Culling the Factory-made

[Former_Member]

I found one factory-made seller from this team- MagicMask. If you discover any others that have been hiding in this team, please let me know. Factory-made sellers will be reported to Etsy and removed from the team. Despite Etsy's new rules, you still can't order bulk masks from ebay, alibaba or another factory and sell them here.

Curious if the mask you are looking at online handmade?
- Look at the price. If it's really pretty and really inexpensive, under $50, chances are it's not handmade.
- Do a google search for the item. If it really is handmade, the top hits should be from the seller's etsy page or business website.
- Check the photo for a watermark that doesn't match the seller's store name

This team is for hand-made masks, mask makers and mask enthusiasts only.

Thank you.

[beadmask]

Thank you for drawing this distinction.

[artisanmaskers]

Huzzah for this post! I'm ranting a rant in a new thread as well. One step further we can take it by (*hopefully*!!) affecting our own customer base. You're a great team captain, Dara--I appreciate your time and efforts, even though I'm a CRAP team member who never checks in anymore. ;)

[DaraGallery]

Haha - thanks. Jill is still the official Capt - I'm just pretending :) I hope to hit the treasuries harder this month since we're getting into "mask season."

I just did a search on "Masquerade Mask" and I shouldn't - since it always depresses me. I can't see how the top metal laser cut mask shops are getting away with calling their black phantom masks "unique" and "vintage" when the next listing over is the same exact brand new mask down to the color of the rhinestones.

I also noticed that actual mask artisans are getting *thinner and thinner* on the first five or six search pages.

Oh well, I had a wonderful compliment this weekend while vending from someone who owns over six Ren Fair booths at various Fairs and designs his own saucy little steam punk hats. He called my work "exceptional" and thought I could make it at one of the bigger fairs. I think I'll just focus energy on positive things like that.

[DaraGallery]

BTW - anyone else notice Etsy has lost ground on Alexa? They were ranked 42 in the US in terms of traffic about a year ago and now they're 62. I thought it was a seasonal dip but it hasn't been rebounding - at least not yet.

[artisanmaskers]

Ha ha! Whoops. Sorry my brain is on hiatus these days and I got Jill and Dara's names swapped. :/ I'm sorry to see that you, Jill, aren't around as often. I can't blame you for that--we've been here exclusively since 2008 and are just now having to seriously consider moving our business elsewhere. And, Dara--thanks for being the pretend leader! ;) It really is nice to have like-minded business owners around, and having someone to commiserate with and vent to has been so great!!

[artisanmaskers]

Also, I wouldn't be surprised if Etsy's traffic is dropping in general. I know the conversations I've had with other handmade artisans here on Etsy indicate that their PERSONAL traffic is at an all-time low (ours is a bit shocking, actually), but the fact is that Etsy is no longer the only place of its kind. While internet shopping is on the rise, so's the direct competition with Etsy as an entity/marketplace. And, unfortunately, some of the recent policy changes here have even had well-established shopowners jumping ship, so to speak; taking many of their customers with them.

[Former_Member]

Thanks for posting this - the mass produced stuff has had a huge impact on us, especially here.

[beadmask]

Bumping this thread because I am noticing a huge upswing not only in mass produced masks here on Etsy, but in mass produced masks that knock off specific artisan designs.

Because of Etsy's call out rules, I can't really spell it all out here in detail, but I can tell you this:

This spring I sold a mask, and by a complete fluke, as I was getting ready to ship it, I discovered that the buyer was affiliated with one of the big overseas mask wholesale corporations. I don't know if they were buying my work with the intent to duplicate it, but it made me uncomfortable enough to cancel the sale.

Since then, I've seen a great increase not only in the mass produced masks/resale mask shops mentioned earlier in this thread, but also an increase in the number of those shops that are selling obvious copies of independent mask artists designs. At this time, I am aware of at least 8 mask artisans who have had their designs copied and mass produced.

Whether the company doing it is the same one that attempted to purchase my work, I can't say. I will say that I think these resellers are not only flooding Etsy with this mass produced crap and squeezing out the independent artists ... I think they're trawling our shops for design ideas.

Sorry to put it so bluntly, sorry that the news seems grim. Some of you will probably think I'm just paranoid, others have seen it and know that I'm not making it up. I realize that copying has always been problematic here on Etsy, but this takes it to a whole new level. A hobbyist may knock off one or two bad copies of an artist's original design, but these manufacturers can crank out huge quantities.

I feel awkward about reaching out to the artists who've been copied, because a) I don't want to butt in where I don't belong, and b) I kind of need to be focused on my own business right now ... still, I have reached out to a few people, because I would want to know if it was happening with my work.

Not sure what can be done about this (reporting it to admin clearly does no good) but I find it hard to turn a blind eye. If it's happening to my peers, there's no doubt in my mind that it could happen to me, or to one of my friends. For now, I at least want to put the info out there and maybe try to spark some discussion. Is there a way to educate the public? A way to support each other as a community? Not trying to be alarmist -- just hoping to raise awareness and also maybe find some solutions.

[DaraGallery]

On a more amusing note, there is someone now selling those lace masks you see here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/186325822/dollar-shipping-embroidery-mask-lace?ref=listing-shop-header-... on Amazon for a buck fifty and using the name " EtsyG " http://www.amazon.com/ETSYG-Mask-Masquerade-Party-Fancy/dp/B00KSZ2IEI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1413609... ...which mad me chuckle.

And also on a brighter note, have you noticed how much the metal laser cut shops are starting to under cut each other?

Seriously though, I hope the artisans getting ripped have VA copyrights on their pieces. It would be horrible if the mass producer then sent Etsy a cease and desist on the original artist for a ripped design.

[DaraGallery]

@ Andrea - would there be anything against Etsy Policy to form sort of a ring on Etsy? Like the old web-rings? Anyone in the ring would be required to post links to maybe three other shops at the end of each listing. There would be a set list and you would be responsible for the three names below you with the last person going to the top of the list.

The argument against it is you are driving ppl away from your shop. The argument for it is that your creating more exposure for everyone in the ring.

Or anyone on this team that is a mask maker could be required to have a link back to the Team Page and we could develop a sticky with a list of vetted mask shops.

I had also thought about a combined Collective shop where by combining everyone's listings under one roof (while still having individual shops) you'd outnumber most the competition and then have a broad range of unique masks all in one shop. The accounting and logistics would be a nightmare. Impossible really.

[DaraGallery]

Bumping this again.

Just did a Masquerade Mask search. I used to get at least one or two listings in the first five pages or so. None of my items have shown up for months though until today where one was on page three. There is still something definitely wrong with the search function. Admin said they would bury certain shops' listings when they got too numerous so that other shops could be found. Yet page after page of metal laser masks and resin from Kayso Inc, KBW Global, Baurer International (they make those greek/roman warrior mask), Yunan Craft Factory and Forum were making up about 80% of the results..... I think they were just burying me :)

Anyway. It looks a bit better today. Why? Guess who was missing and who normally has tons of product all over the first 12 pages? One of the biggest resellers. The infamous three armed sweater comes up when you search for their shop.

While I hope its permanent considering how many times they've been reported I doubt it. They closed one of the other worst offenders last year (who is on Amazon where she lists the manufacturers) then let her reopen.

Unfortunately, this shop started stocking Forum's Day of the Dead line before the closure which must have really hurt some on the shops on here that actually paint their own masks.

[Former_Member]

I joined this team specifically to post on this topic because I was duped by "Stella" of "ElegantXboutique" and her BS story about her original, handmade masks when she's just reselling http://KaysoInc.com masks. What's really disgusting is seeing the number of sales she's made in less than a year and a half. Since I first reported her last month, she's already made 500 more sales and they still haven't shut her down!

This is part of the email I sent to Etsy (along with reporting many of these shops) and I got a generic reply in return:

I don't buy on Etsy because I want to buy a thing. I want to support fellow artists and artisans who work hard at their craft and deserve to make a living from their talent, rather than be subsumed by big corporations who (like Kayso Int'l) gobble up all of the market share with their vast resources. Etsy is supposed to be an oasis for handmade and every single one of these lying shops claiming these are their designs that spring from their passion for masquerade should be shut down and *there should also be some kind of penalty for them!* It's really frustrating to see this kind of thing happening and the sheer amount of sales these shops have basically robbed from true Etsy artisans is mind boggling! Especially in such a short time!! (Kayso has only been around since last year)

ANY SHOP LISTING KAYSO INT'L AS THEIR MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN! They're simply wholesaling Kayso's masks... (And all of the shops with listings I provided above should be shut down as well) Here's the link to their site where you can see all of their products and cross reference many, many listings being sold on Etsy - not just laser cut masks, but Day of the Dead masks, Lace masks, venetian masks, Mardi Gras masks, etc: http://www.kaysoinc.com/

Not only are these shops simply re-selling a big company's designs, but if you look through the pics on the website, they're all using the website's stock photos - so they're not even having to take their own photos of the products for their listings - AND THEY'RE BEING DROP-SHIPPED DIRECTLY FROM KAYSO (I checked the return address compared to the address listed on Kayso's website and it's the same) so these "Etsians" aren't doing ANYTHING except exploiting Etsy shoppers and reaping huge profits.

I want to know my faith in finding work from true artisans on Etsy is founded in fact and that I shouldn't be skeptical (and have to go to real lengths to discover the veracity of any Etsy shop's claims) every time I consider purchasing something on Etsy!


Anyway, here's the list of shops I sent them and reported myself, but if y'all report them too, hopefully Etsy will do what they say and shut them down. At this point, I'm feeling really disenfranchised with the site (I don't make masks, but as a creative person myself, I am a defender/supporter of artists and artisans who are trying make a living with their talent)

https://www.etsy.com/listing/206703866/on-sale-black-phantom-of-the-opera?ref=shop_home_active_4

https://www.etsy.com/listing/170017796/phatom-of-the-opera-inspired-lady-half?ref=shop_home_active_1...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/201353659/black-phantom-filigree-metal-venetian?ref=shop_home_active_3&...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/181141266/black-delicate-phantom-masquerade-mask?ref=shop_home_feat_1

https://www.etsy.com/listing/189642892/phantom-collection-womens-black-metal?ref=shop_home_active_18

https://www.etsy.com/listing/165003111/black-phantom-of-the-opera-venetian?ref=shop_home_active_1&ga...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/184179192/lady-phantom-masquerade-mardi-gras-metal?ref=shop_home_active...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/192640829/felicia-crystal-and-red-jeweled-laser?ref=shop_home_active_2

https://www.etsy.com/listing/201521236/occhialino-black-metal-masquerade-ball?ref=shop_home_active_2...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/189888883/phantom-black-filigree-metal-venetian?ref=shop_home_active_6

https://www.etsy.com/listing/182276004/black-laser-cut-venetian-phentom-mask?ref=shop_home_active_11

https://www.etsy.com/listing/176971681/masquerade-mask-collection-black?ref=shop_home_active_2

https://www.etsy.com/listing/203757162/half-face-laser-cut-masquerade-mask?ref=shop_home_active_24

https://www.etsy.com/listing/194435752/black-phantom-venetian-metal-filigree?ref=shop_home_active_24...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/188555963/unique-crystal-right-half-faceeye?ref=shop_home_active_2&ga_s...

[Former_Member]

Some of the links are sold out so the worst offender isn't listed, but report this shop ASAP as she's gaming the Etsy ads to her lucrative advantage:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ElegantxBoutique

She's the worst offender not only because she is making the most money off duping people, but she has lies all over her profile to trick people like this:

"How do I make my masks:

I start off hand drawing the designs. Once they are completed and I am satisfied with it, I scan and edit my drawing to a drawing software to finalize my design. Then I email the file to a Laser Cutting company to cut out my design on a high quality metal plate. The plate is then shaped to a mask fit. Then the black color is coated using acrylic enamel paint while I powder coat the silver and gold masks. Next comes the most time consuming part of production, rhinestones. I hand pick each and every rhinestone and precisely place them on the mask. This process can take hours but the rhinestones create a much more classy look for the masks. After that, I glue on the satin ribbons. Then Voila, the product is finished.

Thank you for taking your time to look through my designs. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy making them."

All of that is BS which you can see quite clearly by visiting the http://KaysoInc.com website -- everything comes as-is and is drop shipped!

I suggested to Etsy they do some kind of image search for everyone selling Kayso's masks, but I get the feeling they're making too much money off of these vendors to do anything about it. Hopefully if everyone in this team reports these shops they'll follow through with their promises for "Etsy Integrity"