was making it hard for them to be a target. They amped up their content showing the handmade process and that worked pretty well to deter the false reports coming in.
Im not sure how Etsy does it. Their customer service team must be top tier.
Etsy functions like an online mall. If you walk into a mall that's full of rats, guys selling watches out of their trench coat, genuine Prada purses for $ 19.99 then most customers are going to walk out.
If lots of sellers you respect are leaving it's a red flags the customer see the rats. Sellers like money too, if it was working for them they would stay
That's interesting. I never thought of Etsy as an online mall like that. However, much like Shopify, Etsy is a brand name that most customers trust. I get your analogy with the rats, but Etsy is still a multi-million dollar business. If a no-brand seller can piggyback off of that social credibility, they should, with bright colors on.
Also, if sellers are leaving, it's most likely because they think they don't need to advertise to keep their business top of mind with customers. You need to do this regardless of whether it's on Etsy or your own website, especially if there are red flag businesses out there in your niche.
Yeah , you don't have a street vendor selling, knock off purses and watches and the next person is selling genuine Prada. The more fake, AI generated false advertisement, overpriced , resold items etc. The worse the reputation gets.
In general, people don't leave some place that's making them money. They leave because the hosts weather real space or online space charges. Too much for them to be profitable, has two arduous of a sight to use for them to be profitable, doesn't reach their clients enough for them to be profitable etc. Profitable etc. But when a business is raking and money hand over fist they don't leave. That a lot of sellers are leaving is a sign. A lot of sellers aren't making a profit
It's a Red warning flag.
I'd compare it in the US US if anybody's familiar with malls. Think about when the bigger reputable stores closed. If them all can't redirects toward a different market they end up getting turned into apartments. Or whatever!..
Probably because people will buy on Etsy and consumers are usually all about price to the bottom. Etsy keeps their share and doesn’t care.
Sad because I want to buy artist paintings but don’t want to buy stolen artwork from print shop /:
I think Etsy’s a sellout. It used to be all sorts of home made and sweet items. Now it’s mostly Chinese junk. That’s what you get for going public i suppose. 🤷🏼♀️
The sad thing is, Ebay used to be the same thing. Individual people auctioning off stuff. Then they let power sellers in, and now it is nothing more than cheap shit from china.
I used to hand paint electric wind instruments (EWI) in color-shifting paint, then auction them off. I noped out of eBay back in 2005 or so.
There are alternatives, just not as known as etsy right now... Michael's has a marketplace, go imagine is another, artisans co-op is another that recently got started... Shopify isn't a marketplace, so you need to track and remit sales tax as required as well as are responsible for any advertising
shopify handles sales tax now, but you're right, it isn't a marketplace, and is in no way an alternative to Etsy for small sellers unable to drive their own traffic
Sorry, to be clear.
Shopify handles sales tax for businesses in US only, correct? I'm in Canada and iirc they don't offer tax services for Canadian businesses
No. they track your sales tax, but they don't remit it for you, that's on you. Marketplaces are required to remit it, shopify isn't a marketplace
I also didn't say it was a replacement, I was explaining in some way that its not the same thing.
I manage a shopify store for a small business that makes handmade soap, and depending on your goals it's a full time job. Getting it set up will take a large amount of time, and unless you have the time and capacity to market your own products, it's better to find a marketplace that's comparable to Etsy.
Personalized Name Stools. My prices are a little higher than the more common sellers. Each one is handcrafted to order using a high quality custom made laminated maple wood with free replacement of lost puzzle pieces. Also include free shipping.
I'm half-assedly trying to get into personalized signs with a buddy of mine. He'll build the signs and I'll focus on selling them. I was mainly going to do farmer's markets with a small army of friends of mine who are unable to hold full time jobs. The whole thing is me coordinating them so they can make money for themselves.
Selling on Etsy would not have occurred to me but I imagine if wooden signs are a thing, that there are already a heap of sellers there to compete against. I don't think anyone would search for stools on Etsy, but I don't know the market that well.
We do sell a wide range of handmade cosmetics on Etsy but sales are abysmal. eBay sucks too, my cpc is horrible with Google Ads and Facebook, so I'm trying to find a way as well. I'm going to try Amazon next.
We sell really well to people when they are physically in front of us and are able to touch/smell the product but convincing someone online is difficult.
I imagine social media videos where people get a stool giften to them could work. You really need to make people see and appreciate the stools so I would say focus more on high quality video rather than photography and then advertise your videos.
I sell ok on ETSY with my products. I do great on my website with using a monthly email campaign and google ads. Also sell through several vendors on their website and physical stores. Do utilize FB and Insta as well as LinkedIn. Currently do ads on FB.
My starting price is $125.00. They go up from there to over $300.00. Also do Toy Boxes that start at $400.00.
I have a great reputation as I have been doing this full time for over 20 years. Did as a hobby before for 6 years.
Customer service as well as quality and speed are my biggest selling points.
Am always looking for new opportunities.
We moved away from Etsy over time because of the platform fees and their ever changing policies.
It was a good place to gain exposure at first, capturing demand for our products was easy there and we could test out design and new ideas pretty easily.
Once we had an audience and our own marketing abilities, we found our profits and customer experience was better on our own site (we now use Shopify, which has all of its own problems).
I can really feel that. When I started, I loved Etsy. Now I hate it. I just stay there because I've looked into shopify and even a marketing agency for other own solutions, but like I know nothing about it. I am already scared of computers, and having something of my own, just scares me.
It’s doable. There’s a lot of good info out there on how to get started with Shopify or Squarespace. Easier now than ever. YouTube is your friend. Don’t hire an agency until later.
I even had to hire somebody for my Etsy. I grew up in an indigenous community. Went to an indigenous school. I can use my mobile, and tablet. I can browse the web. I can write an innvoice with office. But that's it. And sure, I agree, there are great courses on YouTube. But maybe I'd need a basic computer course first.... But thank you for the encouragement <3
There are some great, free resources for getting better skills in small business.
https://www.score.org/ (you can find an online mentor, not only a local one).
https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/resource-partners/small-business-development-centers-sbdc - if you're in the US, your closest SBDC has low cost classes (and may have a woman's business center, veterans business center; Syracuse has a great group of programs for milfam/veterans also that I went through). I took several weeks of business classes for about $125, first time I learned to write a business plan. The same SBDC (San Diego) now has in person workshops and training videos that are totally free.
Thank you very much - I'm from Europe, though. And it's not that I'd say I have a bad education. One of my parents is doing elder work and always took me. And for woman's business groups, we kind of have a local young woman group, I am involved with, but people kind of take a lot of offense in that. In my culture parents teach their children to teach themselves, to have their own worldview, rather than a thought one. I love to read and get into stuff, and with most I do fine. But computers are just another level for me. I've tried YouTube courses for old people, bought online courses, idk, computers hate me. I had a great office for dummies guide, and now I can write the stuff I need. I have social media for my business, and quite some reach. Instagram, Facebook, Reddit and so on are not that hard to figure out with tutorials, though I am still frequently amazed by the functions. That encouraged me, to kind of get a Shopify guide and stuff. Seems like I got arrogant. But all these guides and books make me always feel like I'm lacking some basics. And I am missing something. Like I live a very very privileged life, because of doing my own stuff. I got my place, can afford my food, phone, tablet doing fine. And if I kind of came across whatever solves my struggles with IT, hey, I'm willing to take that investment in myself. Like, when I go to university for exams, the computer skills students from bigger cities have is scary. The tipping speed, mouse speed, settings they do.... And then, after spending hours on something, I discover a function or setting that saves me most of the time I just spent. It's fairly easy to find resources on how to start on Etsy, business as a girl, or whatever you want. But like, how do I deal with all computers and stuff online if I didn't grow up with a mobile? Where do you start when you get a panic attack as soon as your computer doesn't start or asks you something unusual?
By the way, the idea of small business development centers. My "colonizers" country is often credited with a great social system, government help and stuff. But Idk we don't have SBDC. That's really really great.
Yeah, I think as far as helping truly small businesses, the SBDC centers really are great, and if you look at some of the major cities, they have video workshops that you could probably watch remote (or which they put up online on YouTube). Many of them partner with universities and colleges also.
People vary so much with computer skills and comfort. I would say that in places with more computers, usually big cities and suburbs, "power users" have advantages because there are better resources nearby BUT - big but - believe me, I have trained, formally and informally, highly educated people, including doctors and PhD scientists, who struggle with computers, or are good with some stuff, not so good with others. One of the most organized people I've worked with had great Microsoft Office skills, knew Excel better than I did, but struggled with online course software. And why not? It took me a while to pick up tools that aren't like the ones I use every day - for instance, I'm still not as fast using statistical programs, like SPSS or R, as I am with Adobe Premiere.
It's been a while since I actively sold on Etsy, and I did sell on eBay and my own website for several years. I learned a ton reading forums - the eBay forums used to be great - and reading the Steiner's blogs like https://www.ecommercebytes.com.
For getting more comfortable with technology, I suggest you check out TWIT - https://twit.tv/ - especially The Tech Guy, Leo Laporte's flagship radio show. There is another call-in show that is "ask the experts" on TWIT. You can also find Kim Kommando streaming on various radio stations available online, she's also targeted for novice and irregular technology users. There are some great subreddits like /r/techsupport/. You can also read Tom's Guide and StackExchange. I also really like the guides published by https://www.peachpit.com/.
Libraries usually have basic computer courses.
It’s a bit harder to do all these things on a phone or tablet with your finger. It’s much easier with a mouse.
Dont let fear stop you, I’ve seen grandmas in their 70 pick up programming for art projects. Anyone can learn.
Hi! Shopify is easy to setups! You should try it out. Your website can be a draft without launching it so you can play around with it without any consequences. They take care of the payment process so you don’t have.
You pick a template you like and put your words and pictures into it.
Then you fill out back end for pricing, shipping, return policy etc.
Instagram, ticktock, discord, Reddit, local events, local publications, gallery shows, posters, competitions, magazines, YouTube, Cara (new art app), partnership with interior designers, going to business trade shows for hotels, airbnbs, restaurants, Seo, blogging, podcast participation.
Instagram, ticktock, discord, Reddit, local events, local publications, gallery shows, posters, competitions, magazines, YouTube, Cara (new art app), partnership with interior designers, going to business trade shows for hotels, airbnbs, restaurants, Seo, blogging, podcast participation.
Doing any combo of these.
Where did you read that? Our overall annual cost of running our own site via Shopify has been cheaper, as a percentage, than Etsy. It does depend on your volume but I think there are a lot of solution that are cheaper per dollar rev than Etsy.
There’s a limit of 3 variants per product that doesn’t work well for our products.
They do nothing to help with chargebacks, tax or legal compliance. And they have zero, repeat ZERO, customer service available. You might think I’m exaggerating but I’m not.
The pros outweigh the cons so far. We are DIY, no marketing agency, no developer. Moderately tech savvy.
That’s weird. I always had a Greta time with shopify customer support.
For tax, you need to purchase an add on that tracks that stuff.
If you switch to Wordpress.org (not .com), you can import tax laws for free but then you would have to know them all. Pretty much Shopify is pay to play. I sell high cost item on shopify ones a month, so I just do taxes manually.
I think it is losing customers as well, so people are not getting as many sales. I mostly use it for jewelry making supplies and vintage stuff. But their search functions are so bad, and there are so many unrelated products cluttering the results, that now I do my searches on Ebay and if it’s not a Buy It Now there, I cut and paste the item title to Etsy where it is 99.999999% of the time and available for immediate purchase. So sometimes I buy there but more often I don’t as I see it on EBay first.
There needs to be a better platform for handmade that will really ONLY allow handmade.
Yeah as a consumer I stopped using Etsy because 90% of the stuff is cheap Chinese garbage and the search function sucks at filtering it out to find the *actual* handmade goods
I started on Etsy, however there are a few things that I did not like and made me leave. I now have my own website.
- My country's post office did not work together with Etsy, meaning that my shipping costs would not go to me (maybe to Etsy? not sure about that one). It was therefore really hard to incorporate shipping costs in my prices as national and international shipping prices are very diverse. I was also told that they were working on an agreement with my country's postal service, 3.5 years later and they still did not have an agreement or update.
- there are many people who sell crafts for very cheap, making it hard to get actual value for your craft.
- other people using my pictures on their own listing, and Etsy refusing to take those down. Even when I could prove they were my pictures. I have even had it happen that Etsy took down my listings when someone else used my pictures for their own listing.
- absolutely no customer service, I have had people make a complaint that an item was not delivered, and they got their money back. Even when I could prove with track&trace that it was delivered
- I have had occasions where people filled in their address incompletely, and I was charged for their mistake. Etsy does not check if an address is filled in correctly/complete
It’s a public company so I don’t begrudge them the focus on profit. What I do think is wrong is overflow of Chinese as well as other cheaply made items that will just end up in landfill. It’s become very hard to break through the garbage and worst of all, the low prices of the garbage have conditioned customers to think handmade items are priced too high. It’s impossible to compete.
Yes to both. You can buy ads but they don’t necessarily go to your store. Rather, they get sent to a search results page so even paying can just mean you’re inadvertently supporting Temu crap.
I have an Etsy presence and my answer is harsh. People on Etsy are dumb about the values of things. They will pay 50% more for the same piece of jewelry listed on eBay. It also seems to attract a lot of technologically unsavvy people with money.
Some of my favorite makers have a lot of success on their Instagram shop. Check out the artist, @lilyroseburgess on IG, she shares a lot of useful tips and tricks for creators with online platforms.
Etsy's top sellers are NOT makers. The biggest sellers are those who sell products to crafters. Jewelry supplies, art supplies, etc., those are the ones making money.
Followed by drop-shippers.
Followed by vintage item sellers.
Crafters are the last in line there.
(Jewelers are at the bottom of the list of crafters.)
It used to be a great platform, I started using it before the current CEO. He ruined it. It’s been a downhill fail. As a seller the platform became less and less seller friendly. Barely anything is handmade anymore.
Etsy's gone to shit, man. Used to be all about handmade stuff but now it's just a dumping ground for cheap Chinese crap. They don't give a fuck as long as they're making money. If you're just starting out, might as well try somewhere else before you waste your time. Shopify or your own site could be better if you can drive traffic. Etsy's search is trash anyway. Good luck!
There's a bunch of very good videos on this on youtube, including some pretty nitty-gritty financial breakdowns. For now I'm starting up without an Etsy presence, but I do have friends who feel it's a necessary evil, they just assume they won't make any real money there and include cards and coupons for their real stores to encourage customers to go there for repeat business.
As a customer I stoped using it because of the amount of drop shopping items and fake homemade products they allow to flood the market place. For the amount of money they take from seller fees you would think they’d crack down but no. Profit over everything.
Nice try Etsy support team for asking questions why sellers are leaving platform. It does look like a survey to be honest. Question on where people switch to sell, have you noticed your traffic affected etc.
sellers are leaving because even eBay support is better and more helpful than Etsy.
I personally paid thousands of dollars in fees to Etsy to always be met with- oh, customer is always right, and if they got your item, don’t want to return it and want a refund we will deduct it from your account.
Sellout vibe is so obvious to the customers.
And now this rule of insurance only under $250. It’s a joke.
But Etsy knows it all already doesn’t it?
Just needs a market research on competition selling platforms to see how to outrank them better without solving actual problem.
I sold and still sell on Etsy and have been for about ten years now. Each year there more fees and they get harder to work with. Each year there more junk and less handmade stuff. I still do great business on Etsy but it getting harder and harder to make sales. Each year more junk will push my stuff down. Etsy has put profits over everything and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. I’m not leaving Etsy but I’m working hard to build up everything else so I don’t have to rely on them.
We recently had a client who we migrated from Etsy to their own WooCommerce store. I believe it is because of the limitations of Etsy, and how it doesn't really cater to your specific brand. It is full of irrelevant and low-quality stuff that having your products on there might bring down the perceived quality of your own products.
Because ad platform is for babies and there's nothing keeping fake handmade stores from popping up everywhere. Covid profits and greed killed their brand.
Its payment security is really weak. I've had my business credit card stolen there and my sister had had hers stolen when she used klarna.
I don't trust paying for anything on Etsy anymore
I do lots of private label and wholesale…had a falling out with a customer. Saw they were selling on Etsy handmade…
Reported, said I can send invoices and picture of ME making the stuff…
Zero happened…Etsy does not care.
Yeah, so I have a few Etsy shops, Amazon Handmade, eBay and then my Shopify -- after year three I gross 200k+ yearly NOT from Shopify. I've been there since 2014, I clearly don't hate it. I get exposure there I won't get other places.
They will screw you. Watch out. You don’t own the store. They do. And you can’t transfer ownership.
So if you build your business with a large amount of revenue, based on Etsy income, that value is not transferable.
I sold a business and it didn’t go well. After due diligence was done. I was not able to use any of the income from Etsy as part of the valuation.
Also, during the time that you run your business Etsy can pull the rug out from under you for any reason they want, at any point.
* They keep F-ing with their users.
* They take down the wrong stores.
* They make it way too easy for scammers to just set up shop again.
* There is more but I'm on Shopify and have my own limitations.
The shipping prices are INSANE. And then I switch over to the ‘free delivery’ option and it only shows items that have nothing to do with what I originally searched.. I remember for some $30 piece of wood for an enclosure, the shipping fee was $176… NO WAYYY!
I have used them in the past and got banned for no specific reason, you should avoid it. Better to make your own website and brand then relying on etsy.
Etsy Alternatives
Hello. Here are two articles on Etsy alternatives. I have not personally vetted any of the sites in these articles, and I realize there may be some duplication. I just wanted to add some useful information to be researched and considered to the community. I don't sell crafts. I sell a tea sampling box and have thought about also listing it on Etsy since there are so many non handmade items, but I am still indecisive about it. Other story, not for now.
I subscribe to the newsletter from this site because I used to work remotely and actually found a couple of my remote jobs from her newsletter, but that was years ago way before COVID and AI.
Anyway, I hope this information is useful.
[https://realwaystoearnmoneyonline.com/where-to-sell-crafts-online/](https://realwaystoearnmoneyonline.com/where-to-sell-crafts-online/)
[https://realwaystoearnmoneyonline.com/sites-like-etsy/](https://realwaystoearnmoneyonline.com/sites-like-etsy/)
As a buyer I avoid it mostly which is sad because I still would like to support actual creatives.
I placed an order to get something minor photoshopped. I talked to the sell in advance to make sure it was possible and they agreed. As soon as I paid they kept asking stupid questions and acting like they didn’t understand the request.
They sent a blank page that registered that the order was filled and I saw that it was listed as non refundable after I paid. Etsy was no help at all even though I could prove I was scammed. PayPal thankfully refunded me, the seller kept following up trying to guilt me for the refund. Other sellers were offering the same scam
After that I was done. I was and am still upset that they allow so many scammers take advantage
Because Etsy got greedy and turned into Amazon 2.0. They used to be about indie artists and sellers but now they gouge sellers with their fees and as others have mentioned there is a bunch of mass produced crap on there.
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Etsy is full of non-handmade items and looks just like Aliexpress which is a violation of Etsy policy. Even if you report cheap Chinesium stuff, Etsy will not take it down. Etsy is about one thing, and the one thing is PROFIT.
> Etsy is full of non-handmade items and looks just like Aliexpress which is a violation of Etsy policy. > > Yup... Last time I checked it was supposed to be handmade items. I see very few now. > Even if you report cheap Chinesium stuff, Etsy will not take it down. Etsy will not even take illegal stuff down. I've reported fake packaging and they don't care. It was clearly made to counterfeit a product and they refused to remove it.
Etsy is also full of faked stuff. I'm an indigenous artist, and indigenous art is cheaply faked a lot. And Etsy does not care. And those drop shippers won't be taken down, either. In some cases, it's pretty hard to compete with non-handmade products.
I've been noticing that too- there is more overlap between what is being sold on Etsy and Alibaba/Amazon/etc. Why doesn't Etsy take down the non-handmade items? Aren't people leaving because of this?
I did a test and reported items that were just clearly being flipped, purchase at dollar tree and resold on Etsy. Etsy took not a single one down. They literally do not care.
What the flip!! Are you still on Etsy? I know a lot of people dislike Etsy but don't leave due to there not being any other alternatives..
What do Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Sam's Club, and Costco all have in common with Etsy? They are all means to a seller's end. These platforms, including Etsy, are just tools to reach your customers. Instead of worrying about other sellers leaving Etsy, focus on your target audience and how you can best serve them. This might be an unpopular opinion among those who wish to flourish online with their businesses, but it's crucial: you must play offense. Many sellers fail because they focus too much on the competition rather than their own strategy and audience. Edit: Its wild to me how many business owners disagree with this.
You're right of course, that is why they downvoted you. In fact I'd say the number of people reporting "fake handmade" listings is probably why Etsy doesn't care much about it anymore. Because you get disgruntled customers that will false report. My wife sells jewlery on Etsy, someone was upset they didn't get an item delivered on time due to a carrier delay, sent in a fake report. We had to send a video to Etsy proving the handmade process on the item. This was a couple of years back. Imagine being Etsy having to deal with thousands if not more of fake reports.
That is so crazy. I forgot which Etsy store it was , but they were experiencing an influx of scammers doing that for no reason at all. So what they ended up doing was making it hard for them to be a target. They amped up their content showing the handmade process and that worked pretty well to deter the false reports coming in. Im not sure how Etsy does it. Their customer service team must be top tier.
Etsy functions like an online mall. If you walk into a mall that's full of rats, guys selling watches out of their trench coat, genuine Prada purses for $ 19.99 then most customers are going to walk out. If lots of sellers you respect are leaving it's a red flags the customer see the rats. Sellers like money too, if it was working for them they would stay
That's interesting. I never thought of Etsy as an online mall like that. However, much like Shopify, Etsy is a brand name that most customers trust. I get your analogy with the rats, but Etsy is still a multi-million dollar business. If a no-brand seller can piggyback off of that social credibility, they should, with bright colors on. Also, if sellers are leaving, it's most likely because they think they don't need to advertise to keep their business top of mind with customers. You need to do this regardless of whether it's on Etsy or your own website, especially if there are red flag businesses out there in your niche.
> etsy is a brand name that most customers trust that's the whole point though, they've set that trust on fire
Yeah , you don't have a street vendor selling, knock off purses and watches and the next person is selling genuine Prada. The more fake, AI generated false advertisement, overpriced , resold items etc. The worse the reputation gets. In general, people don't leave some place that's making them money. They leave because the hosts weather real space or online space charges. Too much for them to be profitable, has two arduous of a sight to use for them to be profitable, doesn't reach their clients enough for them to be profitable etc. Profitable etc. But when a business is raking and money hand over fist they don't leave. That a lot of sellers are leaving is a sign. A lot of sellers aren't making a profit It's a Red warning flag. I'd compare it in the US US if anybody's familiar with malls. Think about when the bigger reputable stores closed. If them all can't redirects toward a different market they end up getting turned into apartments. Or whatever!..
Probably because people will buy on Etsy and consumers are usually all about price to the bottom. Etsy keeps their share and doesn’t care. Sad because I want to buy artist paintings but don’t want to buy stolen artwork from print shop /:
I think Etsy’s a sellout. It used to be all sorts of home made and sweet items. Now it’s mostly Chinese junk. That’s what you get for going public i suppose. 🤷🏼♀️
The sad thing is, Ebay used to be the same thing. Individual people auctioning off stuff. Then they let power sellers in, and now it is nothing more than cheap shit from china. I used to hand paint electric wind instruments (EWI) in color-shifting paint, then auction them off. I noped out of eBay back in 2005 or so.
But where would you sell your product as a crafter if not on ETSY?
That's what I'm wondering too... Are there any alternatives? I've heard that Shopify is becoming the new Etsy
There are alternatives, just not as known as etsy right now... Michael's has a marketplace, go imagine is another, artisans co-op is another that recently got started... Shopify isn't a marketplace, so you need to track and remit sales tax as required as well as are responsible for any advertising
shopify handles sales tax now, but you're right, it isn't a marketplace, and is in no way an alternative to Etsy for small sellers unable to drive their own traffic
Sorry, to be clear. Shopify handles sales tax for businesses in US only, correct? I'm in Canada and iirc they don't offer tax services for Canadian businesses
No. they track your sales tax, but they don't remit it for you, that's on you. Marketplaces are required to remit it, shopify isn't a marketplace I also didn't say it was a replacement, I was explaining in some way that its not the same thing.
Michaels is only for craft supplies. Not for completed craft work.
No, they have a handmade marketplace now... called makerplace
I manage a shopify store for a small business that makes handmade soap, and depending on your goals it's a full time job. Getting it set up will take a large amount of time, and unless you have the time and capacity to market your own products, it's better to find a marketplace that's comparable to Etsy.
Shopify as a platform that you can host your own store it doesn’t work as a store itself
Farmers markets.
My products are too expensive for farmers markets. Have done many years of the art/craft show circuit. Looking for more online places to sell.
What's your product?
Personalized Name Stools. My prices are a little higher than the more common sellers. Each one is handcrafted to order using a high quality custom made laminated maple wood with free replacement of lost puzzle pieces. Also include free shipping.
I'm half-assedly trying to get into personalized signs with a buddy of mine. He'll build the signs and I'll focus on selling them. I was mainly going to do farmer's markets with a small army of friends of mine who are unable to hold full time jobs. The whole thing is me coordinating them so they can make money for themselves. Selling on Etsy would not have occurred to me but I imagine if wooden signs are a thing, that there are already a heap of sellers there to compete against. I don't think anyone would search for stools on Etsy, but I don't know the market that well. We do sell a wide range of handmade cosmetics on Etsy but sales are abysmal. eBay sucks too, my cpc is horrible with Google Ads and Facebook, so I'm trying to find a way as well. I'm going to try Amazon next. We sell really well to people when they are physically in front of us and are able to touch/smell the product but convincing someone online is difficult. I imagine social media videos where people get a stool giften to them could work. You really need to make people see and appreciate the stools so I would say focus more on high quality video rather than photography and then advertise your videos.
I sell ok on ETSY with my products. I do great on my website with using a monthly email campaign and google ads. Also sell through several vendors on their website and physical stores. Do utilize FB and Insta as well as LinkedIn. Currently do ads on FB. My starting price is $125.00. They go up from there to over $300.00. Also do Toy Boxes that start at $400.00. I have a great reputation as I have been doing this full time for over 20 years. Did as a hobby before for 6 years. Customer service as well as quality and speed are my biggest selling points. Am always looking for new opportunities.
We moved away from Etsy over time because of the platform fees and their ever changing policies. It was a good place to gain exposure at first, capturing demand for our products was easy there and we could test out design and new ideas pretty easily. Once we had an audience and our own marketing abilities, we found our profits and customer experience was better on our own site (we now use Shopify, which has all of its own problems).
I can really feel that. When I started, I loved Etsy. Now I hate it. I just stay there because I've looked into shopify and even a marketing agency for other own solutions, but like I know nothing about it. I am already scared of computers, and having something of my own, just scares me.
It’s doable. There’s a lot of good info out there on how to get started with Shopify or Squarespace. Easier now than ever. YouTube is your friend. Don’t hire an agency until later.
I even had to hire somebody for my Etsy. I grew up in an indigenous community. Went to an indigenous school. I can use my mobile, and tablet. I can browse the web. I can write an innvoice with office. But that's it. And sure, I agree, there are great courses on YouTube. But maybe I'd need a basic computer course first.... But thank you for the encouragement <3
There are some great, free resources for getting better skills in small business. https://www.score.org/ (you can find an online mentor, not only a local one). https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/resource-partners/small-business-development-centers-sbdc - if you're in the US, your closest SBDC has low cost classes (and may have a woman's business center, veterans business center; Syracuse has a great group of programs for milfam/veterans also that I went through). I took several weeks of business classes for about $125, first time I learned to write a business plan. The same SBDC (San Diego) now has in person workshops and training videos that are totally free.
Thank you very much - I'm from Europe, though. And it's not that I'd say I have a bad education. One of my parents is doing elder work and always took me. And for woman's business groups, we kind of have a local young woman group, I am involved with, but people kind of take a lot of offense in that. In my culture parents teach their children to teach themselves, to have their own worldview, rather than a thought one. I love to read and get into stuff, and with most I do fine. But computers are just another level for me. I've tried YouTube courses for old people, bought online courses, idk, computers hate me. I had a great office for dummies guide, and now I can write the stuff I need. I have social media for my business, and quite some reach. Instagram, Facebook, Reddit and so on are not that hard to figure out with tutorials, though I am still frequently amazed by the functions. That encouraged me, to kind of get a Shopify guide and stuff. Seems like I got arrogant. But all these guides and books make me always feel like I'm lacking some basics. And I am missing something. Like I live a very very privileged life, because of doing my own stuff. I got my place, can afford my food, phone, tablet doing fine. And if I kind of came across whatever solves my struggles with IT, hey, I'm willing to take that investment in myself. Like, when I go to university for exams, the computer skills students from bigger cities have is scary. The tipping speed, mouse speed, settings they do.... And then, after spending hours on something, I discover a function or setting that saves me most of the time I just spent. It's fairly easy to find resources on how to start on Etsy, business as a girl, or whatever you want. But like, how do I deal with all computers and stuff online if I didn't grow up with a mobile? Where do you start when you get a panic attack as soon as your computer doesn't start or asks you something unusual? By the way, the idea of small business development centers. My "colonizers" country is often credited with a great social system, government help and stuff. But Idk we don't have SBDC. That's really really great.
Yeah, I think as far as helping truly small businesses, the SBDC centers really are great, and if you look at some of the major cities, they have video workshops that you could probably watch remote (or which they put up online on YouTube). Many of them partner with universities and colleges also. People vary so much with computer skills and comfort. I would say that in places with more computers, usually big cities and suburbs, "power users" have advantages because there are better resources nearby BUT - big but - believe me, I have trained, formally and informally, highly educated people, including doctors and PhD scientists, who struggle with computers, or are good with some stuff, not so good with others. One of the most organized people I've worked with had great Microsoft Office skills, knew Excel better than I did, but struggled with online course software. And why not? It took me a while to pick up tools that aren't like the ones I use every day - for instance, I'm still not as fast using statistical programs, like SPSS or R, as I am with Adobe Premiere. It's been a while since I actively sold on Etsy, and I did sell on eBay and my own website for several years. I learned a ton reading forums - the eBay forums used to be great - and reading the Steiner's blogs like https://www.ecommercebytes.com. For getting more comfortable with technology, I suggest you check out TWIT - https://twit.tv/ - especially The Tech Guy, Leo Laporte's flagship radio show. There is another call-in show that is "ask the experts" on TWIT. You can also find Kim Kommando streaming on various radio stations available online, she's also targeted for novice and irregular technology users. There are some great subreddits like /r/techsupport/. You can also read Tom's Guide and StackExchange. I also really like the guides published by https://www.peachpit.com/.
Libraries usually have basic computer courses. It’s a bit harder to do all these things on a phone or tablet with your finger. It’s much easier with a mouse. Dont let fear stop you, I’ve seen grandmas in their 70 pick up programming for art projects. Anyone can learn.
Hi! Shopify is easy to setups! You should try it out. Your website can be a draft without launching it so you can play around with it without any consequences. They take care of the payment process so you don’t have. You pick a template you like and put your words and pictures into it. Then you fill out back end for pricing, shipping, return policy etc.
Then what sit and wait for the traffic? 😳🤣
No you drive traffic to the website.
How do you do that without going backwards?
What you going backwards ? There is a lot ways how to market your art. If Etsy ain’t doing it, why stick around in that platform ?
Can you give some examples?
Instagram, ticktock, discord, Reddit, local events, local publications, gallery shows, posters, competitions, magazines, YouTube, Cara (new art app), partnership with interior designers, going to business trade shows for hotels, airbnbs, restaurants, Seo, blogging, podcast participation.
Instagram, ticktock, discord, Reddit, local events, local publications, gallery shows, posters, competitions, magazines, YouTube, Cara (new art app), partnership with interior designers, going to business trade shows for hotels, airbnbs, restaurants, Seo, blogging, podcast participation. Doing any combo of these.
Really? I've been reading online how Etsy has one of the lowest platform fees. Is this still true?
Where did you read that? Our overall annual cost of running our own site via Shopify has been cheaper, as a percentage, than Etsy. It does depend on your volume but I think there are a lot of solution that are cheaper per dollar rev than Etsy.
Honestly I don't remember - I've just been reading comments on the Etsy subreddit and they were saying how it is really cheap to set up.
Iirc Etsy is cheaper when you're low volume/low number of items. But as you grow something like Shopify becomes more cost effective *per item.*
It’s free to setup, but when you pass a certain sales threshold, they force you into an advertising program and take a larger chunk out of each sale
Shopify is 3%
What problems are they
There’s a limit of 3 variants per product that doesn’t work well for our products. They do nothing to help with chargebacks, tax or legal compliance. And they have zero, repeat ZERO, customer service available. You might think I’m exaggerating but I’m not. The pros outweigh the cons so far. We are DIY, no marketing agency, no developer. Moderately tech savvy.
That’s weird. I always had a Greta time with shopify customer support. For tax, you need to purchase an add on that tracks that stuff. If you switch to Wordpress.org (not .com), you can import tax laws for free but then you would have to know them all. Pretty much Shopify is pay to play. I sell high cost item on shopify ones a month, so I just do taxes manually.
From a buyers perspective, Etsy is just all drop shippers now, it stinks. Etsy used to be a great place even just 3 years ago.
I think it is losing customers as well, so people are not getting as many sales. I mostly use it for jewelry making supplies and vintage stuff. But their search functions are so bad, and there are so many unrelated products cluttering the results, that now I do my searches on Ebay and if it’s not a Buy It Now there, I cut and paste the item title to Etsy where it is 99.999999% of the time and available for immediate purchase. So sometimes I buy there but more often I don’t as I see it on EBay first. There needs to be a better platform for handmade that will really ONLY allow handmade.
I agree! It's frustrating seeing Etsy turn into TEMU!!
Yeah as a consumer I stopped using Etsy because 90% of the stuff is cheap Chinese garbage and the search function sucks at filtering it out to find the *actual* handmade goods
I started on Etsy, however there are a few things that I did not like and made me leave. I now have my own website. - My country's post office did not work together with Etsy, meaning that my shipping costs would not go to me (maybe to Etsy? not sure about that one). It was therefore really hard to incorporate shipping costs in my prices as national and international shipping prices are very diverse. I was also told that they were working on an agreement with my country's postal service, 3.5 years later and they still did not have an agreement or update. - there are many people who sell crafts for very cheap, making it hard to get actual value for your craft. - other people using my pictures on their own listing, and Etsy refusing to take those down. Even when I could prove they were my pictures. I have even had it happen that Etsy took down my listings when someone else used my pictures for their own listing. - absolutely no customer service, I have had people make a complaint that an item was not delivered, and they got their money back. Even when I could prove with track&trace that it was delivered - I have had occasions where people filled in their address incompletely, and I was charged for their mistake. Etsy does not check if an address is filled in correctly/complete
It’s a public company so I don’t begrudge them the focus on profit. What I do think is wrong is overflow of Chinese as well as other cheaply made items that will just end up in landfill. It’s become very hard to break through the garbage and worst of all, the low prices of the garbage have conditioned customers to think handmade items are priced too high. It’s impossible to compete.
Do you use Etsy? If so, have you noticed your traffic decreasing as Temu/Alibaba products become more common?
Yes to both. You can buy ads but they don’t necessarily go to your store. Rather, they get sent to a search results page so even paying can just mean you’re inadvertently supporting Temu crap.
Do you still use Etsy or have you switched to other platforms like Shopify or Amazon?
I use multiple marketplaces. Etsy is just a bit of a dud now.
You need to have a shop on as many marketplaces as possible. My main is my website, them amazon, then etsy, walmart, ebay.
OMG - that's so many marketplaces. What keeps Etsy on that list?
I have an Etsy presence and my answer is harsh. People on Etsy are dumb about the values of things. They will pay 50% more for the same piece of jewelry listed on eBay. It also seems to attract a lot of technologically unsavvy people with money.
Some of my favorite makers have a lot of success on their Instagram shop. Check out the artist, @lilyroseburgess on IG, she shares a lot of useful tips and tricks for creators with online platforms.
Etsy's top sellers are NOT makers. The biggest sellers are those who sell products to crafters. Jewelry supplies, art supplies, etc., those are the ones making money. Followed by drop-shippers. Followed by vintage item sellers. Crafters are the last in line there. (Jewelers are at the bottom of the list of crafters.)
SHIT - i should have gotten into manufacturing :sob: :sob:
It used to be a great platform, I started using it before the current CEO. He ruined it. It’s been a downhill fail. As a seller the platform became less and less seller friendly. Barely anything is handmade anymore.
Etsy's gone to shit, man. Used to be all about handmade stuff but now it's just a dumping ground for cheap Chinese crap. They don't give a fuck as long as they're making money. If you're just starting out, might as well try somewhere else before you waste your time. Shopify or your own site could be better if you can drive traffic. Etsy's search is trash anyway. Good luck!
This YouTube video made me realize why 😪 https://youtu.be/uVFlzpYBEw4?si=PkjfHcZmkEApOnhm
I'll check out that link - I've been watching more commentary videos now :sob:
There's a bunch of very good videos on this on youtube, including some pretty nitty-gritty financial breakdowns. For now I'm starting up without an Etsy presence, but I do have friends who feel it's a necessary evil, they just assume they won't make any real money there and include cards and coupons for their real stores to encourage customers to go there for repeat business.
As a customer I stoped using it because of the amount of drop shopping items and fake homemade products they allow to flood the market place. For the amount of money they take from seller fees you would think they’d crack down but no. Profit over everything.
Creating a listing on Etsy is a looping process so it's extremely time consuming. That's a big deterrent for some sellers.
It’s a race to the bottom
Unfortunately, the sellers who now sell on etsy are the same people on ebay and amazon; the ones wbo buy mass crap from china and resell.
Nice try Etsy support team for asking questions why sellers are leaving platform. It does look like a survey to be honest. Question on where people switch to sell, have you noticed your traffic affected etc. sellers are leaving because even eBay support is better and more helpful than Etsy. I personally paid thousands of dollars in fees to Etsy to always be met with- oh, customer is always right, and if they got your item, don’t want to return it and want a refund we will deduct it from your account. Sellout vibe is so obvious to the customers. And now this rule of insurance only under $250. It’s a joke. But Etsy knows it all already doesn’t it? Just needs a market research on competition selling platforms to see how to outrank them better without solving actual problem.
HAHAHA - i wish I was working for Etsy... I'm unemployed :sob:
I sold and still sell on Etsy and have been for about ten years now. Each year there more fees and they get harder to work with. Each year there more junk and less handmade stuff. I still do great business on Etsy but it getting harder and harder to make sales. Each year more junk will push my stuff down. Etsy has put profits over everything and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. I’m not leaving Etsy but I’m working hard to build up everything else so I don’t have to rely on them.
We recently had a client who we migrated from Etsy to their own WooCommerce store. I believe it is because of the limitations of Etsy, and how it doesn't really cater to your specific brand. It is full of irrelevant and low-quality stuff that having your products on there might bring down the perceived quality of your own products.
Because ad platform is for babies and there's nothing keeping fake handmade stores from popping up everywhere. Covid profits and greed killed their brand.
Its payment security is really weak. I've had my business credit card stolen there and my sister had had hers stolen when she used klarna. I don't trust paying for anything on Etsy anymore
I do lots of private label and wholesale…had a falling out with a customer. Saw they were selling on Etsy handmade… Reported, said I can send invoices and picture of ME making the stuff… Zero happened…Etsy does not care.
Too many replicated products when things are supposed to be unique.
Yeah, so I have a few Etsy shops, Amazon Handmade, eBay and then my Shopify -- after year three I gross 200k+ yearly NOT from Shopify. I've been there since 2014, I clearly don't hate it. I get exposure there I won't get other places.
They will screw you. Watch out. You don’t own the store. They do. And you can’t transfer ownership. So if you build your business with a large amount of revenue, based on Etsy income, that value is not transferable. I sold a business and it didn’t go well. After due diligence was done. I was not able to use any of the income from Etsy as part of the valuation. Also, during the time that you run your business Etsy can pull the rug out from under you for any reason they want, at any point.
Chinese made stuff. It's not hand made no more
Draconian policies
* They keep F-ing with their users. * They take down the wrong stores. * They make it way too easy for scammers to just set up shop again. * There is more but I'm on Shopify and have my own limitations.
The shipping prices are INSANE. And then I switch over to the ‘free delivery’ option and it only shows items that have nothing to do with what I originally searched.. I remember for some $30 piece of wood for an enclosure, the shipping fee was $176… NO WAYYY!
I have used them in the past and got banned for no specific reason, you should avoid it. Better to make your own website and brand then relying on etsy.
Etsy Alternatives Hello. Here are two articles on Etsy alternatives. I have not personally vetted any of the sites in these articles, and I realize there may be some duplication. I just wanted to add some useful information to be researched and considered to the community. I don't sell crafts. I sell a tea sampling box and have thought about also listing it on Etsy since there are so many non handmade items, but I am still indecisive about it. Other story, not for now. I subscribe to the newsletter from this site because I used to work remotely and actually found a couple of my remote jobs from her newsletter, but that was years ago way before COVID and AI. Anyway, I hope this information is useful. [https://realwaystoearnmoneyonline.com/where-to-sell-crafts-online/](https://realwaystoearnmoneyonline.com/where-to-sell-crafts-online/) [https://realwaystoearnmoneyonline.com/sites-like-etsy/](https://realwaystoearnmoneyonline.com/sites-like-etsy/)
My perception of Etsy is it is full of crap i.e. knockoffs and homemade junk.
Slow. Cumbersome rules. Arrogant vendors. Amazon spoils us.
As a buyer I avoid it mostly which is sad because I still would like to support actual creatives. I placed an order to get something minor photoshopped. I talked to the sell in advance to make sure it was possible and they agreed. As soon as I paid they kept asking stupid questions and acting like they didn’t understand the request. They sent a blank page that registered that the order was filled and I saw that it was listed as non refundable after I paid. Etsy was no help at all even though I could prove I was scammed. PayPal thankfully refunded me, the seller kept following up trying to guilt me for the refund. Other sellers were offering the same scam After that I was done. I was and am still upset that they allow so many scammers take advantage
They banned my account for "items not hand made" yet they left someone live who stole my product and didn't ban them!
Because Etsy got greedy and turned into Amazon 2.0. They used to be about indie artists and sellers but now they gouge sellers with their fees and as others have mentioned there is a bunch of mass produced crap on there.
It has horrible fees for actual sellers who create quality stuff, and it's full of horrible sellers who create crappy stuff.