#etsy strike

[etsystrike]

I am bowled away by these gorgeous infographic photos by @kittynaut!

[pocketseizure]

Solidarity with the Etsy Strike

The Etsy Strike isn’t just about the platform increasing its fees for sellers, although that’s a wild move for the company to make after bringing in record profits for two years straight. Rather, it’s about how these fees are structured to hurt small businesses.

In essence, Etsy is forcing independent artists to operate according to the same business model and practices as Amazon. The most egregious instance of this is the platform’s insistence that we offer free tracked shipping.

Shipping costs rose steeply during the past two years. The pandemic also resulted in significant delays, and the new regulations regarding shipping packages to and from the UK haven’t helped. To ensure “customer satisfaction,” Etsy now penalizes sellers who don’t include tracking on every order, even if it’s just a single sticker. In addition, Etsy is aggressive about its policy of burying the listings of sellers who don’t offer free shipping.

What this means is that sellers are expected to absorb the rising costs of shipping. We are encouraged to purchase mailing labels through Etsy, which generally overcharges and also levies additional shipping fees on the seller. To give an example of what this looks like in practice, an artist would be expected to pay about $4 in order to mail a $3 vinyl sticker. This is exponentially worse when it comes to international shipping.

In other words, this protest isn’t about paying a few more dimes to Etsy for storefront rent. Rather, it’s about how Etsy is forcing small businesses to choose between losing money or raising their prices to levels that would substantially decrease sales. Artificially inflated prices also effectively shut out artists and crafters who don’t already have substantial online followings.  

This is only one of many instances of how Etsy’s recent policies and fee structures hurt small businesses and independent artists. The situation is especially upsetting because it doesn’t have to be like this. Although Etsy was never without its flaws, the platform was relatively welcoming to part-time and amateur sellers, and this inclusive environment resulted in record-breaking profits for the company.

Unfortunately, this profit has led Etsy to consider licensing itself as a storefront for large international distributors such as AliExpress and Rakuten, who are already operating on the same scale as Amazon. This is especially unfortunate because Etsy forbids independent sellers from reselling professionally manufactured goods, thus creating a double standard that puts actual artists at a distinct disadvantage.

Etsy is a major platform for independent creators, especially as competition to table at in-person conventions is at an all-time high and platforms like Gumroad and Kickstarter are quickly losing their viability. Even if you doubt the efficacy of a grassroots strike against a giant multinational corporation, I think it’s still important to stand in solidarity with the artists, crafters, and other creators who are taking a stand against the entire online marketplace becoming like Amazon.

[sergle]

My shop will be temporarily closed to protest the newly hiked Etsy fees being enforced! Apparently the millions of dollars worth of passive income that Etsy receives just from our already-existing transaction fees is NOT enough, and they want more. Help out the creatives who host their businesses on Etsy by NOT CROSSING THE PICKET LINE from April 11 - April 18, and spreading the word. 

[keplercryptids]

every time there's a boycott calling itself a strike and telling people not to cross the picket line by shopping at a place i am 🥴

that's not what any of those words meeeaaaan. "crossing the picket line" refers to workers who accept jobs at a company whose existing employees are on strike. arguably, the meaning has sort of extended to mean "don't do business with a company whose employees are on strike" but only if that's specifically something the union has called for.

notice i mentioned a union. a union is essential for an effective strike. a union means that a decision to strike was voted on and the majority of workers want it. a union also means some degree of financial and legal protection for the strikers.

in case it wasn't clear, etsy sellers are not unionized, do not have any protections in place, and did not vote to strike. a small number of sellers essentially made this decision for everyone and, most confusingly, only plan to "strike" / boycott for one week. that's.....not how this works. i very much doubt this ONE WEEK of action is even going to be a blip on etsy's bottom line at the end of the year. shops will reopen. sales will resume as usual, or maybe even at a higher rate as people make purchases they would have made during the one-week boycott. and...etsy's ceo makes just as much money as usual.

successful strikes (as in, ones that result in the actual demands being met) are rare because they're hard. as an example, take a look at the 1985-1987 Watsonville Cannery strike (link). the years in the title should clue you in that this strike lasted 18 months, and involved complete worker solidarity (not one worker crossed the picket line in all that time), weekly stipends for the strikers, several rallies and marches, and lots of community support (I'm talking about material support: food donations, rent forgiveness, etc etc). it succeeded at enormous effort and cost and no set end date in sight when it began, obviously. if you have an end date planned at the start it is extremely easy for the boss to just. wait you out lol. it's particularly easy if they only have to wait one week.

anyway. sorry to still be complaining about the etsy "strike." I'm not knocking individuals who have chosen to participate. i agree with the spirit of the protest, but not its implementation. and i'm annoyed that my sales will likely be negatively affected by all this when hey. this is not the action all or even most sellers on etsy (especially those who depend on their shops for their livelihood) called for.

[yarnitbunny]

Hey! I had a guest place an order in my Etsy during this strike/boycott period so now is a good time to lay bare ALL THE ETSY FEES on just 1 item.

I left my Etsy open after updating all the prices because it is my MAIN income... So... 😒

But please.

Don't shop on Etsy if you can.

Or any of the "big companies". Several of us small businesses have alternative ways you can shop and save on additional fees, both sides.

Check out my new shop link (pinned post on my profile!) I'd love for someone patient enough to try out the international option, please? 🥺

SHARE FOR AWARENESS!

[indiesellersguild]

This IS HUGE for the world of online shopping—and for the ISG!

A Bill to Crack Down on Resellers

During the Etsy Strike, our first demand was "Cancel the Fee Increase" - timing and all that - but when we polled our membership, that wasn'

I hope that some of you remember yesterday's teaser post, hinting that the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation had discussed and voted on a very important issue. That issue? The COOL Online Act, a bill that:

... requires products posted online from sellers in the US to display which country they were made in, much like products in US stores display the same 'made in' labeling. In other words, a legal requirement for resellers to admit that their products are mass-produced overseas!

Though it passed yesterday (details linked above), it still has to go through a few more legal steps before becoming law. The ISG and the preliminary results from our Marketplace Research Survey have made a tangible impact on the results of yesterday's decision, and we intend to keep our foot on the pedal:

We are working on a plan to organize the creative internet in a big way to fight to get this bill passed. If you want to be in on this plan, please head to the page we created on Action Network, and sign up.

Click through to the blog post above for important details!

[catbatart]

HEY GUYS! 

So while I’m participating in the Etsy Seller Strike this week, I’m dipping my toes more into Ko-Fi as a storefront option. 

CatbatArt’s Ko-Fi Shop

I’m not loading a bunch of physical stuff on it YET, but to slowly test the waters, I’m doing a Ko-Fi exclusive limited run of the 5″x7″ pinup prints.

These will ONLY be available on Ko-Fi! 

I’ve also included digital versions of both of my coloring books (DnD Monsters and Mimics!) and I’m trickling in a few coloring pages as well! 

Purchasing from alternate platforms is a great way to show your support to creators during the Etsy strike!  I’ve only ever known Etsy, but the fees are getting outrageous, so hopefully Ko-Fi works out. :P

Thank you all so much for your support! Reblogs are insanely helpful during this week especially!

[starrycrowshop]

The shop will be closed from April 11-18 to participate in the Etsy strike. Etsy is raising its fees for sellers by 30% despite reporting record profits. This is making its platform inhospitable to small businesses like ourselves. Please join us in this strike by refraining from buying anything from Etsy during this time and temporarily closing your shop if you can afford it.