Please define "mass produced" and "manufacturing."

[AcclaimCrafts]

Hi, everyone.

Apologies if this is redundant.  I used the replacement facility, but didn't get any hits.

My wife makes beaded necklaces, etc., but she didn't like her beading board.  So, I used my CNC router and laser to make her one which, subsequently, we have been selling on Etsy.  Now, with Etsy's new "free" shipping fiasco being forced onto everyone, we are in the process of jumping ship and have so far moved half of our online inventory to ArtFire.  But, earlier today, I found iCraft and am curious...

I read somewhere that "mass produced" and "manufactured" items are not allowed, but am not sure what this means, exactly.  Regarding my bead board, it doesn't make sense for me to set up my equipment to make one at a time.  Instead, I make 18, which is what I can get out of a 4x8 foot sheet of material.  Am I mass producing, in iCraft's eyes?  Also, how is "manufacturing" defined by iCraft?  I'm not trying to be a wise guy, but isn't "making" manufacturing?  Are power tools not allowed?  I truly don't know how to determine where the line is drawn.

I also design items which I 3D print, and will soon be making earrings and pendants for my wife to use in her collections.  It takes a bit of brain power/creativity to master some of these designs and methods, and we make everything in our own home, with the exception of the beads and stuff she buys to make her jewelry.  I'm assuming that we're not required to be glass blowers and silversmiths, too -- or are we?

I'll be talking about iCraft with my wife this evening.  Seems like a nice place to be, but we won't want to violate iCraft's rules.  Like you, we take pride in making quality things ourselves.  We simply want to use the time-saving tools available to us, and to be honest about our methods.

Thanks a million!

John Walker
Acclaim Crafts
Gatlinburg, TN

[iCraft Admin]

Hi John,

From what you've described, you are not a factory creating mass produced items.  
We allow use of power tools and even have some 3D printed items already sold on the site.
You are welcome to open a store on iCraft and join our crafting community!

And I agree, Etsy's new policy on shipping is a strange one.
Crafters can't afford to offer free shipping. If Etsy wants to offer free shipping to buyers, then Etsy should cover that cost. 

[AcclaimCrafts]

Hello, iCraft Admin!

Thanks for your kind explanation and invitation.  You are genuinely appreciated.  We'll surely jump on board just as soon as we can.

Wishing you and all crafters the very best:

John and Laurie

[iCraft Admin]

You are welcome! Looking forward to having you as part of our community.

[Fairy Cardmaker]

I know this conversation is old, but my idea of "mass produced" or "manufactured" is when you design something but:

• You send it to a manufacturer to produce "en masse"
• You produce it in a factory with workers - not a home factory but a business with "mass production" capability

"Mass" is the word up for interpretation here. For example, if I were testing a design for future mass production but I sent it to a manufacture to do a test run of say 100 to test the market and refine my design etc., is that mass produced? Inventors may have intention to mass produce, but not yet be there and can sell "early models" to test the market and gain customer feedback.

Example: I design some die cuts on  my electronic cutter. I have inquired in the past with a die maker to turn them into chemically etched metal dies that I could gift to friends but sell the excess. Their minimum order worked out to more than I wanted to make (like 50 or 100 or something). Would that be mass produced?

What if, in my prototype run example, it was 500 instead of 100? Would that make a difference? Like, where would we draw the line?

Thoughts?