Handmade at Amazon

Fruitbat

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Be sure to post a link to the pretties!
 

mrsmig

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I want to see IWANTTOSEE...
 

Maryn

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If I may speak for Filigree so her hands can continue her craft?

When a sales point has a jury, that means there's a committee which decides what's good enough to sell there and what isn't.

In my city, there are several festivals each summer where lots of stuff is for sale. Plenty of it is schlock that doesn't take any particular creativity or skill, just materials and time. The one juried festival has only pieces by artisans and artists, much higher levels of skill required, and correspondingly higher prices--except for the fried dough, a local staple of outdoor events.

Maryn, who hits the juried show most years
 

Filigree

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That's about it, Maryn. With Amaz0n's new Handmade section, prospective artists and artisans have to submit a large portfolio first. Within 4 weeks, they're supposed to hear back, 'No', a request for more info or later resubmission, or an invitation to join. Jurors are really picky; I know several decent Etsy artists who assumed they'd get an invite, and were rejected instead.

In the art world as well as in publishing, gatekeepers are there for good reasons. It's why I don't mind jumping through entry hoops for respected art shows. And why I hate going on blog tours with authors I don't know first, from a wide mix of publishers...I never know the skill level of the other authors.
 

sassandgroove

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Thanks. I was more asking about the Amazon process since I hadn't known about it. I'll have to look at amazon. I like handmade stuff.
And Filigree that's cool you got it.
 
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Kylabelle

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I understand Amazon has just opened this endeavor. Kind of moving into the territory once occupied mostly by Etsy.
Or something.

I'd like to know, too, if other AWers are getting their products into this new venue.
 

Filigree

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A couple of years ago, Etsy screwed themselves by allowing 'manufacturing partnerships' whereby original artisans were allowed to work with overseas factories, as long as the artist did rigorous quality control and supervision. Wink, wink. That led to a predictable glut of low cost, low quality buy/sell goods masquerading as Etsy crafts. A lot of better artists left. Now Amazon is courting those artists, and those who were skeptical of Etsy in the first place.

We'll see what the fallout is from Amazon's attempt.
 

sassandgroove

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I didn't know that about etsy. kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it? I hope you do well at amazon. I craft but am not a point where I can sell anything. Well I sold a hat - I made one as a gift and the woman's mother like it and asked me to make her one and offered to pay me. That was nice.
 

Maryn

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Yeah, that's my experience at Etsy this season, seeking lockets for our daughters for Christmas. I look at one and think, Oh, that's nice. The description says it's hand-crafted by silversmiths. But further searches find identical lockets from several sellers. Hand-crafted where, China? Harrumph.
 

Filigree

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Well, duh, I should post a link here in the thread where it was supposed to go.

My art (mosaics and beaded tapestry for now) on Handmade at Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/sp?_encoding=...rderID=&seller=ALN9TXGUM1RDI&tab=&vasStoreID=

First thoughts: when you first sign up and if you don't upload right away, they badger you almost daily with emails. It took them a month to give up in despair, but I was going slow and getting art back from galleries. They really want to you send them your art so you will be eligible for Amazon Prime sales and customers...but they don't tell you that they probably won't carry enough insurance to safely hold really expensive pieces in their warehouses, or that the Prime warehousing costs can be ridiculous for one-of-a-kind pieces.

As far as the artwork being 'handmade', I blogged recently about 'artisans' selling commercial components with very little actual skill or handwork involved.

Amazon's registering process is harder than uploading later. There are opaque tax structure issues I'm still sorting out. After August 2016, it looks like the per month fee will be around $40. I'll see if I sell enough for the fees to be worth it.

I actually like SaatchiArt's uploading process more, because it is incredibly thorough about shipping instructions, weight, dimensions, etc. I've been hearing horror stories about Amazon's tendency to underestimate shipping costs and making the artist eat the difference, so I've built in healthy overages to my cost.

But while SaatchiArt is free and on-paper eclectic about what can be displayed, in effect the only people actually selling on Saatchi are doing very specific types of contemporary art. I can fall into those styles comfortably, but right now I just don't have the room or storage space to do it.

So Amazon gets my smaller, easier-to-store-and-ship art for now.

I'll upload about 50 or 60 pieces in the next few weeks: mosaics, paintings, beaded tapestries, beaded jewelry, etc. to see what 'sticks', if anything. I'm waiting for another new sales platform to come online soon, so I'll blog about that when I'm ready.

For those of you using ArtFire, you may seriously reconsider. I've heard from several (former) ArtFire artists who say sales schedules got mixed up, resulting in double sales and angry customers. ArtFire also seems to be having some brain drain, but I can't confirm those rumors.

Let the Amazon EvilEmpireExperiment begin!
 
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veinglory

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I like many stores on Etsy run by real artists or antique/vintage resellers, but I go directly to them. The search results are full of fraudulent and misrepresented materials, and when you report them they do nothing about it. A lot of it is mass imported material from developing nations presented as handmade work in America with a 5000% mark-up.

I am curios to see how HaA does, and look forward to seeing any stores by people I know. :)
 

veinglory

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There are a bunch of places that offer digital shopfronts (shopify, Facebook etc) but no-one is actually there buying anything.
 

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There's https://www.artfire.com/

I've never bought anything there, and I think I remember there were problems regarding vendors being overcharged or something?
 

Filigree

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Artfire has been losing artisans for a while, because of poor coordination during sales with FB and other platforms, and other issues I still can't confirm.

Handmade at Amazon recently extended their 'free' listings until 2017, possibly because sales haven't materialized. There are a few original artists doing well enough to quit day jobs. A lot more 'fake' artists selling overseas charms and chains, with minor or no actual artist-made components. I know because I work for a company supplying the jewelry-manufacturing trade, and I can spot a SunWest or Nina Designs charm on about 25 different Handmade stores at once.

For myself, I haven't made a single sale off either Saatchi or Amazon. I'm waiting on another online marketplace to open, but I might have to settle for Etsy.
 

Maryn

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That's starting to be a bee in my bonnet. (Of course I wear a bonnet. Sassy will vouch for me.) I'll be cruising a site selling artisan jewelry and see a pendant I like. I'll favorite the item, and be sad when I see it's sold. Too late.

Except that if I scan enough pages, I often find the same thing from a dozen sellers whose artistry is threading a chain through the pendant's hanger. Even if I like the pendant, I refuse to buy once I know that's how it goes.

Maryn, who wants one-of-a-kind
 

Alessandra Kelley

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I like many stores on Etsy run by real artists or antique/vintage resellers, but I go directly to them. The search results are full of fraudulent and misrepresented materials, and when you report them they do nothing about it.

How do you find them to go to? Is there a list or something somewhere?

If there were some way to find the artists that wasn't drowned by the frauds I would be willing to go buy things there.
 

mirandashell

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Hmm..... I was thinking of reopening my shop on Etsy. It was abandoned due to RL issues.

But if Etsy has now got such a bad reputation I don't think I'll bother.
 

Maryn

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It's not really a bad rep overall, just that you need to exercise caution at Etsy. I just spend a good bit of money there buying birthday gifts for Kid Two, who is soon to move and specifically said she doesn't want a lot more things she'll have to move. The burden of additional jewelry and small framed prints shouldn't be too onerous. Although I think I'm keeping the smaller print.

Maryn, selfish as usual