Over the past couple of weeks there has been chatter about Amazon and their potential move into the handcrafted arena with Amazon Handmade. Several of aftcra and Etsy’s top handmade artisans were hand-selected from Amazon to participate in a survey to both learn more about the handmade industry and gauge interest from sellers to see if this venture would be something artisans would be interested in pursuing.
It’s a bold move from an e-commerce goliath, especially in light of Etsy’s struggles since they went public in April of 2015. The current assumption is that Amazon would host a separate handmade marketplace for artisans, which beckons back to the day of Amazon’s replication of a bidding site similar to Ebay (Amazon’s venture was eventually closed).
But what does it all mean?
As of the day this post was published, any details about Amazon Handmade haven’t been released leaving the handmade community reeling with speculation – will it be a juried marketplace? Will artisans have similar fees to Amazon.com? Will Amazon’s Prime members have access to purchase handmade goods to be delivered in two days? So many questions, so many extreme points of view, but no concrete answers.
One thing that is sure is that Amazon is an even bigger organization than Etsy. That means that on Amazon Handmade there will be an incredible amount of products in a (assumed) worldwide handmade marketplace – which is a positive and negative for both buyers and sellers. Regardless, it provides artisans a new marketplace to sell their wares in a small industry.
At aftcra we are different. aftcra is the proverbial farmers market – we are an online marketplace where you can buy and sell handmade-only products that are made in America. This has been our goal since we founded aftcra. By featuring handcrafted goods that are American made we naturally create a smaller community where shoppers can purchase goods from artisans in their cities, towns or states, or they can choose to explore products from other areas of the country. And, with smaller communities, the aftcra team is also able to develop meaningful relationships with our artisans, which creates a strong community of artisans.
aftcra is one of the newest handmade marketplaces, but we are a privately-owned, family-owned, and woman-owned business who ensures that our users are our number one priority. As we’ve shared in the past, the only influencers of aftcra are our American handmade community. We allow for open feedback from the aftcra community so all artisan’s and shopper’s needs are being heard and met. For any artists looking for an alternative handmade marketplace, we’d love to work with you.
I have been on Etsy for years and very disillusioned with the advent of commercial sellers. I make quilts and a few other things. There are stores on Etsy that advertise “Amish quilts” and these are actually made in Veit Nam by Veitnamese women. To me this is not the same as American handmade items. In my opinion Etsy is in business to make a lot of money and don’t really care how they do it. I am checking out your site to see if this will be a good fit for me.
Janet
Great! We totally agree and we would love to work with you. If you ever have any questions just reach out. Cheers to handmade and American made!
I also sell on Etsy.. and was invited to set up a shop at Amazon Handmade.. I declined their offer.. And Etsy is now so over-loaded with not only Artisan Shop Owners.. but now include wholesale sellers.. So now the small consumer such as myself.. gets lost in a sea of sellers.. and everyone is competing for sales.. I decided to try a smaller more cohesive venue such as Aftcra.. I just finished opening up my shop yesterday.. Avani Earth Scents.. and I look forward to getting my shop up and running.. and will be looking forward to the Holiday Season !!
Hi Susan – thanks for the note. We are here for artisans like you who are looking for an alternative marketplace that is true to handmade. If you ever need anything please do not hesitate to reach out. – Erica
Aftcra would seem to be a great idea – handmade in America. However, the name is a bit of a puzzle. The name is unique, but perhaps not so memorable?
Amazon of course has the mindshare and the name recognition. However, I doubt that this gigantic corporation can make itself think small enough for this market.
I would appreciate seeing more disclosure on the homepage traffic and the methods used to highlight shops. For example, I have noted that the same shop has been highlighted on the front page for the last week or so. Is traffic and the homepage stagnating?
Let me know if there’s anything I can do to make my own shop a better fit for Aftcra. Thanks.
Hi Pauliina – if you would like to send us an email with any questions at info@aftcra.com, please do so we can help you out 🙂
Also, aftcra is an anagram for “a craft”, or the skill of making something.
We are so happy to be able to work with you. Thanks Pauliina!