Etsy extends weapons ban to include gun parts, accessories
Sellers were given advance notice to update their inventory
Etsy is expanding its weapons ban starting Tuesday, prohibiting the sale of all gun parts and accessories attached to firearms.
The global online marketplace has long prohibited the sale of weapons, including guns and most gun parts, although it is now "expanding this enforcement," the company confirmed to FOX Business in a statement Monday.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ETSY | ETSY INC. | 49.63 | -1.41 | -2.76% |
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"We take the safety of our marketplace very seriously, and we regularly revisit our policies and make adjustments in accordance with industry, legal, and regulatory standards," an Etsy spokesperson said.
The new regulations were communicated to all of the sellers on the platform that would be affected. The sellers were given two weeks to update their inventory to comply with this policy before the items would be removed from the marketplace on May 25.
Still, Etsy sellers have expressed concern. One posted online that they reached out to the company to see if the new rule prohibited their shop from selling wooden grips for guns.
"I'm currently selling wooden grips for guns under the category that Etsy setup for them," Etsy seller UniqueWood220 wrote." Does Etsy now consider them forbidden under this new rule. If so, I need to quickly find another place to list my items."
National Rifle Association Holds Its Annual Conference in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Etsy allegedly responded by saying that it "can no longer accommodate these products in our marketplace."
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Another user that makes decorative pistol grips for 1911 pistols also drew concern over the new policy. Noting that the product line it sells "is decorative in nature and happens to mount on a pistol which is a part of American history. There is a large demand for these with over 4000 current listings," the user wrote.
The rule comes at a time when gun sales have been soaring amid uncertainty over the coronavirus pandemic, a severely stalled economy and widespread protests over police brutality and racial injustice, the riot at the U.S. Capitol and the inauguration of Democratic President Joe Biden.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), an industry trade group, reported that April marked 13 months of elevated firearm sales. Sales ranged between 1.5 million and 2 million each month.
Sales spiked in March 2020. Since then, sales have stayed at unprecedented levels, according to NSSF officials.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.