Sunday, October 13, 2013

Changes At Etsy

    Etsy Awhile Ago - making and keeping a place for the individual maker

  Etsy Today - under the guise of handmade and cute, open to mass produced goods

It is sad that so many Etsians are feeling this the last two months.   Exposure through the search function on Etsy for the small, individually designed and produced goods shops has plummeted for many as exposure for those ordering mass produced goods to sell in their shops continues to rise.  Some of these very large sellers began on Etsy as an individual maker shop and through hard work and great design and customer service are just unable to keep up with demand for their products without employing people to help them produce their wares.  I have no problem with these small, artisan shops having a place on Etsy.  But, the reality is that Etsy has had a very large number of people purchasing bulk merchandise and selling it as handmade. 

So, if you like to buy from artisans making their own products, check out these sites!

Lots of sellers are opening shops in new places - which is kind of exciting in a way. 
Zibbet 


Zibbet has gained literally 1000's of new sellers - all welcomed with open arms by the great Zibiteers!  It is a lovely place that maintains it's home grown atmosphere.  Changes are coming to the site design after the first of the year.  Meanwhile, enjoy a little step into the past viewing the lovely things people are making, repurposing and rescuing on  Zibbet.

14 comments:

  1. Zibbet is also the fastest growing marketplace for Vintage and craft supplies and there's fabulous fine art as well!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It feels exciting over there! Everytime I search in one of my favorite areas (vintage, atomic, art glass, etc.), more and more beautiful items are showing up.

      Delete
    2. So true, Robin! I found some great vintage finds on Zibbet!

      Delete
  2. I am happy you all found us on Zibbet. I have been there for about 3 years and love it. I wish you all a good start and a wonderful time!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Zibbet has been a breath of fresh air compared to Esty! I still have a shop on Etsy but will be taking it down soon and making Zibbet my new home. I found a shop on Etsy yesterday that is outsourcing and drop shipping from the USA selling enhanced giclees extremely cheap as original paintings. The customers had no clue what they are purchasing! So misleading! What a slap in the face for real artist that love picking up a paint brush everyday to create something beautiful for their customers.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The growth now occurring on Zibbet is exciting to see.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree! I've been checking everyday the current number of listings and number of sellers. It's exciting to see those numbers grow!

      Delete
  5. Happy to meet you! I've been at The Big Z since June, and I love it! I wish you massive success at Zibbet.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have been astounded with the attitude and the growth - the number of items has nearly doubled since just August.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yes! I'm excited and happy to be part of the growth

    ReplyDelete
  8. It is disappointing that Etsy has gone in the direction that they have. It is already hard to weed through the mass produced items to find the great pieces that made the site as large as it is today. I too am converting my shops over to Zibbet. Hope to see you all there.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am so happy there is a place to escape to. I was becoming more and more disappointed in the direction that etsy was taking but when they announced their new policy that allows mass production to be sold on etsy and labelled as handmade my jaw just dropped. Then amidst all the chaos people started talking about zibbet. I suddenly remembered that I created a profile on there a while back because I was getting nervous about what etsy was becoming. I have begun shifting my efforts towards zibbet and happy to see so many others doing the same. There is a chance that the great thing that etsy started but lost sight of may live on.

    ReplyDelete
  10. As a shop owner on Zibbet and etsy so you feel that view and sale are better with Zibbet for Etsy

    ReplyDelete