Etsy's Got Some Drama with Sellers

I like buying stuff from Etsy on occasion. Whether it is nice presents for my loved ones or old vintage comic-books for myself, it is a fun place to shop. I of course do a chunk of selling things on eBay as a hobby, and once dabbled in trying to sell older stuff on Etsy too, but I just lack the right skills pro-Etsy users do, plus my crafting abilities are nonexistent so I am unable to sell neat handmade jewelry, woodworking, furniture, or the like. In other words I don't have much to offer in terms of an opinion on Etsy as a seller but it seems to be experiencing some drama with Sellers right now.

This in-depth and very interesting article from VOX discusses how Etsy has oftentimes gone through stages of evolution such as when it went public, and right now in an effort to help sellers compete with Amazon it is being suggested/forced upon them to offer free shipping on purchases over $35 lest a seller's listings be de-prioritized against other stores. Now, Amazon has Prime and is a big corporation sending goods out whereas Etsy has individuals like a nice Grandma in rural Minnesota who has to send her hand-knit scarf with her eating the cost of shipping in the near future. Now sellers either suffer or just raise the price of stuff in the hopes that helps counter the cost of shipping (which is what Etsy basically has recommended and just seems a bit sleazy to hide shipping in the main cost of something). Apparently that is what buyers want now, and I do know people hate the idea of paying for shipping these days (I've learned that much selling on eBay), so Etsy is gonna force it through, and drama will be had. We shall see where this leads, and if my presents for friends & family along with the vintage comics I enjoy suddenly are going to have free shipping but suspiciously cost a good deal more.