tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2552712473039374560.post8195306426300448183..comments2023-10-15T08:44:37.222-04:00Comments on Ohhh Lulu...: Etsy Policy Updates: Redefining Handmadebetterdressedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09737306444524901411noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2552712473039374560.post-82797096245790107752016-06-03T14:32:29.237-04:002016-06-03T14:32:29.237-04:00You have to keep it real. If you are creative and...You have to keep it real. If you are creative and become disabled, I do not want my family to suffer on the account of me. If I know that someone can assist me in my retirement or aging process, then I'm gratefulAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06649531228002489725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2552712473039374560.post-71617469907482042902013-10-30T19:02:37.522-04:002013-10-30T19:02:37.522-04:00I am so happy to have found your shop and now your...I am so happy to have found your shop and now your blog! Thank you...<br />I am also very pleased to see how you expressed yourself openly about the new "changes" on Etsy.<br />I believe "changes" can be good... but not always...<br />I love competition...<br />it makes us stay honest, in our prices and how we make it (quality).<br />However what bothers me as a seamstress in Country western style clothing and wedding gowns...<br />Is that I see a lot of mass - produced gowns from overseas almost everywhere on Etsy....<br />Offering their gowns for almost what I pay on my materials, gas.<br />And on top of that... shipping for them is very very cheap. (for us it is not).<br />Also... I can not see how the company overseas works... It is hard to check when they are in Tailand or China.<br />And we all know that there is a lot of child labor involved in those type of countries....<br />Many people have a hard time buying something overseas or even in the US that is quite "up" there price wise over the internet.<br />And here I am reading many reviews of those "overseas" shops on Etsy... Many clients are not so happy with the garment as they should be... I have even read one comment from a client that she will not ever buy "handmade over the internet" any more, but will just walk into a store from now.<br />Seams that fall apart... shipping that took "forever"!<br />Just a few examples.<br />I myself am like you...<br />I can not afford hiring helpers... I also live in a very expensive State... (Something that will change in February - hooray!<br />I started sewing on my kitchen table and am now working in my "converted" garage...<br />Sometimes I can not keep up easily with the demand... However I love the work pressure and am amazed every time I get it done...<br />Just a couple of minds ago I had to post on my shop a larger turn-around time...<br />Honest is honest... it was getting busier and busier.<br />I make all the clothes myself.<br />So I had to take a step back.<br />Guess what I am also trying to say..."will a business that hands work out to get their "handmade" items listed on Etsy" ever step back? NO of course not... they can just keep on producing because they mass produce.<br />I personally think it is not fairly balanced anymore...<br />That is in my eyes not the definition of handmade...<br />Just as those high amounts of plastic Iphone covers that I spotted on Etsy not too long ago.<br />When they are offered at under $7.00 a cover and there are hundreds of them... <br />I hear a little bell ring inside my head.<br />I just hope that Etsy will push on the bell before it turns into a monster.<br /><br />Just as a previous commenter: I will be more careful when I purchase on Etsy from now on.<br />And that is sad.<br /><br />Thanks for giving us the chance to vent on this part.<br />It was very uplifting to get the opportunity to do so.<br /><br />(I just became a follower of your shop and your blog! I love them both)<br /><br />SandyAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14526072888534718610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2552712473039374560.post-1072225846717426632013-10-18T16:50:20.308-04:002013-10-18T16:50:20.308-04:00I guess sellers who do everything from start to fi...I guess sellers who do everything from start to finish are going to be a lot more specific in their shop announcements, profiles, etc, to set them apart from sellers who outsource their work. Then the buyer can decide if it bothers them that their handmade item is made not by the hands of the shop owner but some unknown elsewhere, quite possibly someone the seller has never even met.Catherinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00380726498720901418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2552712473039374560.post-12398088153470347492013-10-04T08:32:01.843-04:002013-10-04T08:32:01.843-04:00I agree Kathleen - I am not so worried about compe...I agree Kathleen - I am not so worried about competition. I'm pretty established. I'm worried about integrity.<br /><br />Thank you for sharing your perspective on balancing art vs business. I think that's something that many of us struggle with. Not all of us want to be big companies; for some of us it's really about the "making."betterdressedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09737306444524901411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2552712473039374560.post-75100635249015320662013-10-03T20:07:32.621-04:002013-10-03T20:07:32.621-04:00The sad fact is that etsy is a business and they h...The sad fact is that etsy is a business and they have all the pressures of one, and that includes making money. I'm not saying what they're doing is right, it's a d*ck move by any definition, but I'm not surprised. I get the feeling a handmade cooperative may have the chance to keep it's ideals but a company will struggle. At least I know now to be more careful who I buy from.Hazel_Myopehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06037557900927612544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2552712473039374560.post-82791498430474845932013-10-03T17:04:11.860-04:002013-10-03T17:04:11.860-04:00Good for you, Sarah, to have expressed so eloquent...Good for you, Sarah, to have expressed so eloquently what so many of us are feeling. <br /><br />One of the things that made me very uncomfortable during the Town Hall Meeting was the 'I’m hearing that you're afraid of competition' comment. Discomfort with having the definition of 'handmade' changed to potentially incorporate outside manufacturers, assemblers and distributors is not necessarily about being afraid of competition. I think it’s more a fear of being buried and of losing recognition for what we do. <br /><br />For some of us, true creativity requires being as connected as possible with what we are making. Several years ago, I ran a greeting card business full-time. All my cards were based on my paintings. I did the big trade shows in Toronto and Montreal. I did the NY Stationery Show. I had sales reps in Canada and U.S. I sold my cards to stores across North America. I did it for seven years. Parts of the business were exhilarating but, in the end, what I found was happening was that I was painting less and less. I was doing more managing than anything else. The whole reason I had started my business was to make a living from my painting. And I was barely painting anymore. I had achieved a certain level of success but it wasn't satisfying to me as an artist. <br /><br />When I opened my Etsy shop two years ago, I thought I had figured out a solution. I would paint originals and reproduce my work myself. Etsy provided a way to reach an international audience while I did what I love. I still want to sell more than I am right now but I don't want to lose touch with what it is that makes me happy. For me, painting is the key to that. I really hope that Etsy will not belittle those of us who are staying small to be true to our own creative spirit. What we do is unique and brave and should be celebrated. <br />Kathleen Maunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17827170549189936589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2552712473039374560.post-75856603108452842752013-10-03T13:54:58.109-04:002013-10-03T13:54:58.109-04:00We should probably be thanking Etsy for the wake- ...We should probably be thanking Etsy for the wake- call. I've had a shop on Etsy for about a year, but have been too focused on trying to succeed to pay much attention to people in the forums complaining about factory made items and re- sellers. But as I watched Etsy's Town Hall on Tuesday it became crystal clear that Etsy is no longer about providing a platform for individual artists and artisans. Sure they want our money, and to use us as window dressing, but behind the scenes they're laughing at the losers who are afraid of "competition" and like to eat at Red Lobster. The new "transparency" is another lie they think they can put over on us naive and uninformed little people. I read the New York Times just like some of the Etsy executives, and I know that it's nearly impossible to ensure that factories in China and some other countries are following fair, legal, or humane labor practices. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/02/business/global/superficial-visits-and-trickery-undermine-foreign-factory-inspections.html?pagewanted=all And of course tough guy CEO, Chad, would "hang up" if Ikea called because that would be too obviously selling out for anyone to ignore! But the reality is that if Ikea wants to be on Etsy it wouldn't be against Etsy's new guidelines as long as they are "transparent." <br /><br />But it is nice to know where I stand with the Etsy Administration. I've always found all the warm, fuzzy Etsy community stuff at least somewhat cloying and ingenuous, but now that I've gotten a glimpse of the utter hypocrisy that is underlying it, I won't be buying into any of it anymore. I'm keeping my Etsy shop for the time being at least, but opening another one on Zibbet.com.Susanhttp://www.zibbet.com/FlowerArtPlacenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2552712473039374560.post-52295408796651439672013-10-02T22:17:22.098-04:002013-10-02T22:17:22.098-04:00I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments, Sarah...I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments, Sarah. Etsy has been changing for a long time, and not for the better. This new definition of handmade opens the floodgates for Etsy's shareholders, but appears as though it will drown its artisans (in the truest sense of the word) out. If "handmade" becomes redefined in a broader sense by Etsy through these moves, it could become as useless as "natural" or "green." Sigh.Korihttp://korijock.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2552712473039374560.post-39677372361868142442013-10-02T16:07:54.101-04:002013-10-02T16:07:54.101-04:00I think you hit the nail on the head here! I think...I think you hit the nail on the head here! I think it -could- be a good thing for authors, musicians and indie designers but honestly, there are places like Storenvy where you can sell whatever you want. I see etsy quickly turning into an ebay junk pile, sadlyBrittany_Va-VoomVintagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04377031677999463069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2552712473039374560.post-16910841313358966382013-10-02T13:11:39.086-04:002013-10-02T13:11:39.086-04:00Excellent post Sarah. I've been an Etsy fan si...Excellent post Sarah. I've been an Etsy fan since I was around 17 or 18, but didn't start buying until well into adulthood. I always loved Etsy because it was a place where I felt I could know how my items were being made and who was making them. It was a personal way to shop, and I still prefer handmade to mass-produced. I can definitely understand your worries about staying relevant, however, remember that people like you (and me, and many of your customers) like your shop and like Etsy *because* we want handmade items that are truly made by hand. I don't believe those people will sell-out, so to speak. I think the ones who like Etsy for what it was will stay loyal to the brands and the vibe that they feel Etsy should still have. Possibly *new* customers or people shopping on Etsy for a "deal" (bubble necklaces galore!) might pass up a truly handmade shop for a new outsourced one, but I think the customer target market you really want and already do have, will continue to support you. I know I will. Please let me know what I can do to help promote you on my blog and also if you decide o make your own e-commerce website and leave Etsy (or open one + keep your Etsy account) let me know so I can keep my readers abreast of the info!<br /><br />xoxo,<br />AmberAmberhttp://www.scarlets-letter.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2552712473039374560.post-57095902206686546812013-10-02T12:09:42.426-04:002013-10-02T12:09:42.426-04:00Wow! The new Etsy policies have dramatically chang...Wow! The new Etsy policies have dramatically changed Etsy and not for the better. In my mind, an item designed by one person and then out sources for production is not handmade. The feature that made Etsy unique in the online marketplace is now gone. When I'm shopping for a handmade item, I want to know that it is in fact just that. I don't want to have to do research to determine if a sellers items are handmade on a website that purports to be the marketplace for handmade items. This change effects buyer and seller alike. It changes the playing field, for sellers, by allowing for increased competition from companies the a true handmade artisan likely does not have the financial resources to compete against. How do I find your truly wonderful handmade lingerie among the listings that have now quadrupled because a company that mass produces "handmade" lingerie has a portion of their staff solely dedicated to posting mass listings? I'm truly disappointed. Andreahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14412991447159595247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2552712473039374560.post-9865921136523810862013-10-02T11:37:18.127-04:002013-10-02T11:37:18.127-04:00Oh my. I am really glad you posted this. I had not...Oh my. I am really glad you posted this. I had not heard that they made these changes. This will make it much more of a pain to confidently buy things from etsy. Very disappointing. Doesn't make them much better than ebay.Brandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08784610736357161420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2552712473039374560.post-49166753982804745062013-10-02T11:32:43.833-04:002013-10-02T11:32:43.833-04:00As a fellow seller on Etsy (may I plug Trouble &am...As a fellow seller on Etsy (may I plug Trouble & Strumpet?), I fully agree with you on this. I fear an influx of mass-produced items - already there were enough dubious shops selling clothes via suspiciously catalogue-like photo shoots, with too many colour & size options to be genuinely handmade. They can sell at much lower prices, & undermine the whole ethos of the handmade marketplace.<br />Time to look at alternatives, I fear.pennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06082275282887372873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2552712473039374560.post-32602187817234978122013-10-02T11:32:16.667-04:002013-10-02T11:32:16.667-04:00The policy changes will absolutely change the play...The policy changes will absolutely change the playing field. I've been a single-maker shop owner on Etsy since 2008. The "handmade movement" and the work that people like you, Sarah, & me, and many others like us, have done for years is what has made Etsy successful. There was a twitter post yesterday that said that Etsy was soon to become nothing more than an online "Pier 1" selling platform. I think that this is, unfortunately and sadly, true. Buyers, myself included, will need to really educate themselves about the shops that they are considering supporting. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01364811594416679695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2552712473039374560.post-83089798635752473682013-10-02T10:18:50.418-04:002013-10-02T10:18:50.418-04:00Sarah - I am hopeful that you won't have much ...Sarah - I am hopeful that you won't have much to worry about because your product is SO wonderful and you have such a following but I also have many of your fears. I feel like Etsy has lost what made it special and unique and now is not much different than other online marketplaces. I have a hard time wading through the garbage on Etsy sometimes to find the really unique and quality handmade there. They pay lip service to their sellers but it seems like they are only really committed to their large, questionably handmade sellers.Erikahttp://erikawithak.etsy.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2552712473039374560.post-55565744234926727542013-10-02T10:11:10.256-04:002013-10-02T10:11:10.256-04:00I have not yet read the updated policy. I am only ...I have not yet read the updated policy. I am only a vintage pattern seller at this time so it does not really apply to my shop. I am upset as a buyer of items on Etsy, I like the idea of supporting a small artist and business. This is one of the things that is different than purchasing on eBay and stores like mod cloth. Like you I am disappointed with this new policy.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07426857326205892466noreply@blogger.com