What is Handmade?

So much has been going on over at Etsy and people have suddenly been made aware of the fact that not all things on Etsy are handmade.  You have to be careful when you shop there.  I think that people who are regular shoppers know the difference between hand made and something made in a shop in China and then sold on Etsy. 

People are "up in arms" about this as Etsy is so well known for being a seller of only handmade things.  They (Etsy) have been quite mum about the whole thing, but they have stated that being a "collective" is different than being a reseller.  Being a collective means that your items are handmade by your employees in your shop. 

So I have been wondering, with buyers being sparse lately, if I should continue selling on Etsy.  And to be honest, I do want to continue.  I don't think Etsy is completely down and out and they will recover.  They need to make their statement VERY clear so that you know that Etsy is comprised of single person handmade items as well as collectives.  If people are aware of this they will come and buy from the people whom they are comfortable with. 

It takes some research.  There are over 400,000 active shops on Etsy.  If you don't like what you see in one shop, you go to another shop to look around.  Etsy is a GREAT shopping center that you can visit from your couch at 3 a.m. if you want to.  Take advantage of it and it will be a great place!