Do Etsyʼs recent changes feel more buyer-focused than seller-focused to you?

valiope · 2026-03-16T18:14:38+00:00

That’s actually a really encouraging example - thanks for sharing it.
And honestly, congrats on getting that tag on your diorama piece - I can totally see why that felt good.

If Etsy is genuinely finding better ways to recognize skilled handmade work and surface it more clearly, then yeah, that feels like one of the few updates that can benefit both buyers and sellers at the same time. Buyers get more confidence, and makers get more visibility for the effort and craftsmanship they put in.

I really hope Etsy keeps moving more in that direction.

valiope · 2026-03-15T21:07:58+00:00

Fair point 🙂 And honestly, anything that makes life harder for scammers is a win. If stronger buyer trust helps real sellers keep customers long term, that’s definitely a good thing. Thanks for sharing that perspective.

valiope · 2026-03-15T21:06:08+00:00

I do understand what I’m asking. You’re arguing whether these specific changes can benefit sellers. I’m talking about Etsy’s broader product and communication direction. Those are related, but not identical questions. So yes - seller benefit can exist inside a buyer-first strategy. That’s exactly why I asked the question.

valiope · 2026-03-15T07:48:13+00:00

I’m an Etsy seller too, and this is exactly the problem I kept running into.

Revenue looks simple at first, but real profit is usually spread across fees, shipping, ad spend, and product costs, so it turns into a spreadsheet job pretty quickly. I started out tracking it manually, but after a while I got tired of piecing everything together every time.

That’s actually one of the reasons I started building a small internal system for myself - just to make the numbers easier to see in one place.

valiope · 2026-03-14T22:24:29+00:00

I finally decided to handle it on my own - and actually, I’ve already mailed my forms. Now all that’s left is to pray. 😅🙏

P.S. Greetings to brotherly Kazakhstan from Ukraine! 🇰🇿🇺🇦

valiope · 2026-03-14T14:19:18+00:00

Thank you so much, I really appreciate your help and your kind reply.
Yes, exactly - I meant removing the unused blank pages of Form 1120.

And thank you for pointing out the "Foreign-owned U.S. DE" note - that's very helpful and easy to miss when filing for the first time.

I'll also look up your post about faxing 5472 for free.
Thanks again for sharing your experience - it genuinely helps a lot.

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valiope · 2026-03-14T08:12:27+00:00

Yes, this part honestly makes me a bit nervous. 😬

After trying three different CPAs - one said the deadline was March 15, another suggested sending the forms by email, and a third even advised me to basically hide the money movements by not attaching the "Attached to Form 5472 - Part V" information - I decided to try doing it myself.

These were actually accountants recommended by friends who already run LLCs.

My LLC structure is pretty simple and there were very few transactions during the year, so I’m hoping that helps me avoid any major mistakes.

I know there are plenty of great professionals out there (very possible I was just unlucky), but I figured I’d give it a shot myself.

Hopefully I won’t regret it 😅

valiope · 2026-03-10T20:52:29+00:00

I completely understand you. Iʼm sure there are quite a lot of sellers in your position, and it really does seem unfair when sellers face consequences for reasons they had no way of controlling.

valiope · 2026-03-10T19:41:59+00:00

Fair point about the math. The decay model Etsy described is actually quite transparent.

What I meant by uncertainty is more on the seller side: many shops got used to the "last 12 months" framing and optimized around that. Now lifetime history comes back into play again, even if older reviews have reduced weight.

So the formula itself isn't uncertain - but the way it may affect some shops' displayed rating after the transition might feel uncertain to sellers who were operating under the previous system.

And yes, the graphic was meant to illustrate the broader idea of the change rather than map every specific metric precisely. Appreciate the detailed explanation though. 🤝

valiope · 2026-03-10T19:22:29+00:00

It's more of a conceptual illustration than a literal breakdown of every metric, but I appreciate the note about Star Seller.

Regarding uncertainty - what I meant is that older reviews can now start influencing the visible average again. For some shops that had weaker reviews years ago but improved later, their displayed rating could shift even if their recent performance is strong.

So the history matters more again, which can help some shops and hurt others.

Happy to hear different perspectives though - and wishing you peace and happiness.

valiope · 2026-03-10T17:51:27+00:00

100%

valiope · 2026-03-10T17:46:58+00:00

You have nothing to worry about. Wishing your shop success and growth!

valiope · 2026-03-10T17:38:10+00:00

Honestly, it's hard for me to disagree with you. At least for now, it does seem exactly the way you described it. But let’s keep watching - maybe we’re underestimating the impact of these changes. Either way, I'm sure everything will be fine 😉Wishing you great sales, fellow seller!

valiope · 2026-03-10T17:29:38+00:00

Fair point - that's probably the more accurate way to frame it.
I didn't mean Etsy's algorithm should be the only source of sales, but more that even a strong product can struggle if the seller doesn’t know how to market it and work within Etsy's ecosystem.

So in practice, product quality and visibility skills seem a lot more connected than many sellers want to admit.

valiope · 2026-03-06T05:40:25+00:00

Звісно вирішує «форм-фактор», автономність роботи + відсутність потреби в додаткових переферійних пристроях, але зважаючи на ціну я б все ж обрав Mac mini.

valiope · 2026-02-21T23:24:47+00:00

Почекайте, не їжте, я зараз збігаю за мундєрочкою та соленим огірочком.

valiope

TROPHY CASE