Open on Etsy since 2013, reseller shop HechoDeCorazon has hundreds of active listings for contemporary products pretending to be "vintage", mixed in with new craft products, and actual vintage collectibles. The shop was reported to Marketplace Integrity many times before summer 2015 for fraudulent listings, so this seller has been vetted and approved to deceive Etsy shoppers about the age of their "vintage" items.
This Baublebar resin plastic crystal statement necklace circa 2015 is listed as "Vintage from the 1980s". Of course, the newer the brand, the easier it is to research. Less than 10 seconds on Google confirms that Baublebar dates from 2010, so this mendacious reseller has added about 30 years to the item's actual age. Priced at a hilarious $86, the necklace has been listed in the shop for well over a year now, with no takers. Even an Etsygirl is rarely stoopid enough to fall for this blatant misrepresentation. Tagged "Vintage Baublebar", so any AI Etsy had programmed to spot listings that violated its guidelines for "vintage" would have seen it -- but Etsy has no such AI. No Baublebar jewelry will be vintage by Etsy's published standard until 2030. UPDATE MARCH 08; price for this item has been increased to $175. Actual value is about $1.75. This one's for you, Etsygirls!
March 30, 2020: more from the same seller. Listed a few days ago is this prescription pill bottle cocktail shaker pretending to be "Vintage from before 2000" and priced at $25.
Using the power of the internet to precisely date 21st Century products, it took only seconds to locate this announcement in INDEPENDENT RETAILER news, dated May 1, 2010, for the introduction of the "RX Cocktail Shaker" by Kheper Games. For you math fans out there, this means the shaker is less than 10 years old as I type this post. Pants. On, Fire. If you want one, try eBay, where there are easily a dozen for sale including at least one new in its shrink wrap packaging -- priced from $6.99 to around $15. Don't let Etsy's mendacious resellers rip you off!
Etsy seller AvaAnouk is one of thousands of reseller shops on the site that specialize in woowoo -- all sorts of items supposedly providing metaphysical instruction, psychic prediction, or mystical powers. The shop's tagline claims it is a "frequency shop". Oh, the spookiness! Check out this listing for an "Enchanting Himalayan Candleholder" pretending to be "Vintage from the 18th Century". The item's Description cautions that this candle holder shouldn't be placed in a damp room because the Himalayan salt (from which it's made) dissolves in water -- and who would dissolve a 300+ year old item? No one -- because these candle holders are NEW. Do a Google search for the product, which will turn up dozens of online merchants honestly selling these contemporary new age products retail for a lower price than this Etsy shop.
