Amazon throws down the gauntlet with Etsy, begins selling handcrafted goods

Woman knitting. — (Image credit: iStock)

Amazon is getting into the "real reindeer antler coat rack" and "banana nut bread scented candle" business — which could be good news for crafty people everywhere, but very scary news for Etsy, the web's reigning handmade craft store.

Handmade at Amazon, which launched Thursday, sells homemade, handmade, and independent goods, and vendors are vetted to determine if they're "handmade enough" to be included on the site. While Etsy used to be the obvious choice for sellers wanting to make a living off of, say, necklaces shaped like states, Amazon's clout assures hundreds of millions more customers to vendors. Additionally, Amazon is able to absorb stock to its fulfillment centers — so, tantalizingly, some of its handmade goods can be shipped in two days via Prime. To top it off, Handmade at Amazon's site even looks suspiciously like Etsy.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.