A petition to Etsy for a true handmade artist secion

[lsueszabo]

There is a petition to Chad Dickerson to create a true handmade section on Etsy for artists that do not use mass production. It is gaining steam. I think this is great for both sellers and buyers. Solo artists, particularly those that make mostly OOAK items, have a distinct disadvantage in Search. The algorithm favors those who "renew sold items" over OOAK. This makes it very hard to compete against the more mass production items out there. Also, buyers who are looking for OOAK, true handmade have trouble finding it, having to go through pages of stuff in the search engine that is not what they are looking for. I'll post a link here and please sign it if this is something you support.
https://www.change.org/p/etsy-petition-for-etsy-artists-colony
thanks
sue

[Former_Member]

This is a great initiative. I have become increasingly sceptical of the items I'm seeing on Etsy, marketed as hand made. Often it looks to me like items purchased wholesale from China or India and resold on Etsy. I much prefer to be able to view work from sellers who do their own work, or work with a very small on-site team to help realize their products.

[Former_Member]

I think this is great. I mistakenly thought that Etsy was supposed to be handmade by the seller not someone someplace else. I don't know how this will be policed.

[bddesigns]

Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to sign the petition, Sue! Keep me posted!!

[WendyStaufferDesigns]

Bravo! Signed!

[KBerlinMetalsmith]

Thank you! Signed! K. Berlin Metalsmith is just me = my creative brain, my tools, my metals and gemstones and my hands.

[Former_Member]

Signed! Thank you, Sue.

[SilverStamped]

So, if I buy a parcel of 3 stones, make a ring with one, list it and sell it, and relist that same ring, does it mean that I am not selling one of a kind rings?

These are all made to order rings, handmade by me from start to finish, maybe not OOAK, but 3OAK, is that wrong? Will I be put in the same category with Chinese mass produced stuff? I hope not!

[MissieRabdau]

Thank you. Signed!!!!

[mazuloujewellery]

Thanks Sue, I have signed the petition months ago, when it first came out, but it is great to see that you get more chatties to participate😊!

[SusanHarbourtDesigns]

I love this. It is like what Trunkt was before Etsy acquired it and dismantled it years ago...a quality artisanal juried marketplace.

[LauraGuptillJewelry]

Thank you! Signed!!! It is so hard to be found!

[juliekirkjewellery]

Signed! Great idea. Thanks!

[ChaseAndScoutDesign]

IMHO The board of Directors does not embrace or understand the artisan movement away from mass produced garbage. They can't effectively market what they don't understand.

The push to redefine handmade to include factory made items is a crimson red flag that the BOD simply does not 'get it' other than Handmade is a great marketing term to be applied liberally.

[Former_Member]

Signed! :)

[Annasjewelry]

Signed. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[CrawfordStones]

SIgned and shared on FB!!!!!!!

[lsueszabo]

THANKS everybody. I was asked to sign it and I thought this was important to share with all of you. i'm a single artist making 99% OOAK work, and boy are the cards stacked against you with the way the search algorithms work and the way "handmade" is defined. i'm hoping this helps. who knows?

Lena- If you bought 3 stones and made 3 rings with them, each stone is different as is each setting that you made with your hands. they are each OOAK. I don't think they mean that every design must be unique. I sometimes repeat designs too, but each one was made individually by me alone. That's OOAK in my book. No 2 will ever be exactly alike.

Please feel free to share this on any social media platform you like.

[GayleDowell]

Signed. Thanks for sharing this!

[SilverCedarJewelry]

What Etsy decision makers need to see is a petition from buyers, not sellers.

[Decadence2Jewelry]

just had my 10 year anniversary on Etsy and this has been tried at least once in every one of those 10 years....lol

but good luck. If a site like that worked, there would already be one that works....

[Former_Member]

I strongly favor the petition. However, I see that change.org is soliciting money to promote it. That seems very exploitative. Is there any justification for this?

[lsueszabo]

I did not see any solicitation for money. I can see no justification for that at all. don't give anything, obviously. I didn't and my understanding was that this was just a petition. i'll look again.

[Former_Member]

I just signed the petition and I was solicited to donate $$ to promote it.

[NubbinRidgeCreations]

This issue definitely needs to be addressed, I see lots of stuff that seems suspect in shops claiming handmade. However, it's also a little convoluted and potentially confusing (maybe why it hasn't been).

I make mostly custom items, 95% are made at time of order and each is made one at a time by no one else but me, right down to all the shipping and such. However, I routinely re-list the same item, from which the customer indicates all their customization. I may also re-list gemstone pieces, which are still individually made and each gemstone is unique (please expect minor variation, your stones will be of equal beauty and quality).

There are ways to take advantage of the algorithm and still showcase OOAK items. Where would shops like mine fall? Would we not be part of the handmade section as well? I made the algorithm work for me instead of against me and I am very grateful to say my shop has seen steady grown since opening nearly 4 years ago.