I don't understand why some people keep their faves private. Since circles are one of the ways that shops can gain exposure here on Etsy, keeping your faves private just goes against the whole idea. I'm not going to add you to my circle if you're keeping them private, and this will limit your own shop's exposure. I think it's fun to see what other people like, and have found some really awesome shops and items in my activity feed. I've only ever gotten two 'spam' convos from a shop after liking an item (they were both on the same item), and I simply reported it to Etsy and removed the item from my faves. As for supplies, I generally favorite the shop so I can find it again rather than a particular item I want to purchase.
