A Note from the Founder: The Story Behind imayde

My name is Alexandria Anderson, and I am the founder of imayde. I grew up the daughter of an artist, constantly surrounded by creativity. As my mother explored new skills, I learned alongside her—painting pottery, beading, weaving, spinning wool, knitting, crocheting, and more. Creating has always been a part of who I am. I love both the process of learning something new and the satisfaction of seeing my work improve over time.

Over the years, I’ve sold my work in many different ways: at marketplaces, in stores featuring local artists, and on online platforms. But I noticed a pattern. More and more, I was selling alongside people who clearly hadn’t made what they were offering. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with reselling, I wanted to carve out a space that’s truly for artists and creators. In a world that feels increasingly transactional and impersonal, I believe in building a community that values the things made by hand, by people.

There are also the barriers. Selling at a marketplace requires a booth, displays, and a lot of inventory. Renting space in a store means covering monthly costs whether you sell or not. Even online platforms often come with listing fees or subscriptions that add up before you’ve even made a single sale. These costs make it harder for new creators to get started.

That’s why I built imayde. Our marketplace lowers the barrier to entry by requiring no fees until something sells. Yes, the commission looks higher compared to other sites, but it’s just one fee at the point of sale. It covers credit card processing, payouts, and account fees—so creators don’t risk money upfront on items that may never sell.

To protect the heart of handmade, we also require seller verification. We’ve designed it to be as simple as possible because we want imayde to be welcoming to new sellers and fair to experienced ones. We know the system won’t be perfect—people will test it—but we’re committed to building a marketplace of real humans who share the same values. Buyers and creators will also have the ability to report anything that doesn’t belong.

Ultimately, we believe there are many people who still value creators and the things they make. imayde is just the platform—the real movement will come from the artists, creators, and buyers who choose to support handmade.

The future of handmade depends on the people who believe in it. We hope you’ll be part of that.

not mass-made. imayde.