1. Trunkt is now Etsy Wholesale.

    April 30, 2013

    Exactly one year ago today, Trunkt was acquired by Etsy, Inc.

    In that time, we’ve created a private, juried wholesale marketplace called Etsy Wholesale that is based on the Trunkt platform. The Trunkt website will be offline starting today.

    If you’re a buyer looking for a specific vendor that you previously found on Trunkt, please apply to be a buyer on Etsy Wholesale. You’ll be able to easily search for that vendor once you’re accepted as a buyer.

    If you’re a vendor and a former Trunkt Lifetime Member, you can transfer your lifetime membership to Etsy Wholesale by submitting an application using the Etsy account you linked to your old Trunkt account.

    Trunkt Lifetime Member applications are reviewed just like any other application to Etsy Wholesale. Due to the nature of a wholesale marketplace and the specific criteria required to be accepted, we cannot invite all Trunkt lifetime members into Etsy Wholesale.

    If your application is accepted, you will receive an invitation to join the Etsy Wholesale beta and you will not pay any basic fees that are associated with Etsy Wholesale going forward. If your application is not accepted, Etsy will refund the $249 lifetime membership fee you paid to Trunkt.

    Please read the FAQs below and, if you need additional information, please email info@trunkt.com and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. We look forward to working with you on Etsy Wholesale!

    — The Etsy Wholesale team

    Why do I have to apply to Etsy Wholesale?

    Since Etsy Wholesale is a private, juried marketplace, we need to ask both vendors and buyers to apply. We thoroughly vet each vendor applicant to ensure they are capable of fulfilling wholesale orders. We also vet buyer applicants to ensure that they qualify to purchase wholesale products.

    What are the criteria to become a member of Etsy Wholesale?

    Etsy Wholesale vendors must be able to manage product lines and offer appropriate wholesale pricing. Most importantly, vendors need to possess a deep passion for growing their wholesale business! Our focus is on unique, quality products that are hard to source elsewhere. Many different styles and aesthetics will be represented within Etsy Wholesale — all from independent designer brands and artists, as well as vintage collectors. Specific product requirements can be found here.

    What happens if I don’t get accepted to Etsy Wholesale?

    In the event your application is not accepted, Etsy will refund you the $249 fee you paid for your Trunkt lifetime membership within 6-8 weeks.

    Can I get a refund on my lifetime membership if I don’t apply to Etsy Wholeale?

    No. Your lifetime membership is only transferable to Etsy Wholesale. If you choose not to participate in Etsy Wholesale, we can’t refund your lifetime membership fee.

    What if I don’t want a refund and want to be on Etsy Wholesale?

    We encourage you to apply again in the future if you are not accepted but we will still send you $249 for your lifetime membership fee at this time.

    What will happen to my Trunkt account?

    The Trunkt website will be offline starting today and your account will no longer be accessible.

    If I am accepted to Etsy Wholesale, will my Trunkt data and Trunkt URL transfer?

    If you are accepted and you join Etsy Wholesale before today, your Trunkt data will automatically transfer to your Etsy Wholesale account. If you apply to Etsy Wholesale after today, your data will not automatically transfer from Trunkt.

    We will not be able to forward your specific Trunkt URL to your Etsy Wholesale linesheet. All Trunkt URLs will forward to this page starting today.

    How do I apply to Etsy Wholesale?

    Please apply here! If you have an existing Etsy account associated with your Trunkt account, please login to that account to apply. If you do not have an Etsy account, please create a new one to apply.

  2. Trunkt has been acquired by Etsy, Inc.

    May 1, 2012

    This isn’t the way I wanted to announce the good news that Trunkt has been acquired by Etsy but I suppose the Internets do what the Internets want to do.

    Ayesha and I started Trunkt many years ago with one simple mission: to help independent designers make a living from their talent. Over the years, we experimented with a few ways to meet that goal — trunk shows, a boutique in NYC, an e-commerce site, printed catalogs and much more.

    After Ayesha left Trunkt to pursue fantastic opportunities at Gilt Groupe and J.Crew, I built the version of Trunkt you use now - an online wholesale trade show for independent artisans. Over the last 2 years, Trunkt has become a dynamic community of wholesale sellers and specialty retail buyers who do a lot of business. Well, Etsy noticed and acquired our little company.

    I am thrilled to join the Etsy team because Etsy is where we can help the largest number of independent artisans grow their businesses in new ways. The combination of Etsy and Trunkt is ideal and I’m looking forward to building some very awesome stuff at Etsy.

    Nothing is going to change on Trunkt for now. All members with activated wholesale websites will be able to continue with no interruption. I’ll give you ample notice when I make any changes to the service or when it eventually gets shut down.

    I won’t, however, be accepting any new sellers on Trunkt going forward. Unfortunately, sellers who have wholesale websites that are not yet activated will not be able to activate them going forward. I believe this is the best thing to do since all my attention will now be on my Etsy work.

    Thank you for all your years of support, patience and good wishes and I’ll see you at Etsy soon. If you have any questions or want to get updated, please visit us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

    Onward and upward,
    Dev