If you’re a crafter, artist, or maker who has dreamed of selling your creations online — this guide is for you!
We’ll explore the 10 best platforms and marketplaces tailored to makers like yourself. I’ll share actionable tips for launching your online shop, no matter your product niche or experience level.
Let’s dig into these inspiring platforms fueling a handmade revolution built on creativity, joy, and entrepreneurial possibility!
Navigating the Thriving Market for Artisan Products
The appetite for unique, hand-crafted goods has exploded in recent years. Customers increasingly value quality craftsmanship, sustainability, and supporting independent businesses.
In fact, the global online market for artisan goods is projected to surpass $100 billion in the next two years. Some top-selling handmade categories include:
- Jewelry
- Home decor items
- Clothing and accessories
- Ceramics and pottery
- Quilts, knitted goods
- Specialty foods
And for sellers — going online levels the playing field. You can reach far beyond what’s possible at local craft fairs and shops.
I’ll guide you through key factors like audience, fees, and functionality. You’ll know exactly where to sell based on your product type, experience level, and business goals.
Let’s explore your options! You can go to akemi.com to find more tips and tools.
Top 10 Online Marketplaces To Sell Your Creations Tapping into Etsy’s Handmade Empire With over 60 million shoppers per month, Etsy leads the handmade mega-market. 2.5 million active sellers earn billions annually!
- Low listing fees (USD $0.20 per item)
- Additional 5% transaction fee when items sell
- Customizable shopfronts
- Built-in audience of handmade shoppers
- Streamlined shipping
- Excellent support resources for new sellers
Etsy allows everything from jewelry to woodwork, crochet, calligraphy — you name it! Use sponsored listings and Etsy Ads to stand out from its vast seller community.
Empowering Entrepreneurs with Shopify
Prefer building your own brand outside a shared marketplace? Shopify equips creative entrepreneurs to quickly launch online stores hosted under a custom domain.
Over 1 million businesses rely on Shopify for powerful ecommerce functionality without technical complexity.
- Unlimited products, no listing fees
- 2.9% + $0.30 credit card processing fee per order
- Custom domains and storefront design
- Integrated payment processing
- Marketing tools like email and abandoned cart recovery
- Robust analytics on traffic and conversions
Whether on a budget or investing for growth, one of Shopify’s pricing tiers fits your needs. Extend your reach by also listing best-sellers across online marketplaces.
Showcasing Your Crafts on Amazon Handmade For stable brand exposure and built-in traffic, Amazon Handmade connects artisans to over 300 million global shoppers already purchasing on Amazon.
Distinguish yourself via an Amazon Handmade Maker profile and set competitive pricing backed by Prime shipping options.
- No monthly fees, only pay per item sold
- Referral fee of 12-15% on each order
- Optimized listing templates
- Large built-in audience of Amazon shoppers
- Fulfillment by Amazon available
Amazon Handmade brings crafts to the masses. But focus beyond this single channel to establish your personal brand elsewhere online.
Getting Local with Facebook Marketplace Facebook Marketplace allows makers to sell goods locally for contactless pickup. Over 1 billion people visit each month browsing everything from antiques to baked goods.
Best for crafters in densely populated areas. Niche products have the most appeal.
- No fees to list items
- Agreement set between buyer/seller for payment
- Facebook user profile builds trust and credibility
- Easily share posts in local Groups
Marketplace works well supplementing other platforms. Low overhead makes it ideal for testing new product ideas before mass production.
Poshmark: Pre-Owned Fashion Plus Handmade Known for pre-owned clothing and accessories, Poshmark equally supports emerging brands and handmade designers. Over 80 million registered users with an average purchase frequency under 10 days.
Think made-to-order fashion pieces, custom leather goods, boutique jewelry, hand-poured candles, and other creations matching Poshmark’s audience preferences.
- $2.95 shipping paid by seller per order
- 20% commission on sales over $15
- Robust mobile shopping experience
- Highly engaged social community
- Easy listing creation from phone
For makers of apparel, jewelry, home goods or wedding accessories — give Poshmark’s vibrant community a try.
Supporting Responsible Artisans with Fair Fair is a UK-based handmade marketplace focused on sustainable materials and responsible business practices. Shoppers filter by values-based categories like vegan, eco-friendly, charitable donations, or cruelty-free.
- £15 monthly subscription
- 15% commission per item sold
- Spotlight options for increased visibility
- Values-based buyer community
- Handmaker profiles showcasing craft journey
Makers should align with Fair’s ethos of mindfulness, quality over quantity, and care for people and planet.
Creatively Displaying Collections on Abound Abound allows makers to curate gallery-style online collections of handmade goods. Its clean aesthetic spotlights beautiful product photography.
Ideal for gift-able items across categories like paper goods, ceramics, textiles, candles, children’s items, pet products and stationery.
- $4.99 monthly basic subscription
- Additional 3.5% transaction processing fee
- Professional layouts
- Gift registries and promotions
- Design and branding support
For makers desiring a polished web presence, Abound makes stellar first impression. Complement with social media and influencer marketing.
Tundra: Handmade Wholesale Marketplace For makers aiming to scale, Tundra is an online wholesale marketplace connecting artisan goods to buyers like boutiques, gift shops and specialty retailers.
Leverage account managers to pitch products to prospective buyers. Tundra only admits sellers via application based on product quality, profit margin and scalability.
- Wholesale pricing tiers
- $40 monthly subscription
- 10% commission on wholesale orders
- Account management support
- High order volumes
Prep by showcasing previous wholesale partnerships, optimizing packaging, and determining wholesale pricing formulas before applying.
Vintage Charm on eBay Vintage Beyond auction-style listings, eBay Vintage is a niche category curating rare finds and handmade goods evoking nostalgic appeal. Shoppers seek vintage fashion, antique decor, classic toys, custom furnishings, and other one-of-a-kind items.
eBay’s broad audience and discounted pricing helps handmade products compete with mass-produced alternatives.
- Variable fees based on product categories
- Average 10-15% cut per successful sale
- Established buyer traffic
- Flexible auction-style sales
- Discounted price points
For makers of retro, eclectic, or nostalgic items, eBay Vintage attracts deal-seeking shoppers.
Getting Visual on GoImagine GoImagine spotlights makers of children’s products, clothing, decor, toys, books, baby items…you name it! Its video-first interface allows scrolling product demos set to music adding sensory engagement.
Makers should focus on imagination-sparking products leveraging visual presentation.
- $19 monthly subscription
- Additional 2.9% + $0.30 credit card transaction fees
- Video uploads to showcase products
- Modern vibe
- Young parent target audience
- Shoppable gift guides
GoImagine sets itself apart with UX optimized for next-gen parents. Align products and branding accordingly.
Choose Your Platform, Find Your Audience! Hopefully you’re now feeling fired up and empowered to get your beautiful handmade creations in front of buyers who’ll appreciate them!
Each platform outlined has its own unique offerings suited to makers across experience levels, product types, business stages and creative visions. You CAN find success selling online.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series where we’ll get into the nitty gritty details of product photography, social media marketing, legal considerations, shipping solutions, and more!
I wish you the best of luck on your handmade entrepreneurship journey ahead. Never stop creating!
For even more e-commerce informations, be sure to bookmark Kalodata’s blog which offers weekly tutorials, product research analysis, student entrepreneur interviews and more. Here’s to achieving your ecommerce dreams in the new year ahead!
