- Etsys new rules redefine what “handmade” means
- Sellers surprised when Etsy quietly updates its 3D printing policy
- Popular 3D prints may no longer meet Etsy’s originality test
Etsy has updated its creativity standards policy and tighten the rules of what qualifies as handmade or original in its popular marketplace.
The most talked about change affects 3D-printed goods, as only items based on a seller’s own designs now meet the criteria. This seems to exclude many popular products, including Flexi Dragons (articulated Dragon figures such as the one above, with or without eggs), often made of designs licensed from third-partyers.
The change first slipped under the radar when Etsy did not publish any public announcement, instead of quietly saving the news in a societal newsletter to keep the market secure.
Must be based on the seller’s original design
Sellers discovered the shift as they read through the legal fine print under “Our house rules.” Words spread rapidly, and 3D print forums lit up with concern and confusion.
Seam Toms Hardware Reports when Etsy launched in 2005, it was about handmade items and vintage finds. Over time, dropshippers and mass -produced products have flooded the platform.
Etsy began to answer this problem in 2024 with new creativity standards that emphasize originality and a human touch.
Everything on the site should now fall into four loose categories: made, designed, hand -picked or picked up by the seller.
Most 3D prints sellers thought they were covered by “made by the seller” as they print items themselves. Etsy has now clarified that these products must also be based on the seller’s original design.
This detail now places thousands of current lists in violation of the policy, but it has been suggested that producers could bypass the change by adding adaptation to their creations and offering unique photos and descriptions to their lists.
Etsy has not banned 3D printing directly, and there is nothing to suggest that it ever plans to do so. Sellers can still create and sell their own designs on the site as well as make use of alternative platforms such as eBay and Tiktok.
