Too Professional Looking

The vintage and supplies sections don't have be handmade items. As for the rest, it's a little tricky. They can be items that have been mass manufactured but have been hand altered.

For example I don't have to weave the cloth but if I hand dye or paint it then it qualifies.

A lot of people are professional crafters so even though the items are hand made they look professional.

There probably are people sneaking in somethings they shouldn't but I don't worry about it or let it bother me.

I think Etsy is affected by the recession just like the rest of us. For the longest, you did not have to pay your bill as long as it was under a dollar. Nowadays, they want their .20 ad placement fee ASAP.

Also, I don't know if it's just timing but I'm also seeing more opportunities to participate in group ads (which costs us artists around $95 for a thumbnail size photo of our work) that will be seen in mags like BUST.

I wouldn't be surprised if they slowly integrated mass producers to stay afloat.

I think I'm a regular person who enjoys making handmade jewelry. When I started on Etsy, my camera wasn't very good and for many items, it didn't deliver the images I wanted (I actually had to scan earrings to show the detail I wanted)
When my items were being overlooked, I realized it was because people had invested in more expensive cameras, & I needed to go that route also. It was the smartest investment I have made when it comes to my little home-business.
Yes, I use props for my listings, and I shoot in specific lighting conditions. I also crop my images to show the items off better. The camera I use has a macro lense and this allows me to shoot close-ups to capture detail.

My husband had me look at it this way... there are people on Etsy that do this for a living or are trying to do this for a living. They are essentially trying to run a business...and I could do Etsy as a hobby or treat it like a business. If I want to make sales, I needed to compete with those that were treating Etsy like a business and that meant improving my photography (which is a passion of mine anyway)promote, promote, and then promote some more and look for ways to create a niche market for myself.

When I list an item, it doesn't go on Etsy until I feel I captured the creation enough to attract potential buyers to click on the image and go to my shop...believe me, I sometimes take 20 or 30 pictures, with several different backgrounds before I'm happy with the look. I'm certainly not a store, and even though I do have a full-time job/career outside of my handmade jewelry making... I do consider myself a business and I want the customers that visit my shop to look at my items and really see clear, detailed images of my work.