Etsy fake vintage COVID-19 face masks? You betcha! Check out MYTIESTORE.

Once again Etsy shop owners demonstrate that there is no depth to which they will not sink to deceptively promote their products for sale.

The latest?  Non-medical grade cloth face masks, now recommended wear when/where ever you leave home.  It's a great idea for handmade sellers to provide a quality product and make some money in these confusing and scary times.  So why do some of Etsy's handmade sellers have to put their mendacity on display by pretending their brand new, hand crafted, cloth masks are 20+ year old Vintage?  I mean, seriously, WTF?

I discovered this ugly meme on Etsy yesterday while viewing Vintage items (at the link top right of the Etsy Home Page), ranked by Most Recent.  And there, at the top of Page 1 was a recently listed, obviously handmade cloth face mask.  Shameless, mendacious, unprofessional...I could go on and on and on.

The seller, MYTIESTORE has a shop full of handmade fabric items, along with a few reseller products (jewelry and accessories) that are listed as "crafting supplies" even though they are ready-to-wear as sold.  To cash in on the COVID-19 situation, a category for FACE MASK has been added to the shop with 7 items listed.  All are titled "handmade" but 2 of the 7 are back-dated into Vintageville, pretending to be "Vintage from before 2000".  Which is a blatant lie from a sleazebag seller.

Fake vintage cloth face mask modeled by a woman has 85 "vintage" units in stock as I type.  Priced at $17.95.

Note the ugly "handcrafted in the USA" tag on the lover left, complete with a flag.  Ugh.  UPDATE APRIL 9:  the listing above has sold out, but the seller has listed more fake "Vintage from before 2000" masks here  Pants.  On.  Fire.





Fake vintage cloth face mask modeled by a man has 9 "vintage" units in stock as I type.  Priced the same at $17.95.

This one doesn't have the ugly tag.

Today my state made wearing one of these outside the home a suggested practice, so I needed to buy one.  No surprise that I didn't make my purchase on Etsy.  No way will I spend money on a site that promotes dishonesty.  The price for the masks shown above is pretty much the market price, and there are better choices out there.  Bypass the jingo bells flag waving and the mendacity, and shop responsibly.

These Etsy sellers are making massively deceptive claims about the ages of their non-vintage items: Etsy's boldest vintage fraudsters for Aril 2020

This month I am going to feature some amazingly extravagant deceptive claims about the ages of items listed for sale.  If you want to virtually meet some of the biggest liars on Etsy, this post is for you!

Meet UKGE  Open on Etsy since 2016, this shop has made over 7800 sales as I type.  The shop has a variety of products listed:  mineral and fossil specimens, jewelry, incense, Tibetan singing bowls, tarot card sets, "spirit" boards, and more -- all sold as either "Vintage from before 1700" or as "Handmade" by the shop.  None of the these attributions are true.  All are contemporary products, purchased wholesale by the shop, and resold retail on Etsy.  No production partners are cited.  Another shop that proves, once again, that reselling is allowed on Etsy!

Appearing today as one of the most relevant Vintage listings on Etsy is this contemporary meteorite pendant necklace complete with box marked with the manufacturer The Space Collective.  Their About Page states that the company was founded in 2010, but the Etsy listing claims their branded necklace is "Vintage from before 1700".  982 fake dated units in stock.

April 15:  One of the top 50 most relevant "vintage" items for sale on Etsy today is this pair of factory fresh "vintage style" saddle shoes for women pretending to be "Vintage from the 1950s".  Why they are listed on Etsy at all is the question, since they are not handmade, vintage, or crafting supplies.  Priced at $44.99, available in 11 women's size options with 10 units in stock (per size?).  Listed by retro reseller shop Nostalgiaville whose shop seems to be nothing by contemporary nostalgic products, all backdated 60+ years to the 1950s.  Demonstrating once again that Etsy is all about deceptive listing practices.  If you want a pair, look around the web.  eBay has dozens of pairs for about $20 less than this mendacious reseller is asking.

Check it out:  a Toshiba SD-V296 DVD VCR player recorder pretending to be "Vintage from before 2000".  Of course it's not vintage, dating from 2008 -- a fact that the mendacious seller intentionally leaves out of the listing completely.  Listed by JubileeResaleStore  Welcome to Flea-tsy!

Priced at $149.99, you can still purchase this item NEW.  Read the very mixed reviews for it on Amazon.  Won't be "vintage" by Etsy's published standard until 2028.




More featured items added during April!

Etsy fake vintage reseller Goodtimesvtg invites you to pay her FakeVintage Reseller Stupid Tax -- shoppers beware! Check out the replica ROLEX!

Most recently featured in my companion blog on March 11 for branching out into reselling contemporary products as her own "handmade", LTR Goodtimesvtg is still listing factory fresh Chinese import products as "vintage".

Check out this "1990s Contemporary Scandinavian Glass globe desk lamp on brass base" (actual listing title) pretending to be "Vintage from before 2000".  Priced at $190.  Unless you want to pay the Etsy Reseller Stupid Tax (which this seller is an expert at collecting from dumb bunny Etsy buyers), you can get it elsewhere for much less.

A Chinese seller on Amazon has it listed for just $69.90.  Another Amazon seller has it for $136.99.  Beautiful Halo has it on sale for $71.18.  Of course none of these sellers are pretending that their items are "vintage".

More!  How about this "Mid century modern black desk lamp spotlight" pretending to be "Vintage from the 1970s"?  Priced at $175 -- which is more than twice the market price for this brand new Chinese import.

Get it on eBay for just under $53 -- a savings of more than $120!  Here's a contact page for a Chinese lamp manufacturer who will sell a lot as small as 5 units.  Not vintage -- but you knew that!  This mendacious reseller has backdated a contemporary product about 50 years.  CAVEAT EMPTOR!


March 25:  more!

Check out this green colored pencils wall clock pretending to be "Vintage from the 1980" and priced at $45.00

Once again this mendacious fake vintage reseller has back-dated a item -- this time 30+ years.  (And the 1980s isn't "mid century".)  Buy it for less than half the price on Houzz with FREE shipping, too.  Was recently sold on Overstock complete with 1 year warranty from the Chinese manufacturer.  Was priced at $36 with a 2 year warranty on Manhattan Home Design  An old Amazon listing dates the first listing of this clock to 2014; production has been discontinued.  Which obviously doesn't make a 6 year old product "vintage" outside of the mendacious Etsyverse.


March 29:  once again more!

Check out this wood wall clock with glow in the dark numerals pretending to be "Vintage from before 2000".  Priced at $35.

Of course it's NEW, not Vintage -- glow in the dark numbers are a thing right now.  If you want it, don't pay Goodtimesvtg the Etsy Reseller Stupid Tax.  Was recently sold on eBay for $15.99 -- all 18 units have sold out.  Available on AliExpress for just $15.12, with free shipping.  Imall has it for just $13.80, ships from China.   Priced at $24 on Wish  UPDATE JUNE 21:  The wall clock with glow-in-the-dark numerals above sold, but -- no worries, Etsygirls -- Goodtimesvtg has listed another one!  The new listing is HERE  Note that it is still pretending to be "Vintage from before 2000" and the price has been increased to $59.  

If you want one without paying the Etsy Fake Vintage Reseller Stupid Tax, it's easy to find online for less.  I mean, it's factory fresh from China and nowhere even close to 20 year old Vintage.  This ebay seller has it listed for under $20.  Just $18.25 on Bang Good  Priced at $20 on cheapie merch site Wish  Remember:  Buyers Beware!  Etsy corporate is okay with mendacious resellers like Goodtimesvtg trying to deceive you.


APRIL 17:  More!

Check out this newish version of the 1940s Nelson "Kite Clock" pretending to be "Vintage from the 1990s".  The item's Description is a tangled mendacious tale about the original dating to the 1960s (wrong!), which the shop owner purchased in the 60s.  The title says the clock for sale dates from the 1990s, but is "Mid Century" --  both of which can't be true.  No information is given about the manufacturer of this reproduction, as is typical of this ultra-deceptive seller.  It's priced at $249.  If you want one, you can do much better elsewhere.  For example, the thumbnail photo used in this listing is this one

which appears in a listing on Death by Modernism for their reproduction of the clock, which is of course brand new and priced at just $155.  But there are other repros available from other makers, all new, and priced from under $60 to somewhere in the neighborhood of the high price asked by Goodtimesvtg.  Don't let a dishonest Etsy reseller rip you off.

UPDATE MAY 17:  More listings for inexpensive new products pretending to be more expensive "vintage"!


Listed yesterday is this new black asterisk style wall clock pretending to be "Vintage from the 1990s".  Sale priced at $206.25 (original price was supposedly $275).  Item's description says it's a "rare find".

If you like it, don't pay this deceptive seller's Stupid Tax.  It's new, and it's NOT rare.  Here's one on eBay for just $89.99.  It's listed as new, and the listing details include the brand, the manufacturer's part number, and the UPC (you can get this item wholesale from Alibaba).  Even lower on Houzz where the price is just $60.32 -- which is less than a third of Goodtimesvtg's "sale" price.


MAY 18:  More!


This new red pedestal alarm clock is pretending to be "Vintage from before 2000" -- and is described by the seller in the title as "Mid century modern".  Priced to guarantee a buyer will pay the Etsy FakeVintage Reseller Stupid Tax at $48.75, which is discounted from the regular price of $65.

Note the manufacturer's photo image above used in the Etsy listing.  If you like this clock, you can get it for much less.  Try Amazon where the price is just $16.99, available in 4 color choices.


JUNE 01:  still going, so buyers beware!

Listed yesterday is this men's Mickey Mouse 90th Anniversary wrist watch pretending to be "Vintage".  Photos used in this listing belong to the manufacturer, which is an obvious clue that this item is nowhere near 20 years old.  It commemorates the 90th birthday of Mickey, who was "born" in 1928.  So the release date for the watch was 2018 (less than 2 years ago as I type).  Priced specially for you Etsygirls longing to pay the Etsy Fake Vintage Reseller Stupid Tax at $56.25 (currently reduced from $75).

If you want one, this newish item is easily purchased, well, NEW.  Here it is on Amazon for just $29.97 (2 units in stock).  This seller on eBay has sold over 30 units of this watch for $21.95 (free shipping) and has more than 10 still in stock.  Not "vintage" and priced at more than twice market.


JUNE 06:  More, more, and still more!

Check out this Ceitezin men's quartz watch that the seller claims is "Vintage from the 1990s".  It might be since the "Ceitezin" name is legally recorded as being first used in late Spring 1999 when the process was started to have it trademarked by a company from Hong Kong.  The process was abandoned in 2000.  So, yeah, this item might be 20 years old.  (Note that "Ceitezin" is NOT the same brand as Citizen; the names are just intentionally similar in the best style of Chinese copycatting).  Priced at $63.75, discounted from $85 -- which makes for an amazing margin for the seller when some dumb bunny decides to pay her the Etsy Stupid Tax.  See below photo for why.    Heh!

The image above belongs to this closed eBay listing where Goodtimesvtg purchased it for just 99 cents!  If you want to pay between $60 and $85 for a cheapie Chinese wrist watch manufactured to be confused with a major brand, then by all means do it!  Note that there are 2 other watches listed in the shop that were purchased from the same eBay seller.   

This Seiko mixed metal tank watch is pretending to be "Vintage from before 2000" but it is much newer than that (see below image)  Priced at $56.25, on sale from $75.  

Was recently sold on WAL-MART dot com where product reviews were left in 2018 and 2020.  Here it is new with tags and packaging on eBay in a listing that has already sold over 50 units.  Also listed by Belk  Only on Etsy is a used contemporary watch magically backdated into "vintage".  

JUNE 13:  She's still at it!  Buyers beware, unless you enjoy overpaying for contemporary mass made products.

Listed a couple of days ago is this contemporary INVICTA men's 8935 Pro Diver Watch pretending to be "Vintage from before 2000".  Priced at $69.30, on sale from $99.  Photos in the listing "borrowed" from the manufacturer.

If you want one, get it from WAL-MART for just $56.15.  Same price on Amazon where it was sold beginning in October 2005.  Or buy it from an INVICTA store for just $48.  NOT vintage outside of mendacious Etsy.

June 19:  morej brand new "vintage" listings!

Goodtimesvrg says this women's watch with long false eyelashes currently in production in China is "Vintage from before 2000".  This Etsy seller has been creating deceptive listings for so many years now, without consequences other than the negative reviews that closed her other shop, so she has no reason not to be extravagant in her mendacity.  Priced at $27.30, on sale from the original $39.

Photo above "borrowed" from the manufacturer.  If you want one, and you're not an Etsygirl who longs to pay Goodtimesvtg the Etsy Fake Vintage Reseller Stupid Tax, you can get it all over the web for under $5.  This merchant on AliExpress has it priced under $3, available in more than a handful of band color choices.  Listed on Light In The Box for $9.89.  You can't beat the price from this Amazon seller who has it listed for just one cent!  

UPDATE JUNE 23:  even more!

Added yesterday is this brand new multi colored starburst wall clock pretending to be "Vintage from before 2000".  Priced at $168.75, discounted from $225.  See below for market prices for this clock, which will make this listing an irresistible purchase for Etsygirls longing to pay the Fake Vintage Reseller Stupid Tax.

If you like it, and don't want to overpay the mendacious Goodtimesvtg, here are merchants listing it for much less.  Get it on Amazon for $39.95 (read the reviews for info on quality) with FREE shipping.  $43.95 from Target  You can buy it from QVC priced at $46.99 (can use 3 installment interest-free payments to purchase).  Just $42.99 from HOUZZ  Priced at $48.49 today on Overstock  Priced under $45 from this eBay seller  And that, dear readers, is how #etsysellsvintage!

UPDATE JUNE 24:  Goodtimesvtg lists replica ROLEX watch, illegal to sell!

This listing for a ROLEX watch  appeared in the shop a week or so ago, and then quickly disappeared.  Now priced at $175 (on sale from $250), the watch was originally listed for about 10 times the current sale price -- which is still very low.  Now that it's been reactivated, the Description states "probably a replica".  Which means Goodtimesvtg is now in biggie trouble with the folks who own this brand -- selling counterfeit products is flat out illegal, whether or not you admit it's a fake or claim that it is "Vintage before 2000".  Sure, Etsy doesn't care; the site is always host to counterfeit products listings.  But the brand owners care, and some of their reps read this blog.   UPDATE JULY 2:  hours after adding this item, it was deactivated.  Now it's back, and the price has been increased to $450 from $250.  

JULY 02:  More fake vintage from this seller added!

Pretending to be "Vintage from before 2000", this Invicta Pro Diver men's 1774 wrist watch is clearly contemporary.  Goodtimesvtg uses photos "borrowed" from the manufacturer for her listing.  Listing claims the item is made from "gold" while other merchants selling it honestly state it is goldtone stainless steel.  Priced at $124.50 (discounted from $249), this is a discontinued product originally priced at $695.  Discontinued stock is what passes for "vintage" in Etsy shops like Goodtimesvtg.

If you want one -- and you're not an Etsygirl who wants to pay the Fake Vintage Reseller Stupid Tax to this mendacious seller -- you can do better on price.  Several merchants on WAL-MART have them in stock, starting as low as $72.74.  This eBay listing has sold over 3000 units of this watch, and it's still available for $68.99 with free shipping.  $69.50 from Zale's   More merchant listings if you look.

Will add more fake vintage from this seller as time permits.

Etsy long term fake vintage reseller 20thcenturydesignsny is still at it: back dating new products and misrepresenting them to shoppers as "vintage" #etsysellsvintage

Last featured here in July 2018 Etsy long term reseller of fake vintage (that is, contemporary mass made products) 20thcenturydesignsny is still at it.  Her gimmick is to list all of the brand new products as "mid century" and then apply fake dates to the items -- sometimes attributing the same item to more than one decade.  The shop is an amazing display of Etsyverse mendacity in action, and is one more reason why friends don't encourage friends to shop for vintage on Etsy.

Let's have a look at some of the brand new "vintage" currently listed in the shop.


Listed as "Vintage from before 2000" this "melting" shelf clock inspired by Dali has been sold multiple times (I counted 8 in the shop's Sold Items Gallery) by 20thcenturydesignny.  It is a 21st Century product, and easily found for sale NEW online.  Seller says it's "in perfect condition" (and why should a brand new product not be?), and it's priced at $35.

One of the dumbuns who purchased, and then reviewed, this product says it is "average priced".  But if you shop around you can find it easily for under $20  on Amazon on DHGate and of course on eBay  Take a look online, and be amazed at all the merchants selling it -- another glowing example of "unique" "vintage" listed on Etsy.


Another piece of "AliExpress Vintage" is this multi color ball coatrack which is, again, widely sold all over the web.  The seller titled it "mid century modern", and backdated it into "Vintage from the 1980s".  Priced at $65.

You can buy one for $40 and change on Amazon or Home Depot   Wholesale from a Chinese manufacturer here  Note that deceptive seller 20thcenturydesignsny borrowed the photo above from her wholesale source.  Not from the 1980s!


Another listing in the shop using a thumbnail photo from the manufactured is this Sterling and Noble pink neon wall clock that the seller (again) calls "mid century" and deceptively attributes to the 1980s (which was way after the "mid" 20th Century, just sayin') as well as being a "reproduction from the 1970s".  Remember that Etsy resellers don't simply lie -- they lie extravagantly.  Priced at $85.

Available from multiple eBay listings at less than half the price.  Similarly priced from multiple sellers on Amazon  But do feel free to pay the Etsy "stupid tax" and buy it from 20thcenturydesignsny.


More!  Here's another product listed with photos "borrowed" from the Chinese manufacturer:  a cheapie contemporary copy of a Scandinavian Modern hanging lamp back dated by this lying sack of a reseller to the 1980s.  Priced at $249!

Get it for about $100 on Amazon where various sellers have it listed in several color options.  Lots of listings on eBay


Finally, here's a contemporary bib necklace manufactured in China in this decade, but pretending to be "vintage from the 1980s".  Priced at $29.  Photo below belongs to the manufacturer.

Available from this merchant on DHGate in a choice of 5 colors, priced at less than $7.  Was first listed for sale on Amazon in 2014; get it for under $10 (lots of less than glowing reviews -- it's cheapie junque).  Available in 3 color options, priced at less than $5 on AliExpress

Many more contemporary products listed in the shop with fake dating.

Etsy fake vintage reseller shop DREAMWEAVER4U2 is at it again: her 1980s vintage is available factory fresh from China #etsysellsvintage

Last featured in this blog in December 2018 Etsy long term reseller DREAMWEAVER4U2 is once again listing factory fresh Chinese import items as "vintage" in her shop.

Check out this lace up front halter top the seller claims is "dead stock" "club wear" found in "storage".  Listed as a "vintage item from the 1980s", it is offered in 2 color choices, 2 units in stock, priced at $22.

Once again, DREAMWEAVER4U2 is deceptive about the sizing, which is based on the Asian market and sized much smaller than clothing manufactured for retail in the USA.  The description says "One size will fit Medium to Large", but if you don't check out listings for this item sold elsewhere online you are in for a surprise!

Listed on Amazon for just $4.09, the available sizes are listed as 4, 6, and 8.  The only customer review notes that the black version is "slightly see through".  And this item was first listed for sale on Amazon in January 2018 -- not the same thing as 1980s dead stock vintage.

Listed on eBay by a Chinese seller in black, priced at $4.66 (FREE shipping).  The size chart in the listing once again shows US equivalent sizes as 4, 6, and 8.

The white version is listed here on AliExpress priced at $5.40.


As always, when shopping on Etsy it pays to comparison shop, unless you want a deceptive reseller to rip you off?

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.

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

Etsy reseller DREAMWEAVER4U2 whines in the Forums: nabbed trying to resell counterfeit Hello Kitty -- old post, updated! #etsysellsvintage

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN DECEMBER 2016, 18 MONTHS AGO

Etsy shop DREAMWEAVER4U2 sells mostly authentic vintage items, along with some actual handmade pieces.  She also sells brand new Asian import products she pretends are "vintage", or even "handmade".  Since most of her mendacious listings involve faking vintage, I decided to post this one here.  DREAMWEAVER4U2 was previously called out for reselling a new ring available wholesale on AliExpress in July 2016 on my other blog, Fake Shaming Etsy and Its Resellers -- LDW Calls Out

This morning a disorganized ranting post from her appeared in the Etsy Forums:  The only one to receive an upsetting Christmas Gift?  Here's the text, just in case the Forum Mods return from their holiday weekend in a redacting mood:

First a question. If you were given a little cute but not great bracelet as a gift and had no interest in ever wearing it would the wise thing to do be to list it for sale in your shop or throw it in the garbage ? .......Did you know by listing it as a re-sale item it just infringed on the Intellectual Property thing? A used pre-owned and no name on it had laws only choosen sellers could sell their mass produced in factories item OR if that 1 unwanted item was listed and somehow found out of over 19,000 other same items and sent an attorney after that 1 small person with the 1 small used item with the charge of Infrigement of Intellectual Property.
...........I am the unlucky person doing the crime of selling a used cheap may I add bracelet.............19,000 Hello Kitty items on etsy.......how many more on ebay, amazon, eoier and on and on.........are all shows, flea markets, garage sales, auction sites and collectible sites going to be searched for the Kitty items of any type..........no homemade allowed...just the factory made .....and 19,000 are here just here......why would a company be so tacky to insist on only their bracelet or items be sold after paying them for the ability to sell to make them money when the crafty folks and artists can put the Kitty name out there so the company can make more money rather than possible law suits for daring to list a used Kitty item just 1...........sad times....greed times. Be careful all you folks with your cute Bow Ties, Art, Painted Cups and so many cute ideas...you are walking on a razor edge. .....Am I wrong feeling this way?

You have to read through the entire thread to appreciate how revealing it is about how mendacity, ignorance, and sense of entitlement are ingrained in Etsy culture.  Astonishingly, a few community members actually know that you can't resell products that are unlicensed use of IP, even if those products are vintage or supplies.  However, most of the comments were exploring the possibility that DREAMWEAVER4U2 had done nothing wrong!

Of course, it being the Etsy Forums, no one would have dared comment about the huge percentage (about 50%) of her recent sales being brand new mass made products imported from China, but pretending to be "vintage".  Mostly likely because no one participating in the thread looked at her shop, or recent sales.  Or, even if they looked, they didn't recognize the items as new.  Or, maybe they realized they could be "perma-muted" (banned from the Etsy Forums) for mentioning the reselling elephant in the room.

DREAMWEAVER4U2 is what the Etsy Community calls a "Long Term Reseller".  You can look through her sold items gallery, and go back to the very first 50 or so items sold by the shop, and see reseller products there.  No wonder she felt slighted when Etsy dared to remove a listing from her shop for IP infringement -- she's had a free pass to violate Etsy's TOS and Seller Guidelines for years!


THIS ETSY SHOP IS STILL RESELLING NEW CHINESE IMPORT PRODUCTS AS "VINTAGE" 18 MONTHS LATER!

Yup.  It's June 2018 as I type, and DREAMWEAVER4U2 is still listing brand new, mass manufactured, products in her shop as either "handmade" or "vintage".  I've featured some of her reseller listings in my other blog in February 2018 and later in May 2018  I've decided to continue with the vintage side of this seller's mendacity here.  Shoppers for vintage items on Etsy need to be aware that even a shop like DREAMWEAVER4U2 that has actual vintage items listed for sale can be getting her fraud on in the same shop.  Check it out!


Pretending to be "vintage" is this contemporary women's tunic priced at $13.  The seller mendaciously describes it as "new never worn store stock" but anyone can buy it "new never worn" from China.

The photo in the listing (shown above) belongs to the manufacturer.  According to this merchant on AliExpress it dates from 2014, and is sold by them in 3 color choices and a range of 4 sizes.  All priced at $8.40, including free shipping from China.  Here it is retail priced (on sale), listed with a helpful chart that converts Chinese letter sizes to US and EU sizes (FYI a Chinese 3X is a US 14).  This eBay seller from Hong Kong has it in sizes up to Chinese 4X priced at $3.99 plus $4.99 for shipping.  Almost 7,000 units have been sold from that eBay listing.  More online sellers for this item, too numerous to include here.  Needless to say, not "vintage"?


Here's a listing that pegs my Reseller Mendacity Meter, for a pair of fingerless gloves fake dated to the 1980s  Priced at $12, with 2 units in stock.  DREAMWEAVER4U2 claims in her Description that the gloves are "quality made never worn stock from a Daytona Beach BIKER SHOP" "closed since the 1990's (sic)".  And that they "look and feel like quality leather".

And here are the same gloves, brand new and priced at just $1.96, from a Chinese eBay seller.  Oh, and they are NOT real leather.  Which totally gives away that these gloves were never sold to bikers -- I mean, as if!  And this super discounted site is selling the pair for just a penny.  Brand new, not 30+ years old.


Another fake "vintage" item is this women's tunic with front print priced at $9.  The mendacious shop owner claims that this is a "New Never worn Closed Store Stock item", but of course you can buy it just plain NEW from various merchants around the globe, or have it manufactured for you by merchants on Alibaba.

Here is the same tunic shirt listed in a boutique in the UK offered in sizes S thru XXXL (Chinese) -- their listing has additional manufacturer's photos, along with the one used on Etsy (above).  This seller is in Canada.  Another seller in the UK  This New Zealand seller has 181 units in stock.  Not vintage.


More!  These fishnet fabric fingerless gloves are pretending to be "vintage" and "never worn from a closed Boutique", priced at $15 with 3 pair in stock.

This Chinese eBay seller has these gloves in your choice of 11 different colors, priced at just 99 cents (free shipping, too).  Almost 200 units have been sold through that listing.



Another item pretending to be "vintage" is this armor ring offered in 2 metal finish colors, 4 units in stock.

It's brand new, of course, and the photo above was borrowed from the Chinese manufacturer.  Get it in brass finish for just $1.37 (free shipping) from this merchant on AliExpress  Another AliExpress merchant has the ring in your choice of 3 metal finishes, priced at $1.35 (free shipping).  Not vintage, as if you didn't know that.



Another amusing fake vintage item is this peace symbol mood ring which the seller has backdated to the 1970s.  Her description says it is "vintage circa 1960-1970" which is impossible.  By the time mood rings were a fad, in the mid 1970s, peace symbol jewelry was no longer a thing.  The two trends were not contemporaneous.  The original mood rings were sized (not adjustable).  I bought mine at the jewelry counter in a department store; it was sterling silver, not base metal alloy.  Priced at $12, 3 units in stock.

I am documenting this item with multiple images because this contemporary ring has already pretty much vanished from the web (dates from this decade).  Here's another image showing a similar style:

This manufacturer on Alibaba claims they will make a variety of mood rings to order, including the one sold by DREAMWEAVER4U2.  The listing can be dated from the other rings shown, including an owl and a mustache.  Not brand new, but not vintage, either.  Definitely not 1960s-70s.

Will add more fake vintage items from this seller as the are activated in the shop.


UPDATE JUNE 14:  DREAMWEAVER4U2 is still adding fake "vintage" items to her shop.  This 15 pc miniature tea set by Odoria is pretending to be "vintage", 2 units in stock (dead giveaway this is a brand new item), and priced at $13.00.

Buy it brand new on AliExpress for less than $7 (free shipping from China).  Many other patterns available.