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>Amazon is not really an appropriate distribution platform for 6-week custom-made-to-order products. Maybe there's another well-known retail site that caters to

>Amazon is not really an appropriate distribution platform for 6-week custom-made-to-order products. Maybe there's another well-known retail site that caters to that type of vendor but it certainly isn't Amazon (or Walmart). But there is Amazon Handmade (which is supposed to be the Amazon Etsy): https://services.amazon.com/handmade/handmade.html https://services.amazon.com/handmade/handmade.html ...and Amazon Custom: https://services.amazon.com/custom.html https://services.amazon.com/custom.html ..and Amazon Fine Art: https://www.amazon.com/b/?node=6685269011 https://www.amazon.com/b/?node=6685269011 ...so it looks like Amazon has their hands in other areas besides distribution of mass manufactured parts.

jasode 9y ago
>...so it looks like Amazon has their hands in other areas besides distribution of mass manufactured parts. For your 3 examples, I clicked on "Explore the store" and of the dozen or so random items I clicked on, it was 1 to 3 days delivery. I also found a wooden cutting board that you could personalize with a customer name (laser etching) and that was 3 to 6 business days. I didn't see any item that said 6 weeks for delivery like Etsy has. The Princeton Audio article didn't specify but I'm guessing[1] he's using one of these 2 Amazon partner programs: 1) https://vendorexpress.amazon.com https://vendorexpress.amazon.com 2) https://www.amazon.com/gp/launchpad https://www.amazon.com/gp/launchpad This gets you a special Amazon products page with the cachet of "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com" which is more valuable than "Fulfilled by Amazon." Those programs are not appropriate for 2 month lead times. [1] PA's dedicated Amazon product page which you can no longer reach from Amazon search but Google still had a link: https://www.amazon.com/Princeton-Audio-Site-Tonewood-Bluetooth/dp/B01J7XBE46/ https://www.amazon.com/Princeton-Audio-Site-Tonewood-Bluetoo...
- CodeWriter23 9y ago
  Exactly. If they had chosen instead to use FBA, ALL of the frustrations Princeton documented would disappear. Of course they would be replaced with a different set of frustrations associated with FBA, but they would be able to set their own price, their own priorities, etc. I have a friend who works for a company that is a supplier for Amazon and Home Depot. He says they are both equally demanding and inflexible. I think that's just the game when being a supplier for big box inc. And obviously Princeton is not a big box product.
- flubert 9y ago
  >I didn't see any item that said 6 weeks of delivery like Etsy has. I'm no Amazon Homemade expert, but there are plenty of items that say they take time to make: * Usually takes between 21 and 30 days to create https://www.amazon.com/Live-Edge-Dining-Conference-Table/dp/B06WRN72ST/ref=sr_1_1?s=handmade&ie=UTF8&qid=1493403443&sr=1-1&refinements=p_n_feature_nineteen_browse-bin%3A11541818011 https://www.amazon.com/Live-Edge-Dining-Conference-Table/dp/... * Usually takes between 21 and 30 days to create https://www.amazon.com/Omondi-Odhuno-Originals-Traditional-Maple/dp/B018D80GAY/ref=sr_1_8?s=handmade&ie=UTF8&qid=1493403619&sr=1-8&refinements=p_n_feature_nineteen_browse-bin%3A11541818011 https://www.amazon.com/Omondi-Odhuno-Originals-Traditional-M... * Usually takes between 21 and 30 days to create https://www.amazon.com/Heroic-Bronze-Sculpture-Statue-Fraser/dp/B01ES3ZPGI/ref=sr_1_16?s=handmade&ie=UTF8&qid=1493403775&sr=1-16 https://www.amazon.com/Heroic-Bronze-Sculpture-Statue-Fraser... * Usually takes between 21 and 30 days to create https://www.amazon.com/Abstract-Metal-Sculpture-Aircraft-Aluminum/dp/B017TBVYCU/ref=sr_1_93?s=handmade&ie=UTF8&qid=1493404108&sr=1-93&refinements=p_n_feature_nineteen_browse-bin%3A11541818011 https://www.amazon.com/Abstract-Metal-Sculpture-Aircraft-Alu... * Usually takes between 21 and 30 days to create https://www.amazon.com/Stained-Glass-Window-Herons-sunset/dp/B01KBLJAJO/ref=sr_1_87?s=handmade&ie=UTF8&qid=1493404493&sr=1-87 https://www.amazon.com/Stained-Glass-Window-Herons-sunset/dp... ...although I didn't find anything over 30 days, FWIW.
  - jasode 9y ago
    >...although I didn't find anything over 30 days, FWIW. Because on the seller's page when data-entering the product's details, the maximum value allowed is "30 days". Princeton Audio wants "42 days". Also, none of your examples have the valuable imprimatur: "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com." PA wants a combination of "audience reach" + "flexible logistics" that Amazon doesn't currently offer.
lambdasquirrel 9y ago
There's also Etsy.

jasode 9y ago

>...so it looks like Amazon has their hands in other areas besides distribution of mass manufactured parts. For your 3 examples, I clicked on "Explore the store" and of the dozen or so random items I clicked on, it was 1 to 3 days delivery. I also found a wooden cutting board that you could personalize with a customer name (laser etching) and that was 3 to 6 business days. I didn't see any item that said 6 weeks for delivery like Etsy has. The Princeton Audio article didn't specify but I'm guessing[1] he's using one of these 2 Amazon partner programs: 1) https://vendorexpress.amazon.com https://vendorexpress.amazon.com 2) https://www.amazon.com/gp/launchpad https://www.amazon.com/gp/launchpad This gets you a special Amazon products page with the cachet of "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com" which is more valuable than "Fulfilled by Amazon." Those programs are not appropriate for 2 month lead times. [1] PA's dedicated Amazon product page which you can no longer reach from Amazon search but Google still had a link: https://www.amazon.com/Princeton-Audio-Site-Tonewood-Bluetooth/dp/B01J7XBE46/ https://www.amazon.com/Princeton-Audio-Site-Tonewood-Bluetoo...

CodeWriter23 9y ago
Exactly. If they had chosen instead to use FBA, ALL of the frustrations Princeton documented would disappear. Of course they would be replaced with a different set of frustrations associated with FBA, but they would be able to set their own price, their own priorities, etc. I have a friend who works for a company that is a supplier for Amazon and Home Depot. He says they are both equally demanding and inflexible. I think that's just the game when being a supplier for big box inc. And obviously Princeton is not a big box product.
flubert 9y ago
>I didn't see any item that said 6 weeks of delivery like Etsy has. I'm no Amazon Homemade expert, but there are plenty of items that say they take time to make: * Usually takes between 21 and 30 days to create https://www.amazon.com/Live-Edge-Dining-Conference-Table/dp/B06WRN72ST/ref=sr_1_1?s=handmade&ie=UTF8&qid=1493403443&sr=1-1&refinements=p_n_feature_nineteen_browse-bin%3A11541818011 https://www.amazon.com/Live-Edge-Dining-Conference-Table/dp/... * Usually takes between 21 and 30 days to create https://www.amazon.com/Omondi-Odhuno-Originals-Traditional-Maple/dp/B018D80GAY/ref=sr_1_8?s=handmade&ie=UTF8&qid=1493403619&sr=1-8&refinements=p_n_feature_nineteen_browse-bin%3A11541818011 https://www.amazon.com/Omondi-Odhuno-Originals-Traditional-M... * Usually takes between 21 and 30 days to create https://www.amazon.com/Heroic-Bronze-Sculpture-Statue-Fraser/dp/B01ES3ZPGI/ref=sr_1_16?s=handmade&ie=UTF8&qid=1493403775&sr=1-16 https://www.amazon.com/Heroic-Bronze-Sculpture-Statue-Fraser... * Usually takes between 21 and 30 days to create https://www.amazon.com/Abstract-Metal-Sculpture-Aircraft-Aluminum/dp/B017TBVYCU/ref=sr_1_93?s=handmade&ie=UTF8&qid=1493404108&sr=1-93&refinements=p_n_feature_nineteen_browse-bin%3A11541818011 https://www.amazon.com/Abstract-Metal-Sculpture-Aircraft-Alu... * Usually takes between 21 and 30 days to create https://www.amazon.com/Stained-Glass-Window-Herons-sunset/dp/B01KBLJAJO/ref=sr_1_87?s=handmade&ie=UTF8&qid=1493404493&sr=1-87 https://www.amazon.com/Stained-Glass-Window-Herons-sunset/dp... ...although I didn't find anything over 30 days, FWIW.
- jasode 9y ago
  >...although I didn't find anything over 30 days, FWIW. Because on the seller's page when data-entering the product's details, the maximum value allowed is "30 days". Princeton Audio wants "42 days". Also, none of your examples have the valuable imprimatur: "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com." PA wants a combination of "audience reach" + "flexible logistics" that Amazon doesn't currently offer.

lambdasquirrel 9y ago

There's also Etsy.