Etsy

Etsy solved a fundamental problem in handmade commerce. Sellers wanted to reach buyers, but distribution channels didn't exist. eBay was for used goods. Amazon was for manufactured products. There was no marketplace where a craftsperson could sell a handmade chair to someone who specifically wanted handmade. Etsy charged sellers twenty cents per listing and six point five percent of transactions. Fees seemed high until sellers realized Etsy traffic was impossible to replicate. A woodworker couldn't afford advertising to reach people valuing handmade. On Etsy, that audience gathered. Sellers paid happily. The alternative was zero customers. No other option existed. The marketplace attracted specific buyers.