Etsy Discover Vintage continues to feature brand new items -- Vintage Seller Community remains silent #etsysellsvintage

Thought it would be fun to take a look at another grouping of 36 linked listings featured today in Etsy's Discover Vintage  Note that you may see a different group of 36 thumbnails if you click on that link.  This post is about the items which were shown to me.

Let's see how many items of the 36 are actually 20+ year old Vintage, and take a look at the items which are actually new.

Beginning in the upper left corner, the first item is a handmade wedding invitation test set that is tagged "vintage" for some reason unknown -- maybe because wedding invitations have been around for 20+ years?

Item number 2 is a vintage bracelet.

Item number 3 is a handmade peacock feather ring that the seller claims is "one of a kind" -- with 45 units in stock.  Tagged and titled with the keyword "vintage".

Item number 4 is a vintage wall lamp.

Item number 5 is a handmade made to order custom address stamp   Tagged and titled with the keyword "vintage" because the fonts used are Art Deco inspired.

Item number 6 is a set of vintage wine glasses.

Item number 7 is a pair of Miao tribal earrings that are listed as a "vintage item" but are widely available all over the web NEW.  Were recently sold here on AliExpress  The seller states in the item's Description that a portion of their sales are donated to "women's craft collectives" in developing nations -- this item is part of the Pier Etsy Platform were sellers purchase new craft items and resell them on Etsy as "vintage".

Item number 8 is a vintage sweatshirt.

Item number 9 is a handmade ring with a turquoise colored glass stone  It is titled and tagged "vintage" -- the seller used vintage glass cabs/stones as a material.

Item number 10 is a handmade to order girls cotton dress  Tagged with "vintage" for reasons unknown.

Item number 11 is a digital download of a sweater pattern  which is listed as a "vintage supply from the 1980s" -- which it is not because only physical items have age.  The seller does not specify the date of the pattern, and it may not be in the public domain.  Note that Etsy allows any digital file to be listed as "vintage" provided the content is "vintage", which is not what authentic vintage means or is.

Item number 12 is a handmade to order womens halter top  with 96 units in stock.  (As you can see, the Etsyverse has not only redefined words like "handmade" "vintage" "unique" but "made to order" as well.  Sizes XS and XL are shown as sold out!  Tagged "vintage" because tops like these have been around for decades.  Anything and everything on Etsy eventually will be tagged as "vintage".

Item number 13 is a handmade wedding song request printable PDF file  Titled and tagged with "vintage" because the card is illustrated with a vintage cassette tape.

Item number 14 is a pair of handmade lever back earrings offered in 20 colors  And they are tagged "vintage".

Item number 15 is a pair of 1980s clip on earrings, a vintage item!

Item number 16 is a set of vintage decaled glass tumblers.

Item number 17 is a handmade womens tee shirt vintage inspired  Mendaciously tagged "vintage", "vintage tshirt", "70s", "70s t shirt" and "70s tee" along with "vintage inspired".  How can a brand new handmade item be dated to the 1970s?  Tag-o-rama, baby!

Item number 18 is  handmade to order floral wallpaper  Tagged and titled with the keyword "vintage".

Item number 19 is an 1880s vintage ring.

Item number 20 is a vintage vinyl record album.

Item number 21 is a handmade to order 2019 wedding invitation package  Tagged as "vintage" for no known reason.

Item number 22 is a set of mid 20th Century Dutch ceramic vases.

Item number 23 is a vintage scarf.

Item number 24 is a handmade altered denim jacket with hand painted flowers  It's a vintage denim jacket, but listed as handmade, which is spot on.  Because the seller tagged it with "vintage", it got snagged as 20+ years old.

Item number 25 is a vintage deer's tooth ring.

Item number 26 is a vintage dried flowers under glass sun catcher.

Item number 27 is a handmade to order amethyst ring  tagged and titled with "vintage" for no known reason.

Item 28 is a vintage brooch.

Item 29 is a handmade case for iPhone/Plus case for 6, 7 and 8  iPhone is 11 years old this year, but this item is tagged "vintage" because, on Etsy, any item can be "vintage".

Item 30 is a vintage skirt.

Item 31 is a handmade black dress which is tagged "vintage" and "1950s".

Item number 32 is a handmade to order couple illustration printable wedding invitation  Tagged as "vintage" -- because everyone is doing it?

Item number 33 is a handmade to order denim pant and crop top set  Tagged "70s" and "vintage", even though tops like this were not paired with high waisted jeans or pants back in the day.  What the photo shows is a 1960s top and a  maybe 1990s pant.

Item number 34 is a handmade to order burlap garland  The seller put "vintage" in her title and tags, even though the item is clearly contemporary.

Item number 35 is a handmade floral embellished hair comb  Tagged with "vintage".

Item number 36 is a handmade paracord macrame plant hanger   Tagged "vintage".

And there it is:  out of 36 items featured under the link Discover Vintage, only 14 items are actually vintage.  One item is listed as vintage, but it's a digital download.  Another item is listed as vintage, but it's a Pier Etsy Craft Product from a developing nation.  The remaining 20 items are all new handmade, or not yet made to order.

I used to be an antiques dealer, and if a dealer found themselves in an antiques shop with stuff like this for sale, there would be a disdainful comment about "crafts" and a speedy exit from the premises.  But that's how #etsysellsvintage, right, girls?

Etsy still mendaciously promoting handmade and made to order listings as "vintage" -- now at the Discover link! #etsysellsvintage

Just like last year -- and the winter holiday promotions of previous years -- Etsy's Merchandising Team is promoting listings for handmade made-to-order items as "vintage".  (Only in the Etsyverse can an item not even made yet be promoted as 20+ years old.)  Etsy is using the site's new Discover link at the top right of all pages to promote Etsy-style "vintage" items -- which just happen to be mostly brand new.

Let's have a look at what is considered "vintage" by Etsy's management and staff!  Note that the thumbnails you see promoted as "vintage" when you view Discover may vary from what I see.

Featured among the small grouping of "vintage" thumbnails on the main Discover page is this handmade pendant light listed as a "handmade" "made to order" item that the seller tagged as "Vintage" -- even though the image shows a product that is contemporary.  It's vintage by declaration which is how Vintage is determined in the Etsyverse.

Every time I click back to the Discover main page, the grouping of 6 "vintage" thumbnails changes.  Now I see this brand new handmade set of 7 puzzlepiece coasters  Again listed as "handmade" but mendaciously tagged "vintage" even though they are clearly contemporary.  Vintage by declaration.  Even better:  this "vintage" item can be customized for the buyer for an additional charge.  That's how #etsysellsvintage!

New set of thumbnails, and here's a handmade carved wood angel wings décor listed as "handmade" and "made to order", but tagged with "vintage".  Again, vintage by declaration.

From the same grouping of 6 thumbnails is this enamel pin with 43 handmade units in stock.  Again, tagged "vintage" making it vintage by declaration.

Hitting REFRESH to see 6 different thumbnails under Vintage, handmade items are still showing up, like this butterfly hair comb listed as "made to order" with 3 units in stock (something here isn't real), but tagged "vintage" -- so vintage by declaration.

From the same group of 6 thumbnails is this "made to order" coat rack with key/wallet holder bin  15 units in stock.  Titled "vintage handmade" -- which is of course impossible for an item "made to order", and mendaciously tagged both "vintage" and "antique".  The seller mistakenly believes using repurposed materials for their craft means they can honestly claim their work was created a century ago.  Vintage and antique by max mendacity declaration.

From the same grouping of thumbnails, the 3rd of the 6 shown is listed as a "vintage item from the 1800s" but it's a digital download of a botanical print which is considered vintage only on Etsy.  In the real world, only a physical item can have age.  In the real world, every download of the file creates a new copy of the image.  Etsyverse fakery.

Hitting REFRESH to see 6 different thumbnails promoted under Vintage, I spot a blast from the past:  this made to order garter was featured in my companion blog in post from October 2017 featuring (wait for it!) last year's handmade items included in Etsy's "vintage" promotion for the winter holidays.  With all the millions of authentic Vintage listings on the site, not only does Etsy mendaciously fill the links with brand new items but fills those links with brand new, made to order, products featured the exact same way 2 years in a row!  Both titled and tagged "vintage", it is of course vintage by declaration.

Same photo thumbnail that was promoted by Etsy last year:

From the same grouping of 6 thumbnails, the second "made to order" listing is for a storage ottoman handmade using a repurposed vintage crate, among other materials.  Both titled and tagged "vintage" so of course it's vintage by declaration.

Again from the same grouping of 6 thumbnails, the third brand new "handmade" item featured under Vintage is this floral print fabric robe which is priced starting at $11 and change, with 90 units in stock -- I wonder if the seller makes these at their sewing machine stationed in a corner of their kitchen?  I think not, since their shop's tagline says they are "Australia's #1 Supplier of Personalized Robes" and doesn't even ship to the USA!  The item is titled and tagged with "vintage" -- vintage by a retail boutique's declaration.

Still from the same grouping of 6 thumbnails, the 4th brand new "handmade" and "made to order" item featured under Vintage is this moon phase ear climber earring  with 3 pair in stock.  Titled and tagged with "vintage" because the glass opal stones used to craft them are vintage.  Not vintage outside the mendacious Etsyverse.

Finally the 5th item in the same group of 6 thumbnails promoted as Vintage is this "handmade" custom painted frame offered in over 40 size options and over 30 paint color choices.  Tagged and titled as "vintage style" which is the same thing as actual Vintage to Etsy management and staff.

Will post other fake "vintage" featured listings occasionally during the 2018 holiday shopping season.  Remember, if you're shopping for authentic Vintage, the rule on Etsy is CAVEAT EMPTOR.  

Etsy long term reseller DREAMWEAVER4U2 still listing new items mass manufactured in China as "vintage" #etsysellsvintage

Most recently featured here in September Etsy long term reseller DREAMWEAVER4U2 is at it again:  listing contemporary Chinese jewelry and accessories in her shop as "vintage".

Just listed yesterday is this bronze alloy metal peacock hair clip with plastic rhinestones that was being (re)sold by dozens of Etsy shops earlier in this decade.  Priced at $9, and listed as a "vintage" item.

It's still available wholesale from Chinese merchants!  Get it here on AliExpress, priced at just $1.55 with FREE shipping.   A merchant on DHGate is selling them in lots of 100 units, priced at $1 per unit -- and, again, FREE shipping.  It sold out on Wish dot com were it was priced at $2.

If you like this piece, buy one -- but don't let this Etsy reseller of fake handmade and brand new vintage rip you off!

UPDATE DECEMBER 16:  a year later, and this item is again active in DREAMWEAVER4U2's shop.  Now priced at an amazing $22!  Where to get if for less:

•  on AliExpress for just 92 cents
•  from Heartfelt Delights for $2.99
•  on Amazon for $2.53
•  from Glory's House for $4.99

It is NOT "Vintage from the 1980s", as it is currently listed.  It is contemporary, manufactured in China.  

UPDATE: Etsy's Vintage sellers proudly call attention to a recent feature in HOUSE BEAUTIFUL about Etsy listings for items listed as Vintage that (wait for it!) aren't Vintage! #etsysellsvintage

The outpourings of Etsygirl dumbunnyspeak are multiplying in the Forums like, well, bunnies.

A few days ago, I called attention to some Etsy Forums threads complaining about a test removing the Vintage link from the site's pages here  The thread is still going strong, and yesterday a seller added a link on page 15 to a feature in HOUSE BEAUTIFUL magazine about Vintage on Etsy.  Of the 7 items shown and linked in the feature, 3 are not Vintage -- even though they are misleadingly listed as Vintage.  Three of the actual Vintage items ship from The Netherlands, Indonesia and Turkey; this is not a problem, but what about the millions of authentic Vintage items listed by sellers in the USA, Canada, and the UK?  The fourth Vintage item (ships from USA) is still being manufactured, and is available brand new (with the option of the same contemporary chair legs) for less money!

Here are the 3 fauxtiques:

Significantly altered "Midcentury Modern Dresser"  is listed as a "vintage handmade item from the 1950s", which translates as the shop owner designed and/or crafted this piece in the 1950s -- which is a blatant lie.  The listing includes only one photo (below)

While the wood it was made from is not mentioned, and neither is the maker, the seller explains that outer surfaces have been refinished with matte black, and the original knobs replaced with agate slices!  The seller has given this item a "recycled" attribute -- seriously, WTF?  Increasing the carbon footprint of an item by altering it is Etsyverse "recycling" now?  Not vintage.

This recently mined and processed 96g Raw Blue Kyanite and quartz specimen has already been sold.  Listed as a "vintage handmade item", which translates as the shop owner designed and/or crafted this item at least 20 years ago. which is a blatant lie.  Most of the mineral specimens for sale as "vintage" on Etsy -- along with spheres, pyramids, and obelisks made from minerals -- were recently mined and processed by mining/manufacturing corporations in Asia.  This is a new reseller product, as the seller's Shop Announcement makes clear:

"We use our personal connections in the crystal mining industry to deliver High vibration exceptional quality gems fresh from mother earth."

Also note that these crystal specimens are promised to deliver "high vibration" -- a bogus claim.

Not vintage.


The third item is a listing for paint to order piece of furniture, age unknown but listed as a "vintage item".  The photos in the listing do not show the item for sale, which doesn't exist until seller and buyer choose a piece of furniture and the refinishing it will receive -- this is what Etsy considers "vintage"!

The photo above is the one chosen to appear in HOUSE BEAUTIFUL.  Clearly shows the item isn't vintage.

Another thread for Etsy dumbun sellers to coo about "vintage" in HOUSE BEAUTIFUL here

Etsy Forums Hilarity: all aboard the DumBuns Express! Seriously, are Etsy's vintage sellers all senile or something?

OMG, the stupid is out in force today!

If you haven't read them, check out my previous posts here and here and earlier today  And then read this Bugs thread:  Vintage Category  Here's the original post:

There is currently no drop down list when the vintage category at the top of the page is 'hovered' over. Other titles seem to be functioning correctly.
Also other shops are reporting that this category has been removed altogether.
Could you please explain what is going on with the vintage category.
Thank you.

The drop down detailed menu has been missing at the Vintage link for a year now!  The links at the top of every Etsy page are not "categories" -- they are what the old Browse pages (that looked like pin boards) were, but arranged like SEARCH results.  The items on those pages are curated, which means selected by Etsy staff.  Oh, and Etsy has not had a "vintage category" since like 2012.  Where have you dumbuns been hiding?


And another Clueless Express pulls into the Etsy Forums station:  Etsy, Please Put Vintage Back as a Drop Down  The drop down menu at the Vintage link was removed in September 2017, a year ago.  Duh?

Etsy tests removing the link to Vintage from its pages, and changing the link to Gifts -- reported by sellers in the Forums! #etsysellsvintage

Back in July 2018 some shop owners in the Etsy Vintage Seller Community seemed surprised by Etsy's staff holding to an assessment of shopper behavior on the site first shared in 2012:

In our research we found that most buyers are not first searching or browsing for items by when they were made or who made them. Buyers tend think about the item they want to buy, like a jacket or blanket, before deciding if they want it to be vintage or not.

For most of a decade, Etsy has believed that shoppers on the site aren't looking for Vintage items specifically, so why not lose the Vintage link that now appears at the top/right of all pages?  During special sale promotions, like the recent Labor Day Sale weekend, the Vintage link was removed -- changed to "Sale".  Even though there were two huge links to the sale at the top of the home page, and one of the two (a black bar across the top) appeared on all pages. Vintage took the weekend off, and I noticed no complaints or comments from the seller community.

It looks like Vintage might be taking a permanent vacation according to this Forums thread:  Vintage category replaced by gifts??? Seriously?

Not all users are seeing this; it's another unannounced test.  If this becomes permanent, new visitors to the site will be unaware that Vintage items are for sale on Etsy, unless they use SEARCH and scroll down to see option on the left margin to view only Vintage results -- an option that is being placed lower and lower on SEARCH results pages as Etsy redesigns its pages.

Since anything sold on Etsy might be gifted, how will items qualify for the new Gift linked category?  I'm not in the test (yet), but will update this with more info on Gift items when/if I get to see the test.

UPDATE:  another Forums thread -- No more vintage heading??? Tag vintage as gift?  Don't think so.  The test Gift link has nothing to do with Vintage items.  Vintage items be gone!

More!  Another thread:  Etsy, vintage replaced with gifts - Please don't do it!  Unfortunately for the Etsy Seller Community, most of them don't realize that Etsy removed Vintage as a category when the original category links list was removed from the left side of the Home Page, circa 2012.  Etsy has no Vintage Category.

Etsy long term reseller DREAMWEAVER4U2 adds new fake vintage to her shop #etsysellsvintage

Last featured here on June 05, 2018 Etsy long term reseller DREAMWEAVER4U2 is at it again:  listing contemporary mass made jewelry, accessories, and clothing as either "handmade" by her or as "vintage".  Weeks ago her shop underwent a serious house-cleaning, with all of the sweatshop goodies deactivated.  Now, they are sneaking back.  Let's have a look!

This goth-style hand bracelet with adjustable ring is pretending to be "vintage".  The Description says it is "Never worn storage store stock".  Two units in stock, priced at $22.

Since this is a contemporary product, anyone can buy this "never worn" -- and for a lot less money.  Get it here for less than $8.  It's on sale here for just 99 cents!  A reseller on Luulla has it for $15.  Not vintage.

The other sweatshop goodie reactivated is this pentagram cage bra pretending to be "handmade" and last called out in my companion blog in May 2018


Will add more fake "vintage" from DREAMWEAVER4U2 as it (re)appears.

Etsy Forums post asks Handmade or Vintage? And the dumb bunny seller community gets it wrong! #etsysellsvintage

Here's the thread:  Handmade or Vintage? It's over 10,000 years old.....but.....

The original post includes a link to an article at Siberian Times about an artisan who created a hat from 10,000 year old mammoth hair.

So, it's not 10,000 years old.  It's not even 20 years old (Etsy Vintage).  It's actually new, and Handmade.

But 4 of the dumb bunnies in the thread keyboard-titter moronically about it being "SUPER MEGA VINTAGE" -- which is EtsyverseSpeak for new Handmade.

Which is why Etsy's mendacious Marketplace Integrity Team revised the site's listing process to allow sellers to backdate new craft projects made with older materials into Vintageville.

And that's how #etsysellsvintage.

Etsy's Merchandising Team promotes more listings for new handmade products in featured thumbnails on the Vintage landing page #etsysellsvintage

It's a new month, and Etsy mendacious Merchandising Team has curated some new product category thumbnails at the top of the landing page under the Vintage link.

Let's have a look at what Etsy is promoting today as "vintage".

Soap seller PrettyGifty4U has the curated thumbnail spot under Vintage/Toys and Games for this Fiona the Hippo Kids Soaps Set listed as "vintage handmade".  19 color options, 237 sets in stock.

Obviously there is no yuck factor about soaps supposedly 20+ years old being used by children in the Etsyverse.  Everyone knows the Etsyverse never had a yuck factor about deceptive selling practices.  Not "vintage" and not a "toy" or a "game".


UPDATE AUGUST 7, 2018 -- More!

As the curated feature thumbnail for Vintage/Art & Collectibles, the mendacious Merchandising Team has chosen a digital download!  That's right, in the Etsyverse an item that has no physical existence when purchased, and is newly created on the buyer's device after the sale, can be sold as a "vintage item from the 1800s".  As an antique, over a century old!  The item is this digital file of a geological map  sold by KramStudioDesign has been chosen to represent the types of Art and Collectibles shoppers will find on the site -- and they're not "vintage".

Despite the evidence right there on the Vintage link landing page, the Vintage Seller Community remains clueless about how Etsy corporate views authentic Vintage items and Antiques for sale on the site.

More Etsy Forums complaints from the seller community about the quantity of fake vintage and fauxtiques for sale on the site #etsysellsvintage

Another one!  Here's the thread:  what is being done about NON VINTAGE items being sold as vintage?  The answer, in one word, is nothing.

Contrary to the icing drips from the Forums cupcake posts, there is nothing the Vintage seller community can do about this issue.

Reporting doesn't work.  All flags are reviewed by AI  before being seen by a real live human Etsy employee.  Most reports are simply discarded by the AI code, no matter the type of item being reported.  There is no way to know for sure, but my guess is only reports that deal with items that might get Etsy corporate into legal difficulties for being listed on the site are passed on by the AI.  This does not include IP violations, unless the community member making the report owns the IP in question.  Nothing else is addressed.

Any item can be considered "vintage" on Etsy if the seller describes it as a "reproduction".  That's right!  The item can be a brand new, fantasy vintage-style, piece never made until the 21st Century.  But it's all good according to Marketplace Integrity:  all Etsy sellers are honest, and if the seller says it's a "reproduction", then it is.  Additionally, items designated as "reproductions" can be dated to the age the seller believes the items represent, listed accordingly.  Such as "vintage from the 1910s" for a contemporary fake Nippon hat pin holder.  The word "reproduction" Teflon coats your listing, baby.

Etsy altered the listing form twice to include more items newer than 20 years old as Vintage.  The first time was circa 2011 when category double and triple dipping was added, to create nonsense listings like "vintage handmade" and "vintage handmade supply".  Of course it's possible that an artisan could have created some handmade glass beads, for example, 20 years ago -- and have some left to sell.  But most "vintage handmade" items turned out to be NEW handmade items created with "vintage" (maybe) materials.  This was reported to Etsy as a Bug in the Forums; resolved as "that's intentional, it's all good".  Except it's not:  it's not Vintage, except on Etsy.

The second change was offering the option to list "vintage" digital downloads, when digital items were added to the listing form, circa 2013.  A copy created after purchase isn't considered "vintage" anywhere outside the Etsyverse.

Etsy just wants the money from any listing, for any item, and it's the seller's choice whether to call a recently mass manufactured product Handmade or Vintage, even though it is neither.

If you don't care for the deceptive marketplace on mendacious Etsy, find another place to sell.  Etsy doesn't see fake vintage as a problem, and you're not going to convince them otherwise.

ShopatSullivan resells vintage style items on Etsy, and back dates them 40 years! Does being a fan of Anne of Green Gables make you mendacious? #etsysellsvintage

Once again I have to comment that shops on Etsy that professionally follow the published guidelines for sellers-- listing only items designed and/or made by them as Handmade, authentic Vintage items at least 20 years old, and stuff that is actually supplies for crafting -- are there merely to distract shoppers and (especially) stockholders/investors from the reality that about 50 percent of Etsy shops are reselling to some extent.

Meet ShopatSullivan who has been reselling contemporary products for years as "vintage".  Because they are an extremely low volume seller (just 28 sales made as I type), they are the only type of fake vintage shop that Etsy's Marketplace Integrity Team is likely to close.  Maybe giving them a feature here will nudge Etsy into shutting this one down, dunno.  But it's worth a try!

I previously called out ShopatSullivan in my companion blog, Fake Shaming Etsy and its Resellers, in a post dated January 27, 2018 about reselling iPhone related products as "vintage".  I periodically check shops featured in older posts to see what they are currently up to.  The item featured in January, an iPhone case for several obsolete models listed as a "vintage item from the 1970s", set this seller apart as an extravagant liar (and on mendacious Etsy that is quite an achievement!) and worth her own featured post.

The shop has no About section, but the seller's Etsy Community Member Profile says "we sell vintage inspired items" which is a clear admission that they are violating Etsy's published guidelines for Sellers.  Not that there is a problem with doing so -- remember, about half the sellers on Etsy are rule breakers.

Let's have a look at the items listed for sale by this lying sack of a reseller!

Pretending to be "vintage" is this Kazuri-Charleston Necklace offered in 3 colors, with 11 units in stock.  4 units have already been sold.  The mendacious seller's Description for the item explains that these contemporary necklaces are "hand crafted in Africa" "by single mothers in Nairobi".  And that the Etsy price of $18.28 each is half of the "original retail price".  Yup, that is what "vintage" is about on Etsy.

The item's Description also includes the web address of the wholesale source, Kazuri America.  Their Story page explains they are a "fair trade" organization.  Which does nothing whatsoever to justify deceptively listing these necklaces as "vintage".  Pants.  On.  Fire.


Another Kazuri Necklace listing pulls out all the mendacity stops and claims it is "vintage from the 1970s", maybe because Kazuri was founded in 1975.  Offered in 2 color choices, with 8 units in stock.

Finally, here's a deceptive listing for "Loose Leaf Herbal Tea" pretending to be "vintage supply from the 1970s" (anyone see a pattern here?); it's not herbal tea, however, but a blend.  Offered in 4 flavor mixes, 13 units in stock, 7 units already sold.

Of course these teas aren't vintage at all, or from the 1970s.  ShopatSullivan has their own boutique website where these tea mixes are sold.  I guess ShopatSullivan never realized that their deceitful Etsy shop would be link-connected with their stand alone business.  You're welcome, reseller.

"Sell anything on Etsy" -- In new Forums topic sellers discuss the flood of newish stuff pretending to be vintage on Etsy #etsysellsvintage

Here's the thread:  Sell anything on Etsy. Vintage....NOT.

Somehow these Etsy sellers have missed the gradual change during the past decade where the published guidelines for sellers actually allow new items to be sold as Vintage.

Examples:

• Downloads of digital files.  Only in the Etsyverse is that what is meant by a "vintage print".
• Reproductions.  On Etsy, you can date and price a brand new, Asian import, vintage-style item as if it was old -- even antique.  
• Rocks and minerals.  Sellers import pounds of these from Asia, recently mined and processed.  That is not what vintage means or is.  And finished products made from minerals (pyramids, spheres, columns, coasters) are brand new, mass manufactured, products from Chinese factories -- not Vintage outside the Etsyverse.
• Major brand overstocks of discontinued or seasonal items that are just a few seasons old.  These have been allowed by Etsy's Marketplace Integrity Team as "vintage" since 2012.
• Products made by the sellers from destroyed Vintage items.  Like "ephemera packs" that include pages removed from books and magazines in random or themed assortments.  Confetti stamped from vintage paper items.  Stacks of covers removed from Vintage books.  

Check out the listings of the top 100 most relevant Vintage (?) listings at the Vintage promotional link at the top right of every Etsy site page to see what I mean.  As I type there are

• 13 listings for mineral specimens
• 4 digital downloads or new printings of digitized "vintage" images
• 3 reproductions/newly made vintage style products
• 7 listings for altered, formerly vintage, items including clothing, furniture, confetti, and ephemera packs
• 2 listings for new native craft products made in a traditional style
• 4 "u pick" clothing assortments where no items are shown in detail.  Used?  Probably.  Vintage?  Who knows.

So there's the consistent percentage of non-vintage listings in all Vintage "promotions" on the site:  31 items (above) out of 98 (first 2 pages) most relevant listings = 32% or 1/3. 

The problem is not a matter of inadequate "policing" to enforce the rules.  The rules actually allow these items to be listed on Etsy as "vintage".


Update:  some comments in response to inaccuracies in posts in the Forums thread linked above.

Page 1 "a real person has to go over every report".  Nope.  Etsy has programmed AI code to review all flags/reports, to select which ones should be reviewed by a human.  The majority of reports are discarded before being read.  This is why reporting/flagging no longer works to remove shops and/or items that are clearly in violation.  While there is no information from Etsy about what reports are retained for human review, I am guessing that they concern items whose presence on Etsy might get the corporation in some kind of legal trouble.  

Page 1 (bottom) "they remove things right away when the obvious are pointed out -collectible dated 2004, dvds that were releases in 2010.. things like that."  Nope.  This hasn't been the case since the introduction of the (now defunct) Browse sections.  Items curated into the Vintage Browse section that showed a date (such as 2004) on the item, clearly visible in the curated-in thumbnail were not removed, but promoted.  See this post dated May 2015 from my companion blog Fake Shaming Etsy.  The third item shown in the post has a clearly visible 2004 on it, but it was curated into Vintage Browse by Etsy staff.  In November-December 2015, Etsy was promoting "vintage" STAR WARS collectibles in anticipation of the release of THE FORCE AWAKENS in Dec. 2015.  Somehow Etsy staff considered collectibles related to a yet unreleased film to be "vintage" -- see this post from early December 2015 in my companion blog about non-vintage items included in a "Vintage" STAR WARS promotion.

Page 2 "Etsy has never claimed to be a curated site".  Not the site as a whole, but all promotions are curated.  Etsy staff used to curate ALL the front page collections at the start, changing over to a shared curation with community created "treasuries".  Promotions curated by Etsy staff, in 2007 through today in 2018, have always included reseller items pretending to be "handmade" or "vintage", or contemporary handmade items the seller decided (for visibility) to list as "vintage".  Again, take a look at my companion blog Fake Shaming Etsy for many posts about the items featured in Etsy staff CURATED promotions.

Etsy corporate gives canned reply to its Vintage Seller Community regarding missing drop down menu for Vintage shoppers

After 5 days, Etsy corporate sent one of its drone staff members into the Forums Bugs section to publish a canned reply to a thread discussed in my previous post  The reply appears on page 7 of the thread Drop down Menu for "Vintage" not working.

Read the reply from Lori W. there.  The canned bit is this:

"The Vintage drop down menu was removed from the navigation in September of 2017. In our research we found that most buyers are not first searching or browsing for items by when they were made or who made them. Buyers tend think about the item they want to buy, like a jacket or blanket, before deciding if they want it to be vintage or not. "

Maybe you don't remember the bit about shoppers "not first searching or browsing for items by when they were made or who made them", but I do.  It was first offered up to the Etsy seller community in 2012 as explanation for the 1) removal of the category list at the left side of Etsy's Homepage, replaced by 2) links to the "pin board" style Browse pages curated by Etsy that mixed a few (very few!) vintage items in with items listed as "handmade".

The takeaway from that bit of boilerplate is now, as it was in 2012, the revelation that Etsy corporate is tailoring the site to appeal to shoppers who don't care about either Handmade ("who made them") or Vintage ("when they were made").  Etsy's targeted shopper for the site as a whole is simply looking for jackets or blankets, the two items cited by Lori W.

Dunno about you, readers, but I find it surprising that Etsy offers up the same data on shopping behavior they used 6 years ago to pacify sellers.

But there it is, straight from the corporate keyboard:  Etsy is not interested in structuring the site so that shoppers searching specifically for Handmade or Vintage can find what they're looking for.

Clueless Etsy sellers finally notice there is something different about the Vintage link at the top right of the site's pages. It's been like that for like a year now?

Another round of Etsy Forums Follies, this time it's Vintage related.  First a thread in Discussions:  Drop down Menu for "Vintage" not working?!  Of course no one remembers that Etsy announced the change -- removing a drop down menu when you hover over the Vintage link.  But the clueless cupcakes are what they are, so in Dumb Bunny GirlWorld it has to be a "bug".  So, a thread is opened in Bugs:  Drop down Menu for "Vintage" not working  And an Etsy staffer tells them it's intentional.

The problem is the awkward (for all sellers, not just Vintage shops) Etsy category structure is a really poor fit for Vintage items in the way that collectors and gift-givers and decorators usually search for them.  Additionally, the customer Etsy targets for the site generally (not for any specific type of item) is a young woman aged 14-29 who obviously (based on her age) isn't all that interested in nostalgia for stuff at least 20 years old.  Etsy uses the first page at the Vintage link to showcase a curated, not entirely Vintage, selection to the customer the site is targeting.  Newish clothing, accessories and jewelry, digital downloads (not Vintage anywhere outside the mendacious Etsyverse), manufactured mineral specimens and decorative objects (stones are old, so crystal balls and agate coaster sets newly made are "vintage).

Check pages 1 and 2 at the Vintage link at the right top of the page, and have a look.  No matter the time of day, between 12 and 20 items on page 1 aren't Vintage...even though they are considered among the top 48 "vintage" items in terms of relevance on Etsy.

Wake up, Etsygirls!

UPDATE:  this happened not quite a year ago, in September 2017.  It was announced at the time as a "current test" and discussed in this thread in the Etsy Forums:  Vintage Sellers, I hope THIS IS BOOST TO US...  The original post quotes the test information:

Current tests
The information below is accurate as of September 26, 2017, and includes tests that are most relevant to sellers.
Type: Updates to Etsy's category navigation menu
What we're testing:
- Adding Art & Collectibles at the top of the category navigation menu
- Removing Kids & Baby from the top of the category navigation menu
- Expanding the Wedding category to Wedding & Party
- Making the Vintage category a clickable link that takes shoppers directly to the Vintage category page
- Additional changes to reorganize and regroup categories and subcategories within the category navigation menu
Goal: To simplify the category navigation menu so buyers can easily find products on Etsy.
Audience: A percentage of all buyers on Etsy.
Start date: September 2017
More information: This experiment does not impact the categories you’ve used to list your items. You don't need to make changes to your listings. Additionally, items in the Kids & Baby category will be included in relevant top-level categories, such as Clothing, Accessories, or Toys. 

Removing the drop down menu sent shoppers interested in vintage directly to a curated page with 9 Etsy "categories" at the top, each with a staff curated thumbnail photo which was not linked to the item shown, but the "category".  The categories then, as today, were:

• Home & Living
• Jewelry
• Art & Collectibles
• Clothing
• Craft Supplies & Tools
• Books, Movies & Music
• Accessories
• Toys & Games
• Bags & Purses

The same photo is not always shown for each "category".  Instead there is a small number of curated photos that can appear in each of the nine spaces.  But here's where Etsy shows the intention behind the change:  every time the page is accessed between 3 and 5 of the nine curated thumbnail photos show NEW -- not VINTAGE -- items for sale.  The link has been utilized as part of Etsy's "guided shopping experience" to clue in shoppers that "vintage" on Etsy doesn't have to be old.  Don't you love it, Etsygirls?

Here's where I had this information saved, in a post made to my companion blog in October 2017:  Etsy tests a new way to connect shoppers with vintage items...

One of the 4 items called out in that post as fake "vintage" is shown as the thumbnail for Accessories as I type this, 10 months later.  Because that's how #etsysellsvintage