[AMZ] Diversify your product catalog with print-on-demand by Printful

And there it is. The thing that ruined Etsy for artists is now coming to Amazon. What is this, you ask? It means all the people who just scrape free artwork from museums and stock photography sites can toss it up on Amazon (like they do Etsy) for $3-5 apiece and it’ll kick them to Printful for a printed version. I was so, so hoping this wouldn’t happen. :frowning:

*Diversify - ergh.

Thought about this while walking my dog. Maybe (hopefully) this is just an explanation of their existing Merch on Demand program. Time will tell. But the Handmade FB groups think this is going to be POD. :confused:

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Or steal it from others :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:

I hope it blows up on them.

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The real question here is why would people not just go to printful.com and order it themselves, instead of paying an Amazon/Etsy seller markup for it?

Many shoppers want to buy quickly (hence one click buying) and do not want to go to a new website for themselves, or create a login and password, read and follow instructions on how to upload and find and size their image, etc. I think POD on Amazon will be successful.

Marilyn

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Well, copyright infringement claims on Amazon should explode shortly.

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The genpop doesn’t know that public domain artwork is readily available to download from museum websites. So they gladly pay $5 for it from someone else. What’s crazy is Etsy is full of this stuff now - the biggest seller on there sells hundreds a day - I track their shop. But there is absolutely nothing handmade about it. But they make Etsy a lot of money so they ignore it.

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Fixed, added tag, recategorized.


Thanks for this topic. In my personal opinion, Amazon is interest in profit not seller integrity, and this just perpetuates my feeling about this.

Buyers trust Etsy and Amazon to protect them if something goes awry with the purchase/transaction.

I’m not saying it makes sense.

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FYI you categorized in Handmade, but I don’t believe this is a handmade-specific announcement. It’s just regular Amazon.

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The are already hundred or thousands of sellers selling items manufactured by printful.

This does not seem to offer buyers anything they do not have. It is simply an attempt ti improve revenue for Amazon and Printful.

It might help some dimwit sellers who do not understand how to make the Amazon/Printful integration work.

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No, moved to Amazon News & Announcements.
Added handmade tag.

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Oh crud, I’m sorry - I thought that was where I posted it!

I guess this makes sense. If you buy direct and it doesn’t come out how you expect, for custom items you’re usually stuck with it. If you get it from Etsy/Amazon you can file a “not as described” claim.

Isn’t this just like Amazon Prints?
https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Prints/b?ie=UTF8&node=14866317011

As I understand it Printful has all sorts of printed products, mugs, plates, tshirts etc.

Some sellers use it for trademark infingement, as well as their own designs and public domain images.

Basically Amazon’s gonna get a bunch of idiots to bid against each other for ads to sell the same crappy shirts and mugs.

The number of quality unique designs will be few and far between.

That’s printing your own prints. :slight_smile:

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That’s what the download image world is on Etsy now. For example, if you search for ‘Highland Cow Print’ you’ll get 500 shops all selling the exact same ones they grabbed from a free stock site. It’s what makes unique stuff actually impossible to find. I WENT to Scotland and have two original Highland Cow images - nobody will ever find them in search because I’m knocked to the bottom because of price.

Anyway, that’s just what I’m afraid is coming to Amazon. Hopefully not, but it’s easy money so we’ll see. :confused:

The fundamental problem here is people who want unique artwork don’t go to etsy to buy it. You buy artwork from etsy because it’s cheap.

Someone who actually wants a unique mug/tshirt will take their own picture and use that. By definition anything kind of print that’s being sold there is not unique as anyone can buy it.

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Actually, Etsy sellers who have unique artwork are at risk of having their works ripped off by copycats.

Innovative designers walk a careful path, some presence on Etsy but not their latest and best work. The internet, in general, is not their friend. Those who sell in galleries and at shows have developed strategies to use Etsy to make get the message to their buyers that they are still alive and working, but make their sales eyeball to eyeball.

As for handmade on Amazon, the team that put it together was disappointed by the quality of the merchandise from the day it launched. I doubt that they are going to be further disturbed if this merchandise makes it into handmade.

This is not an indictment of all Handmade sellers, but like Etsy it has its share of sellers who string beads they buy at Michaels.

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