Let's beat resellers at their own game!
Here's what we are going to do!We are not closing our shops. We are not reporting or flagging shops.
We are going to list some of the reseller items for $0.20, with exactly the same pictures.
Once buyers click on them, they will see the following description:
Hello potential buyer,
This item is not handmade or vintage.
In fact, all the other items from other sellers who sell this article are also not handmade. This item was made by little kids in third world countries. Slave labor. Forced labor.
This item has a lot of guilt & blood on it.
Please support handmade and do not buy this item. Not from here, nor any other shop.
Together we can stop slave labor. Together we can bring Etsy back to true handmade, vintage & supplies!
What do you say? Are you in? If so, I will put a new post up, with more details! Let's do this!
UPDATE: I added two listings, both got about 200 views and both got 1 admirer. Probably a friend :) And my forum thread "Beat them at their own game" also might have helped. I did decide to remove them, since being "fair" towards Etsy might be a better approach. Even if they are not fair with us. If my account closes down, I will not be able to reach other fed up sellers. Which would be a shame.
Not a good idea! Breaks at least 3 rules I can think of. Will not change anything about Marketplace Integrity on Etsy, but will get any shop doing this permanently closed and the user banned. I lived in a rural area in the 1990s, and knew adults who worked in real sweatshops and/or dangerous and unhealthy conditions. No benefits, no safety protocols, very low pay. In the USA. There is plenty of bad stuff attached to cheap goods all around the planet. I feel that the flood of factory mass produced goods listed on Etsy as handmade is a tragedy, but...I think this blog can do more by posting examples of these items with a bit of humor to raise the consciousness of the Etsy seller community. Not so sellers can get their shops shut down for protesting, but so they can be aware of what is being sold alongside their creations in the Etsy marketplace. Just my opinion. --ElleJay
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input!
ReplyDeleteI have two shops on Etsy, one not really active (paper goods, hand stamped) & one very active & serious (jewelry, handmade).
I see your point and I understand stating that "an item has blood on it" might be a bit much. However, I do think buyers have NO CLUE whatsoever about resellers. Well, even the mere fact that there are resellers on Etsy..
I do think I am going to try this out. Just to see how much views & favorites the items get. Just to test Etsy. Just.. in the background. It wouldn't bother me if my inactive shop gets shut down.
And in the meantime I am just going to continue this blog of course :)
I will let you know how my "handmade" triangle necklace and "handmade" bracelet are doing :)
You really haven't read Etsy's Terms of Use, have you?
Delete"Your actions under one username will apply to all of your accounts. So, if you break the rules on Etsy, the consequences will affect you across the board."
Your actions will get ALL of your accounts closed and banned, not just your "inactive" shop. Your negativity will not only get your shops closed, but if anyone else follow your example, theirs will be closed as well.
This does not positively affect the community based marketplace at all and I hope no one takes this idea seriously.
Thanks for your input, Anonymous. If you have better suggestions about fighting resellers, I'd be happy to share them with my readers.
DeleteWhen I visit Etsy, I don't feel there is any community based marketplace. Everyone is fed up with resellers and this blog is a result of that. I am just stating what everybody thinks.
Appreciate your concerns though. I am currently thinking what I should do with my listings, as I still think this is a brilliant idea.
I think that is a terrible idea, but your blog is a brilliant one! Well done!
ReplyDeleteI think it is a bad idea, but this blog is brilliant! Well done on all your hard work and achievements so far :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your input, I have to rephrase: my ideas are always terrible. The term "consequences" has absolutely no meaning to me. You are a doll, though <3
DeleteMadame Rage - I too would hate to see your legitimate etsy shop closed due to protesting the unfairness of the resellers that have flooded etsy with their purchased wholesale garbage.
ReplyDeleteAs they say "he who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day"
This blog is a great idea and we need to keep it going and we also need to continue inundating etsy by reporting as many of these resellers as we possibly can.
Yes it could be a different story if etsy would check out the items that resellers are promoting and act as swiftly to shut their shops down as they respond to a forum thread that they think is "calling out".
Please keep up the good work but also do not do anything that would jeopardize your own business. Maybe you could get a shill to open up an etsy shop and do this for you ? Someone that would not be affected if they have or did not have an etsy shop or account?
Oh - I opened that google+1 account so I could follow you there. :)
Indeed, I need it. And thank you for you input. And for opening a Google+ account. I know how frustrating having 20+ accounts can be!
Delete