Artisans Cooperative: a new co-op for handmade goods
July 10, 2023 1:15 AM Subscribe
The member-owned arts and crafts marketplace is being thoughtfully, deliberately organized by ex-Etsy sellers (remember the Etsy strike?), volunteers, and now a growing number member/owners. An innovative buy-in system is designed to make ownership very accessible. The site opens for business in October, and there's a Reddit AMA today (Monday) 6 AM-midnight Eastern Time.
The original funding plan called for outside capital for much of the first year budget (largely web development and marketing). However, “...armed with a new financial model produced by the talents of our in-house artisans and already at 75% (as of this [June 30] writing) of our two-month capital campaign goal of $25,000, we believe there could be another – better – way.” They’ve since doubled their goal with a grassroots “Grow the Co-op” challenge for July.
Organizing milestones
- April 2022: In protest over draconian fee increases, unpredictable ad fees, and competition from sellers who were reselling cheap manufactured goods on the site -- the same year Etsy announced record profits -- thousands of Etsy sellers go on strike. They organize themselves behind a unified message, set their Etsy shops to vacation mode, and ask the public not to cross their virtual picket line.
- October 2022: The Artisans Cooperative is announced (press release), with plans to be a cooperative online marketplace for the worldwide artisan community.
- January 2023: They begin receiving assistance from the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives and its Co-op Clinic (press release) and become eligible for startup grants.
- March 8: They announce a technology plan based on expert advice and the surveyed needs of their members.
- March 18: Their handmade policy (describing what makes a product "handmade") is announced (and later amended in response to comments), and includes vetting, enforcement, and appeal procedures. This is one of several policies created by members and initially explored through polling.
- April 12: They join nine other co-ops in the 2023 cohort of the Start.coop accelerator program (press release).
- April: After a careful search, they hire a technology company to create the site.
- April 19: Of course one of the volunteers makes a printable zine to help spread the word about the co-op. It's adorable and informative.
- May 1: (coincidentally International Workers' Day): They officially register as an Oregon Cooperative Corporation (press release).
- May 23: They begin accepting their first official member/owners.
While their FAQ touches on membership, plans, selling without membership, planned fees/commissions, and more, many details can be found in blog posts, press releases, and other parts of the site.
Other points of interest
- To become a member/owner, there is a one-time buy-in cost, with multiple options for payment plans and non-cash options. Ownership and engagement involve their “points and tiers” system.
- They even have a branding kit (collaboratively created, starting with surveys about color palettes) to help members create and share their own flyers and posters for the co-op.
More information about the special nature of the marketplace, ways it can improve on previous marketplaces, and why the cooperative model is stable and achievable.
Full disclosure: I am totally impressed with this effort, and joined on Friday.
The original funding plan called for outside capital for much of the first year budget (largely web development and marketing). However, “...armed with a new financial model produced by the talents of our in-house artisans and already at 75% (as of this [June 30] writing) of our two-month capital campaign goal of $25,000, we believe there could be another – better – way.” They’ve since doubled their goal with a grassroots “Grow the Co-op” challenge for July.
Organizing milestones
- April 2022: In protest over draconian fee increases, unpredictable ad fees, and competition from sellers who were reselling cheap manufactured goods on the site -- the same year Etsy announced record profits -- thousands of Etsy sellers go on strike. They organize themselves behind a unified message, set their Etsy shops to vacation mode, and ask the public not to cross their virtual picket line.
- October 2022: The Artisans Cooperative is announced (press release), with plans to be a cooperative online marketplace for the worldwide artisan community.
- January 2023: They begin receiving assistance from the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives and its Co-op Clinic (press release) and become eligible for startup grants.
- March 8: They announce a technology plan based on expert advice and the surveyed needs of their members.
- March 18: Their handmade policy (describing what makes a product "handmade") is announced (and later amended in response to comments), and includes vetting, enforcement, and appeal procedures. This is one of several policies created by members and initially explored through polling.
- April 12: They join nine other co-ops in the 2023 cohort of the Start.coop accelerator program (press release).
- April: After a careful search, they hire a technology company to create the site.
- April 19: Of course one of the volunteers makes a printable zine to help spread the word about the co-op. It's adorable and informative.
- May 1: (coincidentally International Workers' Day): They officially register as an Oregon Cooperative Corporation (press release).
- May 23: They begin accepting their first official member/owners.
While their FAQ touches on membership, plans, selling without membership, planned fees/commissions, and more, many details can be found in blog posts, press releases, and other parts of the site.
Other points of interest
- To become a member/owner, there is a one-time buy-in cost, with multiple options for payment plans and non-cash options. Ownership and engagement involve their “points and tiers” system.
- They even have a branding kit (collaboratively created, starting with surveys about color palettes) to help members create and share their own flyers and posters for the co-op.
More information about the special nature of the marketplace, ways it can improve on previous marketplaces, and why the cooperative model is stable and achievable.
Full disclosure: I am totally impressed with this effort, and joined on Friday.
I am very excited about this, and wish them well. I am hopeful that on the ashes of VC funded enshittification, a new kind of commercial web can be built in the cooperative model.
posted by rockindata at 4:57 AM on July 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by rockindata at 4:57 AM on July 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
Following with interest, but not quite ready to write a 1k founding member check.
posted by Glinn at 6:28 AM on July 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by Glinn at 6:28 AM on July 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
As someone who liked old school Etsy, I'm skeptical as I'm not seeing the marketplace or a firm date for its opening. Without that, there really isn't much point, is there?
posted by kingdead at 6:38 AM on July 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by kingdead at 6:38 AM on July 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
i love this idea and curious how it could be deployed for other SMBs that are tech platform dependent (e.g. delivery restaurants)
posted by web5.0 at 7:21 AM on July 10, 2023
posted by web5.0 at 7:21 AM on July 10, 2023
Following with interest, but not quite ready to write a 1k founding member check.
They specifically talk about "multiple options for payment plans and non-cash options so everyone can afford to join today."
You can become a member by a) contributing as little as $10 in dollars, and the rest in "points" over six months -- sweat equity, essentially. See the points and tiers link. To be a founding member this way, the points have to be in by July 31.
If you don't want to / don't have time to do a bunch of flyering or take on a volunteer position, the $1000 can be done very very manageable installments over a number of years.
I'm not seeing the marketplace or a firm date for its opening.
From the technology plan, above:
Their marketplace development plan.
About the firm developing the site:
They specifically talk about "multiple options for payment plans and non-cash options so everyone can afford to join today."
You can become a member by a) contributing as little as $10 in dollars, and the rest in "points" over six months -- sweat equity, essentially. See the points and tiers link. To be a founding member this way, the points have to be in by July 31.
If you don't want to / don't have time to do a bunch of flyering or take on a volunteer position, the $1000 can be done very very manageable installments over a number of years.
I'm not seeing the marketplace or a firm date for its opening.
From the technology plan, above:
A less than one-year timeframe (launch October 2023).Home page:
Subscribe for the latest news and updates
about our October 2023 marketplace launch
Their marketplace development plan.
About the firm developing the site:
The winning quote was both lower in price and had a higher quality service. We decided to contract with YellowWebMonkey, a woman- and veteran-owned firm who truly believes in what we’re doing. The principal, Alexis Priddy, is an artisan herself. This firm has an established tech support program to help us build an ongoing relationship and provide a tech support solution for artisans and customers before we can hire full-time staff.posted by amtho at 9:06 AM on July 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
I'm super interested in how they are defining handmade and artisan and appreciate their thoughtfulness and best attempt at clarity at what is included (e.g. holiday cards and enamel pins by your fave illustrator are definitely included, but "wine o' clock" print on demand tote bags are not). Their policy is being refined and is on Version 3:
1.1 The definition of an artisan for the purposes of our marketplace is a person, micro-business, or collective that produces handmade goods for sale.posted by spamandkimchi at 9:40 AM on July 10, 2023 [3 favorites]
1.2 Handmade goods are authentic original works produced with the care, dexterity / skill, and judgment of the artisan, under the workmanship of risk.
1.3 The workmanship of risk is an original idea proposed by artisan David Pye. In essence, it means that at some point in the process, the artisan could ruin the work.
1.4 Although artisans may in their judgment sometimes require production assistance (outsourcing) to the extent allowed by this policy, we will actively encourage, promote, and support artisans who produce their products using in-house production. Print-on-demand is a type of outsourcing only allowed under certain circumstances.
....
Our marketplace specifically includes:
1.5.1 One-of-a-kind works that by their nature need to be sold in faithful reproductions:Print material manufacturing is allowed outright in the care and judgment of the artisan: whether they print in-house, choose a Print-on-Demand production method, or purchase the reproductions up-front from an artisan’s favored printing house.
Custom manufactured goods (such as enamel pins, custom playing cards, plushies, etc.) are allowed with in-house production or artisan’s favored manufacturing house, but not Print-on-Demand.
Also I'm interested in how artisans collectives are specifically excluding "I am a person who traveled to X country and now sell handmade baskets from that country.
1.6.3 Re-sellers and entrepreneurs whose business is to sell others’ products, whether curated vintage goods, licensed artwork, or even authentic original artworks commissioned from an authentic artisan with a commercial license. If “somebody” handmade it, that’s not good enough. (As one artisan put it: “We are the Artisans Cooperative, not the People-Who-Take-Advantage-of-Artisans Cooperative.”)posted by spamandkimchi at 9:43 AM on July 10, 2023 [6 favorites]
OK I'm having flashbacks to the natural foods co-op my partner volunteered at back in the day with "points." I am just imagining the Zoom meetings hashing this stuff out, and I hope they took lots of breaks!
As far as I can tell, as a supporter member (non-artisan who will be buying things), I need to accrue a total of 100 points to be a supporter (one time buy in, no annual dues). Some of those points could come from shopping (5% of Purchase Price in USD not including shipping).
posted by spamandkimchi at 10:01 AM on July 10, 2023
As far as I can tell, as a supporter member (non-artisan who will be buying things), I need to accrue a total of 100 points to be a supporter (one time buy in, no annual dues). Some of those points could come from shopping (5% of Purchase Price in USD not including shipping).
posted by spamandkimchi at 10:01 AM on July 10, 2023
Re: launch date - I'm in the AMA, and here's more info:
"We are currently planning on October 2nd."
Also: They're basically using Shopify and some experts on Shopify (I'm curious about how they're customizing it).
Some version is launching this month, but just for some fund-raiser items being sold by some of the early members.
posted by amtho at 10:07 AM on July 10, 2023
"We are currently planning on October 2nd."
Also: They're basically using Shopify and some experts on Shopify (I'm curious about how they're customizing it).
Some version is launching this month, but just for some fund-raiser items being sold by some of the early members.
posted by amtho at 10:07 AM on July 10, 2023
As far as I can tell, as a supporter member (non-artisan who will be buying things), I need to accrue a total of 100 points to be a supporter (one time buy in, no annual dues). Some of those points could come from shopping (5% of Purchase Price in USD not including shipping).
...and you could get 25 points for one hour of putting up flyers. They're equating 1 point = $1, and basing the hourly rate on a living wage of $25/hour.
posted by amtho at 10:14 AM on July 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
...and you could get 25 points for one hour of putting up flyers. They're equating 1 point = $1, and basing the hourly rate on a living wage of $25/hour.
posted by amtho at 10:14 AM on July 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
remember the Etsy strike? (...) there's a Reddit AMA todayWhich side are you on, boys?
posted by Flunkie at 12:31 PM on July 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
One thing I don’t see anywhere is how this is actually better for creators in any way besides the vague principles.
They go on about how terrible Etsy is for sellers, and then acknowledge that most of their current members have, and will continue to maintain, their Etsy storefronts.
If you don't want to / don't have time to do a bunch of flyering or take on a volunteer position, the $1000 can be done very very manageable installments over a number of years.
Cool, so creatives can go into years of debt to join an accelerator- and grant-funded *idea* of a successful site. Great to hear from a place specifically targeting disadvantaged groups.
posted by Molten Berle at 10:35 PM on July 11, 2023
They go on about how terrible Etsy is for sellers, and then acknowledge that most of their current members have, and will continue to maintain, their Etsy storefronts.
If you don't want to / don't have time to do a bunch of flyering or take on a volunteer position, the $1000 can be done very very manageable installments over a number of years.
Cool, so creatives can go into years of debt to join an accelerator- and grant-funded *idea* of a successful site. Great to hear from a place specifically targeting disadvantaged groups.
posted by Molten Berle at 10:35 PM on July 11, 2023
Very manageable installments = $21/month or possibly lower, or just points alone for 6 months.
It's better partly because artisans who use and also own the site are way, way less likely to do something that's harmful to artisans (e.g. having ads posted for an artisan's product with no input from the artisan, and then charging the artisan a huge percentage based on a buyer having seen that ad; raising commissions on artisan sales when the business had just celebrated "a good year"; allowing in-platform competition from random competitors selling non-handmade products at mass-production prices.
A person who purchased the entire platform for a lot of money, and who felt driven above all else to make back that investment money, would do those things. Someone who was _using_ the platform to make money by selling their handmade products wouldn't, especially if their voice was one among many, all coming from other artisans selling their handmade products through the platform.
posted by amtho at 8:17 PM on July 12, 2023
It's better partly because artisans who use and also own the site are way, way less likely to do something that's harmful to artisans (e.g. having ads posted for an artisan's product with no input from the artisan, and then charging the artisan a huge percentage based on a buyer having seen that ad; raising commissions on artisan sales when the business had just celebrated "a good year"; allowing in-platform competition from random competitors selling non-handmade products at mass-production prices.
A person who purchased the entire platform for a lot of money, and who felt driven above all else to make back that investment money, would do those things. Someone who was _using_ the platform to make money by selling their handmade products wouldn't, especially if their voice was one among many, all coming from other artisans selling their handmade products through the platform.
posted by amtho at 8:17 PM on July 12, 2023
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