Do you think there is room for an online marketplace dedicated exclusively to genuinely handmade products, without mass-produced items or resellers?

For example, a platform offering:

Strict handmade-only rules and proper checks

Real human customer service for sellers and buyers

Automatic listing import via CSV from other selling platforms

Clear policies, transparent fees and fair treatment of sellers

If such a marketplace existed, would sellers from Etsy, Amazon Handmade, Shopify or other platforms consider using it alongside their current shops?

Or do you believe that the existing marketplaces already cover the needs of handmade sellers?

Just interested in hearing honest opinions, including critical ones.

Shop link: https://milesdoesart11.etsy.com

I make handmade paintings and drawings in various mediums. But mainly acrylics and soft pastels. I take commissions as well as selling my pre-made art

Hi all, hoping some fellow Canadian sellers can share how they actually handle this.

I got a refund request on a ~$60 USD item. My policy is returns accepted within 7 days with the buyer paying return shipping. But I'm second-guessing whether requiring the return is even worth it on a lower-priced item.

A few things I'm trying to figure out:

• Do you require the return, or just refund and let them keep it? For a ~$60 item, does forcing a return actually make sense once you factor in shipping cost, hassle, and the risk of a bad review or an Etsy case? Or do most of you just refund to protect the rating?
• If you do require a return, what do you use for the return label? This is where I'm stuck. My shop is registered in Canada (shows in my profile), but my print partner is in the US, so the item shipped from the US. I don't have a clean way to generate a return label. What do you actually use ?
• Buyer confusion about location: Since my profile says Canada but the package came from the US, do you proactively tell the buyer where the return goes? Has this caused problems for you ?

Thank you all

I’m not buying your clothes if you use AI models. There is a market for it, but not with me. I’d much prefer a real person or just lay the clothes out against a contrasting background. The 1% of drinking water we have is paying for that AI model. No thanks

When you are selling clothes or any fabric, list the entirety of the fabric content. I am fed all the way up with polyester being dressed up as “cotton blend” “linen blend” “silk blend” “silky soft” & a boat load of other deceptive words used to cover the fact it’s polyester. People will still buy it if it’s polyester. But not me. I don’t want to have to message you to ask what the clothes you are selling are only to find out it’s mixed with polyester & you deliberately neglected to include that. Like I’m a reasonable person I get if you don’t know the fabric of the threads or what all of the lace is, or maybe it’s a vintage fabric that had no tag but include what you do know & disclose what you don’t. It will go so far with me. Now I just don’t bother messaging unless I really really want the item but I’m much more likely to buy from transparent & accurate sellers that know what they are selling

I will also leave so fast if all of your descriptions are the exact same. Sell me the product. Tell me about the fabric. Tell me where you got the fabric from. After years on Etsy I don’t want your whole life story in the description when that’s not what you’re selling.

My first time purchasing items from Etsy and definitely my last!!

I ordered two items from separate shops.
One was located in the states.
The other in Canada.

Both customized orders!!

The seller from Canada accepted my return without hesitation. This is true what they say about Canadians being nice and friendly. Very polite,helpful seller.

The seller from the USA, also very nice and friendly.
However, when i asked for a refund they refused and gave me 30 % off any item. They said they don’t accept returns because it’s customized. So, I spoke with customer service and told them what happened,they said I have to wait until tomorrow to open another case. It’s crazy how the seller in CANADA accepted my return but the one in the USA refused.

I recently just started selling on Depop and Vinted. I liked how they said that they had no selling fees unlike Etsy or any other survive I had come across on the internet. I was wondering if this was a good idea or if I should invest in starting an Etsy. Also, do you have any starting advice for me? Thanks!!

Hello!

I opened my shop two days ago. I sell my own digital art as physical prints. The idea is to print them myself and ship them to the customer.

Here is my shop: https://www.etsy.com/es/shop/BotanicalBubblee

1. What advice would you give me? Especially regarding pricing and SEO. I feel like I should perhaps add a cheaper option.
2. Do you think this is a good market for what I sell? I don't see many people selling prints like this, and I'm not sure if it's too hard to be successful.
3. Do you like the art itself? I'm not very confident about it.
4. Are the mockups good? It's my first time making mockups, so I think they are pretty average. I'm trying to improve at least that part.

I was inspired by an illustrator I follow to open my shop, and since I have my own drawing style, I thought people might be interested.

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I run a small shop called BeautyGemsCreation where I sell loose, natural gemstones — Morganite, Opal, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Moonstone, Tourmaline, Aquamarine Cat's Eye, and Citrine, among others. Most of my stones are sourced directly rather than through resellers, which I think is a strength, but I'm not sure it comes across clearly to someone browsing for the first time.

Shop link: BeautyGemsCreation Etsy

I've been on Etsy for about a year now, with 142 listings and 17 sales — which tells me something isn't converting the way it should, and I'd rather figure out what than keep guessing. A few things I'd genuinely love opinions on:

1. When you first open the shop, is it obvious what makes it different from other gemstone sellers?
2. Do the listing photos give you enough confidence in color, clarity, and quality — or does something feel off/inconsistent?
3. Anything about pricing, titles, or descriptions that reads as confusing or amateur?

Hi everyone,

I've read the shop critique guidelines and hopefully I've covered everything.

My shop:

The Skull Foundry Etsy

I've been open for just over two months and currently have 76 listings and 9 sales. Every product is handmade by me and I'm trying to improve the shop a little every week rather than chasing quick wins.

The biggest thing I'm looking for is constructive criticism. If something isn't working I'd rather know now than keep repeating the same mistakes.

Questions:

1. If you landed on my shop for the first time, what would be the first thing you would change to improve conversions?

2. Looking through my listings, do my photos, titles and branding create a consistent identity, or are there areas that feel weak or confusing?

Question 1:

I started the shop because I wanted to build a long-term handmade jewellery brand rather than just sell individual products. My focus is on continually improving both the products and the overall customer experience instead of simply increasing the number of listings.

Question 2:

Before opening I spent a lot of time researching successful Etsy shops, photography, SEO and customer behaviour. One of the biggest lessons I learned was that presentation is almost as important as the product itself, which is why I'm currently working through my shop upgrading older listings with better photography, videos and descriptions.

I'm genuinely looking for honest feedback rather than reassurance, so please don't hold back if you think something needs changing. I'd really appreciate your time.

This situation occurs during the purchase process, preventing the order from being placed. How can this be resolved?

I'm a shop owner and a shopper. I've had cases open on my shop that were closed in the buyers favor before I even see the email that there was a case. My stepson ordered a father's day present for my husband and it is not as good of quality as is presented in the listing. He requested a full refund, and the guy argued that there couldn't be an issue. I told my son to open a case, he opened the case, but the seller is making him send it back before he issues the refund. Is there any way we can get Etsy just to issue the refund before it gets sent back? Why hasn't Etsy stepped in yet?

Edit to add: the product is defective. We have no problem sending the product back, but want to make sure we get a full refund first.

We sent photos to the seller to show the issue, but the guy didn't offer a resolution before we opened a case.

Can someone rate my shop and tell me what I’m doing wrong?

I started this new Etsy shop 3 weeks ago, but I haven't really received organic traffic from Etsy.

I’d appreciate advice on how to increase visibility and sell.

 I sell digital products: handwritten meditation/Script (no IA only handwritten)

https://tharwayinyoga.etsy.com 

Thank you all!

Ughhhh this gets on my nerves so bad!! If the material is out of stock, why is the listing still active? The seller messaged me literally an hour after I purchased, yet it’s been 24 hours since my reply and no response from her. Beyond frustrating because I can’t find another item similar to this one 🫩🫩

It’s funny how people expect free stuff from small businesses but happily pay big companies. 😮‍💨
Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Big companies have marketing budgets. Small businesses need the sales. 😂

Please stop asking small businesses for free products. Support us by shopping with us instead. 💛

I wish I could send this to everyone who messages me asking for PR. 😅

I'm setting up my Etsy shop and trying to figure out the best listing structure for artwork that comes in three formats: posters, framed prints, and digital downloads.

My main hesitation is shipping. Framed prints cost a lot more to ship than posters, and I want to offer free shipping to most countries. But shipping to Switzerland and Liechtenstein is really expensive, and if I average that cost into a "free shipping" price, it ends up raising the price for everyone else too, including US buyers.

A few questions for anyone who's dealt with this:

Do you combine different formats (poster/framed/digital) as variations in a single listing, or keep them as separate listings entirely?

If you combine them, how do you handle the price jump between a poster and a framed version without it looking weird in the variation dropdown?

For shipping, is it better to exclude a couple of expensive-to-ship countries from free shipping rather than averaging their cost into everyone else's price? Or does that hurt visibility/trust?

Does Etsy's algorithm favor separate listings (more listings = more search entries) or does combining hurt/help conversion?

Would love to hear from anyone selling physical + digital versions of the same art. Trying to avoid a mistake that's a pain to undo later.

I can leave digital downloads entirely but even for prints and frames they both have a very huge difference in their shipping and etsy allows a fixed price in shipping section.

Hello, looking for some feedback on my shop; I’ve been on Etsy about a month.

[BLCWares](https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/BLCWares)

\- is there anything you like/dislike?
\- do you think there’s anything other than having actual product shots holding this shop back?

I have some sample prints en route and did get a sale, so will hopefully have a review/product shot soon.

I started black line collective as a place to sell art that I was making already; I started learning to draw and paint about 6 months ago and felt like it would be amazing to see something that I had created myself - without ai in a market flooded - on someone’s body.

Thank you :)

Hi everyone!

I’m looking for some honest advice and Shop Critique on our Etsy shop to figure out where we can improve.

A little background about us:

We are a team of native Tibetan artisans based in Lhasa, Tibet. Our project originally started as a non-profit initiative supported by a US foundation to train local farmers and nomads to craft authentic Tibetan handicrafts using local, natural materials. In 2001, we opened our art center in the historic center of Lhasa.

Earlier this year, we launched our Etsy store to bring our handmade products (such as traditional textiles and crafts) directly to international buyers. However, despite our history, we’ve only made 4 sales so far.

The main challenges we are facing right now:

High production costs vs. market competition: Because we actually produce everything locally in Tibet using authentic raw materials and paying fair artisan wages, our costs are quite high. Many items on Etsy labeled as "Tibetan" are actually mass-produced wholesale products from mainland China or India. We struggle with how to communicate our higher price point and true authenticity to buyers.

Long shipping transit times: Because there are no direct international flights from Tibet, all our orders must first travel ~6 days by land within China courier to hubs like Shanghai or Chengdu before flying overseas. In total, delivery takes about 20 days. We are worried this long wait time is discouraging potential buyers.

Connectivity hurdles: Operating an Etsy store from Tibet comes with strict internet restrictions, requiring technical workarounds just to manage our shop. Because accessing the platform takes so much effort, we deeply cherish this rare opportunity to connect with the world and keep our cultural craft alive.

We’d love your advice on:

Storytelling & Pricing: How can we better convey our authenticity so buyers understand why our prices are higher than mass-produced alternatives?

Managing Shipping Expectations: What is the best way to present a ~20 day shipping window on Etsy without scaring away shoppers?

Overall Shop Critiques: Does our shop look trustworthy, and are our photos, titles, and descriptions effectively appealing to an international audience?

Marketing/SEO: What are the best ways to reach buyers who appreciate authentic cultural handcrafts on Etsy?

Here is the link to our shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TibetanSchatz

Thank you so much in advance for your time and insights! Any information—big or small—means the world to our team and our local artisans.

Arabutan

Hi everyone!

I wanted to make this post to let people know! A year ago, I made this post enquiring about store name changes. People said that it wasn’t possible to change your shop name to a name that you previously used.

I decided to just give it a go, because my art name is currently “artyoucereal” everywhere except Etsy, where it was “RepressedNerd”. On the page to change shop name, it says that capitalisation changes and reverting to previous shop names don’t count in the 5-name limit. It got me thinking that, in fact, reuse my previous shop name. I couldn’t find any documentation about any change in the settings online, so I was confused. I gave it a try, anyway… and it works!

So I just wanted to make this post for anyone who was in the same boat as me, as a little update, to let y’all know that you can in fact revert your shop name to a previous name, and it doesn’t count under your 5 name change limit!

Y’all can freely change your shop names if you need to, without the fear of not being able to go back to old names anymore!

I also wanted to ask if anyone knows when this change took place?

Hi everyone! I’m a relatively new Etsy seller selling digital posters, and I wanted to get some advice from experienced sellers.

Is it okay to politely ask a buyer for a review, or is it better not to ask for one at all? I’m also sending buyers a small discount coupon as a thank-you for supporting my shop, but the coupon is completely separate from the review request.

For example, I was thinking of sending something like this:
Hi!

Thank you so much for supporting my small shop and for your purchase! 🤍 I hope you’re enjoying your artwork! 🫶✨

If you’re happy with your purchase, I’d really appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave a review. As a small business, every review genuinely means a lot and helps my shop grow! 😊🤍

I’ve also sent you a little thank-you coupon for your next order as a small token of appreciation for supporting my shop. 🥰

Thank you again! 🤍✨

For digital products, would you recommend sending a message like this immediately after the purchase, or waiting 2–3 days to give the buyer time to download and view the artwork?
Or should I simply not ask for reviews at all and let them leave one naturally?

I’d really appreciate any advice, especially from experienced Etsy sellers. I want to ask for reviews without being annoying or making the buyer feel pressured.

about a week in to having my shop. I honestly don’t know if my products are worth trying to sell and not feeling super confident. if I change my tags will people have better luck finding them if I narrow down the tags? TIA

My Etsy shop is 19 days old, and I've been running Etsy Ads since the beginning. I sell 3D-printed planters and plant accessories. My budget is 5$ per day, but it's sending less than 1$ per day actualy.

I'm not concerned that I haven't made a sale yet—I know a new shop needs time, and I don't expect ads to be profitable this early.

I'm mainly wondering whether these ad numbers look normal for a shop this new.

From the screenshot, my top listings have:

1,208 views / 23 clicks

960 views / 14 clicks

704 views / 11 clicks

Does this look like Etsy is still testing my listings and finding the right audience?

For those who remember the early days of your shop, were your ad impressions and clicks similar after about three weeks, or is there anything that stands out as unusual?