The Indie Sellers Guild exists to promote the interests of online sellers of handmade, unique, vintage and craft goods all over the world. The ISG seeks to harness the power inherent in our vast numbers, to grow it and to put it to work for all independent online sellers.
Objectives
To accomplish our mission, we work to:
- Organize indie sellers to advocate collectively for fair and transparent policies in online marketplaces, primarily Etsy
- Speak with one unified voice for the interests of indie sellers to the media, legislators, and the general public
- Support the creation of co-operative alternative marketplaces to empower artists and sellers, not enrich CEOs and investors
- Create a community where we can connect and provide resources, education and best practices to lift up all indie sellers around the world.
- Build a democratic organization where everyone has an equal voice and any member can get involved.
About us
The Indie Sellers Guild organizes independent sellers to demand equitable and fair treatment in online marketplaces. We’re independent artists, vintage curators, and small businesses working together to fight exploitative fee structures and policies that harm our livelihood and creativity. We promote equal treatment of all indie sellers and small businesses.
We advocate against the “Amazonification” of online marketplaces, where authentic handmade and vintage artisans are displaced by dropshippers and sweatshop profiteers. Instead, we work to preserve spaces for sellers and buyers to come together in appreciation of art and creativity.
Our Values
Support of labor: We believe that the work done by artists, makers and other creative indie sellers is labor that should be fairly compensated and valued by society. We support sellers in their goals to make an income from their work and fight against the exploitation of their labor. We also value the labor of employees of creative indie sellers, and support sellers in providing a living wage to any employees of their business. Finally, we support all workers in their struggle for rights and compensation for their labor.
Pride in our craft: Every one of our indie sellers has worked hard to improve their craft. We take pride in the work we do, the items we create or curate, and the skills we continuously develop. We strive to support sellers to be confident and take pride in their craft, and to find a balance between creative fulfillment and financial success. Our work is beautiful, meaningful and valuable.
Support ethically sourced supplies: We support the use of ethically sourced supplies, both for environmental impact and fair labor practices, as much as possible by our sellers. We understand that ethically sourced supplies are not always financially available to all sellers, so we seek to find and create financially viable options for sellers.
Transparency: We work to ensure that all decisions and activities by the Guild leadership, including all use of Guild finances, are transparent to Guild members. The Indie Sellers Guild is an organization by indie sellers for indie sellers, and active participation in the Guild requires that members are kept informed. We believe that clear, consistent, accessible and transparent communication is a top priority in earning and sustaining our members’ trust and confidence.
Accessibility: We strive to make all Guild information, communication and participation as accessible as possible. The strength of our Guild is dependent on the full and equal participation of our entire membership. As such, making sure all members can participate regardless of any visual, auditory, information processing, language, or technology barriers is a core value of the organization. This includes ensuring all materials are as widely accessible as possible, offering multiple options for participating in Guild events and reviewing Guild materials.
Diversity: We deliberately seek to include members of different personal backgrounds and life experience in an effort to collect a variety of perspectives in our decision making processes. We move with an intent toward the marginalized and underrepresented peoples and see our differences as the path to enrich and empower our team and our movement.
Equity: We work hard with our community to promote internal policies that work the same for everyone, focusing on facts and fostering a culture willing to adapt to the needs of all members for the betterment of our guild. We are aware that policies can, at times, alienate or disproportionately affect some groups and we encourage communication and openness to limit this from happening.
Inclusion: We strive to create a space where all are welcome and safe, treating people with dignity, respect and honor in all things we do. We believe there is no distinction, identity or other difference that negates the basic human right to be seen, heard, and accepted.
History
The Indie Sellers Guild was born out of the historic Etsy Seller Strike of 2022, where nearly 30,000 sellers joined together in a weeklong protest of Etsy’s corporate greed and exploitative policies. The strike created an international media sensation that Etsy simply could not ignore any longer, prompting Etsy executives to acknowledge sellers’ grievances and even make some limited concessions to our movement!
As creators we know that every stitch, every brush stroke, every layer, and every single item we curate makes our shops and our brands stronger as a whole. During the Etsy strike, we learned that every single seller and supporter who lent their voice helped make our movement more powerful as a whole as well.