Secret admirers?

[Former_Member]

Why do people have their favorites private? I keep getting people that are secret admirers, I don't like it! It makes me nervous!

[Former_Member]

i dont like it either, but because i always sent a thank you when someone favorites my item, and i cant do that when they are private

[wildwomanbeads]

I don't know either but my best guess is that they want to keep their sources private so no one steals their best ideas and inspirations. I prefer to share mine as a way to credit the other artists, although I don't usually (sometimes) share suppliers unless I private message someone to ask if they would mind telling me where they find the best price on (something).

There are just some people who are more private than others. Like you, I wish I knew who they were so I could return the favor of their liking me or favoriting an item, but it's their choice to remain hidden, and I have to respect that they have a good reason for doing it.

[Former_Member]

Sending a message after someone favorites your item is considered spam, according the the Etsy TOU's. That may be why people are keeping their favorites private, they get too many of those messages and they are annoyed by them.

[ashleynchl]

I have a couple secret admirers that favorite my items. It doesn't bother me. It's flattering that someone likes my bows.

Ashley, it's considered spam to message someone after they favorite an item.

[Former_Member]

Ashley wrote: "...i always sent a thank you when someone favorites my item, and i cant do that when they are private"
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^ This is a key reason why my favorites are private. It really turns me off when sellers convo me a thank you for a favorite. Would you thank someone on the street who smiled at you? Do you send each friend a thank you note on facebook when they like your status? No, because doing so would be weird. It's a bit strange to thank someone for favoriting your item, too.

I understand the sentiment behind it is well-intentioned, but it's a bit intrusive, I think. As a seller myself, I perk up when I see that I have a convo. Maybe it's a potential customer! Maybe I've had a sale! It's a huge let down when it turns out to be a thank you for liking my item. So I keep my favorites private.

[Former_Member]

Stick around Etsy long enough and you'll figure out why we like to keep our favorites private. It is really intrusive when someone sends a convo just because you favorited theirr item. Their are many reasons I favorite an item but you can be sure if you contact me I wont be purchasing it.
Sorry, if that sounds rude but it's the facts.

[sherrytruitt]

It's against the TOU to send a thank you when someone marks you as a favorite. People do it anyway. It's why I am a secret admirer. They also used to send notices about sales and trades.

But, it's more than that. We are public shop owners. We are also private individuals. I don't think it is anyone's business what I like, what I might purchase and who I mark as a favorite.

We live in increasingly public times. I'm glad etsy affords us some privacy in this area. It's really nothing to be nevrous about. I probably have 500 secret admirers :)

[FrenchVintagePrints]

What Natasha said.

[Former_Member]

I personally wouldn't send a thank you for someone favoring something. I'm just nosy and I like to see when someone has liked something! Also I like to see if it is another seller liking an item, which makes me think they might use it in a treasury or if its just a buyer. Then I get all excited and think they might buy something!

[FrenchVintagePrints]

Other sellers liking an item does not mean they are not going to buy it, I've sold lots of things to other sellers.

[Former_Member]

I've gotten it before. Doesn't Bug me Really. I know I keep my Faves Marked Private, I am not sure what people See when I fave Something though. If it Says Imaginary Bee or not.

I think People Also just like to be Private. I Would not read into it at all:D I am a private Person, So I bet A lot of people are too.

[seemomster]

I haven't gotten much spam from favoriting things...but I'm not a high-profile etisian yet. I have at least one secret admirer...doesn't make me nervous in the least.

I favorite stuff for lots of reasons...treasuries..shopping...it would NEVER have occurred to me to thank someone for favoriting an item. Heck--I get nervous sending people convo's to let them know I've put them in a treasury. I still do...because I like being notified...but I know many people look at that as spam. Perhaps once the shop stats thingy gets rolled out completely I'll stop notifying people that they are in one of my treasuries...

[SterlingNielsen]

i just got my first thank you and I thought it was a great idea. I started doing it myself. Who'da thunk. I really was touched that someone read their activity and noticed me. Isn't that networking? Isn't that why we "favorite"? I honestly don't get the favorite circle thing anyway. So far the items that I have sold came from nowhere. No one who has "favorite" me has purchased from me. I only hope my buyers found me in someones circle.

[Former_Member]

If someone wants to keep their favorites private, I don't really care, but it is a slight negative for me.

I favorite items because I like them, for possible future purchase, to let a friend know about, and to make treasuries. I like supporting other Sellers and help them get their items found.

I often find things on other people "favorites" that I might then use in a Treasury or for purchase.

I've gotten a few convos from people thanking me for favoriting their item. I've been a bit taken aback by that. I would prefer that people not do so.

[Former_Member]

I always assumed that it was because the favorites are the person's, but if it's on their shop account (and they only have 1 account), then it's associated with their shop.

In the brick and mortar world, usually businesses do not openly promote other businesses like that unless there is some sort of selling agreement.

And if it's a super popular/well-known shop, it could be considered some kind of endorsement, when really they just wanted to say "ohh, I like that earring. I have a wedding to go to in a month and I need something to match my dress."

It's personal, not business.

[Former_Member]

I do not mind AT ALL if people kept their favorites private...I'm actually happy that they favorited my shop, item, put me in their circle, etc... I would mind if everyone that I favorited an item wrote me because then I would have over 60 notices in my message box :(
However, I DO WANT them to message me if they put my item in their treasury because with so much items on my feed, I do not want to miss the moment they added one of my items.
Just be happy that someone is looking at your shop and they may be a potential customer down the road :)

[Former_Member]

But.... notifying someone that they are in a public treasury is not the same as thanking someone for favoriting you....

[Former_Member]

To me (my personal opinion) it is not the same thing since shop owners that actually create treasuries, put them together with the intention of promoting each other... (at least in certain teams, this is the purpose)...if you miss the "public treasury", you miss the chance to also promote the shop owner putting the treasury together...
(helping each other out)

[Former_Member]

What is with the private treasuries though?

[Former_Member]

hahaha a friend of mine, who is not a seller, says she organizes her private treasuries according to potential gifts for birthdays, mother's day gifts, etc. She does it for her only and her shopping :)

[Former_Member]

I have had several secret admirers and I don't mind at all. I figure that it's really their loss because I usually visit the shop of the person doing the favoriting and almost always find something I like there. Right now I'm trying to find an excuse to buy something I found by checking out who favorited me. I don't often check the front page and categories but I'm checking my activity feed several times a day.

I like the idea of secret treasuries as gift lists, as well as a way to work out a public treasury at my leisure.

[Former_Member]

"In the brick and mortar world, usually businesses do not openly promote other businesses like that unless there is some sort of selling agreement. "

Good point, Jennifer. Why then do we do treasuries at all? I guess I just see it as exposure all around. If I make a treasury, someone sees my aesthetic, maybe they also check out my shop.

[ForgedMettleJewelry]

It's just a personal preference, like having an unlisted phone number...

[Former_Member]

Pandi Panama from PandiAccessories says

However, I DO WANT them to message me if they put my item in their treasury because with so much items on my feed, I do not want to miss the moment they added one of my items.
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This is why I like the new feature in Shop/Item Stats that lists which treasuries an item has been put in. That way I don't miss it in my activity feed and finding it again is easier that going through the item listing to click on "treasury lists."