" I know you didn't make that."

[#1]

How many times have you scrolled through Etsy lately found shops full of items that you know they didn't make? For me, it's almost 3 or 4 times a day that I find a shop that sells items I have either seen in the Asian food market, the Dollar store, or items that 10 other shops have the exact same item with the same photos!

One of the draws to Etsy that I had a few years ago was that it was a collection of Indie crafters who were able to use the amazing Etsy platform to sell their art online around the world. It's a great concept! We work together as crafters to promote each other, support the handmade community, and enjoy the tradition of crafting. But increasingly Etsy has filled up with nonsense.

Am I all alone in thinking this? Honestly, I can take the feedback. I love Etsy. I love my shop. But I am just a little frustrated with this.

[Former_Member]

I will be glad to report anyone you guys find. Just send me the convo with the info.

[Former_Member]

Oh wow I'm sad. I just went to go buy a mothers day gift, and noticing how professional the item+photo was I did a google search, and sure enough everything was from a wholesaler using their photos. What makes this suck the most, is now I'm going to be paranoid of every item on etsy from now on!

[crazeecowgirlvintage]

And it isn't just a problem for the hand made sellers.

There are an incredible amount of reproduction "antiques" being sold as authentic vintage or antique items. This is especially true with cast iron pieces that are made to look "old" by adding rusty patinas, wooden items that have faux "aged" painted surfaces, etc. You can bet when something is featured in a decorator magazine as being a "one of a kind antique find," the knock-off artists get to work to reproduce "the look". And as proof, go to your local craft store - once filled with only arts and crafts supplies, now half of the floor space is devoted to cheap decorator knock offs of "vintage" goods.

I can't tell you how many times these items show up in vintage sellers shops as "authentic" vintage items. It makes me especially angry when I have an authentic antique item in my shop, only to see another seller trying to pawn off a repro for a fraction of the money I'm asking.

[Former_Member]

Wow... I thought I am trippin' when I saw some items that definately did not seem to be handmade.. But then I thought to myself, Nooo... It can't be.. Etsy only sells handmade... But I guess I was wrong.. What you guys are talking about only confirms my suspicion.. I think that is so unfair toward all the genuine artists, that are trying to sell their amazing handmade items and can't compete with all that cheap rubbisch on here.. There were plenty of times, when I looked through the shops here ( the wannabe handmade ones that I thought were handmade) and thought to myself how am I going to compete with those prices..?? Should I lower my prices? because those shops seemed to really make a lot of sales compared to me.. I even thought that maybe I am just not good enough.. But now I am just mad... /-/

[Former_Member]

I think we are all a little mad here. :)

However, besides as some are doing in reporting them. I think we need to make sure we are talking to our customers, talking about the pros of buying from reputable sellers on Etsy on our Facebook,twitters, and blogs. We should be promoting the true craftsmen and Authentic antique dealers across our feeds and pursuing our dream of what our shop means to us.

Recently I spoke with a woman from Thailand who happens to sell thread, patterns, ect. that all look very much as if they were made in a factory. And I am not saying they are. She was very nice and complimented my shop. When I was looking through her shop and even some of the other shops who sell supplies I began to wonder what makes these supply dealers any different then say flea market vendors, or commercial dealers? They don't make the supplies, they purchase them from a much larger company and break them into smaller batches and resell them.

You can go do any number of websites and purchase 200 butterfly charms for $.05 each. Then you can go to Etsy with the same charm and list them as supplies for $1.00 each. But you haven't made anything!

Anyways.. keep strong everyone. Do your best and be proud of who you are!

[Former_Member]

I saw a thread recently, where an Indian gentleman was setting up an Etsy shop to sell leather goods, they looked like high-end fashion leather goods - because they were! and he made them! his family had been working for the manufacturers of big fashion labels for generations and he bought some materials and is using his skills to start his own little business. Good on him I say!
I make some of my jewellery from raw materials (my dragons I sculpted and cast myself) but I often combine that with bought findings, as a professional designer (in another field) I'm ok with that because its the design that makes my stuff unique, I put the thought and time into it to finding exactly the right findings and materials to create a masterpiece (I hope ;) )
There may be only a few people on here who do everything themselves from the ground up e.g. farm the sheep who grow the wool, shear the sheep, wash and card the wool, spin it, dye it then knit it to a pattern of their own making on needles they whittled themselves from a tree in their garden... I'm from New Zealand so I know there very well may be people like that and I bow down to them because they are very very special.
However I also work full time and although I know the theory behind casting bezels and making jump-rings I certainly don't have the time or the facilities to do it myself.

[IvoryCatCreations]

I agree with singlewhite pixel. When I do stained glass work I don't make the glass, solder, tape or lead, but I choose the componets and put them together in a creative way...just like making jewelry or knitting something. However it stinks to put so much of yourself into your work and have someone else flood etsy with mass produced carbon copy stuff.

[Former_Member]

Linda, you are so right!!

That is exactly what we have been talking about. Mass marketing merchandise has no place on Etsy.

[Former_Member]

Exactly Cocokate...It is a mission to put an end to it. We just have to all report them when we are aware of them. I love looking up and to find the "proof". I feel like a detective.

[Former_Member]

And I completely agree with not being able to make every piece yourself. I sell baby bibs and shirts that are embroidered. I don't make the blanks, they are purchased from a wholesale dealer. But I do embroider each piece myself, take the photos, ect.

I think what we were talking about earlier in being a bit frustrating is when you search through say jewelry and see 15 shops selling the same leaf necklace with the turquoise charm at the end and you just have to shake your head, there is no searching for the right materials, no coming up with a good idea. It's someone sitting there mass producing the same item over and over from cheap materials.

We are all on the right track of making sure we are reading the rules, making our shops the best we can, enjoying our art, and reporting the ones that are clearly not.

[Former_Member]

I was told by another seller be very careful about discussing re-sellers, because you can get reprimanded by Etsy. However, I doubt that everybody on this thread is going to be chastised, so here is my thought: Etsy should be THANKING the sellers who help clean up the site.

There is a woman in my town who frequents a local grocery store that is very slack about their labeling. She finds items on the shelf that are mis-ticketed, brings them to customer service, and according to he store's policy, she gets them for free.

Now some of the branches of this chain of stores have banned her from their stores, however the manager in my town welcomes her. He said in th newspaper that she is doing him a great service for free(or for the cost of a few groceries). It would cost him way more to check every one of 20,000 items every week against every price increase or sales flyer. Once she has found the errors, he has his staff correct them, and now his store is compliant with labeling laws.

Etsy saves time every time a seller sends an alert about item or shops going against policy. Members are volunteering to provide a valuable service, at their own time. This is a good thing.

[Former_Member]

Katie (page1), I laughed when I read your post as I know the exact handmade necklace you're on about, without even seeing it lol. Nice one! :o)

[Former_Member]

As I said earlier you are more than welcome to convo me about any resellers or mass producers, along with the proof you have found and I will be glad to bring it to Etsy's attention.

[Former_Member]

I am so glad to hear that we are all on the same page, so to speak, on this issue.

Onward and upward!!

[PaperScissorsPop]

I have read this entire thread and scanned a few others on the same topic. I am a bit wound up about it too. I think this is a really significant topic and it affects many genuinely hard working artists and crafters.
I wonder why it takes so long for these shops to be shut down, if they get shut down at all? And I think it is a bit of a worry that some people wouldn't report shops for fear of adverse consequences to themselves.
I understand that Etsy is a business in and is so supportive to us all. But surely a line must be drawn somewhere when the original philosophy is about art, vintage and handmade.
There web is a huge place are many other sites available for mass produced products to be sold in. It would be great to hear what Etsy thinks about this subject.

[ShopMissElla]

Yes I know what you mean, a lot of chinese imports in particular that I keep seeing everywhere. I think it's hard for Etsy to vet them all though as these imports are getting better and better at looking authentically handmade. Even at craft fairs I keep seeing such imports and only because I've said 'wow those are lovely, how did you do xyz" that they've said, oh no I buy these in. Lots of kawaii bags, illustrated laser cuts woods etc. I thought it was odd they were so incredibly cheap!

[ShopMissElla]

I see these things on NotOnTheHighStreet too which is equally frustrating! (not that I'm on there, they won't have me, perhaps I'm just jealous, haha!)

[Former_Member]

Yes, I see it mostly in the already saturated jewelry "category" it's like a tidal wave. I love making jewelry but thankfully it's not the main focus of my shop. I don't think I could handle the daily frustration that those folks suffer. I know it happens in other "categories" as well and I'm sure those sellers get frustrated too. I don't think much can or will be done about it at this point. They (Etsy) opened the barn door and the horses have escaped. All you can do is your best to stand out, they may over run us on sheer volume but they will never out do us on effort.

[Former_Member]

Absolutely, Pamela! :o)

[IvoryCatCreations]

Maybe etsy needs a new catagory. OOAK or limited creations-handmade.

[Former_Member]

A few years back I got a bubble necklace from h&m. A few months ago came across the exact same necklace in the exact same packaging on etsy. Reported it and nothing happened. I cringe when I see these shops..but I try to believe that people know the difference between those mass produced plastic bubble necklaces and the ones true artists make and sell on here :)

[IvoryCatCreations]

Yes Lindsay, it's kind of hard to compete with mass marketed stuff that etsy allows, so why don't they give us or them a new catagory?

[Former_Member]

Sadly, what might end up happening is that those of us who make our own items will be forced out and must look for a new location to sell on. Leaving Etsy to deal with the counterfeits, cheap imported mass produced garbage, ect.

However, as much as I disagree. People are still going to keep looking around for "good deals" and when they see that you can get a "leather flower" bracelet for $10.00 why would they want to pay $20.00 for one that is made from a reputable dealer?

[Former_Member]

what Pamela said:
All you can do is your best to stand out

The mass manufactured imports can't do custom work, so there's always that business, to stand out. in fact, I can tell when it's a factory-sourced shop, when they offer only one-size, they have 300+ items and each one has 20 pcs available....or you look at their sales, and they've sold 50 items this week....um yeah you really made that... NOT

[UrbanJule]

It's fine to say that all you can do is your best to stand out, and I agree to a certain extent. But what are your options when all the resellers and mass producers show up on the first pages when a buyer searches or browses? How many people are going to look through 20 pages or more of jewelry to find my little shop? And please don't say it's SEO because I've experimented with searching and browsing for certain items and some of the pieces (I'm talkin' jewelry here) that show up on the first couple of pages are not relevant to the search and look so much alike that they have to be resells or mass-produced. Yet I can put all the right search terms in my title, description and tags and not show up until many, many pages down the line.

So what's up with that? How come all the little bird and leaf necklaces get up front coverage?