The new curated online marketplace Makers Market is now up and running. Still in an early Beta version, the marketplace presented by MAKE and boing boing features worldwide makers and lists them by the categories Tech, Science, Arts + Crafts, Home + Life, Wearables, Music and Services.

Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching, 2009 Summit of Awesome Craftnote Speaker, author of last fall’s Embroidered Effects and one of my favorite makers, was invited to be one of the Beta-version shops currently live on the site. “I was thrilled to be among the first to check it out and play with the site! I really love that it’s a collab between boingboing.net and Make Magazine,” says Hart in an email interview.

Makers Market is now accepting applicants from the general public. According to their FAQ, they are “looking for interesting people who are creating products that are unique and generally inspired by the makers ethos espoused by MAKE and Boing Boing.” Thus non-handmade products can be sold on the site. The FAQ goes on to say, “we’re as fascinated by laser cutters, CNC machines, steam engines, 3D printers and small factories as we are embroidery, woodworking and handmade musical instruments.”

As far as pricing goes, the seller’s FAQ states that all non-commission fees and commission minimums are waived for the first three months. You will be charged an 8.5% commission on sales during the launch period. After that, Makers Market will charge a set-up fee of $75 in addition to a $15 monthly fee and a commission of 8.5% for each sale pre-shipping costs.

At first I thought these fees were a bit too expensive compared to other online marketplaces. But with these fees come benefits such as the stamp of approval from MAKE and boing boing. Also, since Makers Market is curated, buyers can expect to find high-quality, unique items. For all of the convenience and considerable reach of online marketplaces like Etsy, we can all agree – both as buyers and sellers – that often there are items lacking in originality.

Plus there is one awesome feature on Makers Market that is not available on every online marketplace – the aspect of teaching the community how to make your product through video.

Hart says: “I really like that video and tutorial media can be integrated with your shop! Makers Market focuses a lot on designers who make not just end-use products – they often involve the customer’s own continued interaction and creativity so being able to offer how-to’s right is important!”