8 Etsy Alternative Marketplaces to Sell Your Handmade Jewelry

Are you looking for Etsy alternatives to sell your handmade jewelry?

Here is a list of Etsy alternative sites. These may or may not be the best option for everyone but they are worth checking out. Some of these are approval only so they are better curated than Etsy i.e. a better shopping experience for the customer.

1. Amazon Handmade

Amazon Handmade is probably the closest alternative to Etsy – it’s BIG and hence, equally competitive. Amazon launched the handmade part of their site in 2015.  However, to keep their customer experience in check, they require you to be approved to sell with them. So make sure you have a good brand story, outline your techniques, have well-written product descriptions and of course, good product photography. They charge a 15% commission.

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2. Storenvy

This is an interesting concept – it’s a combination of an ecommerce store and an online marketplace. You build your store for free (no commissions either) and market it any way you like – this is a custom store with your logo, etc. However, products from all stores on their platform are also available on the Storenvy marketplace. When a product sells via the marketplace, then they charge a 10% commission. However, if you send an email to your customer list with a link to your store – and someone buys – no commissions on that because Storenvy did not help you get that sale. Kind of a best of both worlds.

3. Tictail

Tictail is a newer site similar to Storenvy. They let you build a website for free with no strings attached. And they list your items in their marketplace – they take a 10% commission if the item sells via the marketplace. But if you sell the item directly via your site, there is no commission. If you’re looking for a storenvy alternative, try them out.

4. ArtFire

This is a popular marketplace for independent jewelry designers and artisans. ArtFire’s greatest appeal is that they allow a shopper to add items to their Amazon ‘wish list’. Being able to link your product catalog to Amazon’s Universal Wishlist gives you an instant presence on Amazon.

5. Bonanza

Bonanza is a cross between Etsy and eBay. It’s not handmade-only but there are no membership fees and the listing fee is low. They also provide access to sales consultants, free of charge, who will advise on how you can sell more on their platform.

6. Zibbet

Zibbet is similar to Etsy in that it is a community-based marketplace. Both sites are well-organized and easy to navigate for prospective buyers. However, Zibbet only has 50,000 merchants compared to Etsy’s 1.8 million. There are no commission or listing fees and sellers can take advantage of a plan that offers unlimited product listings. Sellers who are already on Etsy have the ability to copy items over from their existing Etsy store.

7. Ruby Lane

Ruby Lane focuses on selling antique, vintage, and handmade products. As a long established marketplace with a loyal customer base, it is another great Etsy alternative for jewelry designers. Sellers pay a one-time setup fee, a monthly maintenance fee, and a $0.19 listing fee after the first ten listings. What makes Ruby Lane appealing? – there are no commissions.

8. RebelsMarket

They market themselves as “the #1 alternative marketplace”. So if you make edgy and out-there designs using bold chunky metals, etc., this is the site for you. First, you need to get approved to sell on their platform. Then, you can build a store and list your items. They charge a 15% commission on sales.

Summary

For independent jewelry designers, creating a shop on Etsy is an obvious first choice. With 30 million shoppers and $2.84 billion in annual gross merchant sales worldwide, Etsy is one of the most successful indie product marketplace. And of those 30 million, 81 percent are return shoppers.

So why seek alternatives to Etsy? There are currently 9 million jewelry listings on Etsy and 84 percent of those listings are artisanal pieces. The sheer volume creates steep competition for jewelry sales, making it especially difficult for newcomers to stand out. Putting up your products on other Etsy like sites can give you more visibility and put you in front of a different audience.

While some of these sites aren’t as big as Etsy, they are worth testing. Try it out for a month or two. If it brings you sales, continue it. If not, drop it. To grow you business and reach new audiences, you have to try different marketing channels. Each site attracts a different audience and it might be your audience. You never know until you try it out.

Which marketplace brings you the most sales?  Comment and let us know.

If you’re looking to outsource your jewelry photography, click here for our photography pricing.