Etsy to let sellers hire staff, use manufacturers

Etsy, the popular online marketplace for vintage and handmade goods, is updating its policies to allow sellers to hire staff, use shipping services and apply to have their products made by manufacturers.

The New York-based company known for everything from crocheted Halloween pumpkins to vintage engagement rings is holding a webcast on Tuesday for its 1 million active sellers to answer questions. With a fiercely loyal and vocal fan base, Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson is bracing for some backlash.

But he stands behind the changes and says Etsy often heard from sellers that the site's previous policies were confusing. Some sellers, he says in a blog post, worked long hours to maintain a one-person shop, while others began to bend the rules.

The new policies go into effect in January.

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