Green Options

Editor’s note: The opinions in this post do not reflect those of Crafting a Green World as a whole or other writers on the CAGW team.

It can be hard to be an indie crafter these days. Perhaps Oilily will steal your designs and resell them as cheap knock-offs, perhaps somebody will smear your name all over the Internet because you disagree about the usage of the word craftivism, perhaps someone else will comment on one of your blog posts and call you retarded because you object to wool felt.

And then, just when you’re feeling better about all of that, Etsy will steal some of your hard-earned money.

What’s up with that, Etsy?

Now, I understand that technology is complicated. And I understand that Internet Explorer, although it’s the standard browser that most people, especially the internet un-savvy (Hi, mom!), use, basically blows. And I understand that when Internet Explorer updates, or Bill Gates sneezes, or the stars misalign, web sites tend to go all to hell for a while until some other programmer writes a fix.

I’ve spent the better part of an hour exploring a promising new website called Art Fire which, in no uncertain terms, has set out to compete with Etsy. There is a familiar layout…categories to your left, a showcase of listed items in the center, and a featured seller near the bottom. Additionally, they are cataloging tutorials, have an entire section dedicated to supplies, an array of features for artist interaction and even digital badges to recognize accomplishments by members. With a basic account, you can list and sell without fees or commission. Their current price for a verified account, which lets you fully customize your profile/shop and participate in the online community, is $7 a month.