Your work deserves a storefront that never closes
218 Marketplace is Northern Minnesota's home for makers — every jar, carving, and stitch sold by the person who made it. Most sellers publish their first listing in under 15 minutes; this guide covers everything else.
Free to join — approved instantly
Create an account, answer a short application, and your storefront goes live the same day. No monthly fees: the marketplace only takes a share when you actually make a sale.
Apply in about 5 minutes
Instant approval — storefront goes live
Publish your first listing
11
local makers selling
943
sales on the 218
15
live listings
8
towns represented
Same craft. Different Saturday.
Every piece you make already stops people mid-step at a market table. This is what happens when it stops being a one-weekend-a-month thing.
- Up before dawn to load the trailer
- Booth fees paid before the first sale
- Weather and foot traffic decide your day
- Unsold work packed back up at closing time
- Your shop sells while you sleep — open 24/7
- No booth fees: you only share a cut when you sell
- Buyers across the whole 218 find you, not just whoever drove past
- Orders arrive already paid, packed on your schedule
Step-by-Step Storefront Setup
Account & Payout
Create your account and connect your payout method (PayPal or bank deposit).
Profile & Bio Setup
Add your logo, banner, maker story, and location badge.
Product Listings & Inventory
Photograph, price, and describe your goods for the catalog.
Shipping Setup & Test Order
Configure shipping tiers, local pickup, and run a test order.
Account Registration & Financial Onboarding
- Register your business via the 218 Marketplace Vendor Portal.
- Your net earnings from every sale are tracked automatically in your payout ledger — payouts are remitted to your bank account on a weekly rolling schedule via Base44 Payments.
- Provide your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN/EIN) or Social Security Number for annual 1099-K tax reporting.
Storefront Branding & Profile
Avatar / Logo: minimum size 500 × 500 px (PNG or JPG).
Banner image: recommended 1200 × 400 px, featuring your craft, studio, or products.
Maker story / bio: a 150–300 word introduction covering your business, your regional ties to the 218 area, and your crafting process.
Location badge: confirm your city/town (e.g., Bemidji, MN · Walker, MN · Grand Rapids, MN) to appear in regional search filters.
Product Catalog & Listing Optimization
Photography
Include 3–6 crisp, well-lit photos per item against clean, neutral backgrounds or authentic lifestyle settings.
Titles
Use descriptive titles with key details — e.g., "Hand-Poured Soy Candle – Wild Pine & Birch" rather than "Pine Candle".
Descriptions
Clearly state dimensions, materials, ingredients, care instructions, and turnaround times.
Pricing
Prices must comply with retail parity rules — pricing must match your own website and social channels.
Shipping & Fulfillment Profiles
- Configure weight-based or flat-rate shipping tiers.
- Optional: enable Local Pickup if you offer a pickup location in the Bemidji / 218 area.
Fee Structure — Pure Commission (No Subscriptions)
218 Marketplace runs on simple graduated flat fees — no subscriptions, listing fees, or setup costs: if you sell $0 in a month, you pay $0 to the platform. When an item sells, a flat fee scaled to the order total is deducted from the sale and your net earnings land in your payout ledger, paid out weekly.
| Order total | Platform fee |
|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | $0 — no subscriptions, ever |
| Listing / setup fees | $0 — unlimited listings included |
| Order total Under $15.00 | $2.95 flat fee |
| Order total $15.00 – $50.00 | $5.00 flat fee |
| Order total $50.01 – $100.00 | $7.50 flat fee |
| Order total $100.01 – $200.00 | $10.00 flat fee |
| Order total $200.01 – $400.00 | $20.00 flat fee |
| Order total $400.01 and up | 5% of the order, capped at $75.00 |
| Payout schedule | Weekly rolling |
The platform fee is deducted from the item total; payment processing is handled by Base44 Payments. For special cases, marketplace admins can set product- or vendor-specific rules.
Order Fulfillment SLA & Workflow
To maintain high customer trust across the 218 region, all sellers agree to the following Service Level Agreement:
Processing window
Orders must be packed, labeled, and tendered to a carrier (USPS, UPS, or FedEx) within 3 business days of receipt — unless listed as custom/made-to-order.
Tracking requirement
Valid tracking numbers must be uploaded to the vendor portal at dispatch to trigger customer shipping notifications.
Packaging standards
Pack securely with clean, professional materials. Promotional flyers for outside non-218 websites are strictly prohibited.
Start your vendor application
No waiting and no fees — applications are approved instantly when you attest to the Vendor Terms of Service before you apply.
Apply to sell
