Alchemy has enabled over 80,000 custom creations since its inception. Now, it needs its beauty sleep. Starting February 5, 2011, we’ll begin a process that will phase out the current Alchemy features on Etsy.

We love what Alchemy represents, and we want to do it even better. While we’re working on that, we’re going to close down the current Alchemy. Helping shoppers to request custom items and having our community bid on the opportunity to fulfill those wishes is the tip of the iceberg.

How do I request a made-to-order, custom item from an Etsy seller?

We suggest using Etsy’s Conversations system to contact the seller and ask if they’d be interested in working with you on a custom project. Most Etsy sellers are excited to create custom, handmade items based on a shopper’s request and specifications. Be sure to check out the shop’s Policies page to see if the seller has already posted information about custom work.

I’m a seller. Do you have any custom item resources for me?

If you’re looking to work with shoppers to create custom pieces, check out Etsy’s Guide to Custom Work. If you’re a devoted Alchemy fan, the information that follows will address some more specific points:

February 5, 2011: We will turn off the functionality to create new Alchemy requests, edit existing requests, and place new bids on existing requests.

February 28, 2011: We will remove access to Alchemy features from across the site, such as the homepage, shop pages and Help site.

Alchemy requests created before the February 3rd cutoff will have the normal 21 days to respond to bids that have been placed.

Starting February 28, Alchemy requests will not be able to be marked as complete. For shop owners, Alchemy transactions records will remain in the Orders section of Your Etsy. For shoppers, Alchemy transaction records will be available in your Purchases history under Your Etsy. These records will also be accessible from the links in your Alchemy-related convos.

Past Tech Updates