Sunday, August 04, 2013

I may take some heat about this subject

But people have to know that Etsy is a site for artisans and crafters.

What Etsy is not is a place for reproduced cheap crap not produced by artisans  and crafters.
Most of this junk is produced in the area of the Pacific Rim, Southeast Asia etc.  You get the picture.

A gal I know sells on Etsy and has some of the most magnificent statement necklaces.  This woman puts hours of labor and many dollars invested in her craft.  Now you go poking around Etsy looking for something jazzy to wear to your friends wedding next month.  Low and behold you find my friends necklace when putting statement necklace in the search bar.  It's perfect the colors are what she wants and the size is also.  oh and the price $100 - yikes!!  I would get a lot of wear with this piece so it would be a good investment.  BUT on the same page of the search are many others.  So said buyer thinks well I'll just look at a couple more in my color choice.  Guess what she finds you got it, a necklace almost exactly like the $100 piece.  The stones were arranged a bit different but it was the very same colors and WAIT FOR IT................only $20.  Oh it's from some place in China and the owner of the shop is Lisa something.  So wants a gal to do.  She pokes around the less expensive shop, sees that there are pages and pages of similar items.  Oh and earrings to match.  Oh and they have only been open for a few months.  Gosh how in the world can this gal make all these pieces.

Something has to be done.  This is so unfair to the artist.  But I will say if Etsy cannot figure it out then I certainly can't.  They have teams of attorneys and smart folks working there.  Here's where they went wrong they allowed some of these shops to sign up and sell.  How can you blame the shopper,  She's looking for a bargain in this economy.

OK here is when I say I am not faulting Etsy completely but this is Etsy's mission statement and to me it's a bit vague. 

We sell on Etsy but we are not trying to make a living on Etsy or even supplement our income.  We do it because it's fun. Oh and Mr Beader won't stop beading.    Not all sellers on Etsy are like us obviously.

Just try and remember to buy from an artisan or crafter on Etsy

Etsy is the marketplace we make together.

Our mission is to reimagine commerce in ways that build a more fulfilling and lasting world.

  • We are a mindful, transparent, and humane business.
  • We plan and build for the long term.
  • We value craftsmanship in all we make.
  • We believe fun should be part of everything we do.
  • We keep it real, always. 

1 comment:

Deborah Eley De Bono said...

That stuff should be on Ebay not Etsy. They should curtail that.