April 2022: Why I am participating in the 2022 Etsy strike.

Out of respect for the maker community, exit343design is participating in the platform strike until April 18th.

Etsy has been a helpful part of growing my business since 2006 and I understand the need for them to adjust fee structures with the passage of time. I have and will continue to factor those fees into my pricing over on Etsy. If you're here on my website, you're already in the know that you're getting my best pricing here!

However, I do NOT agree with the following:

1. Since its inception, the Star Seller program is murky in how it promotes sellers for being a part of it. My biggest issue with it is that it forces unhealthy work/life balance by basically telling sellers to be mini Amazon warehouses so their listings down get pushed down the search algorithm. I generally have a big problem when Etsy inserts itself into how folks run their individual businesses . . .

2. See above: Forcing sellers into the Offsite ads program which throws off profit margins for sellers of all levels. I simply cannot list certain items on Etsy because on the off chance it gets picked up on an offsite ad (a program which is mandatory for a seller at my level) and gets purchased, it basically doubles the existing seller fees. When that happens, the profit margin makes no sense and I lose money.

I actually *like* having Etsy run offsite ads for me- less learning I need to do! However, I would like to have the option to participate and the options to select which products can be a part of the program so that my numbers always make sense.

3. As has been for years, the resale and non-handmade market is rampant. I used to report blatant items (the amount of current Ikea items I would see listed as "vintage" for sale was shameful) but it's overwhelming. I'm sure these resellers make Etsy's shareholders a lot of money and if they get the boot, fees will increase. I think I'm okay with that reality though- Etsy is supposed to be synonymous with handmade & independently designed items- it should be curated as such for shoppers. If you want murky reseller BS, shop on Amazon or Walmart.

In the end, Etsy is a valuable tool for makers around the globe. I appreciate it as part of my business and hope to continue to have a relationship with it. However, I do hope it realizes that the folks who make it money (US, the MAKERS) are pretty upset with its turn to become beholden to its shareholders.

To learn the other reasons why Etsy sellers are on strike, check out this article from The Skimm or check out the Etsy Strike website.