23 December 2019

Etsy Grinches on its Vintage seller community by featuring new handmade craftiques in their 2019 Top Vintage Picks of the Year promotional email #etsysellsvintage

Yup, Etsy has done it again!  In today's promotional email titled Top Vintage Picks of the Year 3 out of the 7 items shown are actually new handmade craft items!

The main (largest) photo links to a page featuring "Vintage Jewelry and Accessories".  32 items are included, 24 of which are sold -- the items at that link have not been updated/replaced for almost a year now.  The lion head door knocker earrings shown in the main thumbnail are sold.

None of the other 6 thumbnails are clickable.  The link actually sends you to various curated promotions that may -- or may not -- include the featured item.  A hot mess.

In position number 1 (top left) is this handmade "Vintage Turquoise Bee Locket" that has been promoted by Etsy as "vintage" for about 5 years now,  The mendacious seller has listed it as a "Vintage item from the 1950s" AND "handmade" -- but it's just handmade.  Nothing about it is original.  The brass locket has been painted and sealed, embellished with a bee, and placed on a new chain.  Currently there are 14 "vintage from the 1950s" units in stock.






This is what Etsy considers "vintage jewelry".  Could not be sold at a reputable antiques co-op or show because it's a fake!


Item number 2 (top right) is a vintage sweater -- SOLD!

Item number 3 (second row left) is a vintage bamboo lamp -- SOLD!

Item number 4 (second row right) is a wedding veil with crystal headpiece, which is not shown at the link that leads to Vintage wedding veils.  Looking at the photo as soon as I opened the email, I had this photo IDed as a brand new contemporary piece.  And I was right.  Copying and pasting the photo into Google Images, led to the item listing:  traditional wedding veil and crystal tiara headpiece  It will be made to the buyer's specification of lace color, veil length, metal color for the tiara.  Not a vintage item, and the seller isn't pretending that it is vintage.  









Item number 5 (bottom left) is a brand new tea light holder manufactured from rainbow fluorite mendaciously listed as "Vintage from before 2000" (because rocks are like, old, and stuff) AND "handmade".  It's a craftique, not vintage.  Available in 3 different sizes, 8 brand new units in stock.






Item number 6 is a Vintage shoulder bag -- SOLD!


And there's the documentation that 3 out of 7 items shown are, in fact, NEW.  That's how #etsysellsvintage!

Etsy vintage sellers claim their Bubble Necklaces from a decade ago date from the 1950s through the 1990s #etsysellsvintage

It seems that yard sales are infested with Made in China statement necklaces from a decade or so ago.  Almost as soon as these styles began ...