ETSY, INC.: CRAFTING A LIVING IN A CAPITALIST ECONOMY by Michele A. Krugh A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of George Mason University in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Cultural Studies Committee: ___________________________________________ Director ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Program Director ___________________________________________ Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences Date: _____________________________________ Fall Semester 2016 George Mason University Fairfax, VA Etsy, Inc.: Crafting a Living in a Capitalist Economy A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at George Mason University by Michele A. Krugh Master of Design Edinburgh College of Art, 2005 Bachelor of Arts University of Rochester, 2003 Director: Mark Jacobs, Professor Department of Cultural Studies Fall Semester 2016 George Mason University Fairfax, VA Copyright 2016 Michele A. Krugh All Rights Reserved ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the many people who have made this happen - my husband Matt for all the crafting and laughs, my parents and sister for their constant support, my brother- in-law for the grad school pep talks, and Ariella Horwitz for the many, many patient revisions. I am also grateful for the assistance of my committee chair Dr. Mark Jacobs and committee members Dr. Michael O’Malley and Dr. Ellen Todd. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Figures ............................................................................................................... vi Abstract ........................................................................................................................ vii Introduction .....................................................................................................................1 Background ..................................................................................................................4 Chapter Overview ...................................................................................................... 14 Chapter One: Craft as Critique ....................................................................................... 20 th th Pre-Industry (11 -18 Centuries) ............................................................................... 23 th th Industrialization (18 and 19 Centuries) ................................................................... 26 Arts and Crafts Movement in Britain (1870-1910) ..................................................... 29 Arts and Crafts Movement in the United States (1890-1910) ...................................... 35 Mid-Twentieth Century (1920-1960).......................................................................... 43 1960s and 1970s......................................................................................................... 49 Late Twentieth Century (1980-2001) ......................................................................... 57 Early Twenty-First Century (2001- ) .......................................................................... 67 Chapter Two: “Craft Capitalism” ................................................................................... 96 Overview of Etsy, Inc. ............................................................................................... 98 Situating Etsy ........................................................................................................... 105 Etsy as a Community and a Company ...................................................................... 116 Etsy as a B Corp....................................................................................................... 129 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 144 Chapter Three: Crafting a Living ................................................................................. 167 Etsy Seller Overview ............................................................................................... 168 Craft As Good Work ................................................................................................ 172 Craft as Precarious Work ......................................................................................... 183 Difficulty of Success ................................................................................................ 198 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 210 iv Chapter Four: “Handmade” Ethics ............................................................................... 224 Etsy Buyer Overview ............................................................................................... 226 “Handmade” Authenticity ........................................................................................ 229 Consumption in the Sharing Economy ..................................................................... 238 Craft as Ethical Consumption ................................................................................... 244 Socially Responsible Ethical Consumption ........................................................... 247 Environmentally Responsible Ethical Consumption .............................................. 253 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 264 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 279 Appendix ..................................................................................................................... 282 References ................................................................................................................... 283 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page Figure 1: Selection of “Editors’ Picks,” www.etsy.com/featured, October 20, 2016 .........2 Figure 2: Top of homepage, etsy.com, October 3, 2016 ................................................. 99 Figure 3: Editors' Picks: Novelty & gag gifts, etsy.com, October 19, 2016 ................... 100 Figure 4: Etsy storefront of kiranichols, https://www.etsy.com/shop/kiranichols, October 19, 2016 ...................................................................................................................... 170 Figure 5: Etsy Seller’s alexandraferguson’s “About” page, www.etsy.com/shop/alexandraferguson?ref=l2-shopheader-name#about, October 19, 2016 ............................................................................................................................ 205 Figure 6: Part of Etsy homepage, www.etsy.com, October 19, 2016 ............................ 227 Figure 7: Etsy Shop GemsOfTheSoil’s “About” page, www.etsy.com/shop/GemsOfTheSoil#about, October 19, 2016 ................................... 229 vi ABSTRACT ETSY, INC.: CRAFTING A LIVING IN A CAPITALIST ECONOMY Michele A. Krugh, Ph.D. George Mason University, 2016 Dissertation Director: Dr. Mark Jacobs Currently, American interest in craft might be the most widespread it has ever been. The successful e-commerce site Etsy, founded in 2005 and specializing in handmade goods, vintage products, and craft supplies, has played a major role in this contemporary craft resurgence. As a peer-to-peer sharing economy platform and a Certified B Corporation, Etsy, Inc. promises to improve the future through equitable uses of technology, providing some level of income for millions of people, as consumers spend billions of dollars annually on the site. Existing at the intersection of craft idealism, neoliberalism, financialization, techno-utopianism, and ethical business debates, Etsy exposes the contradictions and complications of business, work, and consumption at the current conjuncture. This dissertation interrogates Etsy’s ability to provide meaningful opportunities for making a living through craftwork in the financial system of advanced capitalism. Rooted vii in an idealistic legacy that envisions craft as a form of social critique, contemporary crafters attempt to balance the desire to make a living through the work they love with the precarious nature of such work. Craft provides a way for buyers to display their lifestyles and ethical values through their purchases. Yet as craft becomes more ubiquitous, it is in danger of losing its appeal and authenticity, which in turn will impact the ability of the seller to make a living. Ultimately I conclude that Etsy’s “reimagination” of commerce depends on its success in advocating social changes and providing even more meaningful opportunities for making a living through craftwork. viii INTRODUCTION Currently, American interest in craft might be the most widespread it has ever 1 been. This resurgence began in the mid-1990s and grew stronger in the mid-2000s, fueled by increased access to and availability of the internet. As crafters went online, they brought the community aspects of craft with them, connecting through sites like knitting- focused Ravelry.com, Instructables.com, Flickr.com, Pinterest.com, countless blogs and mobile apps like Instagram. Crafters connected with each other to share tutorials, tips, and inspiration. Craft became so popular that mass manufacturers began to use the language of craft, particularly terms like “handmade” and “crafted for you,” as part of 2 marketing campaigns for products as varied as food, beer, clothing, and cars. In 2012, 3 craft supplies were a $29 billion market, consumed mainly by millennials under 35. Craft chain stores such as Michaels, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, and A.C. Moore reported net sales in the billions for the past several years. By 2016, annual sales of craft and vintage jewelry totaled about $35 billion in the United States and $70 billion 4 globally. The e-commerce site Etsy has played a major role in this craft resurgence. Founded in 2005, Etsy grew out of the already extant craft community and was the first e-commerce site to specialize in handmade goods, vintage products, and craft supplies. “Etsy” is comprised of both the corporation Etsy, Inc. and its community of sellers and buyers. By 2016, media outlets hailed Etsy as “the craft goliath that made 1