Amazon Handmade Revives Artisanal Roots Abandoned By Etsy, Welcomes Crafters


Move over, Etsy — you’re no longer the only game in town. Now there’s Amazon Homemade, and it has something the original site doesn’t — no factories or mass-produced products allowed.

In other words, Amazon has gone back to Etsy’s roots, back before it decided to let artisans use outside manufacturers. That decision led many sellers to abandon the site and continues to alienate small crafters, Reuters reported.

“Until now, Etsy sellers had nowhere else to go,” said analyst Gil Luria. “But what Handmade at Amazon represents is a trip back in time to Etsy’s original vision.”

Artisans who want to apply to sell at Amazon Handmade must confirm that they make their products entirely by hand (not even from a kit) — they’re even required to list their tools and machines. Only items made by the seller or their employees (only companies with less than 20 employees, or a collective less than 100 strong are allowed) can be sold on the platform, Tech Crunch added.

“You can think of it as a factory-free zone, a mass-produced-free zone,” Amazon VP Peter Faricy, who is overseeing Handmade, told the New York Times. “We’re going to launch with an experience that’s very different. Customers are going to see the difference.”

Does that mean Etsy’s artisans will flock to Amazon Handmade? At the very least, it means some may broaden their horizons and take advantage of multiple venues to sell their wares. Until now, Etsy has been the only option, and now crafters won’t have to put all their eggs in one handmade basket.

Take Schuyler Ellers, whose colorful crocheted clothing for men — made out of crocheted blankets — soared in popularity at his store, called Lord von Schmitt. So he stocked up on blankets to meet the demand, only to have the buzz die down. Now he’s left with stacks of material and no buyers. He’s already applied to Amazon Handmade, hoping its huge supply of shoppers can help him sell more clothes.

“Amazon is a giant, so people are always going to be looking at Amazon, I think. I want to get more than 150 page views.”

And Amazon has something that Etsy doesn’t — reach and volume.

Handmade will allow crafters to ship their products in lots to Amazon’s fulfillment centers; they’ll ship out those products as part of its Prime service. There is a difference for the sellers, too: Etsy charges a 2 percent listing fee for each item sold and withholds 3.5 percent of sales. According to the Associated Press, Amazon doesn’t have a listing fee and takes 12 percent of sales.

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And Handmade also includes access to convenient Amazon services, including payment processing and discounted shipping.

Dani Marie, who runs Handmade Seller magazine, said the new platform is alluring.

“Amazon has all the capabilities they need to make their program a big success. They have all the marketing power in the world, and they’re already so global.”They’re going to send sellers so much more traffic.”

That’s especially important for artisans who rely on Etsy for sales, even if they also sell on their own web sites and at craft fairs.

So far, Handmade has 5,000 sellers from 50 states and 60 countries on board selling 80,000 items in a handful of categories: home, jewelry, artwork, stationery and party supplies, kitchen and dining, and baby.

While some crafters may stay with Etsy, forgoing what may be a selling headache over at Amazon Handmade, the site has been on a downward trend recently. However, Etsy insists they’re better than Handmade, according to its chief executive Chad Dickerson.

“We believe we are the best platform for creative entrepreneurs, empowering them to succeed on their own terms.”

[Photo Courtesy Paul Zimmerman / Getty Images, Danie Nel / Shutterstock]

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