E-Commerce · Marketplaces Satire
Etsy Now Requires One Real Photo Per Listing, Sending Thousands Of Sellers On Frantic Search For Their Products
‘I know it’s around here somewhere,’ says shop owner whose bestselling ceramic mug has existed only as a prompt
BROOKLYN, N.Y.—After Etsy updated its rules to require at least one authentic, non-AI-generated image in most listings, thousands of sellers began searching their homes, garages and storage units for the products they have been selling for months.
“It’s a handmade, hand-thrown, hand-glazed stoneware mug with a crackle finish,” said shop owner Priya Lindqvist, 33, overturning a laundry basket. “I have 1,100 five-star reviews on it. I just need to find it, or a kiln, or a person who knows what a kiln is.”
Other sellers reported similar challenges, including a candle maker whose signature scent, ‘Autumn in a Cabin You Can’t Afford,’ appeared in listing photos glowing beside a fireplace in a home she described as ‘also generated.’
“Craftsmanship is back. Unfortunately, craftsmanship requires the craft.”
Some sellers are adapting quickly. One Ohio woodworker said he had begun photographing his actual products, a process he described as ‘really grounding’ and also ‘much worse lighting.’
At press time, Lindqvist had located a mug that she believes is ‘close enough,’ which she found in her own kitchen cabinet and which says ‘World’s Best Grandpa.’
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