Etsy becoming more like Walmart

[meshaliuknits]

etsy is still my go-to when I want random stuff like Cake and Fiona hats or Raven's belt. There is some amazing cosplay stuff on there. But that sort of thing is getting harder to find, which I find disappointing.

[heyjude]

Sept 30, 2014 11:52:20 GMT -5 laurenpetro said:

now i feel like an asshole for looking on there for a new nose stud.

THANKS INTERNET.

I just bought my DD an Elsa cape from there....

:/

It was made in CA. So she said in her listing.

[heyjude]

Here is a typical example of what's wrong with Etsy today:

www.etsy.com/listing/167444242/polka-dot-wristlet-purse-wristlet-pouch?

[laurenpetro]

Sept 30, 2014 11:57:24 GMT -5 heyjude said:

Here is a typical example of what's wrong with Etsy today:

www.etsy.com/listing/167444242/polka-dot-wristlet-purse-wristlet-pouch?

oh yuck.

so what's the verdict on printables?

aside from major, of course.

[Deleted]

Sept 30, 2014 11:59:29 GMT -5 laurenpetro said:

Sept 30, 2014 11:57:24 GMT -5 heyjude said:

Here is a typical example of what's wrong with Etsy today:

www.etsy.com/listing/167444242/polka-dot-wristlet-purse-wristlet-pouch?

oh yuck.

so what's the verdict on printables?

aside from major, of course.

I like printables.

But I feel some kind of way about the ones that knock off trademarked characters. Not enough to pass on the cookie monster themed party shit I got for my youngest but enough to feel bad about it when I printed all that off.

[laurenpetro]

Sept 30, 2014 12:04:39 GMT -5 @helenabonhamcarter said:

Sept 30, 2014 11:59:29 GMT -5 laurenpetro said:

oh yuck.

so what's the verdict on printables?

aside from major, of course.

I like printables.

But I feel some kind of way about the ones that knock off trademarked characters. Not enough to pass on the cookie monster themed party shit I got for my youngest but enough to feel bad about it when I printed all that off.

i'm looking at something completely generic for the kids' family party.  since there are 3 of them for 1 party (because i'm cheap like that) i feel like it's the way to go.

i'm not saying i'm above a themed printable bonanza, i just haven't bothered yet.

[Alyssa]

I really don't like Etsy anymore.  It's filled with crap sellers who steals other sellers photos and pass them off as their own.  You really don't know what you're buying now.

[Deleted]

Sept 30, 2014 13:26:49 GMT -5 Alyssa said:

I really don't like Etsy anymore.  It's filled with crap sellers who steals other sellers photos and pass them off as their own.  You really don't know what you're buying now.

My heirloom sewing friends have issues with this. Even Chinese sellers are stealing pictures.

[Alyssa]

Sept 30, 2014 13:29:47 GMT -5 @helenabonhamcarter said:

Sept 30, 2014 13:26:49 GMT -5 Alyssa said:

I really don't like Etsy anymore.  It's filled with crap sellers who steals other sellers photos and pass them off as their own.  You really don't know what you're buying now.

My heirloom sewing friends have issues with this. Even Chinese sellers are stealing pictures.

Yep, I was on there to look for a Queen Elsa dress 2 weeks ago for my daughter to wear for Halloween.  There was a seller with a $180 Elsa dress and someone else took her photo, cut off the child model's head and was passing it off for their $30 dress.  They had a picture of a dress hanging up next to the stolen dress photo and the two dresses didn't look close at all.  Pretty ballsy.


Last year I bought a flower girl dress off Etsy and then saw another seller selling the same EXACT dress, down to the identical lace pattern.  Both sellers were claiming the dress were their own creation.  It's like they bought them in bulk from over-seas and were claiming they make those dresses out of their living rooms. 


This was the dress that we bought.





Same dress, different seller




Same dress, different seller

[IIOY]

Suddenly I'm feeling lucky about my lone Etsy purchase being American-made and exactly what I wanted.

[pixy0stix]

Sept 30, 2014 14:42:45 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

Of course. Of fucking course a site i join then jumps the shark.

Do you mainly sell through your blog? It's fairly easy to set up an independent store.

[stephm0188]

If you are looking for a brown leather tote, here are a few options:

There's this one for $181



Or this one for $145
 

[Deleted]

Sept 30, 2014 11:50:35 GMT -5 heyjude said:

And when this happened the Etsy CEO said something like "oh we are doing this because our sellers are so successful on here they can't meet demand and sometimes they need extra help [that only Chinese factory workers can provide] in making your item. What's wrong with that? Hugs for everyone!"

I think part of what happened is that some sellers were getting friends, relatives, strangers to do piecework for them. Other sellers responded with skepticism, wondering how that shop over there was managing to handle that sales load, that much inventory if the seller was making it themselves and started bitching. Etsy, being lazy assholes who just want to make a buck said, fuck it, do what you want.

And now I hate etsy.

[itsme]

I was a seller for awhile on Etsy. I started noticing the change when that bubble necklace fad came in about three years ago. That fad clued me in to the fact that the site was no longer only for handmade or vintage type items.

[blink]

The one thing I still buy from Etsy are dog treats every Christmas that has cheese as one of the main ingredients. I don't think I will have to worry about a Chinese knock-off with that. Speaking of, I should start picking out dog treats.

[Deleted]

Sept 30, 2014 16:10:17 GMT -5 itsme said:

I was a seller for awhile on Etsy. I started noticing the change when that bubble necklace fad came in about three years ago. That fad clued me in to the fact that the site was no longer only for handmade or vintage type items.

I think that's about when those SAHMs started selling PDF sewing patterns that sucked and figured out how to contract directly with chinese factories to create their own knit fabrics.

[sunny]

oh wow this is depressing. I bought some amazing stuff from etsy back in the day.

[litebright]

This is just such a waste of a good thing.

I love Etsy. I've found some great, unique things there over the years and I'm actually looking now for printables so I can get a custom day planner set up exactly the way I want it.

But I've definitely noticed the proliferation of cheap Chinese imports and/or resellers. When I was looking for an Elsa dress? That was when it was really obvious, when all the promo shots were the exact same and the price was about half of what handmade versions were selling for.

I think it will backfire on them, though. I bought DD2's Elsa dress elsewhere (littledressupshop), because if I'm going to get a playdress made in China rather than spring for the handmade version, I would prefer to go through a reputable company as an importer/middleman rather than risk a flaky seller in another country.