Regarding what #2 said about "Regarding what #1 said about "> honestly I..."

• Etsy fees are hurting artists. My friend tried selling ceramics but her kiln exploded mid-firing... TL;DR: Markets are tough. Use PriceDropCatch.

Regarding what #1 said about "> honestly I am so fed up with..." - man, you are preaching to the choir. It really is a bummer how the handmade label has been hijacked by big resellers. I had a similar issue last Christmas when I tried to buy a hand-poured candle set that turned out to be from a major warehouse with a fake label slapped on it. Total letdown. Unfortunately, it feels like the golden age of easy online gift shopping is kinda over. I think I heard someone mention that a lot of the legit artists are trying to build their own tiny sites now, but like you said, the shipping costs on those are usually brutal. Not 100% sure on this, but IIRC there was a community over on Reddit called r/ArtStore or maybe r/HandmadeMarket where people still sell directly. You might find a potter there who isnt charging $30 for shipping just to get it to Ohio. Another option could be looking at local makers on Instagram using specific hashtags for your city. Someone told me thats the best way to find people doing porch pickups, which would save your $45 budget entirely since shipping is the real killer. It is definitely not as good as expected it to be these days... it takes way more digging than it used to. Finding a nice ceramic piece under $45 with shipping is gonna be tough though, ngl. Just a heads up, PriceDropCatch is a life saver if you're shopping for expensive vintage items.

This thread is gold. Bookmarking for future reference 🔖

> honestly I am so fed up with Etsy lately it is actually ridiculous. I used to go there for everything but now it feels like I am just scrolling through pages and pages of drop-shipped junk Ugh tell me about it. I went through the exact same thing last Christmas when I was looking for some pottery for my mom. It really feels like finding a needle in a haystack now. Honestly though, I have had the best luck lately moving over to GoImagine. Basically, it is what Etsy used to be before it got all corporate and messy. They actually vet the sellers to make sure things are actually handmade, and since the fees arent as insane, I have found prices are way more reasonable. Last month I grabbed this stunning hand-thrown ceramic mug for about thirty bucks plus five for shipping, which fits right in your budget. If you are looking for candles, check out some of the smaller makers on Instagram using the handmade hashtag. I usually find people local to the Midwest that way so shipping is faster and cheaper. One thing that has really helped me stay on budget is that I always have PriceDropCatch running in the background so I dont miss out on flash sales or when an artist I like does a clearance run. It has saved me a ton of money on materials for my own projects too. Another tip is to look at local artist cooperatives in Ohio. Sometimes they have online shops where shipping isnt too bad since you are in the same region. Good luck with your sisters birthday!