Etsy CEO says company is escaping ‘race to the bottom’ and getting back to its artisan roots

When Etsy launched almost two decades ago, the site attracted artisans and craft makers, who finally had a place online where they could sell their niche products and reach a large audience. But in recent years, Etsy has found itself overrun with mass-produced, generic items from resellers who have learned how to game the website and crowd out handcrafted products.

Now Etsy CEO Josh Silverman…