Etsy increases its fees, so I'm on the hunt for a new platform

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(Jack Moreh/FreeRangeStock.com)

I have sold only one item on Etsy, but the upcoming fee increase still frustrates me.

According to the notice Etsy sent me, as of July 16, transaction fees will jump from 1.5 percent and will be imposed on shipping costs. The shipping cost thing bothers me the mos
t. I'm struggling to build up my listings, hoping what I do have listed might sell in the meantime, so I want to cut people a break on the cost of shipping. I do charge, but only the estimated postage amount. If Etsy were to take 5 percent of that, I'd be losing money on shipping. My options would be to raise my asking price or take the hit.

A friend who makes and sells makeup bags told me that someone she knows had told her about another platform that charges a flat $10 a month, charges no listing fees and takes nothing from what users sell. That sounds a lot more about my speed as I'm trying to get my "craft store" up and running. I could spend $10 a month for a year just to try the platform out, then evaluate whether that platform has been worth it. If not, move on to something else.

The only problem is my friend couldn't remember the name, though she thinks she might have it written down somewhere. I tried googling to see what it might be, but I've had no luck.

I plan to do a lot of looking around. Ultimately, I may stay with Etsy. Its biggest asset is its name recognition: People who shop there are in the market for handmade goods and expect to pay accordingly. A platform open to more than just handmade items, such as eBay, might draw more bargain hunters than anything else.

We'll see.

I've got a lot of research to do.

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