Not a new problem, but how do I respond???

[InStitchesbyMK]

Yesterday, I got an e-mail from someone who said she loved one of my bookmarks, but she also loves stitching herself and asked for the pattern. She then said if I couldn't sell her the pattern due to copyright issues, then could I tell her where she could buy the pattern herself.

This is not the first time someone's asked me to sell them a pattern - which I can't do - but it's the first time someone's asked me for the place where I get my patterns. The funny thing is, I have a link to the place in my profile if she'd only looked, but how do I respond to her e-mail? Should I just give her the link since it's already in my profile?

This is frustrating. I'm not on Etsy to sell people patterns; I'm here to sell the items I create.

[Former_Member]

Honestly, I wouldn't. I would just send her back a sweet little message that says something like, "I wish that I could, but unfortunately my family relies on the income that I generate by my shop." I carve stamps and make greeting cards, and I would never offer detailed tutorials on how i make them. Basic tutorials, maybe. But detailed? No way!

I also won't share where I find the antique images that I use. It took me 3-5 years to get the language skills to be able to read the right books' to find the sources, and I'm not going to give that to someone else for free!

[Former_Member]

I don't let people have my own patterns but have often shared at least on my blog which patterns would work for a dress. If you have it linked in your profile I don't see any harm, but honestly I would take the link down and not give away your trade secrets.

This is a dress I have listed in my shop that I recreate. On my blog there is a great Etsy seller that was selling a pattern that would work for the dress so I posted it.
http://eleenfashionista.blogspot.com/2012/02/if-you-love-audrey-hepburn-dress-in.html

My stuff is different though as I create or recreate vintage inspired dresses so I don't feel that they are my designs and expect others to make similar dresses.

[Former_Member]

Um, say NO! Seriously, she can do the footwork herself...the nerve!

Who does something like that!

[Former_Member]

I'd tell her nicely that your personal stash is a collection you've worked on curating over many years and maybe she could perform a google search on her own and possibly find the pattern (as you aren't sure to its reproduction).

:]

or in other words, "go google yourself." :b

[Former_Member]

LMGTFY anyone?? Haha,

At any rate, no, I would take down the link from my profile, and tell her something nicely put... and that's that.

Sharing tutorials and trade secrets is poison for sales. I hate "How Tuesday" on Etsy because of it. I mean, even if someone is a potential buyer to anyones shop and they see that it makes the whole shop seem cheap... Like one big "How Tuesday!!!".

I've had people ask how I do certain things and the order of certain things. I've never told any of them anything unless it's a specific, vague, and necessary answer only for something I KNOW will lead to a sale, or custom work.

When I first started Etsy I made the mistake of telling what type of adhesive I used to put on some embellishments... and boy did I regret it. Next thing I knew I was getting EXCELLENT traffic from a blog site, I thought I was featured or something, only to see that I was part of their "Easy weekend project, Overpriced retail" section. Just recently the same person was SO kind to feature one of my items on her pinterest by the same name. It's like that mistake that wont die. Lucky for me, the dumb cow got it wrong... So her boxes will all break very quickly.. wheras my originals last a long time.

[InStitchesbyMK]

Thanks everyone!!

[InStitchesbyMK]

Well, good news. I offered to stitch a backing on and mail it to her and she just purchased the bookmark from me!

[Former_Member]

Congrats on the sell MK!