Tech Update: Alchemy Is Taking a Rest

I have only used it once. If Im in the market for something I scout out etsy sellers. If I find one that fits my style I send them a custom request email.

I think this is probably a wise move. We've used Alchemy a few times to fill custom orders, but I think the customer often found it daunting and confusing to use. Can't wait to see what improvements you find to replace it with! :D

I agree that is about time to revamp alchemy, as it has been very confusing for customers, but I do look forward to the new and improved alchemy!

I just used it yesterday successfully I might add but I does need revamping.

while alchemy always seemed like a good thing, the one time I used it with a customer it became very confusing and frustrating to both myself as the seller and the customer. Bravo for welcoming in something new! I'm excited to see what it will be...

Interesting.

I think it's a great idea. Being new to Etsy, Alchemy confused me at first so I never went back to figure it out. I order custom items by contacting the seller through email or convos.

Interesting, I've never used alchemy.

I won't miss it.... if I ever got requests through Alchemy I transferred the order to a custom listing. I'll be interested to see what the future brings for it though.

i don't understand why your getting rid of it. I think its pretty handy. oh well. I guess it just gets kick out so there's room for more worthless things.

I have set up my custom Alchemy in my shop...and I love it. I really liked having a custom order gallery. Finishing custom orders through my Alchemy gave me more views because my completed custom order was on the Alchemy home page for so long.

Never used it but have a store where 95% of my orders are custom...

I only used Alchemy once and got the best product....looking forward to a re-vamp!

Sounds good-- my customers usually just use the "convo" button anyway. Good call!

Have received Alchemy requests...but have always contacted the customer and worked through convo...seemed easier that way!

thank goodness for the revamp.

Wow. As a BUYER, I have used it (3 shops here) MANY times when I couldn't find what I needed via search. Always happy with the results! Hard to know which seller to contact via convo....when you have a custom need. I surely hope that Etsy comes up with an alternate system that allows for makers to BID on custom requests. ust one more change we didn't ask for. Sigh.

95% of my work comes through Alchemy, so I'm anxious to see how you will improve this feature.

I had my first sale from a custom order through Alchemy. I'll miss it while it's gone but hope to see it soon better and improoved.

The Alchemy process now is very awkward to use for many buyers (sellers too!). And I hated to see requests for items with a photo of someone else's work (ie: can you make THIS cheaper), which encouraged people to copy. I look forward to a better process...

Glad it's going away, Alchemy was abused in so many ways.

Hm, this is interesting. I got the large majority of my first 25 sales through Alchemy [working for a fair profit, marked as the rest of my jewelry in my shop!], so I'm very grateful to it. I hope it comes back soon, refreshed and ready for more custom items! I'd be disappointed if it disappears completely, even though I personally hardly use it anymore.

Great! I love the Alchemy feature but it does need an overhaul. Good call.

Although I've never used Alchemy, I'm eager to see what replaces it.

Good Idea, but I'm gonna miss it.

I don't see a lot of info on Alchemy's return, in its new form I mean. Actually I don't see any info on Alchemy returning in any form. Got anything for us there?

I will miss Alchemy terribly! I love creating for custom orders & have done well using Alchemy requests. Please reconsider!

I'm interested to see what the revamp looks like!

I welcome any improvements to Alchemy but while you're at it, Etsy, could you update the rules? I'd like to see "what can I get for $5?" and "what can I buy to cheer myself up" type posts illiminated. Buyers can use the search function to find items within their price parameters and "I want to buy something, give me an idea" is not a "custom" request.

Thanks for keeping us posted. I found Alchemy very confusing for customers (many of whom were new to the site), but having some sort of platform that supports a close conversation with clear expectations on both sides of a custom transaction is a solid idea. Looking forward to seeing what's on the horizon.

i am really sorry about this. i feel like alchemy is the heart and soul of etsy. please don't do this.

Most of my business comes from Alchemy and Custom Orders. The hiatus is certainly going to put a sizeable dent in my sales, but I am glad that we'll have a "new and improved" Alchemy before long. The existing process does seem quite confusing to customers, especially the first-timers.

PLEASE PLEASE don't shut alchemy down, not even temporarily

So, my question is, when will the 'new and improved Alchemy' be up and running? I ask because I do the majority of my graphic design business by responding to alchemy requests. I would say that 95% of my work load comes directly from Etsy's alchemy!!! Help???

I'm wondering how long it will be down for revamping? I get many orders through Alchemy by answering requests for the crafts that I provide. Up for the changes, but please do not take too long!

Great so an entire month I won't be able to make bids on custom items. Most of my orders are custom items. I am a fairly new shop owner so I'm not out there yet, alchemy is my own means of getting customers! Thanks a lot for removing everything that is making my shop prosper! First the forums and now this!

I for one am so tired of customers finding what they want and putting a request on alchemy wanting to pay 1/2 sometimes 1/4 of what they find it in shops. Tshirt quilts being the main problem. They are time consuming and fabric is expensive now with costs going up. I feel that alchemy has been sadly abused.

While it does have it's quirks, I like Alchemy. It allowed me to find several customers and help them with custom orders that I otherwise probably wouldn't have had the chance too. Guess that means I'll have to keep more stuff in my shop so maybe people will find me.

I LOVE alchemy!!! As a shop owner who does 90% custom work, it was a great marketing tool for me, and I enjoyed the exposure and opportunity to network with so many different buyers/sellers. I'm really hoping it will be back SOON in some form or another--please don't take it away for good!!!!

Thanks for continuing to make etsy a better and better site! I look forward to seeing the new Alchemy!

I agree with DigiFoto what is the new alchemy going to be? I do most of my graphic design business by responding to alchemy requests. I would say that 95% of my work load comes directly from Etsy's alchemy!!! Help!

Never used it... Don't really care.

I, too, am interested in what will replace the alchemy system as there is no mention of that in the article. I get a lot of work through alchemy and find a lot of new customers through it who I don't think would have ever found my shop on their own.

I, too, am interested in what will replace the alchemy system as there is no mention of that in the article. I get a lot of work through alchemy and find a lot of new customers through it who I don't think would have ever found my shop on their own.

Will there come a new alchemy system, besides the alchemy in your own shop ? I also get many orders through Alchemy, and also use it myself when i dont want to go through all etsy shops to see if i can find what i am looking for....

The system definitely needs some work, but I hope it isn't gone for long. I still think it's a good thing, even with it's problems.

Fixing the problem with abusive requests is definitely needed. Getting rid of it altogether would be a huge mistake.

I LOVE alchemy too. As a shop owner also, about 90% or so of my work is from bids. I hope it will return soon. I will miss it! I get on line every day and check all day long to bid. I do hope that this will make cutomers check out all of our stores and request items. Please don't take it away for good!!!

Can't wait to see the improvements :)

Almost ALL of my sales are by my bids on Alchemy requests! :( I have a few sales from people finding my shop, but I do so much more than dolls, I'm going to go bust without Alchemy! I don't undercut other people, and I charge fair market price. This sucks! I don't see any information on when or how long this is going to take. Ugh!

Alchemy has been fantastic. I've reponded to many special requests and successfully fullfilled thier orders. I found customers who probably never would have found me. Please dont go away!

This is the stupidest thing that they have done. How can a buyer find a seller that can do many different custom works. Yes 90% of my sales are from this area. How will a buyer find a seller. Then you have bids on work you have many choices to look at. If I was a buyer then I have to spend hours looking. David. If you want to see many of the custom wooks I have been commissioned for LOL here. WWW.Facebook. com/Darbynwoods

Alchemy is the only way that I find work anymore - too many sellers all selling the same thing make it VERY hard for customers to find those of us who LOVE doing custom creations! My only request for change is adding a direct paypal link instead of making us go into paypal to invoice the customers - instead make an accepted alchemy bid a "reserved" or "custom" listing in a shop for people to purchase from that we as the seller can adjust like a regular listing as needed!!

I can see this coming for awhile. I hope there will be a function for shoppers to find what they are looking for. I spend a great deal of time, reaching out customers, that can't find a shop that fits their needs. I might have gotten a hand full of alchemy customers....but on the flip side, I can see where a new shop owner would need this feature, for they are trying to start up(like me at the begainning)...now, my shop has increase to me to Full time and my wife full time. I also found alchemy as a way to out bid a shop owner, so I'm "mix bag" on this...but I will trust ETSY to do the right thing...I TRUST THEM.

I like alchemy and have done many.

Heck I've even put requests into alchemy. I wouldn't have found what I was looking for without it! I was planning to use it again once I got my tax return!

Excited about the new improved version!

Thank you for thinking of us.

Good idea.

I used it before and found it to be a miracle worker... just being able to think of something you need, form it into words, and have someone be able to produce that for you. Amazing! I also found it easy to use and a great process from start to finish.

I really don't have a strong opinion about it. I have only used it once and it was a nice experience. Most of the customers that want something special contact me and I make special listings for them the regular way.

Thanks for always working to improve the site and helping us!!

Always up for a little change. Is there an ETA date for the newer version?

As a person who earns 100% of their income through Alchemy - I'm worried!! What worries me the most is that the talk of this 'revamped' version is barely touched upon, almost like it's not going to happen ever, and we'll all just forget about it ever happening. A rough estimate of when this new and improved whatever would have been nice to even suggest. I'd be nice to know how worried I should be about making rent at the end of February. Like many of the people above me: HELP!!

The current system is slightly confusing, so I'm hoping for an easier navigation for buyers and sellers through the process. I do get orders that began on Alchemy, and even Alchemy requests through my shop. Since we are going into wedding season, I'm not overly excited about having another avenue to get custom sale orders shut down for an incredibly long time. Can we please have an ETA for the revamped version?

I agree with mcgreetings, alchemy means rent money or diapers for my toddler. Without it I'm not making money.

In a way this is good news because there are some dinosaur features that sure need to be improved. Please change having to send PP invoices, and the way the images are input so they show when the item is complete. Thanks. In the past few months my shops would've gone bust without seeking out new customers through alchemy. I do hope it gets back up very soon or I might starve. (jk ;)

I am very interested to see what will take the place of Alchemy. I too have been discourage by unreasonable requests, ads, and just random "show me" requests but overall I think it is a beneficial route for customers to find the right seller. Looking forward to a new option.

Alot of people have said that most of their business has come from Alchemy, and that is my story too. I've done lots of Alchemy requests that weren't necessarily something I have in my shop but it was a great way to showcase what else I can do. I also wonder what is going to replace it because it doesn't say that in the article.

I wonder when the new version will arrive! The issue with "searching" sellers etc. is that the items are already priced,therefore, you dont get to offer what you are willing to pay. I love crafting in general and while cross stitch is my main medium, we do wedding and baby shower favors as well. Alchemy gave us the opportunity to bid on creations we dont necessarily offer on our etsy site.

What ever happens, I hope this new version of it doesn't leave people hanging as some people who request things don't decline bids and it leave the us hanging. Even though I haven't did very many alchemy orders I felt it was a good thing.

I have had a lot of sales from Alchemy but I welcome the change. So many sellers are taken advantage of on Alchemy, especially in the graphics field.

I'm quite disappointed as my roomate has gotten several LARGE jobs off there and currently needs more work. Any idea when this "new" alchemy will be open? This is going to really cramp us. This will also hurt many many other sellers as I've talked in the chat rooms with people that get sales from alchemy only. I don't find it confusing at all, if you can read you can understand it. Why cant it be left open until the new one is ready? Instead of leaving closed for the period of time and hurting your customers/sellers

Hope it is just being revamped and not actually gone forever. 80% of my sales are results of successful alchemy bids so it would be a shame to lose it completely !

Wow! 99% of my work is from Alchemy, so I hope the new system will work well for me. I suppose a break won't be too bad though. I have been very busy. Anticipation is a good thing, so I will wait patiently to see what is to come!

When are we going to have it's replacement? Most websites don't remove things unless another one is ready, but I suspect it'll be months, if not years until this is ready due to the fact that no timeline is given on the replacement.

I had just started using alchemy as a seller, checking for requests I was interested in. I have a crochet shop, but I also do paper crafting and responded to a few requests for die cuts and what not, which I probably wouldn't have done if I didn't discover alchemy. And people would not know I do paper crafting. Guess I'll be starting a new shop... :)

The current alchemy system is far from being perfect. Here are a few essential features that have been missing: - buyer can't enter a price range - seller can't enter price range - seller can't upload images when making bid - seller can't see other bids - etc. That said, for my customers, the alchemy feature has been a very essential part in starting the dialogue about creating their custom piece. Secondly, seeing the variety of custom items that I have made, all together at one place, almost like a showcase, is doing wonders for my new customers. Just by looking at the pieces I have made for others, my new customers get great ideas for their own orders. I am very distraught reading that alchemy will disappear. If it won't come back, I may have to look elsewhere to develop this integral part of my business. To see alchemy at work at my shop, visit my alchemy page: http://www.etsy.com/shop_alchemy.php?user_id=7178834 Best, Adzia

Alchemy, to me, was awkward to use for many buyers & sellers too. Really didn't like to see so many requests for items with a photo of someone else's work, but to make it cheaper as well as anything requested to make it cheap cheap; it's a turnoff. Revamped Alchemy will be interesting to see.

I really hope this is a revamp and their not getting rid of it all together. My first transaction on etsy was an alchemy request from me. I wanted a specially made necklace but was open to sellers and designs. I ended up with an amazing product that I would have never found had I just emailed one seller.

I LOVE ALCHEMY! i hope it's back really soon!!!!!!!!!!! with lots of great updates. thanks etsy gods!

quote "AdziasJewelryAtelier says: The current alchemy system is far from being perfect. Here are a few essential features that have been missing: - buyer can't enter a price range - seller can't enter price range - seller can't upload images when making bid - seller can't see other bids - etc." I do NOT think we should be allow to see other bids, then you get people that under bid everyone else just to snatch the job and it devalues art even further.

I never used this either. It was too confusing to deal with. People send convos to me direct and that works fine.

thankyou for this update! xox

To be totally honest: This is kind of going to suck for me. Almost all of my sales have been through alchemy. It'll be nice to see what it's replaced with, but until that happens I'm kind of screwed :/

I am bummed. I get alota of my orders from bidding on peoples requests. I don't put alota things on my store.

Yay! Great news!

I LOVE ALCHEMY!

ArtnCoffee: I was only listing a few things that could be improvements to alchemy. It's obviously open for discussion. About 'seeing bids from other seller'. Price is only one component. I am sure you know that cheaper is NOT always better. Usually, it's on the contrary. Regards, Adzia

I hope Alchemy isn't going to be gone forever. It was the source of getting my custom orders out to people. Without it, I may have never done most of the work I have through Etsy. Come back soon, Alchemy! I heart you!

Ugh! My first break was Alchemy! So sad!! I agree it needs help but it sounds like it is going away FOREVER!!

Wow, that's too bad. I peruse Alchemy and bid on requests almost every day. I've have gotten several sales from it. I am just hoping you come up with a suitable replacement that's just as good or better.

I'm interested in what the improvements will be, but curious as to why they can't be worked on while the other one is still up? That way there wouldn't have to be a gap in-between where possible sales could be lost...

adzias from some of the customs I've seen come out of alchemy I swear price is a factor to alot of people sadly. :(

I shall be looking forward to what new improvements are made, the alchemy site was a little confusing so it will be nice to see something more user friendly.

as a still rather new shop this is VERY disappointing to me! i can make a wide variety of things and about 98% of my sales on this site have been thru alchemy! and i prefer to list in it when i have searched and can't find what i am looking for. i have tried NUMEROUS TIMES to convo sellers to ask for custom items and maybe I have bad luck, but most of them haven't even bothered with a reply!!

I would hesitate to "thank" until one sees what the new alchemy will look like...

This makes me sad!! I wonder how long it will be gone??

thebarterartist - you can always convo me and I reply within 24 hours. :-)

I just hope it will be back - I just used it to ask for something kind of unusual, and it was really amazing.

megansbeadeddesigns: That is exactly what I have been thinking. They have revamped our shops without having to close them down. Why can't alchemy be improved while the old version is still up and running? I am very worried that they will take it down, let it quietly disappear and... hope that we forget about it. Adzia

I have gotten many orders through the alchemy. I do hope we'll be able to do such a thing, in the "new" change. I honesty don't see why it should be changed.

i don't know why people are so offended by the "show me" requests? sometimes people don't know what to get someone as a gift and this gives sellers the chance to show their creativity. these account for probably less than 1% of requests. don't like it, just skip that one!

Barberartist, I recognize you from a lot of alchemy requests. :) I too always reply to convos!

I found alchemy very confusing, only used it once.

I received my first Etsy sale through Alchemy and I will be anxious to see the changes and will be ready to bid on "jobs" again!

ALL of my sales have been beacause of Alchemy, Because of what I do, It's the best way for me to get sales. *sighs* well there goes my income = (

As a new shop, I like to use Alchemy to find work and get my name out there. It feels good to win a bid! But, having buyers not respond to a bid (at all) can be frustrating. I will be interested to see what the new version will be. I wonder how long it will be down.

95% of my orders are handled through Alchemy! This will be VERY PAINFUL for me! Please hurry to replace it with a feature of similar (only better) functionality? ! ? xx (fingers crossed)

I really hope Alchemy comes back fast! A lot of my extra business is thru Alchemy & it'svery beneficial to my business! Agreed, the Alchemy section can use some sprucing up, especially allowing the Requestor to pay thru Etsy, and after they accept the bid- just like any other Etsy transaction?

Probably 50% of my etsy income is through bidding on Alchemy requests (in one of my shops, alchemy bids account for more than 3/4 of my sales), so I REALLY hope the new alchemy will have a similar setup. I have a lot of repeat customers that I first found through alchemy.

As a buyer I did find it Alchemy a nice way to have sellers come to me rather than me trying to find individual sellers who do custom work. But once I selected the seller I wanted to work w/ it was easier to treat it as a custom order. I look forward to seeing what changes you will be making!

I wish Alchemy could be improved without being shut down. I LOVE the Alchemy section and have received many of my sales that way, plus have purchased several things through Alchemy. Yes, it needs revamping, but PLEASE keep it around!

I have done alot of alchemy orders, and have enjoyed it. I am going to miss it, but am looking forward to the changes. I am sure it will work out for the best.

I'm excited to see what you do with this feature!

Most of the sales I have gotten on Etsy have been through Alchemy. I had a good season this year for the holidays all because of Alchemy. Even if people don't purchase for a particular request I get a lot of hearts and favorites from bidding. PLEASE don't leave this down too long or I may as well give up on Etsy!

As a fairly new seller, I haven't yet tried Alchemy but was interested in it. Guess I'll just wait for the new and improved now and hope for something great. I have had a couple of custom requests from people through convos so hopefully I will continue to get those.

I don't understand, if Alchemy has brought about 80,000 custom made orders, all of which Etsy gets 3.5% of; why then would they want to just shut it down with no mention of a time line. What about the folks choosing Etsy over Ebay to find and request the items they want? Does everything just go to Ebay now.....that would be sad. Please find a way to keep some type of custom order requests open during the down time.

I do think the current Alchemy system is clunky and confusing and I had a hard time with it the one time I used it (the seller and I agreed to try it out for something I requested and agreed in the end a convo was much simpler). I find the rest of the site really intuitive and easy to use but Alchemy... woosh, after that one experience, I never ventured back. That said, I don't think completely yanking it down to make way for a new one is the right response, unless that new system is guaranteed up and running within a week or so of the old Alchemy going away. A lot of people DO rely on it heavily or entirely for their business, and the decision to just arbitrarily remove it while improvements are made is troubling. I hope Etsy reconsiders.

wow, that will hit us as well, we built our business up very sucessfully because of alchemy. it is a bit scary. i do get a lot of other requests as well, but i think, etsy just want to have everybody pay much more for listings, alchemy did not cost anything until you did win the bid. but now, to make business, you have to list a lot and very often to be up there for and get found in the mids of all those fab stores.

what if your working on or someone else is working on your custom order?

I hope it returns soon. We got a great start to our shop here by bidding on alchemy.

Disappointing. I love alchemy. A large part of my sales in my other shop came from alchemy. I hope it's replaced with something better very soon. I hate that it is just being eliminated so suddenly. :(

I'm really disappointed to hear about this. I think Alchemy is a great avenue for buyers and sellers to explore new opportunities and generate more business and ideas. Not all Alchemy requests are extremely specific which allows for contacting individual artisans. Sometimes, a buyer may be seeking general bids (e.g.: "unique gift for such-and-such occasion"), and the variety of bids can open up new & exciting possibilities -- expanding what the buyer may have had in mind, and for the seller to find new purposes for their product. I personally have found the most perfect gifts through Alchemy, things that I wouldn't even have thought of otherwise. In the same way, the sellers have been very proud to do custom work, and we have sustained an awesome working relationship. I am interested to know what Etsy has in mind to replace Alchemy. I'm sad because Alchemy is a definitive feature of this site, and I think it's great for the creative community: bouncing ideas, providing business growth opportunities and allowing newer artisans to get a start. Please! RECONSIDER!

I have gotten a few sales through alchemy so I will miss it. However, that being said, I have seen a lot of abuse with alchemy too....

Thanks for the link for helping sellers with custom items. I have been contacted many times about custom items and after creating said item have never heard again from about 6 people..so weird! Otherwise, doing custom work is challenging AND fun!

I have been wanting to take a break from Alchemy and get back to my own art. This will definitely help and I look forward to the new stuff for Etsy :)

I'll be sitting on this page all day refreshing occasionally in hopes the the admins would be polite enough to give us an ETA...

I have used alchemy before, but have never really found what I'm looking for. In the end, I'll find someone's shop that I like and ask if they'd be willing to make something custom for me. I do, however, like that Alchemy allows you to choose between people that truly want to do the custom work. This article only says that they're taking it away.. doesn't say when they'd be reinstating it. Anyone have the scoop on that?

I hate this! So much of my business is by my looking at alchemy requests and suggesting my services in calligraphy. Yes, I want a new and improved version, but doing away with it totally will hurt my sales.

I hope the revamp will make alchemy and less conffusing for buyers. my favorite thing is making custom items!

mousesong: I completely agree with your comments in your second paragraph, as I am one of these sellers who relies heavily on getting custom orders through alchemy. And not only receiving orders through alchemy, but also having a place where my customers can browse all my custom pieces. I do not think it makes much sense to list in my shop (which means offering for sale) a very unique and custom item that I have made for someone. But I guess I will have to do this if alchemy disappears forever. Adzia http://www.etsy.com/shop_alchemy.php?user_id=7178834

Also wanted to say Alchemy has been great for my business since christmas ended. This is going to be a tough month. I love using alchemy both ways. Its been great to get business, but its also been really great to get exactly what I want when no one else sells it. With feb. being valentines day and so many people putting in special valentines requests (with many people bidding and giving them options because most of us have no clue where to start to seek out people to request via conversation.) You really should have considering doing this in Jan. when there was no holiday to conflict!

95% of my orders originate in Alchemy -- that's how I got started and built my feedback and reputation. I would never have made some of the things I created via Alchemy. Also, it's fun and challenging to bid on items that are not everyday items you can find in shops. Please be sure the Alchemy market comes back in another form!

Ouch, the more I think about this, the more my insides start to hurt! PLEASE provide more information re: time line for replacement, and what the new function will look like. My business plan for the new year involved heavier bidding on Alchemy requests, and expanding the type of items I bid on! There is no way a person searching my shop would have any idea of the variety of items they can request from me, especially since a shopper can not find SOLD items via Search. It is only by looking at my SOLD items that you can see the variety of projects I have done because of Alchemy. This is almost the same as Etsy handing me the "pink slip." I will probably be out looking for a "day job" again very soon! And that is so opposite of everything Etsy has been boasting of! Go figure!

NO!!!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do NOT shut down alchemy. It's how I EAT!! Custom orders is what kept my food on the table. If you shut it down, even temporarily, it's the WORST thing that could happen to my buisness right now. PLEASE tell us when it will be back!!!!

I am totally confused by what is being done. I see that you're shutting it down within the next month but not what you're replacing it with. Almost all of my work/sales have come through Alchemy posts - some through public Alchemy and a few through private Alchemy on my shop page. It looks like all of this is going away. I've tried custom items on my shop page and they have not worked. Are you going to actually replace the current Alchemy with something different? Doing away with it totally is going to severly impact my sales. Also, how do I complete an order after Feb 24th? I have quite few bridal and costume related items that are well beyond that date.

Interested in seeing how this evolves into something new!

I use alchemy all the time. Please don't get rid of it. This is where I get most of my orders.

I too get a lot of work using Alchemy - I love custom work!

Wow! 95% of my business comes from the Alchemy page where I bid on custom requests. I am anxious to see what you provide that will be better and when can we expect that. Feel like I have been laid off!!!

There are some recurring questions and concerns that I'd like to address: -- Will there be a replacement for Alchemy? -- Yes. I like redthreaded's question: "You're going to bring it back new and improved, right?" We will be developing a new set of features that helps shoppers and sellers collaborate on custom items. As noted in the blog post: "We love what Alchemy represents, and we want to do it even better...Helping shoppers to request custom items and having our community bid on the opportunity to fulfill those wishes is the tip of the iceberg." -- When will a replacement be released? -- We can't comment on a specific time frame right now. -- Why not leave Alchemy as it is, while you build a replacement? -- First, from a usability standpoint, Alchemy isn't good enough. It creates a great amount of confusion for shoppers and sellers alike. That in turn creates a huge amount of support requests. That's time that we know will be better invested in other support needs. For every member that makes use of Alchemy and is satisfied, there are others left confused. We're putting an end to that. Second, Alchemy is built on old technical infrastructure. For a variety of reasons, from stability to speed to reliability, we're moving off of the old infrastructure. (In fact, most of Etsy has been moved to new infrastructure already.) For these two reasons, we weighed the options, the pros and cons (including how many sellers, shoppers, and transactions use Alchemy), and determined that this was the most sensible option. While we fully respect that some members might not agree with this choice, I assure you it was a measured decision. -- Will the "Request custom item" link in my shop go away? -- No, it won't. We will change this link so it will create a new convo between the shopper and seller that can be used to arrange a custom listing.

Thanks for the info. I rarely use Alchemy, but am anxious to see what the new version will be like.

I can't wait to see the new and improved version. Majority of my work is custom and through alchemy, so I am sad to see it gone even if for a while :(

While it seems silly to me to get rid of the old system before the new one is in place, I am happy at least that the request an item in my store won't be disappearing.

last time I checked etsy wasn't even close to being godlike. When did this worship start?

I am not very disappointed that it is getting replaced. I have placed bids and placed requests as well. I often found that requests that were placed were asked/wanted to be done for peanuts. I found many of times people were looking for something for nothing. I found this very frustrating.

I still don't feel it's right to take this away from those who get work only through it.. and at the same time say well we don't know when the new one will be up. Why not leave it up until you could be able to state when the new one would be up by, or atleast a ballpark estimate.. this feels like its going to be gone for months.

I am not very disappointed that it is getting replaced. I have placed bids and placed requests as well. I often found that requests that were placed were asked/wanted to be done for peanuts. I found many of times people were looking for something for nothing. I found this very frustrating.

Most of my work is custom design and I have listings in my shop for custom work. My own experiences with Alchemy have been very frustrating, primarily because of high expectations for very low payments.

For all the comments I've seen about this, I hope people realize that changing Alchemy's system won't stop people from asking for masterpieces and hoping to pay pennies for it. Be frustrated with your fellow Etsians, not the mode for which they take advantage of you.

Thanks Randy, for making a few things clear. If the 'Request Custom Item' button stays, can we then at least keep the page that shows all the items a seller has custom made? Adzia http://www.etsy.com/shop_alchemy.php?user_id=7178834

As cumbersome as the current Alchemy process is, it its an essential part of the handmade process! Please consider leaving it in place uhtil you have its 'replacement' feature ready to launch. By disabling it completely, you are doing a huge disservice to your selling community.

I love the idea behind alchemy, but I would love to see changes made. As a buyer, I've only requested a few items, and I got bids that were totally different products than what I was looking for. And as a seller, it can be frustrating to sort through pages of requests when quite a few of them are posted by users who haven't followed the guidelines and are requesting trades, free items, etc. I look forward to seeing the new version.

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the revamp but wish it didn't have to shut down completely. Hopefully this doesn't take too long.

Thanks for the update Randy but the timeline is critical. One of the options mentioned in the blog link for sellers was to put up a "this can be personalized" custom listing on the shop page. That may work for some but for myself, and others that do custom sewing work it is not practical. EVERY item I have done via Alchemy is quite different and specific. Also most of those items have a tremendous investment in both time and materials cost. It isn't practical to put a lot of those types of items up on speculation that someone MIGHT find and MIGHT buy. The items in my shop are smaller investments. The idea of buyers going directly to sellers is a nice thought but it rarely happens. The only ones I've had are either from detailed jobs developed from convos that originated from a general Alchemy bid or repeat customers. The general Alchemy type system is critical. PLEASE give us an ETA and by all means reconsider keeping the currenr system active until a the new one is ready to go.

I would be VERY SORRY if Alchemy never came back. I have done many Alchemy bids and I love doing the custom work. The additional income is helping me out during these tough times. If a customer has to weed thru all the sellers on Esty to find something they like, hope they have nothing else to do that day. With Alchemy they can come to one spot and write either a specific request or a general one to find what they are looking for. I hope Esty keeps Alchemy and just makes it better. DO NOT REMOVE IT ALL TOGETHER!!!!!

I don't understand why they have to shut down alchemy before they have a re-vamped, new version.

I love Alchemy and I use it on a very regular basis --I hope the changes are not too drastic!

When you bring it back (or if) I'd like to see a feature that connects Vintage sellers with their buyers. "Wanted Ads" style. With so many devoted vintage sellers who love to scour and find wonderful things, a better way to offer that personal shopping would be a great boost to our business and bring more relevant items to Etsy.

I too ask that you not shut Alchemy down while you work on something "better" without a timeline. I do 90% of my business through Alchemy, and I too will be dramatically affected by its removal. Why can't you keep it going as is while the replacement is in the works? This is the part that baffles me. Why take away a service that is working well, obviously, for so many sellers, when it could be kept running while fixed and improved?

95% of my work is done through alchemy. I certainly hope this will not be the end of alchemy all together as that would devastating to me and I'm sure many other Etsy sellers. If they are just re-vamping it, I don't understand why they need to shut down the current alchemy to do so. If alchemy goes, I'll be finding another site to join.

this is scary for me. I do lots of alchemy work. I'm afraid I won't make nearly as much as a seller. Seriously bummed

thanks Admin for clarification.. we hope that Alchemy can still stay up until all the changes have been made? almost one month without alchemy will have a lot of us struggling!

C'mon Etsy, your customer service sucks festering anal ooze, your site is all fluff and no substance with the only decent seller functionality found in 3rd party apps. Just 2 letter changes and you'll be Ebay just like you always dreamed.

streamlining the process to include prepayments would be awesome, and the ability to upload pictures at the end, too.

Just did the math. Etsy sold more items in one DAY in December than in the entire history of Alchemy. THAT is why it's going away, it's a system that just doesn't work.

I do a lot of custom work, but hardly any of it comes through Alchemy. Mostly it's people who convo me with a variation of what's already in my shop. I think over the past 2 years I've only been contacted through Alchemy twice & both times I & my customer found the process confusing. I won't miss it at all, but it definitely needs re-organising to be more user friendly.

As an avid Alchemy user, this makes me sad - How long until the updated Alchemy will be up?

Personally as a shop owner who does 90% or more custom work through alchemy I am anxious to see what changes you are bringing, if they will be of any benefit, or will affect my business in a negative way. When I first started on etsy I didn't get any sales until I started bidding on alchemy requests I hope the changes will be beneficial to everyone sellers and buyers

Though I've honored several Alchemy requests over the years, I've found that convos have always been a lot easier for both client and seller than working through Alchemy for custom requests. Glad to hear there's renewal in the air and possibilities for a better custom work outlet. Keep up the great work!

Thank you randyjhunt for the update. At least part of the questions got answered. However, I must say that, like most of the people who commented above, I find it very inconsiderate on the part of Etsy Admin to take the feature down without letting the sellers know even approximately when the new feature will be up. Giving us only a week's notice of this MAJOR development adds insult to injury. As I stated before, a huge chunk of my business comes through Alchemy, and if I didn't have a day job (quite a few sellers call Etsy their day job though), I would not be able to put food on the table without Alchemy. It seems from the original article that the feature will be down until at least February 24th. That in itself is quite a long period (3 weeks), let alone not knowing how much that period will be extended. Although I hope that "new and improved" Alchemy would be much, much better technically (and in regard to the ease of use) than the existing feature, no amount of improvements is worth depriving people of their main source of income, and on an extremely short notice for that.

So essentially everyone that counts on alchemy is screwed for an unknown amount of time. Thanks. Thanks a heck of a lot. I guess I'll have to move shop since I don't get sales outside of alchemy.

:( Good thing my wedding is right around the corner, and I've gotten everything I need. There were many amazing things I got through Alchemy when I couldn't find what I was looking for, or was overwhelmed by the number of shops that carried the same or similar items. I'm interested to see what comes....

This is scary news since most of my sales are custom works from Alchemy. It sure needs a little work though, as my customers often complain about how confusing the whole process is.

Alchemy is a great tool for me! Aside from providing a majority of my revenue, bidding inspired me to create some great designs on the fly and show off my work in the process. I'm glad it's just a "PAUSE" as I would probably go under without it.

I love Alchemy and have had many many sales through it. However, I can see how there are many flaws and how some aspects of it could be improved. It's hard knowing that many people underbid what something should go for AND people request others to make something they've seen on Etsy itself! I have however gained some great clients through Alchemy and hope when it returns it will continue to help people with their business.

OK, I did the math, too! My own personal math. 75% of my $$$$$ from Etsy comes directly from Alchemy requests. Another 10% of it was from custom listings I created in my shop in response to Alchemy requests because users could not figure out the Alchemy process. (I do admit it needs fixed!) That leaves only 15% of my INCOME!! (and I mean that is the money I LIVE OFF OF!) will remain when you shut down Alchemy. Yes, the all capital letters mean I am SHOUTING!!!!! Unimaginable that you think this is an acceptable thing to do to your seller base. One week without, I could probably stomach, but this indefinite, vague, "yes there will be something else" promise has me seething mad and running scared! Has this really been thought through?

I use alchemy all the time. I really hope something awesome replaces it, or my business could suffer!

i have to say, we offer our own line as well, but as i said before, most of the time, people are asking for custom orders, we would not even think of offering, because they are copyright with the pics and we ran into this issue as well, but i am not able to create 100 different dresses just in case, someone wants this kind. alchemy is very, very important for my business. about the underbidding, i do get a lot of bids because of our quality and it is most of the time much much more then the customer put in as the money they want to spend. if something is too rediculous, i just ignore it, but ... i have to say...all my customers have been fantastic and i had such great experience. i am a very tiny business and getting alchemy cut off will hurt me a lot.

first forums and now alchemy are going away? is Etsy trying to tell us something? I'm not a very happy camper right now :(

I totally agree with you Irish - between the promotions threads and alchemy is how I make all of my money on here. Luckily I'm on a couple of "other" sites that still offer both :D

I do hope this is just an overhaul and not that alchemy will be gone completely--as an etsy seller that does a great deal of custom work (I would say over 60 percent of my sales on Etsy are custom, and those come through Alchemy) it is a great asset for me, and one of the only ways for customers to find *me* in the vast sea of shops. I do have the 'custom order' function active in my shop, but it is not the same thing at all. The chances of someone finding me for exactly what they want when looking for someone to fill a custom order are so greatly reduced without alchemy--(I've only had two or three custom requests directly through my shop, as opposed to hundreds through alchemy.) I do understand Alchemy could be revamped, but please, please, please do bring it back as soon as possible!! Some of us sellers won't be making much of an income on etsy longer without it--and a lot of customers will leave too, not being able to easily find somewhere to request a custom order. (there are other forums online where you can do this, so we will lose them to those.) Please do bring it back :)

I may have to look at other sites, I guess. I have been very loyal to Etsy up to this point, but money is money! There is also the learning curve on each new site, and the redundancy issues that are hard to deal with. All of my items are one of a kind, and listing them out on multiple sites is risky. If one sold in two places, I'd be "up a creek!" If I knew that it was only for a week, maybe two.... but this is hitting me at a time of year (Irish=Feb & March!) when I really need to be focusing on production not building new shops on new sites! Normally, I am the quiet type, and rarely comment on stuff like this, but I am just stunned by the announcement and lack of consideration. Yes, I am a SMALL fish in the scope of the whole Etsy sea, but still I am a fish and I was swimming along because of Alchemy! Now I feel the tide pulling me in the wrong direction, and there is nothing I can do to stop it...

(BTW, being able to promote in the forums is where another 25 percent of my sales comes from--so taking away both will cut my sales by 85 percent. Eeek! Why would etsy take away such great avenues for buyers and sellers to communicate and connect? (and why weren't we given a little more notice?) I love it here...but won't be able to stay if I cannot make money.

I am quite disgusted by this lack of consideration for everyone on Etsy. I have only recently joined Etsy and discovered Alchemy quite by accident. Since my time with Etsy, I have had 1 direct sale from my shop, and 12 with Alchemy. Hmmm, so no more sales for a while then??? I have worked in Information Technology for many years, and NEVER in a million years would we ever remove a system for an unspecified period while it was upgraded. Even the thought of it is ridiculous. Why not develop the new application, then shut down the old one for a day while the new application is rolled out??? Etsy this is laughable - get your act together !!!

I use alchemy all the time... in fact, I've never made a sale outside of it. Hopefully the new system'll be even better!

looks like everyone's sales will drop considerably with Alchemy gone for almost the entire month of February - and hopefully not many will leave altogeher! ADMIN, PLEASE consider keeping it up and running as usual, then upload the new changes at one time or one at a time? February is a big month for a lot of us because of Valentine's Day, but it's also a pretty slow month for others too that rely on Alchemy! looking forward to another admin update, thanks!

I check the Alchemy request daily, many times a day! Recently this has been the best thing for my business - allowing me to get some jobs. Alchemy allows me to get my name and products out there, to people who would never find me! Yes, some things need to made a little easier, but PLEASE DO NOT get rid of Alchemy. How can we share our products with others, if they are not asking for or needing something?

I just signed up today, people were telling me what a great website Etsy was, I do like it and will continue with it, I do like Alchemy I have been on it for a month searching the whole website,, why the change, it;s great and it I can understand what people are asking for on it. Hopefully with enough commets they will leave it alone the way it is,,I find there website is very easy to follow,

Never used it myself.

Alchemy was really responsible for kicking off my business. It is a critical part of the way I work, so I hate to see it gone, even for just a little while. Please don't leave us without an alternative for very long!!!

I have mixed feelings....alchemy was a great way to stir up some business when I was first starting. ..now I have customers convo me if they are looking for something custom. I'm anxious to see what you replace it with because I think it is a useful tool for shops just starting out on Etsy...that being said it does need an overhaul and simplification.

I have to agree with a lot of the people here, especially Irish who made a very good point. Etsy, perhaps the sellers who make a living through Alchemy are in the minority, but I still do not feel that cutting off our livelihoods is fair. In the time since I opened my store (over a year now) I have sold exactly four items directly out of my store. The rest of my sales have been through Alchemy. Even if I expand my store I can't say I feel confident in making a living like this in the way I did on Alchemy. Considering that I make graphic design, illustrations, plush toys, fine art, portraiture, jewelry, costumes, soft sculpture, embroidery, fashion design, art dolls, polymer clay figurines and everything in between, I can't think of an elegant and concise way to represent the range of my skills through the listings in a store. Even if I could I would be left waiting for a buyer to happen to find and choose me out of a sea of other sellers who might be offering more specific services. I suppose I will (regretfully) have to start the search for a new place to do my business. Forget the obvious problems of adjusting to an entirely new website, system and clientele and re-building credibility from the ground up - I don't even know where to go! As a loyal Etsy seller I know of only a handful of similar websites, none of which I find particularly appealing. But I don't have the luxury of waiting around for an unspecified date before I can make money again. As an additional note, I have several orders for long-term, large-scale projects. Will I be forced either to leave them in a perpetual state of limbo or mark them as finished before they really are - confusing my customers and depriving me of a photo of the completed project in my portfolio? A new and improved Alchemy sounds like a great idea but for me, as for many others, this is a serious and unexpected financial blow.

I've got a lot of sales from it, i think it's a great tool. and I can't wait to see the changes made to help both seller and buyer.

I look forward to a new and vastly improved alchemy, but I really feel badly for the sellers who used the old clunky alchemy for sales. I'm sure this is quite a shock to them.

Hopefully the 'new' is more user friendly. Please, let us know more. It is a very important part of my business many sales have come form alchemy. For a customer it can be very time consuming to do a search for the right artist to create their request.

I think that while you are coming up with a way "to do it even better" you leave the site active until you have the next update ready to roll out. This is a great service you have and now you are taking it away until you have something "to do it even better". I agree it could use an overhaul, and a couple of the bugs worked out, but it works now and until you have the new system in place, please dont take it away until you have something to replace it with.

this concerns me; alot;, about 95% of my sales are off of alchemy, I bid on those daily, if I cannot bid, with all of the competition out there, I fear, my shoppe will actually cease to exist....I am really quite curious why, WHY, you are taking it away....if I sell from my shoppe alone, my second income the one that helps the family, my shoppe, this is sadd, so sadd, you can't do this to us sellers, and to the customers who want a special and unique item....why are you doing this...it is bad business, really baddddd

That's unfortunate. I really liked this feature and will be using Etsy a lot less if it or something like it is not available.

That's unfortunate. I really liked this feature and will be using Etsy a lot less if it or something like it is not available.

I really enjoyed using alchemy as that is how I made most of my first sales and got to know people...sad it's leaving

This make me so super sad! I loved ALchemy! I made so many amazing pieces with incredible customers. It was so much fun to collaborate on pieces~

99% of my work is done through alchemy. If this is the end of alchemy, it would be devastating to me and I'm sure many other Etsy sellers. If they are just re-vamping it, they should not shut down the current alchemy until the new version is complete. I have enjoyed a great success with etsy's alchemy, but if it goes, I'll most likely be finding another site to join. This is a serious financial downturn for me and I feel like the ambiguous comments on when it will return really mean it won't be back!

I just started selling on Etsy, and all but 1 of my sales was through alchemy. I am disappointed to see it go:( I have made most of my purchases through it as well.

I think alchemy has the potential of being very cool, but I think some customer abuse the alchemy process. Perhaps it's my fault, but as a graphic designer I'll try to do some mock-ups for people to see. They see my mock-ups and ask me to change this or that, and then I'll remind them that I'd like to be paid as nicely as I can. Usually at that point, I don't hear from them again. I'm sure it's not a problem for sellers who make tangible items, but it is hard for graphic designers.

the decapitated ghostly bunny rabbit photo at the top of the page doesn't really seem too encouraging

As always I am wary if the changes that are not spelled up to the point.As a seller I liked Alchemy because it was giving me the opportunity to scroll down the requests in my category and see which ones I woild be able to bid on. I have much more creative abilities and techniques under my belt than those represented by the items in my two shops. Without my ability to bid on buyers' requests, sending them pictures of my work that is not represented in my shops, Alchemy will be of no use to me and my business. None of the potential buyers will be able to know that I can knit a dress from a sketch, a photo, and make it really fit no matter the yarn and design. That I can create practically whatever they want when it comes to yarn, thread, fabric, embroidery, sewing and all other things fibers.

would be better if it could stay up until the new version is ready... :(

Almost all of my sales come from alchemy. How long till they get the new version up and running?

I go into Alchemy just about everyday looking at open bids to bid on. This helps me bring work and new customers to my etsy store. I hope that making the customers come to us, scouting us out, isn't more of a negative for our business. You have literally ten of thousands of sellers in alot of the ETSY catagories, and I think buyers are going to be overwhelmed with trying to choose a seller to pick from. This requires much time and energy on their part, time they don't have, and they may just give up with searching or asking for ETSY bids, taking their business elsewhere. Like to their local area store! About 80% of retail purchasing is impulse buying, so the harder it is for people to purchase an item, less of a chance they will buy anything. Especially when it means more work for them. I do agree the Alchemy system does need certain catagory updates. The few Alchemy customers I have gotten have not been confused. But, I make it a point to explain the process in detail before the actual purchase goes thru. So maybe as sellers we need to be more aware of both sides, our art, and being a good business person.

I just hope this doesn't take forever. I am really new here and have enjoyed using alchemy to find customers.

I will miss it. I make a lot of sales via alchemy. I agree with digitalartworks. I can't believe they would shut something down to revamp it. I use to work in IT. If I even considered doing something like that, I would've been out of a job.

I will really miss it too. I can't believe you have to close it down for so long just to revamp it. I, as do many other Etsians, rely on Alchemy for the majority of my sales. I agree that the Alchemy process at the moment can be a bit confusing to new users, and maybe this should be improved, but I think that it is unnecessary to take away the custom of people that rely on this type of income for such a long period of time. I am a college student, and Etsy is the only chance I have of making a little bit of extra money, as I am unable to find a part time job. To me, this shall have a large impact on my store, and I just hope that it doesn't take to long to bring back.

I have use alchemy to request birthday and Christmas items for my family when I didn't know what I was really looking for and was given great ideas and purchased several items. I have also done custom work for other requests that I bid on. I do agree that it needs to be improved, but not totally taken away.

I understand the need for an updated alchemy and incompatible systems. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get this back online as soon as possible though. I am another person who gets the majority of their sales through this feature. Looking at my shop no one would assume that I can also make the items I have made through alchemy. For instance, monster piggy bank, custom 3-d xmass ornaments, a Tardis fishtank decoration, a penguin in navy garb, etc. Thankyou for at least doing this during our slow season, but once again please get this back up as soon as possible. Many of us rely on this area of etsy for sales. With the commissions you get off of us doing these it is in both Etsy and the sellers best interests for this feature to remain.

I can't wait to see what improvements are made on Alchemy. I have used it a few times, and like the feature, but like others have said it can be confusing for customers. Thanks for improving tools that we use to sell.

I can appreciate a revamping of your current alchemy but please don't remove this feature completely. I love searching for requests that fit with my shop. I do have concerns that I will see a decrease in my business. Alchemy is my doorway to reaching customers I can't with just a store front. I look forward to a new and enhanced Alchemy. I do think that requests for "donations" and "freebies" should be separate from Alchemy. I have faced a few scam artists on Etsy. Thank you.

I'm sorry to hear about Alchemny shut down. I've got many custom requests. When is the new one going to be up?

I have used alchemy both as a buyer and seller and have recommended it to hundreds of people. I'm sorry if it confused some people, but it is one of the best features here and I will be very disappointed to see it go. It is a valuable tool when you don't have time to go through 5000 listings for the same item. Plus it gives less known sellers an opportunity to bid and get their shops out there.

As a buyer I will really miss Alchemy, I think the wow someone can make that for me element is something that gives Etsy a real point of difference. I know without Alchemy I will not visiting Etsy as often.

Alchemy is a HUGE part of my livelihood. Alchemy is one of the main ways that I find new customers. Alchemy is how I got started as a shop. Alchemy is how I punch up a slow sales month. I have been a HUGE fan of etsy, have touted the site to everyone I know (most of which have never heard of it before). I am EXTREMELY disappointed with this decision, considering that there are no stated plans to replace. If you remove alchemy from my life, I do not have the security to work for myself. As the divorced mother of 2 small children, alchemy enabled me to work from home. Disappointed is not a strong enough word. Panicked may describe my reaction. Bad move, ETSY!

I use it a lot (mainly other shop of mine). I have gotten the bestest ever card for my daughter's 18th birthday and the bestest ever tags for my gift boxes. I also have used it looking for wacky promo items. weep weep I am going to miss alchemy ...

Oh, no, PLEASE don't take Alchemy away! I'm finally getting some business...nearly all through custom work. I make so many different things that I can't possibly list them all in my shop. My first Etsy sale was through alchemy. I browse it every day. I know I'm not alone in this...yes it needs some improvements, but if you can read you can use it the way it is. This just isn't right.

This sucks. When is it going to be back up? What will be different from the old Alchemy? I havent seen anything wrong with the way it is now!!! And thats where most of my sales come from!

I receive most of my business through alchemy. It seems you are doing a disservice to many of your customers. what are those of us who depend on alchemy to do???

WHY? WHY? are you removing working feature until you developed something new? It's very disappointing!

I've used alchemy a few times, and people tend to compare your prices to someone elses, always choosing the cheapest price even though the quality may not be as good. Change is a good thing. I'm looking forward to it.

Not good, Etsy! I have enjoyed using Alchemy as both a seller & a buyer. As seller, it has definitely helped increase my sales & my artistic expression. It helped establish my shop, too. I definitely have used it to help keep me in business & supporting Etsy! As a buyer, I found it vital in finding items that I need without spending countless hours searching through all of the shops here! Please do not remove this wonderful, valuable tool!

I've used it but as of late have been rather disappointed by the no editing allowed after a bid has been placed or accepted. I have had too many change their minds and either want extras added or simply cancel out. Once I don't agree to the extras, at MY cost, I had been threatened with negative feedback. I simply did not accept on my end however it leaves a bad taste all around for everyone. My very last alchemy though was a pure pleasure and when alchemies work out, it's a wonderful etsy tool!

I understand why you are doing this, but I will miss while its gone. This is going to hurt alot of Etsyians!

As a relatively new user to Etsy, all my sales so far have been through contacts made using Alchemy. I hope that it is not down for long and that the improvments are truely beneficial.

I've only used the Alchemy a few times, but I never found myself needing to visit it time and time again. Its clear that many people liked it, and so I hope when it comes back, it'll be better than ever.

I just used it yesterday and can see the need for an upgrade. Thank you!

I'd suggest when you revamp Alchemy, the rules are made much more clearer--perhaps find a way to condense them into the request page...I had an Alchemy bid removed for requesting graphic design for a charity advertising swap, and I was never notified and never warned. The bid was just removed, and that was it. Had I known this wasn't allowed--specifically by stating "no charity exchanges", I would have saved some time and not placed the bid. Clearer, more visibly stated rules would benefit everyone.

I don't agree with getting rid of Alchemy! It's a great way to get new customers & find new shops. I don't like that this is said a week before & the reasons are what? Vague to say the least & your questions/answers are not even helpful or answer the right questions. There are so many shops on Etsy that many people won't even get a chance to make a sale because customers won't know that they can request an item or that a particular shop makes what they want. Are you bringing Alchemy back? When? Why is being taken off to begin with?

This will definitely result in an interesting change. There are a lot of arguments that come to mind. A thing to consider is when Alchemy is the medium for sellers/consumer Etsy only receive 3.5% of sales.. when you list something.. Etsy receives that plus their listing fee. However, should Alchemy be completely removed, I don't think the fee variable would be enough to recover lost sales. I trust Etsy knows what they are doing, and hope to see it in it's new skin.. (Alchemy generates most of my sales as well) I find relief in the clear statement that Alchemy is to return. Change is intimidating, but need for improvement is a constant. Even though it will effect us as sellers/buyers, we can only hope this "recession" is worth it in the end.

I agree that Alchemy needs tweaking but it is the place to find artisans for custom work. I hope it comes back soon. I will miss it.

I have had many successful alchemy orders some buyers did find it hard to navigate. I look forward to a better way for custom orders to be purchased on my site.

Actually sacredcyn, there isn't a statement that Alchemy will be coming back. In the single follow up post that was posted by admin it states: " We will be developing a new set of features that helps shoppers and sellers collaborate on custom items. As noted in the blog post: "We love what Alchemy represents, and we want to do it even better...Helping shoppers to request custom items and having our community bid on the opportunity to fulfill those wishes is the tip of the iceberg."" A new set of features....not Alchemy in a new and improved format. And the fact that there is no time frame noted except for a 3 week "shut down" phase coupled with the statement that they can't comment on a timeline is really not comforting at all. As so many have said, I've done the math. Over the course of the past year, 60% of my business (which is my full time work and income) has come through Etsy. ALL of that has come either directly or indirectly (meaning referrals from Alchemy customers or repeat business from Alchemy customers) has come through custom requests from the general Alchemy. In addition, the short notice, lack of detail on what we're going to be able to do with regard to longer term projects - I have several that are long term - are all adding to the angst being felt by so many sellers. Depending on someone finding my shop and then actually asking for something custom is a serious long shot. As a buyer, I've had several succesful transactions that I would never have been able to locate if I had to just search the shops. And as for other sites...I've been there done that as the saying goes. The big positive about Etsy is the vast amount of exposure it gets from word of mouth and being mentioned on so many television shows. And as for the difference in cost? The real money is that 3.5%, not the additional 20 cents it costs to put a listing in the shop. If that is what is causing this change then Etsy listen up - add that 20 cents if you must but leave this function working please!

YOU'RE SCARING ME TO DEATH!!! ALL OF MY SALES SO FAR SINCE I STARTED ON ETSY NEARLY A YEAR AGO HAVE BEEN FROM CUSTOM ORDERS ON ALCHEMY!!!! I DEPEND ON IT FOR MY INCOME, I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT YOU WOULD JUST SHUT IT DOWN WITH SO LITTLE NOTICE, NOW I FEEL LIKE I MUST GO OUT & FIND ANOTHER SITE WHERE I CAN SOURCE JOBS, ANOTHER SITE THAT WON'T JUST CUT MY LEGS OUT FROM UNDER MY BUSINESS.

I'm going to post my comment just so I can cast my vote in FAVOR OF ALCHEMY! I am among so many others on here that make a majority of my living from Alchemy, and I am a FULL TIME seamstress. I TRUST ETSY, I guess I have to in this case. *Holds breath*

I, too, depend on Alchemy for the bulk of my business. I have done some research and there simply isn't a good alternative at any of Etsys' competitors. The only site that actually has a system similar to Alchemy seems to be underused. I don't know what I will do if Etsy doesn't implement a new version of Alchemy. *fingerscrossed*

I have used alchemy as a buyer and seller and truly appreciate the business . Its also very convenient for buyers searching for something in a hurry. Hope it will still enable sellers to bid on requests.

WOW!! I feel like my feet have been kicked out from under me!!I too as sooo many others have stated here- make 95% of my sales off of Alchemy!! I feel the same as PatternCreations, as I do all custom sewing and costumes and it just dosen't pay to speculate and sit and hope something will sell- I will go NUTS waiting, so I check on Alchemy and answer requests! I have refered many MANY people here to Etsy to sell their craft, This is just so catastrophic for so many!!! It realy sounds as though SO many of your sellers are going to be hurt by this, not to mention YOUR loss of $$$ when they aren't making those sales! Dosen't sound like so much thought went into this one, wonder what Donald Trump would think of this big idea. Granted there should be improvements, such as being able to load pix to the bid, but somehow you should be able to continue something of the original, while setting up the new- Maybe the staff here at Etsy needs to put in a little overtime to implement the New project - as many big corporations do - instead of cutting off a majority of your sellers incomes.

Wow, this is a sad day! For a completely NON-creative shopper who can explain what she wants but needs someone with the inspired eye to create it, I don't know how or if I can use Etsy after this. EVERY transaction and purchase I have made here has been through Alchemy, and it has been those purchases for which I have received the most compliments. Boo, Etsy - please give those of us who "don't know what we're looking for" the way to find those who do...!

I've never used the Alchemy feature because my customers have just convo'd me with a request but I hope for the ones that depend on it Etsy will be able to get it back up and running for them soon and maybe even better than before. In the meantime I guess the best and maybe only thing you can do is to notify your customers and let them know what's going on and if they need a custom order to convo you. Good luck to everyone.

I have filled many custom orders through Alchemy. I think it is a great tool to get your shop out to many people, but I do agree it does need some revamping. It is frustrating in trying to get photo to the end users and keeping all the information available after you accept the bids. Sometime you need to revisit the information, double check and once you completely accept the bid, you cannot see the original bid. There also needs to be some additional security on spam bids.

PattenCreations: That is how I read it all too. Being vague is not at all comforting and really, just a cop out. And I agree - depending on someone finding ME has about the same odds as me getting struck by lightning. Buyers are lazy. Sure they can do a search on the main site but by far that requires more work than just putting in a request and having sellers find THEM. They don't have to dig, and I'm sure that psychologically some buyers enjoy a bunch of sellers clamoring for their favor. If this revamp is just sprucing up the "Request Custom Item" link that sits half forgotten, then don't even waste your time, Etsy. It'll still get barely any use and not worth your man hours.

I'm glad it's going to be honest... don't think it was super popular/effective

As a seller who does quite a bit of work through Alchemy, I agree improvements can be made. However, I'm reeling a bit that there isn't something that is going to immediately slide in as a replacement. What happens to those of us who earn a sizeable amount through Alchemy while it is on hiatus? I thought the information about having items in your shop that are customizable was a good idea for a fair portion of sellers, but I do quite a bit of one-of-a-kind bridal pieces with vintage components, so I can't create these types of listings. Perhaps considering a searchable database where sellers interested/open to custom work could be listed in the interim (and classify what they specialize in - for me jewelry and specifically wedding/bridal) would be helpful to those looking for a custom product. Who is going to want to search out sellers who offer something close to what they are looking for...send them a convo, then repeat the process (and manage it) for multiple bids. Especially those looking for inexpensive items. That sounds too time consuming as an interim solution...and potentially lost dollars for sellers and Etsy.

good4you: You don't think alchemy was or can be effective? Please check out my alchemy page: http://www.etsy.com/shop_alchemy.php?user_id=7178834 Alchemy disappearing = notgood4us!

I think you're making a big mistake. As a start up especially, I don't have the funds to just make stuff and hope it sells. Alchemy was my way of adding new items, and meeting new clients. I am not happy about this at all!

Another thought- was any time spent finding out how long the average shopper will search? The great thing about Alchemy is that a shopper with limited time can request what they want and wait for sellers to offer what they have or can do, instead of taking hours to go through the various sellers of specific items! Not to mention those sellers who falsely tag their items and get in the way of the real thing! I think this will a lot more time consuming and frustrating for buyers!! Kerry PS PLEASE let the Alchemy continue until you have a viable replacement, I realy don't want to go somewhere else, but will If I have to. Also Etsy beware! Necessity is the mother of invention! If there is not a good enouph alternitive to Etsy - Then someone night just create one! kind of like the "Social network"!

I agree with most here, Alchemy is about the only way a seller without a huge budget to relist, or a big following can do to make many sales. I have been selling here for a while now, with many successful alchemy bids, (most of my sales actually) Most of my customers would never have found me without me bidding on alchemy requests. The little guys are going to be lost without alchemy. Please don't take it away. Without alchemy, it is going to start looking like E-bay ony just handmade and supplies. : (

I haven't used this tool, but I'm sure the new process will be great. Janice

98% of my sales come from Alchemy. I am new on here and love Alchemy. Alchemy has helped me to get my foot in the door. I can't afford to make everything that I could possibly make and have it stored in my house until someone decides they like it and then for them to decide what they want changed on it. Alchemy was a way to show others what I can do. Understandably, there are things on Alchemy that can be approved on. I wish there was a way for the customer to pay without having to go to Paypal and send an invoice. I've had more issues sending the invoice than anything else. Please keep Alchemy!

Glad that Alchemy's changing. It was very confusing before. Sorry for all of the sellers who are against it. Hopefully, Alchemy will be MUCH better than it was before.

Oh my! A large percentage of my sales comes from custom orders through Alchemy. Like others, I make many different items, and many of them have come about from an inspiration sparked from someone's need/Alchemy request. Please don't take too long in bringing Alchemy back!

This sounds bad for some of my fellow Etsians; I know many have used it regularly and done well there; it was also a good way to get started here. Maybe some really good techie can create a site for "Alchemists" to meet and do business... the vagueness of the "Alchemy rest" is discouraging to say the least...probably won't happen... Good luck sellers...

i didn't use alchemy. the conversation system works well and it seems like you could iron out a deal using this in combination with a custom order listing when the work is done.

I REALLY do hope Etsy is reading this - like many other owners I can't afford $100-$1,000 a month for advertising or being put first on Google (don't let SEO sellers fool you, you can't get up to number 1 without paying for it in some way!) and other such advertising venues, I have to use alchemy to make rent etc. Any chance you could just do like facebook does (I know, haha) and create the new alchemy while keeping the current one up? The only problem I see is as a shop owner I have to either setup a listing for them or they get confused when I try to invoice them through paypal. It is usually quickly figured out but maybe it would be cool if once a bid is created that it becomes a custom/reserved item in the seller's shop and a link is automatically sent to the buyer. Then the listing closes once the seller selected "I'm Done" with an option to keep it open for repeat customers with the same listing fee?! Also i'd really REALLY like for etsy to reconsider their standings on feedback I have 3 negatives in my "bonnet" that were all cancelled transactions! I mean they got to leave me negative feedback and I didn't leave any for them - positive or negative? How fair is that? I would rather have the negative there (if etsy won't remove it) but the comment be blocked as saying "transaction was cancelled" so that people who take the time to really look know that this seller didn't mess up the project, just cancelled the transaction which made a buyer mad who took out revenge!?!?!?!? Beyond that I think Etsy is doing a great job, I'm glad that Alchemy is going to be improved but I really wish it wouldn't be taken down while the improvements are being made. It would be easier/better to take it down just for a day while the new system is being put into place when it is ready!!

We get 95% of our income through alchemy. If you shut it down, we hope it will not be for long and comes back better. If it is gone for good, we will probably have to go elsewhere. So sad!

FreshRetro - Without a doubt the convo process is an important part of successfully using Alchemy. Sometimes in follow up to the details in a bid, and sometimes through a contact in lieu of a bid. However, it is the customer's request, the ability to see it, and then respond in a manner appropriate tothe request that gets the process in motion. Could it use some polishing? Absolutely. But to lose it completely and suddenly, with out the ability to finish off orders that are already in process after the 24th has far reaching repercussions.

Take a look at amazingowl 's SOLD items. It really looks to me like Alchemy is her MUSE! I can tell just by looking that many of those items would never have been created without some customer requesting them and accepting her bid! This is one of the MOST VALUABLE and MOST UNIQUE features of Etsy, yet it appears to also be one of the least valued by Etsy itself. I feel that if they valued it at all, they would not just turn it off for an unspecified period of time, and anger all of us little folk that survive because of it. I would love to be one of the BIG BOYS that sells items out of their shop faster than they can ship them, but reality is what it is. I get by with Alchemy. Without, well... my professional resume may be circulating soon, and corporate America may have to take back one of it's escapees. That really stinks, and it's dirty pool, ETSY!

Good comment about becoming an Ebay with handmade and supplies, Bouquet... i think u are right... who knows, maybe people like to search for hours and hours to find one thing they can describe in a paragraph and get oodles of responses to now, so give it a chance, heh.

Irishhandmore: You are making a very good point. Alchemy is a unique feature of the etsy experience. It is far from perfect and needs many improvements. None-the-less, some of us sellers are making the best of it. Here is my alchemy page: http://www.etsy.com/shop_alchemy.php?user_id=7178834 Adzia

FreshRetro: Right on! The ability to see a request, contact the buyer and/or bid on the request is what sets the rest of the transaction in motion. You take this away, and buyers as well as sellers are loosing a great tool that is so unique to being part of the etsy community, whether you are a buyer or a seller. Adzia

thanks for the heads up

I just hope that is comes back fairly quickly. I do fairly well with people finding my shop through searches, but I usually always search the Alchemy requests for buyers looking for something I could provide. When my orders are down, Alchemy has always been a great resource for new customers.

I've heard alot of people state that the invoice system for an Alchemy purchase is confusing , yet neither I or any of my buyers have ahs a problem with it. Yes the convo is very important fo the Alchemy process, and ironing out details, yet I can't tell you how many times a convo I have sent or that was sent to me has been lost. I know this from my customers and the fact that I found many of them on my Email - but not in my convo file!! Now here is something that should be fixed and upscale to run more efficiently!!! Kerry

I just hope that is comes back fairly quickly. I do fairly well with people finding my shop through searches, but I usually always search the Alchemy requests for buyers looking for something I could provide. When my orders are down, Alchemy has always been a great resource for new customers.

I just hope that is comes back fairly quickly. I do fairly well with people finding my shop through searches, but I usually always search the Alchemy requests for buyers looking for something I could provide. When my orders are down, Alchemy has always been a great resource for new customers.

If etsy is serious about bringing an improved version of alchemy back, then I am asking why they haven't consulted with the heaviest users of this feature? I am sure sellers and buyers who make use of alchemy on a daily basis would love to give feedback on the many pros and cons. I spend half of my day on alchemy or with transactions that resulted from alchemy requests. Why isn't etsy asking us, the heavy users? Adzia http://www.etsy.com/shop_alchemy.php?user_id=7178834

Thank you, Irish, what you say is completely true. I not only made money but met a lot of great people and got a ton of excellent opportunities and ideas through Alchemy. I just finished my first, very fulfilling, year on Etsy and was really looking forward to making this one even better. I feel disappointed and honestly don't know what to do next. I understand the problems that some people have and the points that Etsy is making but there is simply no way to replace the Alchemy system with what will be left to us.

I am afraid that removing alchemy will be the undoing of Etsy. So many depend on it and will be forced to find some other way to sell their goods. You know there are a couple other places around, and some that are free to list, they don't have the traffic Etsy has but hey that could change in a heartbeat. I hope Etsy isn't doing something to regret. Cause once you do somthing to kill a business it is very hard to get it back.

I loved looking at the requests and I did get some custom orders from alchemy. I also had several items made for me from some fantastic sellers. I do hope the new and improved alchemy will be even better.

I hope ETSY shouldn't shut down this feature. They should have the NEW FEATURES UP AND RUNNING when they shut it down completely on the 24TH!!!!! What do you guys think??

I hope they don't***shut it down***

i'm really pleased to see that so many people are passionate about alchemy! it certainly has helped many of us! not only does it bring more money to etsy, it brings in NEW MEMBERS too.. ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF THE ALCHEMY SECTION.

I just got three orders this week from Alchemy, please, please don't shut it down, not even a day, I will go crazy, this is my daily bread and life, my sanity for a disabled artist, please don't do this, please......

Well..I do hope that whatever you guys have planned, is at least as good as Alchemy and will be up and running soon. It is one of my favorite features on Etsy and I am currently working on two requests I got through Alchemy.

I can't believe you would stop a good thing, this is an avenue that helps a lot of people that wouldn't get orders otherwise. I hope you reconsider, it did need tweeking a bit but Alchemy was a great tool for the crafter

WHY WOULD YOU TAKE MONEY FROM YOU, ETSY, AND US THE SELLER, TO PLEASE THE CUSTOMER....WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS SENSE IS THAT!!!!!!!

Well, I hope the new features come soon! Seems like a lot of people are really gonna miss it. :(

Like so many have already commented, I too get the majority of my work from Alchemy. While I'm happy that there will be improvement (THANK YOU!), I'm also hoping that the new version doesn't take too long. I read in the forums that the current version took a year to come back, and that scares me.

I hope that they aren't shutting down the alchemy altogether. It sounds like they are. I have gotten most of my business from bidding on alchemy requests. I will be very upset if this feature is taken away. I know that I will not sell as many items. Before I started bidding on the alchemy requests I only had a couple of "chance" sales. The changes need to benefit the sellers too, not just the people who profit from owning etsy. The changes better be good or I'll be gone!

What?? When will it be back? I depend on Alchemy! Every sale I've made has been through Alchemy! Nobody looks at my stupid site, and that's fine because the stuff just to look pretty. Dang it... *panics*

Wow, I just learned about this Alchemy note! I actually feel a little worried, I usually go and look for custom graphic requests from clients, which for the most part are very profitable for me! Some times I get a month worth of sales sales with a couple of alchemy fulfillments! So, I'm not sure if I should be all excited about this revamping action.... How long would it take to get this feature back?

When will it be back? Alchemy is over 50% of my sales flow right now... Can't wait for the improvements :)

I didn't read all the comments but I do agree with Stitches of the Past and Time and Again Fashions. Another unwarranted, unrequested change! Another chance to kick another seller opportunity to the curb! I feel that changes could be successfully implemented WITHOUT shutting down such an important and successful resource!

besides.... i thought the whole point of alchemy was to request items that you COULDN'T find for sale from an existing Etsy seller... so how the heck are you supposed to convo sellers for custom items? if you need a solid chocolate parasol with the name of your sweetheart in blinking led lights that plays the cucaracha, by next friday, how would you know who to contact? yet if you posted this request on Alchemy i bet you would get at least 11 bids, including a chocolatier who used to be a huge audio visual buff in college and who happens to live 2 towns away from you

While I see Alchemy as a welcoming tool (although I have never used it!) I assume that Etsy will stick to there promise of bringing it back and keep us updated on there progress as well. I know there is alot of changing going on with Etsy everybody but PLEASE try to stay positive. They are trying to make things better and we all know you gotta get through the brush before you can get to the clearing.

I have been some awesome custom orders from Alchemy and agree that it needs to be revamped so I really look forward to the face of it. Thanks for the effort, Etsy!

I have been having some awesome custom orders from Alchemy and agree that it needs to be revamped so I really look forward to the face of it. Thanks for the effort, Etsy!

Most of the custom orders I get are from bids I have won through Alchemy. For those of us who cant promote items everyday or post new items all the time its a great method for exposure. I really hope its not gone too long... I think the way customers find items should be fixed first...like keywords, tags and even better a randomized listing of all the items in a category rather than only the new items popping up first...who wants to see two pages of items from one shop...I like to see variety.

This decision makes absolutely zero sense. There is always room for improvement, but it's a terrible, thoughtless, unprofessional way to go about it. How about having a totally new tool ready to go and THEN kill the existing one? So many sellers benefit from orders via alchemy requests. I don't think I'll ever understand how Etsy makes so many goofy decisions that hurt the businesses of the people who pay your salaries.

Custom orders are an intergal part of my business. It helps people watching my inventory to have that one of a kind piece they crave.

Totally agreed with you lfaigen!!!

looking forward to upgrades.... I just hate the idea that we will be without it for who knows how long. That is where I find my customers!

I can't help but say that I agree with Ifaigen. Have the new system set up and ready to go then simply drop it in place and remove the old. Don't drive buyers away because they can't use a feature that they have come to rely on.

I'm interested to see what Alchemy will turn into, I usually take custom orders through convos but I do know a lot of people use Alchemy. Its a shame to take this feature away from sellers who still continue to use it.

Great news-I always steered customers out of there and into convos.

Great news-I always steered customers out of there and into convos.

I;m going to miss Alchemy, I have done a ton of bids in my other shop and the first thing I made in this shop was alchemy too. another loss on etsy !

I've used it once and it was the best thing ever. Was perfect to find the right seller for my project. That are so many out there and sometimes we don't know where to look. I'm glad to know that Etsy is working to make things even better. Go Etsy!

I'm gonna miss it.

Angry about the way this is being handled. If everything was so 'thought out', then you could have given us more notice than 1 week. I will be looking to take my business elsewhere (which pains me to say, because I have 3 shops and have been a member since 2007). Hopefully I will find a way to feed my children elsewhere and not return. I have been loyal to you, Etsy, where's the respect? If you need to fix alchemy, fine. GIVE US DETAILS about a replacement.

A great chunk of my business comes from Alchemy requests I have bid on. I use it as a portfolio builder because I just cannot afford to bring a lot of my work to life without a buyer. More details would have been nice. A little more details and more notice would have been nice.

Whoa...! I love alchemy, just got my first bid on an alchemy request this morning, and now I see this. Well, as an eternal optimist, I'm hoping this new feature's even bigger, better... :)

Whoa...! I love alchemy, just got my first bid on an alchemy request this morning, and now I see this. Well, as an eternal optimist, I'm hoping this new feature's even bigger, better... :)

I agree with most of sellers....we bid and create custom items primarily from the requests on ALCHEMY, which has been a savior to me since medical issues have prevented me from going out of the house to work. In addition, we get these transactions because we are willing to sift through all the illegally posted requests....This has been, for me, the necessary supplement to my household income.....I feel like I have been laid off in this wonderful economy. WHY, all of a sudden, with no warning (of more than a week), no promise of the 'better' replacement being launched? Maybe there are other sites where we can do the same, but we have been, fortunately too busy to explore. I am off to explore and will share my findings....maybe even someplace where the buyers are willing to pay for their requests....instead of treating the site where they request items as a bargain basement and expect professional, high quality, custom (which by the way, means one of a kind) items. Just another sign of the economy, must cut down on the requests for help in the customer support area, so play it up to be a gift coming our way!!!! God Bless and thank you to all my buyers for your repeat orders and loyalty. I will be in touch with my upgraded plan soon!!!!

Dear Esty, I am a small fish here on your site, but I love being creative. I used be to able to make anything out of wood or metal, but life hit me in the form of a major accident and now I can not do what I loved to do. So I sew to stay sane. Now you are taking away a great part of your site Alchemy. You who work at Esty must do nothing but surf the web all day and think everyone else does this also. I am not a computer specialist (if I was I would have my own web site by now), but I would think there has to be a way to have the new improvement up and ready before you shut down Alchemy. If your paychecks were on the line, would this even be the table? But since the small fish are the ones who will be losing money, you at Esty do not really seem to care. I hope and pray some one there at Esty will have a change of heart and rethink this announcement.

I am looking forward to improvements, but hope the bid option is not eliminated!

I'm not a big fan of Alchemy. It's too confusing and difficult to navigate through. I hope to see the changes though!

I used to get a lot of business through Alchemy.. Not so Happy with this change.. :-(

I only do custom work and all of it on Etsy has been via Alchemy. It would be much better if the new version were ready to go very quickly. Besides the window into what the art requesters want as well as what the Etsians make is interesting (and entertaining)

I certainly love the idea of Alchemy but I feel that it always brought with it the idea that creating items as cheaply as possible was the main focus - i think requesting a custom item through a store would be far more appropriate - that way buyers are aware of the actual price of handmade items. I also agree with what has been said, there has been a lot of abuse of alchemy - my biggest peeve would be asking for items to be done involving copyright infringement.

I agree with so many others before: Etsy, please reconsider this decision. Reconsider KEEPING Alchemy as is until you're ready to roll out the new version. Just imagine if you had killed the Treasury before presenting a new option...Alchemy is a more direct route to exposure, sales, and a time savings to the requestor. I agree improvements are necessary, but to second an earlier voice, why not capture reactions from the users (sellers and customers) and make sure what you're rolling out includes things we'd all like to see. If you *must* pull Alchemy entirely, we'd all appreciate further explanation, as well as an ETA for the new roll out. You're basically shutting off a major pipeline for many of us.

SO - Etsy don't you have any replys for us, what are you thinking? and why not give some more details, as to what is coming, because if you can't give any details it makes us, the Seller, feel as though you don't even know what your doing next- other than shutting down something that seems so vital to so many!! I truley hope that you are considering all this feedback, and rethinking your action. I totaly agree with many who have said that as you have been planning this, why not let us know sooner, why not come up with a better alternative? Shutting it down completely seems irresponsible to this community that you have created. K

Typically a company will create a new version of a product or service BEFORE shutting down the current one. I for one and upset about this - I have found numerous talented artisans thru Alchemy who have made me top quality items that were EXACTLY what I wanted or needed. If I had to sift through the tens of thousands of artists to find someone who might make what I need, it would not be worth my time. I hope that you do replace the service, Etsy, as I may be put off enough to not use Etsy at all.

We had a few requests, though no one ever responded to our contact with them. Found it not to be such a good experience as a seller that #1 has always stated exactly what we do and don't do, in our Etsy Policies. A well informed customer makes for a great shopping experience. Looking forward to seeing how you will revise things, Etsy. LOVE you and thank GOD for you every single day. eBay became such a HORROR, you swooped down and saved so many of us <3

Ooh, looking forward to see what happens next.

It will be great to see improvements; but will really miss the ability to bid on custom items; my shop received some great visibility through Alchemy. I'm going to miss it a lot; hope it comes back even better. Please don't get rid of it all together; we need alchemy!

I feel compelled to echo KADesigns...Etsy is being terribly silent on the issus that have been raised. Let us hope that means they are presently huddled to decide the next move, response (detailed we hope), or change of mind. In terms of some of the "issues" raised about how the sytem works, well no system is perfect. As artisans we also have our business to run. So if it works better for you to take a request and steer it into convo - fine. I agree, sometimes that works best. But please note you found that contact via Alchemy. If your customer is having difficulties navigating then as a business person we need to provide them the direction and assistance. The whole concept of Etsy is for artisans, INDIVIDUALS working alone, to create items for customers. Yes, come of those are going to be pre-created. By the nature of the product often they will be one of a kind, and often made to order. I know what I can do, and do well, in a period of time and am amazed at the quantities some are able to create. But each of us is different and work differently. As for the low ball pricing concerns, I have some of the same concerns. But if a customer is looking for something at a price that doesn't account for my materials and time - then I don't quote. I prepare my quotes using a fairly standard rate for my time. And also respect that there is a difference between what can be purchased at retail between Walmart and Nordstroms. The copyright concerns are valid. Although often a picture is worth a thousand words and having a customer say I like the neckline in this, the fabric in that is quite helpful. We don't all speak the same jargon! That being said, if someone is adamant that the item must be an exact duplicate of a specific designer's item - then I won't bid. But this is where we police ourselves. Scams? sure - but those can come via all sorts of avenues. It is pretty apparent from the postings that have been made in the less than 24 hours since this announcement was made that this avenue is of value to many - both buyers and sellers. Therefore, it would seem to make BUSINESS sense to keep it up and running until the new system is up. It would also seem to make BUSINESS sense to then migrate those orders placed under the old system to the new system so the process can be completed. Etsy are you listening?

Alchemy has been a good tool for generating new designs attuned to what my customers currently want. However, the current alchemy has been the source of almost all the customer confusion and frustration I have experienced. Good luck on the revamp!

what makes people so sure that their new alchemy is going to eliminate people looking for the lowest possible price on something? even so, if i wanted to find a hand knit baby hat through search right now, i could find one for $4 or i could find one for $40. Projecting that Etsy is somehow going to fix it or even possible COULD fix it so that everyone has to sell at a price that YOU think is fair is really pretty ridiculous. That may be what you personally think is wrong with Alchemy but to defend pulling it down indefinitely thinking that they are going to "fix" this, you are just deceiving yourself. Even if they eliminated "ideal price" that doesn't stop someone from making a bid to make that hat for $4

what makes people so sure that their new alchemy is going to eliminate people looking for the lowest possible price on something? even so, if i wanted to find a hand knit baby hat through search right now, i could find one for $4 or i could find one for $40. Projecting that Etsy is somehow going to fix it or even possible COULD fix it so that everyone has to sell at a price that YOU think is fair is really pretty ridiculous. That may be what you personally think is wrong with Alchemy but to defend pulling it down indefinitely thinking that they are going to "fix" this, you are just deceiving yourself. Even if they eliminated "ideal price" that doesn't stop someone from making a bid to make that hat for $4

they have already said there will be no new alchemy as we know it, that it doesn't fit their new infrastructure of the site, that they want to develop different features for a buyer to be able to request custom items, and that they suggest requesting items from individuals sellers instead. and he cannot comment on a time frame.

PattenCreations I agree with everything you just said. Alchemy is vital. 4 of the 6 sales out of my alchemy were very large. Without alchemy I wouldn't have found those jobs. Luckily I have a day job (as a jeweler here in town) but etsy still has helped me so much. Even the bids that I didn't win, some buyers still came back and bought at a later date. Or favorited my shop (potential sales there too) Its hard to be found in a sea of sellers. I've even done showcase here on etsy.. Nothing worked better then the alchemy.

that was said in the forums. http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6761467&page=17

I am not suprised to read this and am happy you are looking to improve it! I got some of my coolest work on alchemy. I often times thought Etsy was getting cheated out of fees (not my transactions) but I could see how easy it could be for people to get the jobs and conduct the work and circumvent paying necessary fees to Etsy. Also, only about 10% of my bids ever got any kind of responses-I started each day bidding on jobs with my am coffee! It is so simple to just click the "no" thanks but some people couldn't even be kind enough to do that! So I look forward to the positive changes-thanks for all the effort it takes to make Etsy even better-it is still an awesome, awesome place!

I wish there was a way to keep it going until the "revamp" I am not worried about customers for me, because the convo works fine for people who find me, but I will miss it.

I didn't get custom orders from Alchemy, but I have used it to find special things that I know I couldn't find otherwise. I am waiting for some special items right now that I know I couldn't find if there weren't the Alchemy. It would take so long to go out and find shops that would do what I need, and then have to wait for the response, then try to compare price. Glad I got in under the wire... hope the new one will be up soon. I need to be able to put out my needs there.

I think most of us can agree that alchemy is a bit confusing to use at first, but as a seller who uses it often....I have no problem explaining the ins and outs. I have never lost a sale because someone didn't like alchemy. Alchemy is a powerful tool to show customers what you can do for them. Thinking about trying to create a listing for every possible item that someone may want is a futile idea, especially considering that I hear more feedback from customers that they don't like trying to search for what they are looking for. If you remove alchemy and listings increase, this just furthers the confusion. The problem with underpricing doesn't even need to be addressed. You give the customer the options, within your going rates. They can take it or leave it. Where is the feedback from Etsy admin? I think it's time to flood etsy admin with convos about the 'little' people that they are affecting with this decision. Who's with me??

Please dont take Alchemy away. As a seller, I not only do custom jewelry buy am a seamstress too. I have not gotten any sales from my regular site, but am doing very well by bidding on jobs on Etsy. Now you are taking that away? How about revamping the Etsy sites so that we get more traffic there! So there goes my new source of income. How else can I get my name out there for doing seamstress work as well as custom jewelry?

I feel like this post was very carefully worded by Etsy to not really promise us anything. Reading it, I want to believe they're planning a new and improved version of Alchemy, but the words they use don't actually promise that. It makes me uneasy. I think we all would have appreciated details not just on the ending of this current way of doing things, but also into the vision Etsy has for a new, better way to do them. I convo sellers all the time to ask for custom items - when they have something similar to what I want. But when I'm looking for something I can't find currently available in shops, it's easier and more rewarding to let sellers come to me through Alchemy and show me what I didn't even know they could make. My last Alchemy purchase was from a wonderfully talented seller whose actual Etsy shop contained nothing close to what I wanted. But through the Alchemy bid, she showed me pictures of other custom orders she had created that were exactly what I was looking for. She made a better product than I could have imagined, she did it for less than I originally planned to pay, and since she was the one quoting the price, I believe it was fair. I never would have found her without Alchemy, and I wouldn't have known whom to convo with my custom need. So even though they haven't promised us anything and are being a little cagey for my taste, I am hoping like so many of you than a decent revamp is in the works that preserves everything that's so great about Alchemy and lets those of you who thrive on bidding for custom orders keep cranking out the amazing one of a kind items.

Almost ALL of my sold orders are from Alchemy... I guess I might just have to quit etsy......... Not everyone can afford to create bunch of art to display........ HAVE THE NEW FEATURE READY BEFORE TAKING THIS DOWN PLEASE!!!

I always wondered a little about people looking for a cheaper imitation of an item and copyright laws. I am thinking that perhaps you are shutting down Alchemy to avoid legal problems with copyright? If so, couldn't you have someone monitor the postings and just censor illegal postings? That would keep us going. WE NEED ALCHEMY! There must be another solution!

everything else aside, i think Alchemy has been the most FUN thing about Etsy

When will the new functionality be in place and live?

As per the link i posted, the admins decline to comment about a timeframe.

I cannot believe this, how hard can that be! MAYBE they need to put a ALCHEMY request and ask our fellow artists/ tech people to help them.....

Whoa..... I've gotten more than a few sales from Alchemy. Some things I like about it, some things not but I work with it. Right now I'm working on an item that the buyer would have NEVER known I could do by just searching the listings, it's similar to what have listed but she would never have know that so she would not have known to ask me for the custom listing. I guess she would have resorted to a "big box store type" item.... oh well. I heard that Alchemy was here a LONG time ago and went away, took forever to return.... looks like it's happening again!

I have to touch on something people have been bringing up in their posts - copyright infringement. There will ALWAYS be people out there who want a copy of a designer style for less than what you would pay for a cheap Walmart product, and there will ALWAYS be "artists" who lack their own ideas so they copy other designers and call the work their own. That is nothing new and will not go away by Alchemy being shut down. Besides, it is up to the individual sellers to decide if they want to deal with a potential lawsuit or they'd rather produce original designs. Etsy is not supposed to, and cannot physically manage to police every single seller and every single buyer on the site. Ditto for the buyers requesting one-of-a-kind items at bargain basement prices and the sellers gleefully obliging. I use Alchemy a lot, and simply do not bid on requests like the ones mentioned above. The problem that is painfully obvious with the original Etsy Admin announcement about Alchemy "taking a rest" as well as with the subsequent Admin "clarification" is that the notice was inadequate. For crying out loud, even when you get a pink slip from an office or factory, they give you at least 2 weeks notice and sometimes even provide a nice severance package to go with it (that is unless you are fired for gross misconduct, and I don't think ALL Etsy sellers and byers using Alchemy can be accused of gross misconduct). Also, the lack of information about the new, revamped feature and the refusal on the part of Etsy Admin to give even an approximate ETA are completely unprofessional, and a bad - or should I say unfair - business practice. If Etsy does not have regard and consideration for those who made and still are making Etsy what it is, then we as sellers and buyers have every right to disrespect Etsy as well. How would the bigwigs at Etsy feel if we plastered announcements all over our Etsy shops that we are moving elsewhere due to Etsy's unfair business practices? Or for those of us who use social media, how would they feel if we disrespected Etsy by broadcasting this latest development and the way it is handled all over Facebook, Twitter, and whatever else social media might be out there? Am I going to do that? I don't know yet... If Etsy starts treating its buyers and sellers as human beings deserving of respect again, then I certainly won't do anything even remotely harmful to Etsy. But if Etsy continues treating us as just another piece of disposable property, well... And just for the record for the top brass at Etsy, no I am not calling for insurgency. Let every buyer and every seller decide on their own course of action according to their own personal convictions.

So bridal parties that I am making formal wear for that are due in April, May and October will not be able to be marked as complete (After February 24, Alchemy requests will not be able to be marked as complete) and therefore, my buyers will not be able to provide FEEDBACK??????????????? WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON HERE....

Unfortunately, alchemy has greatly strayed from the original function it was constructed to address. Like most everything on Etsy it is a trifle confusing to use, and the info page does not clear up the questions we have, but, cloud things further. There is no black and white explanation, only gray areas to further dismay people and move them away from it. It has gotten to the point it is a place customers use like a flea market or black market - they want it cheaper, you won't bancrupt yourself, and sell out - they post an alchemy request for something at a ridicuosly low price, often times using your very own posting to serve as an ad, to what they want, and how little they are going to spend. Custom orders throughout time are more COSTLY - they require a new design being made (just for you), they are not tried and true formats, so there is waste while perfecting the technique. Furthermore, this is a lot of peoples bread and butter - but, wanting them to create perfection for you, at a price lower than retail, and even lower than their own posted pricepoints is not right. That's why sometimes when you POUNCE, or TIME MACHINE 2, you see so many 'garage sale looking items' people who can make a profit and sell their items, either sell something already used, with inferior quality materials, or just plain sell useless, junky garbage. The true artisans are being further edged out of the market. True talent requires time (and money) invested in evolving ones craft. You have to have learned it, passed down the generations, or taking classes (or self-instruction using purchased courses, books, etc....) also to really be able to make items at the drop of a hat requires an inventory - or running all over twon looking for the things needed to create your item. Again, we are back to time and money, at the core! People are indeed abusing the system, and it is detrimental to the true artisans, artists and trade people on here. The atmosphere is at times freakish and circus-like. Have you looked at all the same 'wares' being sold - all the same thing, made from discards (while this has a place - truly artistic people find a different venue. Who can compete with discards, when their own base materials are so costly. Meanwhile, endeavoring to do anything, and do it right, it should still hold true to the axium 'you get what you pay for', as well as it takes money to make money.... A new Alchemy should strictly state rules - not allude to them. There should also either be no upcycled things sold - or a special section for them i.e.: Supplies. I have also seen many items being sold as handmade (which were purchased online, and are not the shops creations, although they take credit for them, and post them as such. It's truly a wonderful site, but, sometimes if you've never seen anything like it before in your life - perhaps there was a reason - bazaar quality items, maybe they should be sold at bazaars, church sales, flea markets.... Alchemy would require New Thinking, an outside the box approach, and better guidelines, perhaps with fines listed to people perpetrating outright copyright theft. Set up a low cost way for us artisans to copyright our designs (and enforce them?)as a functional part of etsy - offered on your site?? Surely someone would step forward to offer these services to etsy users.

NO NO NO! I recently got a paycut from work and alchemy has helped me to maintain my bills and mortgage!!!! why would they do this!?!?

I have used Alchemy to purchase items and have had quite a few orders placed through Alchemy...however I also had issues with customers finding it confusing so I ended up writing them Custom Orders in my shop anyway. There is ABSOLUTELY issues with people expecting to get ALOT for ridiculous prices and with people trying to underbid (and that is without knowing other sellers bids). I am looking forward to an improved alchemy, hoping it will be a quick return :) SIDENOTE: I also think there are issues with scams starting on Etsy. I suggest everyone use tracking if they don't already...and if you are a buyer, tell them you won't purchase without it (just some free advice). ERIN hitsthespot.etsy.com

I only ever used the Alchemy once. Otherwise, I write a shop owner a conversation and ask them personally if they can help me. I've never had a problem with doing that at all.

That's really too bad for the sellers who get so many sales from alchemy and buyers, like myself, that have found many great items through alchemy. I hope that the feature is back up and running with it's "new and improved" features very soon! I will miss it!

I have been reading what everyone has been saying last night and this morning and I am dumbfounded by the lack of respect Etsy is giving us! I have had 100% of my sales due to Alchemy and honestly have cried about the fact that I have know idea what I will do when it is taken away! It has helped me and my family through a hard time, and for all the sellers on here who depend on this as there way of paying all of the bills, Etsy should be ashamed of themselves!!!!!! Etsy has profited off of everyone of my sales and in return are taking it away, and with a lousy heads up at that! The fact that the administrator says: "First, from a usability standpoint, Alchemy isn't good enough. It creates a great amount of confusion for shoppers and sellers alike. That in turn creates a huge amount of support requests. That's time that we know will be better invested in other support needs. For every member that makes use of Alchemy and is satisfied, there are others left confused. We're putting an end to that" That is a load of junk and a pure lazy one at that!! I have been to many websites that have been confusing in some way or the other and that is just how it is going to be always!! As an administrator it is his job to deal with the questions, oh well if it is to much for him to handle, it sounds like to me Etsy needs to find a new way for them to handle and answer all questions thrown at them! All Etsy is doing is making it more difficult for the customer to find what they want, especially the ones that do not have all day to search for it! This is the easiest way for someone to just say what they want!! Oh well if people don't like the fact that other sellers are getting requests over them because their price is lower, you charge how you feel is the right price for you not to please everyone else who is in the same field you are! If there is someone out there who can make something for someone else that they can afford then why shouldn't they, doesn't everyone in the world deserve to buy something that they want but that they can afford???? I have never in my life heard of someone shutting down something before they have it revamped because there are some cliches and the administrator can't handle his job of answering them!! Of course I have had customers say that something is confusing for them and could I please explain, but it has never been an issue! I really hope that Etsy changes their mind about this!

aleeraye (and eveyone else that keeps saying everyone wants something for nothing on alchemy) your allowed to over bid their ideal price and give them a reason as to why you are putting the price you are putting. nothing will ever stop someone wanting too much for too little. You have to work with them, and if needed give them a payment plan. My roomie does it even with his normal customers. Not everyone knows the worth, some do and don't want to pay it. you can choose not to bid, or enlighten them as to how much time it takes, the cost of materials, and the need for some sort of profit on top.

I love the alchemy site. I too, think it is time for a rest. I can not wait to see the new and improved site.

I am excited for a revamp and hope it comes back soon (and better!) As others mentioned, I was frustrated if I found pictures of my items on Alchemy and people asking others to complete it for 1/2 off or more. To me, it's disrespectful to the artisan and I hope there's a way to curb this.

OK please tell me how you think they can prevent someone from trying to have someone else make the same thing for cheaper?!?!?! And even if this is one of the issues, they still shouldn't have to shut it down to figure out ways to fix things!!

You police yourself and not bid on the rip off they want and report the request. I myself have found several jobs that they wanted remakes of stuff off deviantart. I quietly contacted the original artist and showed them the request, and the request dissapeared soon after. Its a two way road, the buyers are not the only bad ones for requesting a rip.. the seller also has a hand in it when they bid on the item and make it.. But what if the item was broken, and you cannot find another one and it was sentimental to you? Guess that's left up to moral judgment, how about make something similar but not the same.

Good move. I poked around in alchemy once and just didn't get it... I am excited to see a more user friendly system! :)

I love the Alchemy concept, but as many sellers and buyers have noted already, I requested custom items directly from the sellers who had things that looked like what I was looking for. I do think the idea of engaging with someone to make you precisely what you're looking for is solid, and it will be interesting to see how that creation process gets reintroduced. :)

OMG! NOOOOOOO! Alchemy is the best part of Etsy. It's what really sets it apart from other selling/buing websites. Many sellers make items that may not be listed on their shop page. I look through Alchemy EVERY DAY! The items people are looking for are unique and I love looking through the requests. I get lots of ideas from it. PLEASE don't get rid of ALCHEMY!!! :((((

I have found NO confusion with Alchemy and love the interaction with other Etsy people it provides for custom items. If someone doesn't see the value in it, then they don't have to use it, but PLEASE don't get rid of it! OH NO!

I don't understand how one can get confused with it. Read it and fill in the blanks. people bid, you accept a bid and reply by convo. Its not hard at all..

Alchemy is flawed in that the requestor never has to respond to a bidder! This is a bad part, but there is lots of good. Waiting to see changes. thanks

I just tried a button that said "live chat - we are available now" pressed the button (tried this several times - as with so many other buttons her on etsy) that lead to nothing.... I have been bilked by someone accepting my alchemy request, I sent them my material and ribbon, convo-ed for a while back and forth, she still has my materials, and I have no merchandise from her.And do we have a place to post this on the site - to forewarn others, not to use this vendor for this specific reason? NO! Took me weeks to contact etsy - try and contact them - was instructed to do 'so and so', computer would not accept their expert info. This matter has never been resolved - there is no place to take your grievances, and then you get answers (that infer, either they have not read a word you wrote, or sent you a gerenic message generated through the computer) ebay has many faults, but, they make rules and enforce them - get the picture? I would never get robbed of my materials, and nothing have been done there. Only problem is that they are not the proper venue for handmade goods. Take better care of your sellers ( and even buyers for that matter) without that we have the choas - that we currently have - bad transactions, and outright theft - just being left to fester. There has to be a system to fall back on. Otherwise, it's outright anarchy. Also, one major thing that irked me is that people who asked for bids, by posting an alchemy in the first place, do not have the common courtesy, and manners to push a simple button "declined". You asked for responses, be nice enough to reject them or accept them, but, not having the decency to post a reply?!?... It's discouraging to many people, it's off-putting...you would get more replies and better replies if you used common courtesy! HELLO! Just needed an outlet to vent, since etsy does not allow us one. Thank you!

Never send out something until you receive full payment. I never work on something unless I get half upfront first (I work off etsy, this is just another way to sell work) I also watermark my pieces before getting full payment so people don't run off with the sample and call it good. physical wares like jewelry and stuff is the same.. dont send it out till you get the money, thats that. Would walmart give you an item and trust you would pay later? Why should you(anyone) do that?

This is so terrible. I have paid little attention to many of the other changes that etsy has been making, but this is a serious problem. I get about half of my etsy income through alchemy, and the other half through my custom listings.Most of the the orders I get through alchemy are options that had not occurred to the buyer. Without the wonderful option that is alchemy Etsy looses much of its uniqueness. We can make custom and made to order listings on any website.

I must state, I found the Alchemy setting very confusing as well. It was much easier to just 'convo with a perspective client, then upon agreement, just post a reserved listing. If Etsy did away with it, I sure wouldn't miss it either.

I've never had any issues in the difficulty of using alchemy - in fact a great majority of my work comes from responding to these custom requests. And I've made many requests for items that I've found difficult to find. Does etsy have an estimated date of when the new alchemy will be up and running? It's just a great function of the community - how long do we have to go without it?

"For every member that makes use of Alchemy and is satisfied, there are others left confused. We're putting an end to that" So just because half of the people who deal with Etsy cant figure Alchemy out they are going to take it away?! Yea it could use a little tweaking, but really? Fix it on a seperate server then replace the current one...dont remove it for an unspecified amount of time. I would find it hard to believe that Etsy doesn't make a huge amount of money from the Alchemy to want to keep it around...hopefully they bring it back better than ever. AND QUICK! What irritates me most is that Etsy puts most of its effort into promoting new items and sellers leaving those of us with items a month or two old in the dark recesses of the website. No one can find our stuff unless someone is searching for it specifically. Personally I dont want to have a 100 word description to each of my items just so it will pop up when someone is doing a search.

Two sites that are to be considered, however, they do not compare to the Alchemy but will get your shop items out there....the more places you can be the better if alchemy is going away.....let's communicate with each other as to other comparable options...I am still searching for more, hope you will do the same and keep us all posted.... Artfire.com, and zibbet.com Good luck and share your finds....

I don't know if you are allowed to post competing sites. I've looked into them both, zibbet is a baby, but has potential. artfires alchemy is horrid.. I just want etsy's alchemy to be upgraded and STAY.

correction artfires 'request a custom' is horrid. don;t wanna get in trouble.

I agree, I want it to stay as well, but if they never bring it back or if it takes months and months those of us who depended on it, respected it and treated it with care, are being disrespected and treated uncaringly. As it has been said, any reputable company would have the new program up and running before taking one that may not be perfect but is working away with a week's notice!

I'm glad to see this. I've used Alchemy as a seller a few times and find it cumbersome. 99% of my custom orders are arranged through direct convo from a buyer. Interested to see how this evolves.

I hope that there will be a replacement mechanism for this...Alchemy was the only place I was making money. This is devastating news!

New to etsy. Thanks for the info. I'm just trying to learn about what all is out there.

Okay. What is with the remarks about rip-off items and such? I kinda get it, and at the same time i am pretty sure i am about to set myself up to be attacked by saying this. I am a muralist, a face-painter, a window-painter. I paint used wooden furniture, canvases, lockets, pendants... I pride myself in being affordable. Most of my income made off-line is made painting murals in low to middle class homes. And i have no problem with making something for someone who has posted any of the following: 1. i really would like to buy something similar to this mass produced artwork from pottery barn but couldn't afford it if my life depended on it, 2. i saved a picture of this item online a year ago and now can't find a seller anywhere, can someone make me one similar, 3. i love fell in love with this piece that i saw but can't afford, or 4. i googled and found this item on another art site but i already belong to etsy, can someone on here make me something like it. i honestly find it very hard to believe that with so many creative people out there that anyone has anything that is a truely one of a kind item that has never been made in similar form before by anyone else ever. and to be honest, if someone wanted to buy an item that i had but couldn't afford it, and they were able to find someone that would make them a similar item for less then I am okay with that. They are buying what they can afford. I assume that they know that quality may be less, but heck, some people on here overcharge pretty good for some of their items. Sure some of the items on alchemy are extremely odd or unusual very likely to be one of a kind items, but the majority are things that other people can and/or have made before. Whay are some of the people that are upset that alchemy is being removed the same people that thing that it is wrong for people to look on alchemy for something for less than what they are finding it listed for? If they changed it so people can't request things they can find online then wouldn't I get my listing removed if i went on and said "I've seen these knitted owl hats for kids. I want one but can't afford to spend more than $10 on it. Can someone make me one?" Oh wait! Lawsuit time! Someone on here makes those! Darn it... guess I better stop painting disney murals in kids rooms now too. Those people at Disney can surely afford a MUCH better lawyer than I would ever be able to get. *tsk*

i don't think that miles of complaints about how alchemy works is going to encourage the people running this site to keep something similar available.

I LOVE Alchemy and have used it quite a bit. Through this feature I have connected with and developed relationship with sellers who I otherwise would not have found. I hope it comes back soon!

I used Alchemy when it first came out, but then it started to get really cumbersome. A good portion of my customers send me conversations requesting custom orders, and it works well for me. I wish Etsy the best of luck in making something user friendly.

If someone is determined to get an item made for less, then what is to keep them from using the "request custom item" for the same purpose. in fact it is easier for them to do that because it is a private one on one communication rather than something that will be posted publicly and then removed because it is a violation.

i never used alchemy because it was too complex and people didn't seem like they wanted to pay for what an item was actually worth when there was always someone else who'd do it for nothing. maybe that's just me. i am interested to see what the changes will be but it seems like a key piece of information is missing...when do you estimate the new version of alchemy will be rolled out? and why does etsy never seem to respond to the legitimate questions people share in response to etsy's blog/tech updates? from the sound of it, many folks DO depend on alchemy as the sole source of their etsy income and it seems a drastic thing to make life even more difficult for people in this economy. if closing it on a temporary basis is the only way you can fix it, please tell us so people can understand and start to plan how they are going to feed their families in the meantime, it's the only fair thing to do.

also NOWHERE has Etsy said that their motivation or goals in this upheaval has anything to do with that, or that if they put up a new version will it have any intention of preventing customers from asking for cheaply made items. you are projecting your own wishes on their actions.

these requests only come up every couple of weeks anyway and they are always removedd.

the only reason etsy has actually stated for this is that people get confused and write to support with questions. i bet there are at least 30 alchemy sellers that are willing to VOLUNTEER to walk people through making a request if they have questions or confusion

The problem is that when you request a custom item from one particular seller and they accept, you accept and they make it...you just settled for the first thing that came along. I have done that, I searched and searched for a seller that could make me something and when I finally found someone to make it I locked on, bought it, and got it. A week later I ran across another seller who could have done it ten times better...had I know about Alchemy at that time, it prob would have saved me a bunch of money. Also had the search engines in Etsy been better I would have found this other seller sooner.

I still have to laugh that more than half of the complaints I'm seeing against Alchemy are based on it's USERS and not the SYSTEM ITSELF. Etsy won't stop people taking advantage of you. Etsy won't keep people posting things for chump change. If you've never used Alchemy? Great, good for you, but save your 2 cents for a listing.

Agreed mcgreetings!! I have been looking at some other sites and I think they could be really good if the word gets out!!

I do hope that some form of alchemy returns! I've never used it as a seller, but I have used as a buyer and loved the process. I got the thank you cards for my wedding through alchemy as well as all the graphic design work for my shop. Like GrynixDesigns said, if you request a custom order from one etsy seller you only have that artist's vision to work with. Alchemy helped me as a buyer to find something that exactly suited my needs. Without something like alchemy you'd have to convo several different sellers to basically say "how would you make me a custom ______ and what would it cost?" only to then convo them back and say "thanks, but I've picked someone else." That is a much bulkier and potentially offensive way of handling things.

The loss of alchemy will put not only a damper on my business, but will cause a great financial strain on my family! A lot of my business is generated by alchemy requests. I appreciate that etsy sat down and weighted the pros and cons, but was it the pros and cons of the people they make their money from, or the pros and cons of themselves. I live in CA where not only is it hard to find a job, but expenses and the cost of living are through the roof. The loss of Alchemy for me can mean a lot of different things. Less time with my daughter. Less money for my family. The possibility of no longer being able to run my etsy shop due to more time being spent finding alternative employment. I agree that the system is lacking. I understand that you may not want to keep the program on OLD infrastructure. But its working for now. AND is better than NOTHING! As a seller I hold myself responsible to explain to my client how alchemy works, what is expected of them and how I will achieve their vision. Haven't gotten any complaints. I take it quite personally that ETSY is willing to take these shots at MY family. I don't think that was weighted when making their decision. Regardless, a new system would be useful. ETSY please reconsider this decision, and let us in a bit more on this plan. At one point I felt that ETSY was out to support the artisans and handmade community. To provide us with tools, and an avenue to sell our meticulously handcrafted works. I feel like this is being taken away.

I am devastated half my sales recently have been through Alchemy...I love the challenge This is just so sad :(

I too loved alchemy.

I have used alchemy on both accounts as a buyer and as a seller. I always was more than pleased with the response that I received from anyone bidding on my request, not to mention being very satisfied with the end product. There are many times when one does not know what exactly they are looking for-but when they get that response they know the right one. Hopefully, it does return in some form as I as I am sure there are many others that just don't have the patience to look through tons of pages of items. =:(

ksickles: Alchemy does not make much sense for your type of shop because the most expensive item in your shop is $25. I would not want to waste my time (as a buyer) comparing the offers of many sellers, when the most important thing is cost, and the offers may only be a few cents apart from each other. Now, when a buyer is in the market for a piece that will cost let's say $500, $1500 or more, alchemy comes in very handy. As a buyer you want to see who is out there and what they may be able to do for you. For these kind of buyers, alchemy offers that great first connection to a wide array of sellers who may be able to help them. When you are in the market to spend a considerable amount of money, you really need to be able to COMPARE, DISCUSS AND INTERACT with potential seller(s). But without alchemy you may not be able to find these sellers that would be perfect for you. The search engine's algorithm is far from perfect. And when reviewing search results we do not look much further than the first page of results. So, searching for the right seller for you is definitely not an alternative for what alchemy is doing. Adzia

okay, two of my regular clients from Alchemy have told me that taking it off is a bad idea....I really hope this is just a feedback kind of thing and you are really not taking it away, don't you want to make money....if we make money, you make money, right????, Please don't take it away.....:(

most of my sales come through alchemy. now i will have to look for other ways to find customers. the convo section on my shop works only if the customer will find me. that will not happen. if you look at my album at www.facebook.com/darbynwoods you can see many of the items that i made but would not have with out alchemy. David

ok thanks

Alchemy, once figured out helped me build my shop and feedback. So that was a good thing about it. I have done a lot of Alchemy request in the past but stopped doing it almost all together because out of probably 60+ transactions, I only saw my items posted up maybe 5 times.. While I saw the same sellers day after day.. and for like 48 hours.. those pictures hardly ever regenerated..I asked Etsy about this a couple of times and they said it was due to high volume there at Etsy.. Confusing to me to say the least, because I had a hard time buying the idea that the sellers I keep seeing day after day, just "knew" the right time to complete their project... I also started kinda getting frustrated with some of the unrealistic prices people would throw out there for something they wanted.. Something that they wanted HANDMADE from someone.. I started feeling disgusted for the Esty sellers.. so I just started staying away... I hope the improvements are fantastic! It can be so much better than it is now... I am sure Etsy won't let us down. :0) I am sure it will be better than EVER!

Although I am fairly new to Etsy, I see the good and bad of Alchemy. There are so many Etsians now that it is hard to get an order without Alchemy. As a baker, it is not worth baking every item that I know I can bake just to put it on the site. I responded to many Alchemy requests and "won" a few. The bad part is never hearing back from the requesters. I also feel that so many requesters want an item for almost free. I have to buy fresh ingredients and won't skimp just to get the sale. All my ingredients cost money. I'm doing this to make money not to give it away. I admit that I discounted a couple of sales just to the get the feedback. It seemed like the only way to get a sale. I hope that Etsy comes up with a better way to search while still allowing people to make requests.

:( As a new comer to Etsy this is where I was able to get my work and name out there! I got most of my initial work from Alchemy! It makes it easier for the buyer to get what they need without having to sift through all of Etsy and the buyer the opportunity to create things without guessing who is in the market for it. It also put less pressure on ensuring your tags are the absolute most appropriate as you wouldn't want to lose out on a job because you couldn't tag it thoroughly enough. I'm sad to see it go, even if only for a short while!

I mean, I actually left my graphic design day job when I saw that I can make a living on Alchemy. It was the perfect venue for me and I have not had a single difficulty with the system. I would like to add (as some already have) that the majority of complaints are not about Alchemy itself, but about the people who use it. Even if you run the new Alchemy off a supercomputer you won't stop people from putting up silly requests or asking for unrealistic prices. How can Etsy possibly regulate that? Add a minimum price limit? Ridiculous. If you don't like somebody's listing, don't bid on it, it's not hurting you. Or bid with a price you're ready to do. A lot of buyers aren't sure how much their order would cost. As for not hearing back from requesters, that never bothers me personally. I bid on a VERY high volume of listings every week and it would become very tedious to read through a ton of rejection letters. I simply assume that if I don't get a response, I didn't get the job. Simple enough, really. It's just the more I think about this whole thing, the more upsetting it seems.

Don't take Alchemy away!! It's soo difficult to sort through hundreds of pages to find a shop that may/may not be willing to make your custom idea. And sometimes there is no shop available to make what you want...but through Alchemy you can find that perfect person who will make what your heart desires!

I have been reading the remarks here and I have this to say. 1. People say just convo me if you want something. If I am a buyer how do I find the seller to convo. Noone has been able to answer that. 2 My wife has a shop she has just started. She is so happy she has found Alchemy, most of her sales have come from there. 3. I have looked over both the buying and selling end of Alchemy, It is not hard to use at all. If someone has so much business that they don't need Alchemy why are they even commenting on how it works. 4. This is to Etsy staff. My wife is disabled. She was so happy she had found a way to bring in some money to the family. Now now that you are stopping Alchemy she may not be able to make any sales. THANK YOU ETSY FOR SCREWING MY WIFE.

I won't miss alchemy. The convo system and custom listings are the way to go! Thank you for continually tweaking things to make this the best place to sell! I love etsy!

I don't think that the process of working with alchemy works AT ALL. Very confusing! However, I have found it's a great way to seek customers so this will be a little bit of a challenge.

I hate this. Yes, alchemy needed changes. But taking it away is NOT ok. Many sellers can bid on items they may not have in their shops-how will the seller be found? They won't-lost business. And buyers are not going to take the time to convo 50 different sellers, sellers lose out again. Epic fail etsy.

I am a multi-faceted artist with capabilities in multiple media. What I list on my Etsy site is .5% of what I can do and am willing to do. I have TRULY enjoyed Alchemy. I have bid on multiple jobs and gotten ideas of what someone is seeking to have custom made. I would like to heavily encourage the admisistrative staff of Etsy to reconsider or offer an alternative similar to Alchemy. Alchemy is not perfect, but it is very workable and I know I have benefitted from it. I know MANY who work strickly from it. I seriously feel that to take it away will remove a major function that Etsy has now become known for and artists have come to enjoy creating for. I emplore you to please reconsider. Thank you.

oh no~~~~ I love alchemy! I used to find things I want, and helped out others....

As a buyer, it is a time saver. You post what you are seeking and those with it contact you! What could be more perfect than that! As a seller, you get to see what someone is wanting, and work accordingly. Again, perfect! This is expecially true for high end items. Now quite frankly, many of the requests are unreasonable....big expectations for pennies on the dollar of time. If I see a post of that nature, I either do not bid or bid what is a fair price to me. They buyer either accepts my bid or not. I take great pains to be very explicit in my bid and offer differnt options for different price points. So the client CLEARLY knows what I am willing to do at what price. SO maybe the solution is to set the format that buyers and sellers go through up slightly differently so that it is CLEARER and FAIR to both buyer and seller. Or something like that. Shutting it down forever is akin to throwing the perverable baby out with the bath water in my humble opinion. Thank you for listening!

We hope it wont be shut down for good. We love using the alchemy. One thing we do not like about it is that if we accept a bid and then the buyer backs out we are charged the etsy fee and we don't get paid.

noticed a few people are advertising their custom abilities on Alchemy now.. I can't say that I blame them.. a lot of people are going into a state of near-panic.. this is a huge source of income for many shops, and it's going to hurt.

I've fulfilled alchemy bids twice and they have been incredibly wonderful projects to work on. I have never had any problems with the old alchemy. Maybe this will allow buyers to search for ME rather than just someone who is willing to make the "perfect" king sized quilt for $100...

Etsy Admin seems determined to turn Etsy on its head. At the same time that alchemy is being done away with they are eliminating forums. Can't you just leave things alone if they aren't broken???

I'm among the sellers whose income comes 90% of the time through Alchemy and word-of-mouth. PLEASE don't shut down the old Alchemy while you're working on the new--and, your timing sucks! We had NO warning!

A year ago I started a business and bought a very expensive piece of equipment - the work I do locally is great, and pays the bills, but finding Alchemy has helped me expand my portfolio, meet clients, build a reputation, and give great ideas for future projects. Alchemy was far from perfect, but it's what we had, and those of us that comb listings daily rely upon it for extra income. Fix the problems, please! But in the meantime, let us continue as is - hell, I'd be willing to help pay for your support staff to stay on rather than to loose the revenue/client stream. Sometimes in business we're forced to adapt, and I feel we have no choice but to do so here... but let me just say that, Etsy, you blind sided us, and it was totally unnecessary. A 7 day notice is hardly fair game - clearly you've been considering this move for sometime - so why not give us a 30 day notice, or more, to allow us to adapt our business plans? I felt comfortable with Alchemy... and didn't feel like at this moment, I needed to push more than I already was - I was learning new techniques and working on small scale projects, and everything was great. This definitely throws a wrench into everything. Simple fact of the matter is, those of us starting out on Etsy cannot compete with the shops baring thousands in feedback and listings galore - we just can't - and Alchemy was our saving grace - if customers are forced to go in search of the sellers, I feel certain many will not reach out to multiple sellers, and will simply contact the first shop they come across - I guess I'll have to pray that's me. You're making a big mistake.

"...if customers are forced to go in search of the sellers, I feel certain many will not reach out to multiple sellers, and will simply contact the first shop they come across - I guess I'll have to pray that's me.: {Wacodis} Well put....

I did most of my sales through alchemy. It would be very sad, if it disappeared totally. I can't wait to see the "new" alchemy and hope that it will be better...

I had my little experience in Alchemy. Hope to see a fresh Alchemy from her beauty sleep. :}

Please don't let alchemy sleep too long! The majority of my sales came through alchemy. Before I tried alchemy, I would have never believed I would make custom jewelry for brides from coast to coast. It's a shame for those who worked it regularly that it is removed for an unspecified time. Also for those who want to find the perfect custom item. Yes, one can convo sellers, but that is not as efficient as putting a request out to bid. I was able to get the perfect banner, avatar and business cards made thanks to alchemy. I agree it can be improved. I'm just surprised Etsy would take such a popular and productive service down for an unspecified time while the revision is developed. I look forward to the new version and hope it goes live soon!

I used it a few times and was happy on the requesting end. But as a seller I was not a fan with the bid process. Wonder what it will be like now.

I have created a loss of Alchemy related graphic in my shop which I hope people will favorite. With enough visits it might just become visible enough to raise our voices

Well said Wacodis !

Great job Wacodis!!!!!

I love your graphic DigitalArtWorks

Maybe ETSY is just trying to see how much we all really love and need the ALCHEMY so they can justify RAISING their FEES!!!!!! Geesh, all they have to do is raise them, all of us who don't want it to go away will pay!!!!!

Heck!!! I bet if ETSY asked for volunteers to support all the requests for help they would be inundated!!!!! How long did these decision makers go to college (if they did) and how much money did they cost their parents to make these BS decisions? Isn't there anyone in ETSY that feels this is WRONG??? Bad business??? NO NOTICE!!!! What we complete after the decision makers deadline cannot get credit!!!! WHAT?????????? If you were fired, laid off or if you quit, would your unfinished work never be finished?????????? Again, BAD BUSINESS!!!!!!! I am on the search for something else.....

Let your voice be heard.... mailto:voicers@edit.nydailynews.com Write your editorial and send it in....right to BROOKLYN, NY home of ETSY!!!!

Our mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers. Our vision is to build a new economy and present a better choice REALLY, ETSY?????????????

I would rather be bidding and confirming and creating than searching for a new avenue!!!! GRRRR!!! Well, when one door shuts another opens...let's see if that is true....

I am very unhappy and dissappointed that Etsy would shut down this feature and not offer a new and improved alchemy immediately. Alchemy is interesting not only for someone looking for a custom item, but for any etsy seller or buyer, to get an idea of what people are interested in buying. It is a marketing opportunity and teaches those new to etsy how to become sales people and initiate that first "buy" which is tough to come by. My first alchemy is what gave me my first buyer. This totally blows, etsy. Shame on you.

SHAME ON YOU ETSY ! There, now I can move on.

oh man, I'll miss Alchemy! I have such specific taste that it's hard to find exactly what I'm looking for sometimes!

This is a great post... thank you for sharing...

thank for your good information

Hello ETSY?? ETSY? are you there? can you here us??? Have you done ANY analasis on capital gained from this feature?? I find it hard to believe that you have and are still willing to shut it down! I find the process of getting my Banner in correctly and sizing my pix from my PC to fit Etsy more confusing than anything on Alchemy!!! Totally agree w/ wacodis - Ditto to Scrapboarding and LOVED Graphic @ DigitalArtWorks!! Hey if you don't use Alchemy then don't comment like gardenman said, this realy dosen't concern those people. Heres an idea - Why dosen't ETSY trying polling the buyers that continually use this feature?? How much thought realy went into this, were you drinking? smoking? what!! As far as copying and copyright- I have seen SOOO many "Boutique" shops that are at the top and featured copying Licensed charecter items by the thousnads!!! and these are selling like crazy!!! I live in Orlando Fl home of Disney and Theme Park central, I was reticent to do anything Disney do to the fact that they have a legal licennse and HEAVILY protect that black Mickey head and ear image, and can at any time sue you for selling it in any way shape or form!! I have done my research here and was one of the first things taught in a design class I attended. I have spoken w. a friend high up on the Disney chain and asked about this issue - he said they don't generaally go after the"Boutiques" as it dose increase their exposure- however they are watching, and if you get too big w/ their items, they will and do come knocking and the law is on their side!! So beware! As far as any other copying here- well ETSY dose not seem to protect that anyway, and I've had custom requests from Alchemy saying they did contact the original seller and they either do not answer the request or don't want to make it anymore. Others need it made in a different fabric for various reasons. I soooo agree with everyone about searching the sellers, when the search engine is flawed/ or biased as it is, not to mention the problems with the convo system and convos getting lost! Fix that before you leave us with that as out only option!!! As hARTjewelry stated - good time to look around and shift loyalties to another selling site, Facebook and Twitter are THE mega advertisement arenas today, once something gets started there it will be realy hard to change the attitude, So ETSY you should realy think this through - do you realy want to alienate, not only the sellers on this forum but buyers too?! You are taking away Forums(news to me!) so there goes our voice and a way to help each other out, kind of totaly against one of the greatest things about this country - FREEDOM OF SPEECH and the"Community" that you said was your intent within this site! I think it would be wise for you ETSY to begin some kind of communication here to let us know how you are going to deal with this issue and our concerns before it bows up in your face. Ask Miley Syrus how damaging Facebook can be! Maybe we need to list an Achemy request for a new website!!!! LOL K

I agree it could use revamping, but why does it need to be shut down while Etsy is working on improvements? Don't they have a test server and data base to work on things like this while keeping the current Alchemy active?

90% of my Etsy sales have been through me hustling my skills looking through the alchemy adds daily. I've made so many things that I never would have thought to advertise I can do. A triangular table cloth, shirts with crazy medical terms on them, an insulin pump garter for a diabetic . . . There's GOT to be a place for very specialized requests!

I'm glad so many people feel the way I do and are voicing their opinions!! Rock on fellow etsians!!!!

80% of my sales have come from alchemy! Lots of Etsy customers just won't take the time to search for shops that do special requests. I just hope Etsy has a way of addressing that in the future.

I think if anyone out there has the skill to build a website comparable to ETSY's alchemy (to start) all of us sellers who have been 'FIRED or LAID OFF' by ETSY might just be willing to contribute some volunteer work in whatever area we can help to get it going. We ARE STILL A TEAM OF ARTISANS, no matter how ETSY feels about us!!!!

Anyone need a list of alternative sites to review?

8 of 20 alchemy 'requests' on page 1, right now, are of ETSY SELLERS begging to be remembered. HELLO, ETSY!!!!!

Yes SlaveToMyNeedles Please give us a list, can you imagine how much we could boost and promote a new site if we all just moved and let it be known to all our past customers and facebook and twitter?? We the people do havee a voice and force if we so choose to use it!!! K

convo me....don't want this thread deleted while it may be our only help right now to work together. Happy to help!!!!!

Are the Etsy staff monitoring this? I find it hard to believe that there has been no official response to the huge amount of dissaproval and very logical alternatives being voiced here. Talk about biting the hand that feeds !!!

This is a shame. I don't sell on Etsy, but I buy a lot of stuff from here. I can think of three occasions where I haven't been able to find exactly what I wanted, and ALCHEMY has come to my rescue and provided me with organic wooden blocks for my children, a felted woollen play matt, and most recently photoghrapic pieces that I needed within days of ordering. I will be sorry to see this feature go :(

Not sure that they care enough to monitor but just in case, I have a list to review and happy to share with anyone who convos me for it... What if someone built a facebook page where people could request their custom items and sift though all our replies? Just brainstorming....sure there must be a reason that wouldn't work...hmmmm

I've contacted Bonanza.com to see if they have something similar to Alchemy.

As a seller - Morgan's Beds I get lots of requests for custom orders. I always respond - and since I want to be sure of what the Buyer wants - I ask questions. I find if the customer really wants a custom order, they will respond very quickly. If they are just window shopping - many times they don't respond. That's what I really liked about Alchemy - the Buyer is really interested - and they can get easy options from different sellers.

Well, I have been flagged!!!! Just rec'd for posting a please put me in your favorites and remember me when alchemy is gone; Hi SlaveToMyNeedles, We are thrilled you are using Alchemy and participating in Etsy's community activities. Unfortunately, we have had to remove one of your Alchemy requests because it is inconsistent with our policies. * Items that do not meet Etsy's handmade criteria may not be requested in Alchemy. Therefore commercial supplies, vintage goods, services, business opportunities, and promotions may not be requested or posted in Alchemy. http://www.etsy.com/dosdonts.php#selling * Trades, donations, and free items may not be requested or mentioned in Alchemy. * General calls for items may be removed, as Alchemy is for requesting specific handmade items you would like someone to create for you. * A copycat or knock-off of an item listed on Etsy may not be requested in Alchemy. Instead, a private request should be submitted directly to the seller of the original item to inquire about the custom order. Complete Alchemy Policies can be found in the Transactions section of the DOs & DON'Ts of Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/dosdonts.php#transactions Please note that repeated misuse or abuse of the Alchemy feature may result in account suspension or closure. Feel free to get in touch with any questions about this. We hope you will continue to make requests and above all, have fun with Alchemy. Thank you, Etsy's Support Team Some SUPPORT!!!!!

Oh....they are watching. And that's about it. I posted an illegal post on alchemy, asking people to flag it and give them a piece of their mind. It only took about an hour for it to be removed. But, still......silence (and silent disrespect).

I would love to get something up and running that is specifically for something like Alchemy!! I will do whatever I can to help! My brother in law designs websites, I will talk to him and see what he would charge. I know he keeps pretty busy and also has six kids LOL!

YAYYYYYY!!!!! Bonanza.com, click on people, click on forums and click on item wanted....just found it but it seems close...going to play some more!!!! BRB!!!!!

got too excited too soon...not really a custom request kind of thing....GRRRR!

My brother in law said that he would design the website for free and then run himself? If anyone is interested in this convo me

SOOOOOOO bummed that there will be a break from this. I love being able to make requests and get bids I would have never even thought of. I use this as a buyer and a seller often and I will definatly be keeping my fingers crossed that what they come up with next will be just as good hopefully better. So sad to know that the great world of handmade is turning just as genaric as ebay :( Looking inti creating a Facebook page for all handmade and not just my buisness! I have been a seller here with 3 diffrent stores for years and it seems like etsy has turned into ebay and works for itself and not the sellers that make etsy what it is.

Search Artisans for Hire on facebook...there is a page all set up for conversation about alternatives.

Please bring back the new-and-improved Alchemy SOON. I love Alchemy and make a lot of connections there.

Please bring back the new-and-improved Alchemy SOON. I love Alchemy and make a lot of connections there.

I have some great success with Alchemy as a seller, but am anxious to see the improvements. Just hope it doesn't take too long to get it back up and running. :)

I really want an answere to this This is addressed to those of you who say just convo me for custom items. Without alchemy how is a buyer going to find my wifes's shop and convo her. Is the buyer going to send a convo to 500 other shops and ask for the item they want. Her shop is so new noone knows it is there. It has turned out in many of her alchmey sales, the buyer did not really want what they asked for but wanted what she offered. How are they going to find out about what she has to offer without alchmey? Convos won't do any good.

Gardenman;;;;YOU ARE RIGHT!!!!!! There are two people right now working on building something comparable. I am off to put you in my favorites so I can keep you posted.

I'm so sad lol I have a custom crib set being made right now through alchemy as well as a custom afghan...I use alchemy all the time to find people who can create what I am looking for. I am usually able to communicate with sellers that I didn't see when I searched for the product. Oh wells, hopefully it will be even better when they get it fixed.

Has anybody used Forge? It seems to be a little dormant, but maybe it will begin to pickup now that Alchemy is going....

go to facebook.com and search the group page for artisansforhire We have just had a long discussion, picked a new name and the site is being built as we speak

OH NO! I hope the new and improved program will be up and running soon. Almost all of my orders have been through Alchemy and I love it. I have had very little problems with it. :(

Seems like Alchemy will be down for quite a long time. That's a shame. I get at least 4 or 5 sales a week just from Alchemy. This might seriously impact my business. Why not just leave it open while you're creating the new one. Seems logical to me.

two of the main things Etsy sells and in particular alchemy are jewelry, and clothing. someone wants a particular dress made, or a particular piece of jewelry , and they didn't find this up for sale. yes, there may be 50,000 artists on etsy who could POTENTIALLY make this, but are they supposed to message 1000 artists until they find someone who has the right patterns and fabrics in stock, and can also make it before the wedding they need it for in 2 weeks? or message 12000 jewelry artists before they find the one that has just the 12 different beads and components they want in stock? as a buyer i would just give up first and decide to wear something i already had rather than the piece i was dreaming of

Another Thing If a new buyer comes to Etsy and alchemy is gone,how will they even know they can request a custom item?

Hmm, I guess there was no point of adding that feature to my shop a couple days back. I have done a couple of custom order requests via the convo feature and they have worked out great so I guess it is no biggie that this feature is being removed for the time being...

Mandalarain - I agree completely and would like to add that OUT OF those 1000 artists, only a small portion would even be WILLING to make custom items! Given those odds I can hardly imagine any customer with that much determination or time on their hands. The custom part of Etsy will just die out until all that is left is people ordering a customized version of some existing journal or dress of whatever from one of the handful of established veteran sellers who make all of their money through direct sales anyways. The relatively new sellers who sold exclusively through Alchemy will have no venue here anymore.

Those of us who have been using Alchemy productively recognize that the feature could use improvement, but we also know how to work with what we have. As someone who generates the majority of her sales from Alchemy requests, I've learned not only how to use the bidding feature to my advantage, but how to communicate with my potential customer to help them navigate through the process with the least amount of frustration. Like others who have taken the time to comment, I too recognize that I can't bid on everything, and that some requests really undermine the artistry behind the Etsy community. I can't (and won't) make a pearl necklace for a dollar, so I may opt to not bid on the work, or potentially bid with an explanation of why my cost exceeds the ideal amount. You can't win them all...and probably don't want to. The majority of the situations I've encountered as a seller have been thoroughly positive. There's the customer who has spent a good deal of time searching on Etsy (and online) for a specific piece they have in mind, and have turned to Alchemy as a last resort...only to be thrilled to find someone willing and able to bring their idea to life. Then there's the customer who doesn't know what they want, has perhaps searched around and hasn't been able to make a decision (either about something for themselves, or a gift for someone else). For this customer, being able to review ideas that they wouldn't have "searched" specifically for, or even found in any of our shops, is an amazing ammenity. I'm interested in seeing the numbers behind this decision. How many posts do they average a day, how many bids per post, what is the dollars (seller and Etsy fees) per day that Alchemy handles. I'm sure this doesn't stack up with the direct purchases from shops, but it seems like they're saying that the revenues from Alchemy don't cover the support required (and that support could be better used elsewhere). In terms of the systems aspect, is there a patch that could carry the present Alchemy to their new system, then they could roll out Alchemy V2 when it was ready? This all seems SO drastic - Alchemy isn't broken, it just could be improved. It's one of my talking points when introducing someone to Etsy. What happens on Feb 4th when the 140+ potential customers realize that they can't request a handmade product this way (there were 142 posts on 1/28/11)? I'm fairly sure they're not going to start the tedious process of convoing sellers who do something similar.

Hmmmm, why has no one responded to anyone? I've gone through all of this and it would appear that this is NOT a well liked idea. Please Etsy, consider the needs of those using the site.

Alchemy needs some tuning for sure. But if it is out of service for very long, the economic consequences for many artists will be harmful. For me, Etsy without Alchemy will be nearly useless. This is basically giving lay-off notices to a lot of artists.

I think the thing that etsy seems to be forgetting is alchemy might be for specific requests but what happens when you know you want something handmade, and you have an idea or theme for what you want but just cant figure out exactly what it is you are interested in buying???? Then what there is no specific way to get in contact with a large number of ideas. I love all medias of art and have tons of my own ideas but I also love to buy things that others make for me because I had an idea but just wasnt sure exactly what I was looking for :( Hoping etsy will rethink this before they just turn alchemy off and forget about the people who use it on a daily basis.

I think the thing that etsy seems to be forgetting is alchemy might be for specific requests but what happens when you know you want something handmade, and you have an idea or theme for what you want but just cant figure out exactly what it is you are interested in buying???? Then what there is no specific way to get in contact with a large number of ideas. I love all medias of art and have tons of my own ideas but I also love to buy things that others make for me because I had an idea but just wasnt sure exactly what I was looking for :( Hoping etsy will rethink this before they just turn alchemy off and forget about the people who use it on a daily basis.

I think etsy should work on getting sellers off of here that are CLEARLY breaking the rules and selling store bought items from oriental trading and places of that nature and passing them off as handmade and work more on making sure convos go through and the site being available (and not down for some time) I have alway offered to help my buyers with alchemy and the process if they have trouble and I am sure all of the other sellers who use it are happy to do the same. Lets fix the kinks and not get rid of the whole thing indefinatly.

I use this all the time, check it on a daily basis. It does need work I agree like being able to upload pictures as your making the bid and not have to send a convo after the bid to get your stuff seen. I also would like to see people accept bids for things they are wanting, it is frustrating to bid on something and then never hear back or they never accept a bid. Sometimes I think people are just looking to see what they can get because some people will bid so low you know they are losing money. Good quality hand made items should come at a good price, it shouldn't have to be war!!!!!

I think they've wanted alchemy gone for awhile. I mean does anyone remember when alchemy was at the TOP of the screen next to buy and sell?? then all of a sudden they hid it in very small letters halfway down to the left of the screen. I thought they had ditched it all together then I found it. How many people do you think don't know about it or forget about it because its not widely advertised like buy, sell, community, and blog.. its weird...

I've used Alchemy for the past 2 years and would like to know why it is being shut down. As a seller, 99% of my sales were/are through Alchemy. In fact the only sales from my shop were because I took and completed won bids. Buyers saw this and the positive feedback and then bought from my shop. How exactly are buyers going to find an artist without Alchemy? Hunting through hundreds of sellers for the right artist for a project is just going to discourage buyers from using Etsy. They will go somewhere else. Anyone else agree?

I've used Alchemy for the past 2 years and would like to know why it is being shut down. As a seller, 99% of my sales were/are through Alchemy. In fact the only sales from my shop were because I took and completed won bids. Buyers saw this and the positive feedback and then bought from my shop. How exactly are buyers going to find an artist without Alchemy? Hunting through hundreds of sellers for the right artist for a project is just going to discourage buyers from using Etsy. They will go somewhere else. Anyone else agree?

I'm not sure how I feel about this, I hope the change is good and fast. There are a great many things I do that are not represented in my store and this gave me an opportunity to bid on things I like to do, but do not do except for special requests-like veils, they are a very individual piece to me so are not in my store even though I have made 100's in the last 25 yrs.

I am very shocked that alchemy will shut down. I receive many "private custom orders" through alchemy. PLEASE SAVE the "sold alchemy items" page. That is where my clients browse around my past custom items to refer their favorite designs. You will be taking away my custom order career and credibility I have been building day by day, if you totally remove these records. I am glad to know the improvement your will be working on, but please do save that page. Thank you!

i've always just said etsy convo me if you see something you like, need it in different size/colour or want to create something entirely new together... ;) just reading how to alchemy was overwhelming :P ready to check out the new idea/update :D thanks for keeping us posted!

BobiCreations says: i've always just said etsy convo me if you see something you like, need it in different size/colour or want to create something entirely new together. OK Tell me how if I am a buyer wanting something how am I suposed to know what you make and how do I find you to convo you. It seems if I try search I get 300 things. Most of them have nothing to do wit