What Exactly IS Handmade? (More ranting about Etsy)

Any artist/craftsperson will tell you that the hardest part of creating art is getting an original idea. The skill part is that, a skill. Artists/crafters spend a lot of time coming up with a concept....usually much more time than actually creating a finished piece.
If you look through the items on Etsy, there is a lot of really nice work. There is also a lot of junk. And there is also a lot of stuff that in no way is "handmade". With all the junk and resellers it takes a lot of sifting though.
My latest obsession has been with the people that buy pashmina scarves from China and pin something on them and call it their own. They aren't "creating" anything....they are frauds. And real fiber artists should be outraged that they are getting away with it. Most buyers believe that they are getting something handmade, because that is how it is advertised. Real fiber artists can't compete with these shops.
Another category to check out is jewelry. Try doing a search for say "tree branch pendant". Wow look at all of them! So how are these sellers getting away with it? Apparently Etsy's policy says that you can "alter" something and call it your own as handmade. Altering in the art world means changing the original item or raw materials into something new and unique. (I am ok with beaders that buy beads and components and arrange them in a unique design. That is jewelry making at it's simplest but it is creative.) However I am not ok with someone buying a mass produced charm or pendant and putting a chain on it and calling it your own. There is zero creativity, and zero skill. I work in a store that sells jewely. Most of the pendants come in with out chains so we add them. I don't tell the customer that I made the necklace!
These sellers/resellers could make something if they wanted to...they are definitely creative enough to come up with ideas on how to scam people.

Etsy Sells Out to Resellers

"Etsy is the world’s handmade marketplace."

Yup that is what they claim. So tell me Etsy: Why are you allowing people that buy pre-made items  (most often imported from Asia) to even have a shop on your site? It completely contradicts what you are supposed to be!

Case in point: Go to Etsy and do a quick search for 'Pashmina'. Wow! Can you believe how many fiber artists there are that had the exact same idea? And can you believe how productive they are? They must never sleep....what with all those colors, and designs! They must pass that throttle with the speed of light to be able to sell that "handmade" scarf for under $20!

Ah...but here is the loophole. Etsy sellers are allowed to "alter" an item and make it their own. So if you look closely at those scarves, you might see a flower shaped piece of felt or yarn that is pinned to it. One wedding favor seller prints a paper tag with with the bride and grooms name, wedding date, and thank you for sharing their special day. Ok, so what are they selling exactly?...The wad of felt, yarn or the paper tag?  And are they really altering the item to make it their own? I don't believe they are, in fact I am almost positive (especially with the wedding favor) that that little add on gets tossed, and that altered pashmina miraculously reverts back to its original form....a pashmina scarf that was made in China for a couple bucks.