Looking for an alternative to Etsy? Maybe you’ve see the Goimagine ads on social media. If you are interested in more information about the new handmade marketplace, and how it compares to Etsy, read on.
What exactly is Goimagine?
Goimagine is an online marketplace for crafters in the USA to sell their handmade goods. Their mission is to connect buyers and sellers just like any other marketplace and donate 100% of profits to children’s charities. To be clear, the marketplace donates their profits to charity. If you are a seller in the Goimagine marketplace, you are free to keep the profits from your own shop.
Try Goimagine for a month FREE! Simply use this coupon code when you sign up: 3I1UOQ
How Does Goimagine Define ‘Handmade’?
All products listed on Goimagine must adhere to the below requirements:
- Products must be made by the seller, the seller’s family members, or employees working with the seller.
- Products must not be mass produced in large quantities by an automated mechanical process or by outsourcing.
- They permit use of hand tools and light machinery in their home studio or workspace.
- Sellers should print and ship their own products. No outside Print on Demand services.
- They allow sellers to hand alter pre-made items; for example, they allow sellers to apply their own designs to blank t-shirts or mugs.
When selling products for sale on Goimagine the seller must comply with all federal, state, and local laws.
Read the full handmade policy on Goimagine.
How Does Goimagine Compare with Etsy?
Goimagine is a newer marketplace that launched in August 2020. Etsy has been around since 2005.
From my own experience on this fairly new marketplace, Goimagine has policies in place that just make sense. Policies that Etsy really falls short on:
- Handmade Policy. Etsy seems to have gotten away from handmade items in the recent years. Goimagine has stricter policies on what qualifies for handmade.
- Infringement Policies. You don’t have to search very long to find a trademark violation on Etsy, and it seems they don’t care unless the trademark owner reports it to them. It looks like Goimagine tries takes a more proactive effort regarding trademark and copyright infringement by spelling out what is not permitted in the Goimagine marketplace. However, as with any marketplace, you will still find listings that violate this policy.
- A Juried System. Anyone can set up an Etsy shop in minutes (which is the number one reason there are numerous scam sellers on Etsy). Goimagine’s juried process seems to be interested in the quality of the sellers over the quantity of sellers.
How Much Does it Cost to Sell on Goimagine?
Goimagine’s fees are based on the number of items in your shop. Compared to Etsy’s listing fees, transaction fees on shipping, recent transaction fee hike to 6.5% and off-site marketing fees (up to 15% of sale), Goimagine is absolutely affordable with plans starting as low as $2.50 a month.
Plans include:
- Try Goimagine for a month FREE! Simply use this coupon code when you sign up: 3I1UOQ
- Starter: $2.50 a month up to 25 products, 5% transaction fee.
- Growth: $5.00 a month up to 100 products, 4.5% transaction fee.
- Professional: $7.50 a month up to 250 products + a Mosaic site (which is a Goimagine sponsored standalone shop).
- All Star: $10 a month up to 1000 products, 3.5% transaction fee + a Mosaic Site.
What Do I Think of Goimagine?
Pros:
- Corporate philanthropy. 100% of transaction fees that sellers pay will go to charity. You can see a breakdown of their plan to donate their Caring Economy page.
- Presentation. Their home page and product pages are clear and uncluttered.
- Seller Involvement. I like that they’ve formed a Street Team (which is essentially a group of sellers with something in common) to promote Goimagine.
- Affordable. Plans start at $2.50 a month.
- Support for Sellers. Easy to contact someone if you can’t find an answer in their help section.
Cons
- Low Traffic. According to semrush.com, they had almost 23,000 visits in May 2022. This is not enough traffic to sustain a marketplace, especially when sellers will account for some of those visits and views.
- Copyrights and Trademarks. Goimagine has a large number of copyrighted products listed by sellers, in spite of their policy (“goimagine does NOT condone the use of any intellectual property if the seller does not have rights from the intellectual property owner to use it”).
- Seller Area. There is a bit of a learning curve with the layout of the seller area and the steps it takes to create a listing. Instead of all the information on one page, you have a number of pages to get through to create a listing…and don’t even get me started on the options (variations) area.
Do I Recommend Selling on Goimagine?
If you want to get on in on the ground level of a marketplace, I suggest giving Goimagine a try. It is another option to get your handmade creations available for purchase online.
Try Goimagine for a month FREE! Simply use this coupon code when you sign up: 3I1UOQ
I wouldn’t rely on Goimagine for a full-time online business as of today, but we will see how they grow in the future. They are stepping up marketing to sellers on social media right now, but I hope they will soon start focusing on directing eager buyers to their platform.
If you are looking for an alternative to Etsy right now, Goimagine isn’t there yet. However, in my opinion, It is worth giving it a try.
Connect with Goimagine
- Visit the Goimagine marketplace.
- Apply to become a seller.
- Follow on social media:
What are your thoughts on Goimagine?
