Etsy reseller Goodtimesvtg still listing items factory fresh from China as Vintage from 40 or more years ago -- and Etsy shoppers are loving it! #etsysellsvintage

 Dunno about you, but I sometimes wonder if Etsy is really a long-term experiment to test the stupidity of the average human.  There are too many deceptive shop owners (re)selling on the site to count, and an almost unbelievable number of buyers who want to pay the Etsy Reseller Stupid Tax when they overpay to purchase cheapie products mass made in Chinese factories pretending to be "handmade" by the shop or 20+ year old "vintage".

06/03/22:  shop is CLOSED.

Notorious fake vintage reseller Goodtimesvtg is still creating deceptive listings for her Etsy shop, as she has been for more than 4 years now.  (My most recent post about this mendacious reseller is HERE and you can follow links in previous posts about Goodtimesvtg back to the first one dated August 2016.)  Just listed yesterday is this new contemporary women's bracelet watch by Saigo pretending to be "Vintage from the 1980s".  Priced at $199, sure to attract the kind of dumb bunny Etsy buyer who longs to pay that amount for a watch the sells on the market as I type for $25 or much less.

If you want one of these watches, there are handful of online listings for it -- and you will save a lot of money buying from an honest merchant, as opposed to the mendacious Goodtimesvtg!  Get it from Times and Jewelry on sale for $17.95.  Just $24.98 at Vova   Bottom feeder site Wish has it for just $8 (the original price given in the listing is $174 -- still lower than Goodtimesvtg -- and claims the thinestones are "diamonds").  It's sold out on Amazon UK but the listing includes the date listed on the site:  Jan. 17, 2015 -- nothing like the 1980s!  

UPDATE DECEMBER 02:  she's at it again!  Buyers Beware!!!

Just listed a few days ago is another brand new vintage style ball wall clock that this mega-mendacious fake vintage reseller claims is "Vintage from the 1970s".  Priced at $199.50, on sale from regular price $399.  Seller claims it is 40+ year old original Nelson, and is hanging on her wall.  But why does the listing show photo images borrowed from a contemporary manufacturer of cheapie vintage style knock-offs?  02/17:  Another unit has been listed (4 previously listed and sold using the same photos) .  This time the price is $299!  Once again, it's fake dated to the 1970s and is hanging on the shop owner's wall (yeah, sure).  

If you want the clock shown in the image above, you can do much better on price.  Get it from the manufacturer on Amazon where you will pay just $54.95 with FREE shipping and a 1-year limited warranty.  Get it on eBay for $49.95.  Resold by several merchants on their own sites, same brand, similar price.  

DECEMBER 28:  still going with fake vintage items!

This contemporary version of a Nelson "block clock" is pretending to be "Vintage from the 1990s".  It's not vintage -- it's new!  Priced at $140 (on sale from "original" price of $350).  

Photo above, used as the listing thumbnail, was "borrowed" from the manufacturer and is used by merchants selling the same clock NEW.  It's backordered HERE where the inventory sold out after the price was reduced to $153 -- a few $$$ more than Goodtimesvtg is asking.  A version with the same color blocks, but with a second hand, can be found on WAL-MART's site.

FEBRUARY 12:  here's another one!  Just listed today is this contemporary Mickey Mouse figural plastic watering can pretending to be "Vintage from the 1970s".  Priced at $99.  Seller claims the piece is in "excellent used condition", but the photos tell a different story. I'd rate it good at best, considering it's NOT OLD, just a cheaply mass manufactured item from a Chinese sweatshop.  For reference, it can't be older than the plastic recycling symbol stamped onto the base -- and these symbols were DEVELOPED in 1988.

The mark stamped on the bottom clearly says "Made In China" -- which means it's much newer than the 1970s.  (Forget The Wonderful World of Disney.  When did Nixon visit China?)  Was recently sold on WAL-MART's site for under $9, with the one review from a shopper who purchased it NEW dated 2013. There are maybe a dozen examples of this item for sale on the various resale sites like eBay, Poshmark, and shopgoodwill.  Prices vary from $2 to about $25 -- and most of them are actually in excellent used condition.  But I'm eagerly anticipating a dumb bunny Etsy shopper overpaying the mendacious Goodtimesvtg for this commonly found newer collectible.  Oh, and it is currently offered in a "replica" version on Ali Baba.  

APRIL 28: still going!  Am adding recent listings here so that, when you purchase the items, your friends can show you this post to tell you how much $$$ you gave to this mendacious reseller basically for nothing.

Here's a pair of sun and moon earrings pretending to be "Vintage from the 1990s".  Priced at $79.60 (on sale from regular price of $199).  Unlike authentic vintage earrings of this style, the crystals are plastic -- which the seller mentions in the description.  But then goes on to say the stones are "moonstone" and "turquoise", and the earrings are "in perfect condition".  And why wouldn't they be, since they are in fact brand new.

The photo from the listing belongs to the Chinese manufacturer.  If you like them, you can buy them direct from China on AliExpress for less than $3 (including shipping) -- a savings of more than $75 over the sales price currently offered in the listing from Goodtimesvtg.  But please do buy them on Etsy, and leave a glowing review.  The world wants to know who will pay $80 for $1 earrings!

Here's a scepter figural brooch pretending to be "Vintage from the 1990s".  Of course, it's NEW.  The materials list says it's made with "seed pearls", but it's really plastic bling set into base metal.  Priced at $50 (on sale from regular price of $125), but you can do much better than that.  Get it on Amazon for just $7.48.  The Amazon listing says it's still in production, and was first listed for sale on that site on August 7. 2018 -- NOT the 1990s.  Just $5 on Wish  Many listings on eBay, priced at about $12.

Here's a brand new modern style globe wall light pretending to be "Vintage from the 1970s".  Priced at $199.60 (sale price reduced from $499).  Am laughing so hard I can barely type!  This item, with a few very minor variations is all over the web for sale at less than $100.  These are made in China.  The seller claims the globe is "hand blown" glass, but offers no information or images to back up that claim.  This is really an inexpensive fixture mass manufactured in an Asian sweatshop, but please DO pay this mendacious reseller for their deceptiveness!

Where to buy?  On eBay for $59.99 (shipping is FREE).  Same price on AliExpress  Many more listings online.

JULY 19:  still going!  How about a brand new, retro style, land line phone pretending to be "vintage from the 1970s"?  This is apparently an easy sell to shoppers too young to know that push button dial telephones in the 70s didn't have a fake dial arrangement.  Seller's description says it's "a twist on the 1960s" which means IT'S NOT OLD.  There were no 1960s (or 1970s) phones like this one.  Priced originally at $350, it's on sale for $107.40.  These sell online NEW from about $30 to $60, and are made in a bunch of different colors (I counted a couple dozen variations).  For sale on Amazon but sold out in this color.  Do a search for the item, using the brand name, and Google will show you all the vendors and options.  Not vintage, but that hasn't stopped 2 dumb bunny Etsy shoppers from carting this piece of faux!  Photo below was borrowed from the manufacturer.

The mendacious shop owner says this rhinestone gold tone cobra snake brooch is "vintage from the 1960s" but a savvy shopper can find this one brand new on Ali Express priced at just $1.57 (also available in silver tone).  Originally priced at $64, it's on sale for $19.20.  Not vintage; not even close!

This Etsy shop has their own take on telephone scams!  Here's a black retro style land line phone pretending to be "vintage from the 1970s".  Of course, it's not old.  Was recently for sale by a merchant on WAL-MART's site  -- read the reviews!.  Was originally priced at $299, but is now on sale for $89.70.  Gotta love the BS in the description about how it was made in the 70s to "look older" -- as if that was a thing during that decade.  Plenty of American homes still had older style land lines then.  My own parents had a party line (google it) until 1978.

SEPTEMBER 21:  still going with the fake vintage!  Here's a fake vintage "LV inspired" PU convertible strap bag pretending to be "vintage from the 1990s".  Of course, it's contemporary.  Was recently sold (complete with the same bag charm!) on this Philippine site priced at less than $10.  Which means there has to be at least one dumb bunny Etsygirl who wants to pay Goodtimesvtg their Fake Vintage Stupid Tax and shell out $124!

This Nelson-inspired block spoke wall clock is pretending to be "vintage from the 1990s", but you can purchase the same item today on Amazon  (Note that the dimensions for the clock on Amazon are wrong:  a 13.5 inch diameter clock can't fit in a 12 inch box!)  Priced at $125 in Goodtimesvtg's shop (if you want to pay her Fake Vintage Stupid Tax) or less than $40 on Amazon.  This is another item that (supposedly) can't be sold on Etsy since it isn't handmade, vintage, or a crafting supply -- it's a mass manufactured contemporary item.

This Jessica Carlyle green lizard bracelet watch is pretending to be "vintage from before 2000", but a quick check on the trademark reveals the brand is less than 10 years old!  There are several of these watches for sale online where pre-owned mass made merchandise is sold, with market prices ranging from $10 to $30.  But please do pay Goodtimesvtg her Fake Vintage Stupid Tax included in her price of $79!

Here's a set of Pottery Barn Vintage Posters cocktail plates in box pretending to be "vintage from the 1970s".  Of course the seller mendaciously omits a photo showing the back of any of the plates that reveal they are made in China.  Pottery Barn had an extensive line of tableware featuring these Vintage Posters.  Not all the cocktail plates or boxes are marked with dates, but those with marks show copyright for the images is 2002.  Easy to find online at a range of prices, averaging around $25 like new in box.

And this brand new made in China squash blossom style necklace is pretending to be "vintage from the 1990s" and priced at $84.  Etsy informs us that one extremely dumb Etsybunny has it in her cart as I type.  Of course no Etsygirl would use Google Images to find the photo (below) of the pretty Asian model wearing the necklace, and find out where else this BRAND NEW item is sold.  Get it HERE on AliExpress for less than $10.  Once again, you can see how easy it is for sellers on Etsy to source their vintage items in China -- why friends don't let friends shop for vintage (or anything else) on Etsy!

More listings for items pretending to be "vintage" will be added here as they appear in the shop.

Etsy handmade sellers need to stop listing their brand new Craftiques as Vintage -- calling these sellers out here!

It seems that every aspect of shopping and selling on Etsy involves some kind of deception.

For most of a decade, a certain percentage of Etsy's handmade sellers have chosen to list their newly crafted items as "vintage".  Often with hilarious results, some products are fake dated back literally centuries before the shop owner was born.  However, most Craftiques (Craft misrepresented as Antiques)  are simply backdated the minimum 20 year period necessary to (mis)qualify them as "vintage" on mendacious Etsy.

Just for giggles, I am going to be featuring some of these sellers, and their Craftiques, here.  It's way past time for the professional Vintage and Antiques sellers on Etsy to realize the level of mendacity on the site can't be reduced by sellers choosing simply to look the other way, and pretend their handmade counterparts are just mistaken or confused.  It's deliberate, Etsygirls, and the crafters are redefining the professional standards of your business for you...while you wring your useless hands on the sidelines and titter about how reporting these fauxtiques to Marketplace Integrity would be "bad karma".  At this point, anyone with a Vintage shop on Etsy is stating their acceptance of their peers defrauding shoppers looking for authentically old items on the site.  I first became interested in Vintage and Antiques in the early 1990s, and I can still remember visiting shows, shops, and auctions while being often clueless about the age of anything on display.  It's easy to say Caveat Emptor -- that buyers are wholly responsible if they are ripped off.  I feel differently.

Let the call outs begin!

Let's meet Etsy seller aVintageParcel a shop that includes mainly new vintage style supplies and handmade items properly listed for what the items actually are.  However, this is one of the sellers on Etsy who likes to fake date a few of their handmade products so that they appear in searches limited to only Vintage items.  This is no accident, but something contrived during the listing process.  It's false advertising, pure and simple, and because new products like these are available in large quantities (as opposed to most older items that are listed as one offs) they are ranked as more relevant than authentically old pieces.  Like this "Custom hand punched round brass tag" pretending to be "Vintage from before 2000".  This is, of course, a blatant lie.  How can a "custom" crafted item be 20+ years old?  Outside of the mendacious Etsyverse, it can't.  The listing includes a drop down to select your choice of 3 tag sizes, adding an optional hanging ring or not, and a box to enter your personalization.  Over 860 units in stock as I type.  Fake.  Fake.  Fake.

And here is a photo of the numeral stamping tools that were used 20+ years ago to create your custom order -- time travel is possible only in the mendacious Etsyverse!

Dishonest crafter shop JustTheFrosting has been featured in my blogs previously for back dating her newly crafted products into vintageville.  And she's still at it.  This vinyl "welcome" door decal has been listed as both "Vintage" and "Handmade" so that she can get maximum eyes on her shop and items, whether shoppers searching for authentic Vintage want to see contemporary cheapie crap like this, or not.  Priced at $5, and available in 30+ colors, this mendacious shop owner will travel by Time Machine to the 20th Century and make it for you -- what a deal for just five bucks!

Etsy shop LaBellasCottage wants to make the Earth a more pleasant, homey, place by purchasing cheapie products made in Chinese sweatshop factories, and painting them over to order.  I mean, what is more eco-friendly than increasing the carbon footprint of items that were manufactured with little to no anti-pollution standards?  Not satisfied with this great effort in aid of all humanity, she back dates the occasional listing into Vintageville so that shoppers looking for authentically old Vintage décor items will have to see it in search results.  Listed as both "Vintage" and "Handmade" this resin crown wall décor can be painted to order in the buyer's choice of dozens of colors, and can be given a "distressed" finish if desired.  All for the bargain price of $32.87.

Another Etsy shop dedicated to increasing the carbon footprint of mass manufactured items is rusticathart.  Her listing for a set of made to order picture frames is listed as both "Vintage" and "Handmade".  Only in the mendacious Etsyverse can an item not crafted until you order be 20+ years old at the same time!  Starting at $45, this lying sack will shabby up a set of frames to the buyer's specs.  Her item description says she specializes in re-making "antique frames", which will of course bring boundless joy (not!) to the discriminating collector of the authentically old.  Not vintage, after she gets done with it.

On Etsy nothing says an item is "Vintage from the 1980s" like a craftique printed with the year 2020!  Check out this custom printed tee shirt for a birthday during the 2020 quarantine listed by mendacious seller fromlovelynature  It's double-dip listed as both "Vintage from the 1980s" and "Handmade" -- a sure sign the seller is lying about the "vintage" part.

Will add more craftiques as they appear on the most relevant Etsy Vintage listing pages.

Etsy shops continue to create deceptive listings, pretending their items are Vintage -- you can do this, too! #etsysellsvintage

By all means, feel free to list your newish flea market finds on Etsy as 20+ year old vintage.  All you have to do is lie about the age when you go through the process of listing the item.  On Etsy, mendacity is expected by the owners of the site -- and even welcomed.  Etsy's target market of young women ages 14-24 aren't old enough to feel nostalgic for items 20 years old, and older.

Let's have a look at some boldly mendacious Etsy shops who offer great examples of deceptive listing practices!


Meet Etsy shop TheMiracleMile who created this clearly deceptive listing for this Miss Rice Krspie bowl and plate set  Listed as "Vintage from before 2000", the seller discloses in the item's Description that "these items are from 2005".  And, sure enough, the date is factory stamped on the bottom of the each piece.  If you are willing to lie, these can be Etsyverse instant vintage by declaration.

UPDATE APRIL 2:  Listed on February 2, 2020 is this Royal Fantasy Princess Tea Set pretending to be "Vintage from before 2000".  Which means Etsy shop TheMiracleMile continues their deceptive listing practices (no surprise).  The set, manufactured for Brass Key Keepsakes, part of The Brass Key, Inc., dates from 2007.  Neither the brand of the item, nor the date, is mentioned in the listing.  And the seller is careful not to include any images of the tea set pieces or the box that might give her scam away.  The trademark info for Brass Key Keepsakes is here  Not vintage!









Last featured in this blog in July 2018 for pretending items for sale in her shop are "vintage", fauxtiques reseller AttiCuties is still at it!  Proving once again that reselling is allowed on Etsy.  Check out this Christmas stockings themed toss pillow the seller mendaciously listed as "vintage".  The description features intentionally deceptive statements, like "long ago gift to yours truly", "newly cleaned" and "in top condition".  Priced at $42.50.

This pillow is definitely contemporary, and you can buy it retail as I type from Bed Bath and Beyond at the regular price of $59.99, or wait for coupons or sales.  The Country Porch identifies the wholesale source as C&F Enterprises.  In stock, priced at $49.99.  Without knowing the name (which is "Dancing Christmas Stockings") I was able to find out that it wasn't vintage in less than 30 seconds using Google search.  Duh?

More, from the same reseller:  a a set of 6 Arcoroc Matys orange glass dessert plates is pretending to be "Vintage from the 1980s" -- even though this pattern was produced from 2002 to 2006, so isn't actually vintage yet let alone 40 years old!  This pattern is easily dated on the Replacements site page, which the seller admits she visited in her item Description:

Measuring approx. 7-3/4" round, it is described as transparent by the manufacturer who no longer produces this stunning design. As the close-up shows, it is French made. If you look at www.replacements.com you'll see that they are selling these plates for $19.95 each. My price is much less than that.

The above paragraph is simply chock full of deception.  AttiCuties is asking $145.50 for 6 plates, which she says are listed for $19.95 on Replacements.  The Replacements price is actually $19.99, multiplied by 6 = 119.94.  That's a savings of $25.56 if you could buy the plates from Replacements (there is only 1 in stock).  AttiCuties is asking $24.25 per plate, easily the highest price you will find online.

So, even though the age and price for these plates is clearly displayed on the page at Replacements, AttiCuties got the price per plate WRONG, the dating WRONG, and the comparison of her price to the Replacements price WRONG.  Right now the going price for these on eBay is $10 - 20 dollars, so buying from this deceptive reseller is no bargain!

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 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.  

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'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.