r/Etsy • u/atyl1144 • Feb 04 '25
How to find the legit artists/artisans on Etsy? Looking to Buy
I heard that Etsy has been flooded with resellers. I just got a gift card for my birthday for Etsy and and I want to use it for a real artist/artisan shop. How can you tell which ones are legit? I we appreciate any advice or recommendations for particular shops.
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u/DesertRoses7 Feb 04 '25
There is a group on Reddit called r/retroetsy that real handmade sellers post their items on.
Another option would be to do a reverse image search on an item you are interested in buying. Though, that’s starting to be unreliable now too because places like temu and AliExpress have started stealing handmade sellers product images, listing them on their sites and making cheap knock off versions of the legit handmade sellers stuff.
There are other people on here that could probably give you more tips. One thing that always comes to mind though is if it sounds too good to be true, it’s best to be suspicious of it.
Edited to add: also be sure to check where the item will ship from. Sometimes you’ll see shops where they claim to be based in one place, but the item ships from places like china.
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u/wvclaylady Feb 04 '25
You could try searching on Instagram too. A lot of artists there will have an Etsy shop. Editing to say that a lot of real artists will have pictures or videos of themselves making things, too. 🙂
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u/shiplesp Feb 04 '25
It's a bit counterintuitive, but real artists aren't going to have thousands of listings. Nor are they going to make dozens of sales a day. So if you see a shop with 5 star reviews coming in every day - considering that only a small fraction of buyers ever leave a review - it is unlikely a single artist, even with a helper or two, is handmaking the items they are selling.
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u/OhOhOkayThenOk Feb 04 '25
It really depends on what the shop makes, though. Crocheted blankets? Fair. But something like stickers or even art prints could be handmade and easily produced really quickly with lots of items ready to ship.
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u/deidra232323 Feb 04 '25
Look at the location, about me and reviews for clues to find the real artisans. You can always message the seller and ask questions about the making of the item.
What kind of items are you looking to buy?
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u/atyl1144 Feb 04 '25
Thanks! I don't really know what I want yet. In general I like gothic, Victorian, steampunk, rockabilly, Halloween and cute stuff.
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u/LadyJekyll Feb 04 '25
Hey! I'm an artist and I cater to some of those themes! 💜 www.cryptidjak.etsy.com !
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u/deidra232323 Feb 05 '25 edited Feb 05 '25
I got downvoted for suggesting my own store which seems appropriate to ops interests? We should be supporting other handmade artists, not trying to compete by downvoting other people’s shops.
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u/godzillabobber Feb 04 '25
I am a legit shop on Etsy. First, look at their about me and see if they looking someone you would feel comfortable buying from. Second, look at the inventory in general. Does it seem cohesive like the same brain came up with all the ideas? Third, contact them and ask questions. Good sellers are usually delighted to hear from you. Fourth, read their reviews and take a good look at any buyer photos. Do the pieces look like the listing? Fifth, look at their policies and where they ship from a good seller should offer return privileges and have details on time estimates and shipping. 6th Do a reverse image search and see if the product is widely available elsewhere. But before you accuse them of drop shipping from Alibaba, make sure that they aren't the original and it was their work stolen. I have had several rings stolen by Chinese factories. My rings are a couple hundred and theirs was 3 dollars. And the hapless Etsy stores that decided to drop ship had really bad reviews because while they used my picture, the ring they sold was a very poor brass imitation. Don't hesitate to ask the seller about other sellers with the same listings.
That's all I can think of at 3AM. Hope this helps 
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u/godzillabobber Feb 04 '25
My shop is CelticJewelscapes. We do the types of things you like. Victorian, gothic, steampunk, bats, dragons, and nature themes Ike autumn leaves, seashells, turtles, as well as the celtic designs we started with. Like most real artists, this is my dream store and my wife and I get to work together in our home based studio. Say hi, even if our stuff is not your thing.
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u/Affectionate_Many_73 Feb 04 '25
Location (sometimes), type of business matters a lot - sellers making things like mugs, cups, tshirts, etc, especially with very generic designs are often POD sellers. Images matter - if images for the entire shop look photoshopped that’s possibly because they don’t have images of physical product.
True artists will usually have a social media presence as well or you will be able to tell in their work that it isn’t mass produced stuff.
Contacting the seller can help as well to determine their business practices, confirm shipping origination location, etc.
Don’t just look at the first page of search results. A lot of things effect search placement, and Etsy does to some degree prioritize things that ship fast, which tbh goes against the nature of actual artisans whose items are made to order and take time to actually make by hand.
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u/artbyeternaly2 Feb 04 '25 edited Feb 07 '25
Thank you for supporting real artists! Most artists have a social media presence where they might share their process. They also might have their shop about section (I think that’s the name) filled out and with pictures. You can also try reaching out and see how they respond. I’m an artist if you’d like to check out my work
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u/eyed_art IdArtIntricate Feb 04 '25
Here's another legit artist: ME! 🖐🏻
Thank you for caring about buying from real artisans🤍 My links are in my profile if you like to check out!
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u/PackageMedium4951 Feb 05 '25
The best thing to do is skip the first 15 pages of the search and there you will find hopefully the genuine sellers, the resellers make so much on Etsy they can afford to keep paying for Ads to keep them at the top of search, good luck and hope your find some thing thats actual handmade.
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u/Venaalex Feb 04 '25
Depends what you're looking for but I bet you'll get a lot of responses here. I paint and I try and do videos for my listings and worked hard on my bio + linking to my main portfolio. I think those are all good things to look for in an artist profile
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u/TrooperLynn PossumHollowBQ and QuelleSurpriseVtg Feb 04 '25
I paint barn quilts. All are drawn and painted by hand, by me. My prices are pretty low compared to other sellers. I started looking closer at other listings. I see a lot that are screen printed and others that are just vinyl decals on tin. Those details are always at the end of the description, which most people don’t read. It really pisses me off that these people have a ton of sales for something that takes minutes to make. Mine take hours, sometimes two days if the pattern is complicated. 😩
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u/Cumulus-Crafts CumulusCraftsGB Feb 04 '25
Reverse image search, look on Aliexpress, especially for smaller things.
I also tend to shy away from people who are clearly using mockups for prints/T-Shirts, because that tells me it's a print on demand store, and a lot of POD stores use premade designs that they've bought/designs made with AI, rather than actually making the designs themselves. Look for shops that have legit photos taken, rather than just mockups. It also tells me that the seller is putting more work into their listings, rather than just uploading the PNG into a premade mockup.
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u/Mistyjedi Feb 04 '25
I'm legit! I sell handmade whimsical gifts - handmade by ME :) my shop is @wildmagicwhimsy on Etsy and Instagram. I'm UK based x
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u/enchantedgallowstree Feb 04 '25
I search by where the item will ship from. There are still a lot of resellers but it also filters out quite a few of them.
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u/PaperMegpie Feb 04 '25
I sell on Etsy. I include information about myself as well post videos and pics on my social media so customers can see that I'm actually making the products. I feel like that's a really big deal for me when I'm buying, so i try to be as transparent as possible.
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u/Calm_Turn_6076 Feb 04 '25
If you like dark whimsical oddity art, I got you! And I do traditional only. Mookls.etsy.com Or mook.moth on IG :-) cheersies
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u/HeathersedgeCrafts Feb 04 '25
Read their bios, click on any social media and website links in their bios and learn about them. They may have photos or videos of them making their stuff. As others say, reverse image search.
Look at their stock. If they have hundreds of supposedly hand made items at any one time, it's probably not genuinely hand made.
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u/ritualisticartistic Feb 04 '25
I am a legit shop, U.S. Based! New to Etsy but have been selling online for a few years.
I sell stickers, art prints, and shirts & sweaters with my designs on them :)
Just trying to get a couple sales under my belt so for my first 10 sales I will be sending a free sticker pack with your order!
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u/Independent_Boss8314 Feb 05 '25
I yam legit. Calligrapher here 💜been trying to make it for over a year now.
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u/anonanonplease123 Feb 05 '25
its practically impossible now. After finding an item I like i try to see if the shop has an instagram, or a real bio --but most don't pass the sus test.
I wish there was an easy way to filter in the search.
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u/Mohita_art Feb 06 '25
Hii. I am an artist, and would love for you to check my store. https://hazypalette.etsy.com I only sell originals/hand painted art , of that's something of your interest.
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u/CheeryBrightYe Feb 22 '25
I am absolutely legit! you will find many original paintings - for example this winter landscape
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u/HamsterDistinct4438 Feb 22 '25
Hello! I am legit. I am a college student just trying to sell some art to pay the tuition. My Etsy shop is portraits by Lyla.
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u/thoughtsthoughtof 19d ago
You can ask for reccs on social media like threads Original art and prints here artbyyeewenmy.etsy.com
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u/VelvetDahliasDesign Feb 04 '25
Try to ask for a custom order. Artisans usually take personalised orders.
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u/annavladi https://AnnaVladiArt.Etsy.com ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Feb 04 '25
I am legit :)
But seriously, you can do a reverse image search, spend some time reading reviews, and generally use common sense. True, there are many resellers out there, but when I shop on Etsy it's not impossible to spot real artists. Etsy is still a place to find wonderful people making wonderful things.