Where do you sell your handmade items?
For most small independent handicraft makers, often the obvious choice is to set up shop at Etsy.
Granted, Etsy is easily one of the most successful marketplaces for indie crafts.
And that’s exactly why Etsy may not be the best place to sell your art!
You see, there are so many sellers on the site that the competition is as stiff as it can get. And for most beginners it is nearly impossible to stand out.
Join InboxDollars for free. InboxDollars pays you to watch videos, search, shop, take surveys, and more. They have paid out $57 Million so far!
Having said that, there is no reason to exclude yourself from Etsy.
Go on and get yourself listed on Etsy.
But cast your net wider!
Get on smaller online marketplaces and other sites similar to Etsy that are not as crowded where your talent could be easier spotted.
And to make your job of finding these Etsy alternatives easier, I’ve compiled a list of online communities of varying popularity to widen your choice.
Whether you’re selling handmade jewelry, mugs, T-shirts, artwork, foods, or other handcrafted items, I am sure you’ll find a site or two you can use.
With that said, here are…
40 Etsy Alternative Websites for Selling Handcrafted Stuff Online
1. Cafe Press
The site offers print-on-demand service.
You can have your newly conceived design printed on a number of objects here, including but not limited to tee-shirts, mugs, apparel, and wall posters here.
2. Zazzle
Prolific designers would love this site. Basically, you come out with a design, upload it and figure what items to go with your design (it could be t-shirts and posters and many other things). If these sell, you get royalties.
This has to be an excellent option if you are apt at conceiving new ideas or designs, rather than be tied up with the process of actually producing them or making shipping arrangements.
3. ArtFire
This is yet another popular marketplace for aspiring handicraft makers and artisans. ArtFire is one of the best places to sell handmade jewelry especially.
Personally, I think its greatest appeal is how you can put up an item on your Amazon wish list. It is a stroke of genius for ArtFire to tie up with Amazon’s Universal Wishlist technology.
4. Cargoh
There are no monthly or listing fees here. The site takes 3.5% commission on all items sold.
This site is still in beta, so a lot may change over the next few years.
5. Foodzie (the site is now part of Joyus)
This site takes its professional ethic to another level. It is true that they take a percentage of your sales, like other online marketplaces. But when they can’t help you sell more, you pay nothing, unlike other online marketplaces.
Join Swagbucks Now to Get $5 Free
They bring small US-based food producers and farmers to a wider market that appreciate fabulous foods and gifts.
6. Yokaboo
Another online handicraft marketplace registered in the U.K.
Users can find 3 membership levels:
- The most basic version, which is free, allows only 6 product listings.
- A more decent membership level is the second level.
- At $25 a month, sellers are entitled to 50 product listings.
7. Free Craft Fair
Strictly speaking, Free Craft Fair is not a real marketplace. Instead, think of it as a website offering directory services for its users.
But if you are thinking of getting exposure among craft buyers, this is one place you should not miss out.
8. Redbubble
Redbubble is another marketplace with products on diverse themes and categories.
9. Artful Home
This is like the Rolls-Royce of handicraft marketplace. The homemade products consist primarily of home decor, jewelry, and apparel.
The collection is exquisite and huge, it is easy to spend hours here.
10. ShopWindoz
ShopWindoz is a pretty niche online marketplace. It is a German registered business and it is popularly known for its innovative and non-mainstream products listed on its website.
If you have a creative mind, ShopWindoz would be glad to have you on board as a shop owner and you would be promised global exposure as it has a pretty good international reach.
11. Notmassproduced
Notmassproduced could be an ideal site to work with if you are uncomfortable in the marketing part of the business.
Basically, you still need to have your own store built up, set up the pricing and shipping, and they will do the rest. Notmassproduced manages the sales process, you handle the shipment, and you will get payment direct from them rather than individual customers.
Sellers participation is by invitation only, so every seller represented here has had their skill and craftsmanship endorsed by Notmassproduced already.
The business caters to the UK and European clients.
12. Bonanza
It is now being compared right up there with the very best – eBay and Etsy.
There is no membership fee and listing fee is low.
Amazingly, the website actually employs real people to handle online sales consultations. The idea is to help the designers to sell more — while not passing over that cost to them.
13. Coriandr
Coriandr is an extremely business-friendly online marketplace registered in the U.K. Setting up your store is straightforward and the website regularly runs ads and promotions to attract traffic.
I am especially impressed with their gifts under £20 section (metaphorically as people are attracted to this eye-catching phrase in an economy downturn).
If you want to incorporate your shop into your personal blog or website, there is a “mini shop” feature that allows you to easily do that.
14. iCraft
iCraft will settle on just original handmade products. No vintage product, no reselling arrangement and definitely no food products.
Ultimately, iCraft has full discretion on what goes onto their marketplace. I like this site for its absolute clarity.
Naturally, such restrictions cut off a great many sellers, but you are good at creativity stuff, iCraft will like you there. It is heralded among designers because of the attractive pricing structure.
15. SpoonFlower
I find SpoonFlower remarkable for its innovativeness. Instead of hawking (on the sellers’ behalf) all sorts of handicrafts, it restricts the ware to all fabric products.
Users can find all sorts of garments with different materials, designs and prints.
Whether you are looking for a curtain or a cushion cover, Spoonflower would not disappoint.
16. Big Cartel
Compare to sites like ArtFire, Big Cartel is really lacking in the area of the social aspect.
But if you are into customizing your shopfront, this can be an excellent choice.
17. I Made It Market
The set up of I Made It Market is like a breath of fresh air in the over-crowded online marketplaces.
They also attempt to promote the handicraft from sellers here, but the difference is that the trades are to raise funds and awareness to improve communities. They do this through partnerships with art communities and nonprofit organizations.
Artists and craftspeople benefit through the exposure presented by these participations.
18. PoppyTalk Handmade
PoppyTalk Handmade is another online handicraft market, which periodically showcase international and emerging designers.
Do take note that there is a “curator” here whose job is to decide if any work is good enough for them to feature on the marketplace.
Nevertheless, it allows a link to your current online storefront when the user clicks on the buy button. It doesn’t matter if that storefront is your own website, Etsy, or another marketplace.
Since its inception, it has won many awards for outstanding blogs and best-run site.
19. Dawanda
Dawanda has a noble approach to attract craft buyers. The website lets these buyers draw up a wish list of desired products and the lists are then shared among friends.
It helps that the site is well organized, so if you have a keen eye on opportunities, you can make some nice bucks here.
20. Aftcra
Milwaukee-based Aftcra was established at the end of 2012.
Its online marketplace is dedicated to artisans in the US and their handicrafts.
21. Misi
Misi is another online marketplace for U.K. based craftsmen. The deal here is that sellers can own their shops for life, with a subdomain thrown in, all at no cost to sellers.
They also help to impart business skills through a forum, to help you hone your marketing skills or set up a new business, for example.
The website takes a low commission on every item sold.
22. Made It Myself
Made It Myself is an up-and-coming free marketplace. Similarly, it works by listing your products for sale.
Even at its current beta stage, it is winning praises and attracting users to its community.
23. eBay
While eBay may sound old school, it has a special fair-trade marketplace that is really innovative.
With its World of Good, eBay wants to encourage socially and environmentally responsible shopping. There are many thousands of outstanding products originated across the globe, and with all of them earning the eBay’s stamp of approval.
24. Foodoro
Through this website, food makers are directly connected with consumers.
If you are passionate about producing food, you may want to consider setup online storefront here.
25. Ruby Lane
Ruby Lane is considered among the early movers in online marketplaces.
The wares here could be vintage, antiques, plus handmade.
Applicable fees are a one-time set-up fee and a monthly maintenance fee.
26. Handmade Catalog
This site is run by a crafter.
Monthly fee applies and the site takes a percentage of sales.
27. Handmade Artists’ Shop
Handmade Artists’ Shop combines both marketplace and community forum.
You could do bustling trades over at their online marketplace and you could pick up useful ideas and inputs from the user forum, which is made up of fellow craftspeople and artisans.
28. Folksy
Folksy is yet another online marketplace with a focus on UK handicraft makers. The variety here is huge, ranging from woodcraft to jewelry, books to soap.
Additionally, they also have a Make magazine-style do-it-yourself section.
29. Chictopia
Chictopia is dedicated to modern fashion; there are tons of handmade clothes and accessories showcased here.
There is no shopping cart facility so every transaction has to be routed back to your own site.
They do not charge listing fees.
30. Silk Fair
With Silk Fair, you either run a free Market Booth on their marketplace or you can use their software to build a full-fledged custom online store.
In other words, your presence could be in the marketplace, your own independent store, or both.
31. Zibbet
Few could be as no fuzz as Zibbet. They don’t charge listing fees, take no commission and you get to register a free account. If nothing else, it impresses me with the no-fee business model.
There is also a tool to import an Etsy account, just in case you think it is time to switch.
32. Papernstitch
The website has stringent criteria for selecting an individual designer, artist, and craft man.
Once it makes the selection, the work of the chosen individual would be featured in a personalized exhibition page that is going to last one month. The promotional fee would cost $55.
33. Storenvy
Product listing and membership are free at Storenvy (but you would have to pay for the extras such as custom domain names and coupons/discounts, at $5 a month respectively).
34. Craftly (Changed to Goodsmiths)
You have to admire Craftly for its savviness in term of online marketing. As in the case of Kickstarter (the popular crowdfunding site), it is also a new kid on the block in the online world.
Similarly, it is also fast catching up on popularity. Unlike Kickstarter, this site is dedicated to just craftspeople and artists.
This is an excellent place for you to quickly gauge the kind of response from a limited market before you bring it onto the wider market.
35. MelaArtisans (Previously Mymela)
Indian origin Mymela is a new kind of marketplace. In addition to the usual storefronts that hawk all sorts of arts and crafts, there is also a micro-finance element.
Here, buyers or consumers can choose to make a donation or a small loan to an aspiring businessman. It is called Integrated Micro Advance Funding here due to its slight variation to the traditional micro-finance in its working.
36. eCrater
eCrater also double up as a free Web store builder, in addition to its role to facilitate an online marketplace.
For new sellers, it takes no more than minutes to build one free online store here. In addition, if you have an existing eBay store, you can bring it into eCrater.
It has a buzz about it, and users are presented with millions of products on their entry.
37. LocalHarvest
LocalHarvest serves as a directory service for organic and local food. It is a good source to identify small farms, farmers markets, and other food supplies in our country.
38. Fooducopia
If you are a small-scale farmer or an indie food producer, it could be a good idea to open a store on Fooducopia marketplace.
You just showcase your wares and they take care of the business side, i.e. sell and market your goods.
39. Lilyshop
There is no listing, re-listing, or monthly fees. They simply take a cut when a sale is made. The site has no region bias so anyone around the world is allowed to set up shop here.
40. Supermarket
The magic of Supermarket is in its simplicity. The website is fairly simple to navigate as the website lists products under the just four broad categories: everything, wear + carry, space + place, and paper + prints.
This certainly does away with lots of confusions and frustrations for both the traders and users.
As the user gets into the individual category, images are displayed, with each one linking to a designer store.
The approach is both simple and elegant. Alternatively, users can also navigate through a directory of designers.
Other Options
Thanks to you guys for sharing and talking about this list, it has been seen by thousands of people, and consequently, I have been getting suggestions for other similar sites.
So, while I do not add every suggested site, I will add the ones that based on my initial research look promising, and more importantly, are legit.
41. Hatch.co (Thanks to Julia for the suggestion)
You have to apply to become a seller here. And according to the site, they only accept %30 of those who apply. So they do have high standards.
And by the looks of it, their marketplace showcases some very unique and interesting items that I personally haven’t seen on any other site.
They take %5 as their fee, but there is no other fee.
42. Shoppe (Thanks to Diana for the suggestion)
Shoppe is the official name of the company, but their domain name is ScoutMob.com. So some people know it as ScoutMob.
According to the site, they have over 1 million subscribers nationwide.
As far as fees go, here is what the site says:
You set both your wholesale and retail costs. You are paid the wholesale for each sale made. Our “cut” is what is left of the retail after we cover shipping (and any agreed upon discount). Think of us as the newest member of your marketing team-a curated online retailer actively promoting you and showing you off to users from all over the country.
43. EthicalStores (Thanks to Sam for the suggestion)
EthicalStores.com is the world first non-profit cruelty-free marketplace.
It offers a 100% totally free service.
To be eligible for a lifelong membership store with unlimited products, the vendors products must not contain animal derivatives or test on animals.
EthicalStores is a voluntary organization that is funded by donations from public and business.
As an animal lover, I am glad Sam brought this site to my attention.
44. ArtYah.com
This is a new(ish) marketplace that I came to know through our comments section below thanks to Craig who I assume is the founder of the site.
It looks like a fantastic place for both sellers and buyers of handmade art.
45. American Artisan Market (No longer in business. Thanks to Henry for the update)
This one is exclusive to American handmade products.
There are no listing or monthly fees. But sellers pay a 3% commission on every sale.
Takeaway
As you can see, there are tons of other sites like Etsy you can use to sell just about anything you can make with your hand.
Try a few and see which ones work best for you and the kind of items you are selling. I am sure out of the more than 40 sites listed here, you can find one or two that have just the right kind of marketplace and audience that you are looking for.
Also, if there are any other sites like Etsy that you use to sell your handmade items, please leave a comment below and I will add it to this list.
You forgot JustCustom.com :)
Thanks for that, Kirk!
and also Shippi.com
Thanks for the addition, Steven.
Is it your own? If so, I would love to hear more about the site and how your members are doing.
Hi Satrap,
Great article. As Etsy declines, there is a large void for quality marketplaces.
Also, you forgot about framestr.com! an e-comm site dedicated to small businesses with a focus on social sharing!
Cheers,
Chris
Nice addition. Thanks, Chris.
PinkLion.com, is another handcrafted online marketplace. It caters to premium and high end handmade goods.
Thanks for the addition, Frank.
What is the new site that you post a picture and they do the description of the item and they charge when sold.
Sorry Linda, I do not know. Maybe someone else will chime in and let you know.
Let Go
I tried indigoly.com and it is great. It is special for African handmade products and everything is for free for now. Really great! Got a couple of sales in first ten days as well.
Wow, that’s nice to hear Denis. I am glad you are having success with it.
Which one (other than ETSY) is the best for hand made invitations, banners, and party decorations?
From what I hear, aftcra and iCraft are the best ones.
Hopefully some of our readers who do make and sell handmade invitations and party decoration art, will chime in and share the best site they use.
Thanks for the rundown on these. I have three etsy shops. The one for pet lovers goes like gangbusters at christmas and the jewelry shop kicked in a little this year but there are so many people selling jewelry. Too much competition. After christmas, everything flat lines including the pet one. I’m trying to find a better place to sell. Have tried store envy for my jewelry but they don’t have teams for forums, just a facebook support forum and after a couple months, I haven’t sold anything. Trying to figure out what to try next. One thing I am certain of, it’s important to find a place that has a good support network with teams, forums, etc. because that cross promoting is crucial.
Hi Teena,
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Yeah, I agree, having a good support network is crucial specially in the beginning. I hope you find a place that fits you.
You should definitely include Hatch.co. They focus on curated makers who make more premium, high-end handmade goods.
Thanks for the suggestion, Julia. Looks interesting.
Have you been selling on Hatch, or are you part of the company?
Hatch.co is not a good source for selling your products and their software platform is extremely buggy and a pain in the rear end to use. User beware!
Hmmm…
Were you a seller on their platform?
Great list! Etsy has unfortunately made lots of changes that make it difficult for sellers that actually handmake their goods.
Be sure to check us out americanartisanmarket.com
Only for American handmade products.
Also we try to be straight-forward on everything – no listing fees, monthly fees, product limits, etc, just a straight-forward 3% commission on any sale.
Thanks for the suggestion Joshua. Will add it to the list.
How long have you guys been in business?
Just since the beginning of the year, so we are working hard to get things off the ground. Would appreciate being added to the list!
Added to the list. Thanks, Joshua.
I just tried going to this website and there isn’t one. Is it misspelled or something? Anyone know anything about it? Thanks!
RebelsMarket.com is another great alternative (disclosure – am affiliated with this site).
You have to apply to be a merchant on RebelsMarket
rebelsmarket.com
Hey James,
Looks interesting.
What would you say is the biggest sale category on the site?
There is also wevebuilt.com. It focuses on collaborative design.
Eve, I had a look at the site and it looks awesome.
Now, I noticed interested artists have to email you guys. Whats the processes like? And what percentage of those who apply actually get in?
There is an Asian version of Etsy which is a Taiwan based company Pinkoi. You need to apply first to become a seller. They have a listing fee as well as a sale fee.
Thanks for the suggestion, Sunny.
Sadly, the site uses the Traditional Chinese language. So for most people it’s impossible to find their way around.
What about Shoppe by Scoutmob? Would that fall under this umbrella?
http://scoutmob.com
Absolutely!
Thanks for the addition, Diana.
A free alternative to Etsy – EthicalStores.com
Thanks for the suggestion, Sam. Added to the list.
Etsy are flooded with mass production chinese apparel and Etsy is not a 100% handmade site anymore. Search for dresses and they are machine made from China.
The people in Etsy are ignorant for this and it is a shame for allowing them to open shops on Etsy. I guess they do not understand the word mass production….
I noticed the same thing. Yes, indeed it is a shame.
Hi Satrap
Thanks for compiling the list. You might want to add RebelsMarket. Its another great alternative.
http://www.rebelsmarket.com
thanks
James
Now that’s a very unique site. Is it your site/company, James?
I’ve heard ScottsMarketPlace.com , but I’ve never tried it. Has anyone here tried it?
I have never heard of them. Hopefully one of our readers will chime in.
Yes! Scotts marketplace is a great one.
Do you sell there as well, Norma?
Shouldn’t a site like DIscovered.us be on this list as well?
I never heard of DiscoveredUs before today, hence it wasn’t listed here. So thanks for mentioning it, Roy.
Do you sell there, Roy, and if so, how do you like it?
I’ve been selling on Artfire.com since 2008. Check it out!
ArtFire is already listed above. I hear a lot of good things about them. How has our experience been like, Norma?
I was reading your article on etsy alternatives and I would like to be
included in the next article on new out of the gate handmade websites.
My company Artyah.com is a newly established handmade for artists website.
We only accept artists that make handmade items and allow small vintage items
to be sold i.e jewelry, bags/purses/hats etc.
We offer sellers the ability to run an auction and have their own gallery.
We do not charge a listing fee and no member fees. Our only commission is taken at the
end of the sale which is 3.75%.
We do not allow any outside advertising like banner ads or adwords.
Thank you for your consideration,
Craig Weiss
http://www.ArtYah.com
530-613-2084
Nice site Craig. I will have to do a new post based on your suggestion (listing new out of the gate sites for buying and selling handmade stuff). I will make sure to add your site as well.
How long have you been up and running, and how many sellers do you have so far, if you don’t mind me asking?
Thank you so much! We started our site mid September. We have 12 people selling. They are doing very well. We made a pledge to our sellers that we will promote all sellers on all of our social media channels as well as other media marketing levels like adwords or other media outlets. I think we are one of the only (if not the only) websites that will promote artists and help them sell their art.
I am trying so hard to get the word out about our site. I know it takes time. We are having so much fun helping people :-)
That’s good to hear, Craig. Thanks for sharing. I wish you and your team success.
Hi Satrap,
Just wanted to update you about Artyah! We have made several improvements to our site and it is looking good. Our seller’s gallery is really nice and improved and sign ups are coming in much faster. If you haven’t already made your update to your site, I was wondering if you could check us out and add us to your site? I do see that we are getting about 20 referrals a month from your site so keep up the great work!
Thank you so much!
Craig Weiss
Artyah.com
Hi Craig,
Glad to hear you guys are keeping busy and doing good. I am so sorry, I haven’t had the time to add your site to the list. I’ll add your site shortly.
I am glad you are getting a few visitors from MoneyPantry. Good luck and keep us posted of your progress.
Great info thank you. The problem i see is that most of these sites stays up for a year or two and than shut down. Etsy have been a big problem for me, my site disappeared and I am being charged for something I can’t even see online. But to be fair they kept up, they have changed for worse but maybe that is market evolution/de-evolution, maybe handmade isn’t in such a demand and they have to adapt to survive, people look for low priced items. I am looking for a quality online service but long term commitment as well.
Ellie, I totally agree. It seems like when the companies are small they are much better, but as soon as they grow, they change for the worse. I think when they are smaller, the value every single user they have more, but when they get big, the look at the big picture of overall site and forget about individual users.
You can always try other smaller sites listed here. That said, I would urge you to put more effort into growing your own site. I looked at your site and you have some beautiful pieces of jewelry. Promote your own site (social media, content marketing, word of mouth, etc) so you don’t have to rely on third-party platforms. Best of luck, Ellie.
Read all the posts on this interesting subject as an Independent Designer am looking at other places to sell. I am already an Etsy shop owner, have had sales, but would be a lot better if Etsy wasn’t so huge as my product has a lot of competition to deal with. Love all the suggestions on alternative selling on line opportunities. Will follow through with a few. Again many thanks and I will stay in tune with your site. Rhonda.
Hi Rohanda,
You are right, Etsy has gotten so big and full of sellers that is hard to stand out. So you are very smart for wanting to try smaller sites. Do you have any particular site in mind?
Let us know how it goes. good luck.
Hello again,
Yes, I was successful with Hatch. after reading your visitors post etc. I sent them my info and products.
One thing too about Etsy, and I am honest here because its taken me about 2 yrs with my present shop but I am getting a lot of lookers and favourites but also I have to be very proactive and look through all of my visitors sites each day and follow them back. Then each day scroll through their products and fav them, this way you get more people looking at your site whether they have shops too or just buyers.
I am spending on average about $70 a month for Etsy to promote my products as I have a $2 a day budget built in. On average 140 and more hits each day, worldwide. US averages over 100 and Australia likewise. I really can’t afford to spend more at the moment, but with this, I average 1-2 orders per month. Doesn’t sound a lot but I have to handmake the products so average time spend 1-2 weeks for med size or 3-4 weeks for larger size products.
Regards, Rhonda.
Was so pleased to be chosen. and I love their site.
Will let you and your readers know how I go.
Regards,
Congrats, Rhoanda. I am glad you were accepted into Hatch.
Yeah, advertising is a though art to master. It takes time and a lot of practice. Whatever you do, make sure you keep an eye on your results and adjust your advertising strategy accordingly so you are not wasting money for nothing.
I look forward to your next update (hopefully you will be selling way more by then).
I see lots of different types of etsy sites, but they all charge too much.. I agree with Rhonda. We all work hard making our products I now use craftbay.co.uk UK with only a 3.5% commission rate.. Keep advertising on all smaller sites and it will always pay off!
Kudos on this amazing resource especially for those no longer enchanted with etsy. A shame because Etsy was a wonderful site back in the day.
Their new mandatory participation in Direct Checkout with PayPal feeding through their platform is just a money making set up for Etsy. Their venture into going public caused the value of the company to plummet, from what I’m reading on line.
There was a problem with Direct Checkout earlier this month, no one to reach out to via phone. Not good to set up your own sort of banking system without offering clients a phone number.
Hi do you know any easten asian e crafts store?
Unfortunately, I don’t!
I have been on ebid.net since 2008. They have an upfront charge of $49.99 for a life-time membership and I think it is still 2% when something sells but no charge for listing, no limits. They are UK based but there are lots of sellers from USA. They are smaller than eBay so do not have as many shoppers but the hope is that as sellers are leaving other sites they will bring more buyers over. They have an active forum where the people are friendly and helpful.
Wow! Didn’t realise there were so many. Not sure how old this blog is but artisanmarket.uk is steadily growing – clearly as the name suggests though it is UK only focused but seems to offer international shipping. What will clearly start to do well are the sites that offer a consolidated view of your store orders etc like sellbrite so that sellers can manage their inventory and stockholding across multiple platforms. Saw one the other day but can’t find it again for the life of me!
Love the design of your site. How long have you guys been in business, and o you accept international buyers/sellers?
Hi Satrap,
Thanks for putting together such a comprehensive list. Take a look at our e-commerce marketplace for handmade artisans: http://www.oneofakindonlineshop.com
We have been operating for just over 2 years now and have 350+ sellers from across Canada & the United States.
Thank you,
Alyssa
Thanks for the addition. Great site, Alyssa.
I am currently looking for a new online platform as well. I work closely with my community and children. In the last year etsy has not only had flat sales, but I am continuing to get distasteful and inappropriate photographs in my feed and my clients are receiving them when they search for my products. What is the disadvantage to having your store on your website? Just marketing?
Well, the downside of having your own site is mainly having to market.
Etsy is so big that it gets a lot of traffic and with good description, titles, and images, people will find you and your product. But with your own site, you have to put a lot of work into marketing and getting your site out there in front of potential customers.
That said, you get to keep `100% of the profit and you are not dependent on a third party platform.
thanks Satrap for the timely info. I am expanding from local/family/friends sales to bigger shows. I set up an Etsy shop, only to show no sales activity – getting lost with all the cheap import stuff. I was looking for alternatives when this article popped up. AmericanArtisanMarket.com link did not work as of today. Are they still around?
Hi Henry,
You’re welcome. I am glad it’s been helpful.
I am sorry to hear about the difficulties you’re having with your Etsy store. You’re right, the cheap imported stuff is killing the business for the artists who are actually making things with their hand and not manufacturing with machines. Then again, there are always challenges to running a business. I am sure you can overcome it and make your store a successful one.
As for AAM, you’re right – I just checked it and seems like they closed down. I will update the post with this new info.
Thanks for the heads up and god luck, Henry.
I’m in the process of trying Aftcra right now. There are a few things that I’m already not fond of.
1. They require all sellers to list their credit card information in their shop set up (You actually CANNOT bypass this and set up a shop. They require this before you can ever set up shop). They say this is how they will charge you the 7% fee they get from your sales. However, all sales go through PayPal. Why can’t they just bill your PayPal account for the amount you owe? I know eCrater does that (or they did when I used them).
2. I keep getting an error that my card is invalid when I’m trying to set up my shop. I have tried different cards (all of which are active, with good expiration dates and are linked on PayPal), double and triple checked all numbers – including expiration date and security code. I’m still getting the error. When I contacted them concerning this, their response was “I have honestly never heard of this error before. Unfortunately this process is managed by PayPal and we try not to get too involved with financials due to security issues”. Really? If that’s the case, why do they want my credit card information??
3. In the process of trying to troubleshoot the credit card issue myself, I happened across more info in the FAQ Help Section. Mixed in with all the other information on setting up your shop is the declaration that you cannot sell items that are under $10. Why put a limit on that? Maybe someone has a small handmade item that they wish to sell for only $8.
Considering all of this, I believe I will just go with another company. I’m researching more of those you have listed here. If I don’t find anything else that I like, I will just go back with eCrater.
Thanks for sharing your experience and what you have learned so far, Becky. Hope you can find one that works the best for you. Keep us posted.
How about a website From the square reader? Any thoughts on them?
April, I’m not at all familiar with any site associated with the Square reader, sorry.
Hi Satrap,
How are you?
Just want to give you a little bit of an update to ArtYah.
Our site, ArtYah is really taking off. To give you an idea of our numbers:
From September 2015 till March 2016 we had 500 registered users and
200 listed items. From April till now, June 21st we have 1,750 registered
users and 10,000 listings. We are working on many new features as well. New home page design, import tool, variations and many more. We are strictly Handmade only.
No manufactured goods. We also offer Antiques, Vintage & Supplies. My customer service is 2nd to none.
Take care,
Craig Weiss
Artyah.com
Thanks for the heads up, Craig. I’m glad you guys are doing great.
I’d like to add my thoughts of online selling sites … Having been in the cottage industry for well over 35 years as a successful seller it was a joy to be able create my products and sell online. First with Ebay, than Etsy and now ArtYah. Tried several others but just couldn’t stay with them … lack of sales and cost factor because of no sales.
As we all know Ebay is a powerhouse but handmade is questionable now compared to the past, but great for selling whatever else someone might want to let go…
Etsy was great when it first started out and still does OK, but resellers have taken over the site, especially after they came up with their own definition of “handmade” and we all know what that led to.
I recently joined ArtYah – June 2016 and although I haven’t sold anything yet only because I need to get a lot more listed …the vibes have been so wonderful. Craig is super helpful and responds very quickly. As a seller everyday I see more people joining ArtYah and listing more. These are recognized sellers from other sites that have done very well. This leads me to believe that our regular buyers will also follow us where one can get true handmade items. Thank you for letting me comment.
Hi Emilie, I 100% agree with that. It’s always like that; the sites start great, but slowly resellers and big companies take over and the quality goes down with the prices. That’s exactly why my GF gave up her eBay shoe business. She was doing great for a few years, until all the resellers came in, eBay raised their fees, and all the rest.
I am glad the customer service and your experience with ArtYah has been great so far. Hopefully it will work out for you as a great place to sell a lot of your stuff.
Thank you for taking time to share your experience, Emilie. Good luck.
Woww! What a list! Thank you!
You have some sites listed that I’ve never heard of. I’m not really a craft person but a painter, mainly of small-format artwork. Although in the UK I find the majority of my buyers have been American, so I don’t mind listing on USA sites. I’ve checked out a few in your list (as on 6th October 2016) and find some sad stories; Shop Windoz has gone; NotMassproduced is just a black screen with “under development”.
I thought Coriandr was quite a cute site, until I noticed the spammers taking over the forums. Ebid I’ve used and never sold a thing; the owners do not spend much on promoting the site. Zibbet looks quite reasonable.
It seems a lot of sites (like Etsy) started out with good intentions….I thought of joining it last year, but didn’t. Then the lure of big-hitters comes in (like on Ebay; I used to sell quite well on there ten years ago). The little guy is being hammered out. Truth is, I believe the little guy will be the future, as the dinosaurs come down. I’m all for the individual and their creativity.
Your list has been very good and helpful; I’m checking a few out now, including ArtYah.
I completely agree, Chris. Most sites do start with good intentions, but as they grow (eBay anyone?) they forget their routes and making more money rules over everything else.
Hi
Great article, would you consider adding MadeMakers to the list?
It’s a new free handmade marketplace with no commission on sales and no listing fees.
You can open your own shop, setup your own profile page and appear in the makers directory.
There is both a site for the USA and UK.
USA site: https://mademakers.com
UK site: https://mademakers.co.uk
Regards
David
Hey David, feel free to send us some detail about your site through our contact page and we will add it to the list.