Be Sure That "Handmade" Etsy Item is REALLY Handmade!

This morning there was a discussion in one of the Etsy-related Facebook groups about how Etsy now allows almost anything to be sold on their site. Although Etsy still claims to be a place to sell (and buy!) Handmade items, Vintage items, and Craft Supplies, there is a lot of "manufactured crap" being sold there, often listed as Handmade (and sometimes as Vintage), even though the seller's only interaction with the item is ordering it, then removing it from a box, photographing it, and listing it on Etsy; sometimes the seller even uses the manufacturer's stock photo! The seller had absolutely no involvement in the design or manufacture of the item, which is still required per Etsy's Handmade Policy.

Etsy changed their policy to allow "Outside Manufacturing" in 2013. At that time, I expressed concern to Etsy that this was going to be a Pandora's box. Etsy claimed that it would help them reign in things that didn't belong on the site; unfortunately, that's been nothing but a big ol' can of bullshit.

At that time, and for the next several years, sellers who wanted to use an "outside manufacturer" to produce what they had designed were required to submit an application to Etsy. This application was very thorough and the seller had to show how they were actually involved in the design process, as well as provide an invoice proving that they had already ordered the item (yes, before they were even approved to sell the product on Etsy!). The invoice, of course, needed to include the name and contact information of the manufacturer. I went thru this process myself for one item, a "Made in the USA" hangtag, which I designed because of an Etsy seller (perhaps the first one) who was proven beyond the shadow of a doubt to be selling manufactured items where she hadn't had any part in the design or manufacturing process.

Images which I provided to Etsy with my "Outside Manufacturer" application. The 3 images show the original graphic, the tea-stained graphic, and finally with the text added.

A few years later Etsy changed the term from "Outside Manufacturer" to "Production Partner." Sellers were no longer required to be pre-approved; they only had to answer a few questions when listing a manufactured item, with Etsy reserving the right to follow-up if they felt it was necessary. Sellers are still supposed to be the designer, even when they use a Production Partner, but that isn't being enforced consistently (if at all).

Many sellers claim things are Handmade when they're anything but that. Pick something that's fairly trendy and search for it and you're almost guaranteed to see a ton of it on Etsy. Since I make home decor, I occasionally search to see if trendy home decor items are being sold on Etsy in manufactured form. My current favorite searches to check on this are "Galvanized" and "Tobacco Basket." I'm sure shoppers realize that a large tobacco basket, priced at $26 or so, isn't handmade by the seller. Handmade, and particularly antique, tobacco baskets are fairly expensive, often priced at $100 and up! While there will always be shoppers who want the Real Thing, there are also those who Just Don't Care.

Based on Etsy's definition of "handmade," a manufactured item can be painted or otherwise adorned and sold as handmade, but there are dozens, if not hundreds, of items in both of these searches which are taken straight out of the box and listed on Etsy as handmade.

Etsy's Handmade Policy contains this phrase: "Providing false, inaccurate, or misleading information is prohibited by our Terms of Use." Over the years, I have reported hundreds of not-really-handmade items, but Etsy rarely does anything about them. There is one item I've been trying to get removed for more than 5 years; I even have an Etsy convo from the seller stating that the item isn't handmade, but even that didn't get Etsy's attention!

I hope you have found this information enlightening. If you are wanting authentic handmade items, they are definitely available on Etsy however, if the price seems too good to be true, you may want to ask the seller a few questions to see how much they know about the item or its construction. Do your due diligence. Please and thank you!