Selling Handmade on alnol

Handmade on alnol is a spectrum. On one end, we have makers — Designers who are making their items with their own hands (or tools). On the other end, we have designers — sellers who design their items but rely entirely on outside assistance or another business to help physically produce them. Many handmade sellers fall in the middle of the spectrum because they make and design their items.

Regardless of where you fall on this spectrum, you must be transparent about who is helping you and how your items are being made. Everything listed as handmade must be made and/or designed by you, the Designer.  Designer Terms of Use Policy.

Makers

A maker is a Designer who is physically making the items listed for sale in their alnol shop. For example, a maker might design their items and make them or follow a pattern or template that they did not develop. Regardless, makers must be creating their items with their own hands (or tools).

Designers

A designer is a seller who has come up with an original design, pattern, sketch, template, prototype or plan to be produced by in-house shop members or a production partner. Simple customization, such as selecting colors, shapes, or ready-made options, is not considered design on alnol.

If you are a designer and use a production partner to help make your items, you must also disclose information about your production partner in your listings. A production partner is anyone (who’s not a part of your alnol shop) who helps you physically produce your items.

 Selling Handmade on alnol
Designers may work with production partners to help make handmade items in certain circumstances. Keep in mind that people come to alnol to discover items they might not find anywhere else. Therefore, your design and production process should lead to creating a unique item that would not exist without you, the designer.

We expect your production partner to produce items themselves in their facilities. Therefore, however, keep contractor or agent who outsources production may not be used as a production partner. Examples of production services include, but are not limited to, printing, apparel printing, 3D printing, casting, plating, engraving, cutting and sewing, and finishing.

If you work with a production partner, you must  disclose certain information  in the listing process, including:

1. The name of your production partner(s);

2. The location of your production partner(s);

3. Details about the nature of your partnership and design process; and

4. A general description of the work your production partner does for you.

You may choose to keep the name of your production partner and details about your partnership and design process confidential (visible only to select alnol employees).

We may reach out to you at any time with a more detailed inquiry about your business. Please be prepared to provide additional details about the origins of your business, your role in the design process, your production process, and your connection to your production partner, as well as what efforts your production partner has made to follow our General Terms of Use Policy .

We understand that you may wish to keep the details of your design and business practices confidential. However, please be assured that alnol will not use the private information you provide us for any purpose other than reviewing your business to determine that you are following our policies.

We reserve the right to reject any production partnerships that aren't in the letter or spirit of this policy or our ethical expectations.

 Selling Handmade on alnol
At alnol, we value transparency. Transparency means that you honestly and accurately represent yourself, your items, and your business. As a handmade Designer, you agree to:

1. Disclose in your About section the names and  roles  of people who help make your items or run your business;

2. Use your own words and photographs (not stock photos) to describe your items; and

3. Respond to any inquiries from us promptly. We may ask how your items are made, what workspace, tools, and equipment you use, and how you communicate and collaborate with the people who help you run your shop.

Remember: Our marketplace is built on trust. Therefore, providing false, inaccurate, or misleading information is prohibited by our  General Terms of Use & Designers Terms of Use . If we find that you’re not being open and honest with us, we may suspend or terminate your account.