"Handmade Goods for a Good Life": A Fantasy Theme Analysis of Etsy Seller Interviews

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  In Interactive Paper Session: Interactive Paper Session on the Conference Theme

Abstract

Recent guideline changes at the e-commerce Web site Etsy.com have precipitated a crisis in that organization’s identity as a venue for craft solopreneurs and conscious consumers. This paper employs fantasy theme analysis to explore the Etsy community’s construction of a handmade ethos, as reflected in seller interviews published on Etsy’s official blog. The analysis identifies shared and recurrent fantasy themes that have chained out to construct a coherent rhetorical vision in which “handmade goods” are an essential element of “a good life.” These findings have implications for the potential success of recent efforts by Etsy’s management to redefine the term “handmade.”

Author

• Denise Vultee, Wayne State University