5 ms·

You have only half the picture because the three problems you've listed have existed for quite some time. Here are some new problems that are driving more sell

You have only half the picture because the three problems you've listed have existed for quite some time. Here are some new problems that are driving more sellers off Etsy: 4) October 2013: Etsy redefines "handcrafted" and allows Etsy sellers to get "help" with making and shipping their items. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/12/opinion/etsys-industrial-revolution.html http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/12/opinion/etsys-industrial-r... 5) September 2015: Etsy openly embraces mass manufacturing https://www.wired.com/2015/09/etsy-embraces-mass-manufacturing/ https://www.wired.com/2015/09/etsy-embraces-mass-manufacturi... 6) October 2016: Etsy forces sellers to enroll in Google Shopping ads and spend their own money promoting their items. On the surface it looks innocent enough but most sellers are not sophisticated enough to run their own ad campaigns. They expected Etsy to provide that service as a marketplace. With no traffic coming in from Google any more, sales have tanked. https://blog.etsy.com/news/2016/introducing-google-shopping-ads-for-etsy-sellers/ https://blog.etsy.com/news/2016/introducing-google-shopping-... 7) April 2017: Etsy forces sellers to direct all revenue to Etsy's own bank account (no more Paypal), or the seller can't sell on Etsy any more. https://www.etsy.com/teams/7716/announcements/discuss/18325841/ https://www.etsy.com/teams/7716/announcements/discuss/183258... The deadline to comply is May 17 so expect many shops to die on May 18 because shop owners are loath to turn over their bank account information and personal identity proof to Etsy. https://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/discussions/discuss/18322006/ https://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/discussions/discuss/18322006... I can confirm that I know at least one seller who set up their shop on Shopify in January this year. Here are some current Etsy forum threads discussing the situation from the point of view of the buyer as well as the seller: Josh Silverman, Here's What You need to Know from Sellers https://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/discussions/discuss/18351569/ https://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/discussions/discuss/18351569... Out of curiosity... reasons you won't buy from etsy stores? https://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/discussions/discuss/18232946/ https://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/discussions/discuss/18232946...

rixrax 9y ago
And... 8) Artists and craftsmen creating legitimate handcrafted products are under assault of [Chinease] mass manufacturers that appear to monitor items/craftsmen whose items sell fairly well only to offer their el-cheapo counterfeit / knock-off alternative of these same products. (* This at least appears to be the case for a friend that is selling his handcrafted stuff in Etsy. And at least his experience seems to be that Etsy has done very little to curb this behavior even when reported to them. (* caveat emptor - hearsay
- lightedman 9y ago
  Yup, I've had a lot of stuff I make by hand get copied. Now my store has only a single listing up, and I use the Etsy app to show that item for sale and then de-list it when I make the sale. No sales actually happen online through Etsy. Makes my store stats look bad but I need to protect my designs.
  - e15ctr0n 9y ago
    So where do you actually make the sale? On your own website?
    - lightedman 9y ago
      I basically use Etsy as a mobile storefront so I can display wares to people via my phone. Sale happens cash-in-hand, check, or credit card (I had to get my own reader since Etsy would never send me my plug-in card reader) then I just remove the listing on Etsy.

rixrax 9y ago

And... 8) Artists and craftsmen creating legitimate handcrafted products are under assault of [Chinease] mass manufacturers that appear to monitor items/craftsmen whose items sell fairly well only to offer their el-cheapo counterfeit / knock-off alternative of these same products. (* This at least appears to be the case for a friend that is selling his handcrafted stuff in Etsy. And at least his experience seems to be that Etsy has done very little to curb this behavior even when reported to them. (* caveat emptor - hearsay

lightedman 9y ago
Yup, I've had a lot of stuff I make by hand get copied. Now my store has only a single listing up, and I use the Etsy app to show that item for sale and then de-list it when I make the sale. No sales actually happen online through Etsy. Makes my store stats look bad but I need to protect my designs.
- e15ctr0n 9y ago
  So where do you actually make the sale? On your own website?
  - lightedman 9y ago
    I basically use Etsy as a mobile storefront so I can display wares to people via my phone. Sale happens cash-in-hand, check, or credit card (I had to get my own reader since Etsy would never send me my plug-in card reader) then I just remove the listing on Etsy.