One reason why no constructive dialog can take place between the seller community and Etsy corporate about the failure of marketplace integrity on the site is the failure of many Etsy sellers to understand what reselling is about. How many Etsy handmade sellers can recognize an actual reseller shop?
Reselling is not about making. So-called mass made items can still be handmade according to Etsy's standards. How many made equals mass made, anyway? One hundred? One thousand? Let's get real: some of the most successful shops on Etsy have been making and remaking the same items for years, and their items are unquestionably handmade.
A reseller is someone who had nothing whatsoever to do with the process of making the items they sell. Maybe the item was made in a factory in the USA or in China. Maybe the item is art the seller purchased at a gallery 4 years ago, selling it now because they changed their décor style. Maybe the item is an afghan handmade by a neighbor. Where the item was made doesn't matter. How many hands were involved doesn't matter. If the seller was not involved in the making process in any way, it is not supposed to be listed for sale.
I will be making a series of entries about reselling and resellers: how I recognize resellers, how I report them, and the unexpected results that can occur when Etsy's Marketplace Integrity Team reads documented reports.
No comments:
Post a Comment
All comments submitted are moderated. Thanks for your patience -- I am sure you dislike spam as much as I do!