Avoiding Pretend Faux "Handmade" Scammers?

bargain huntress on 20/01/2024 - 19:19
Last edited 21/01/2024 - 14:12 by 1 other user

Sometimes I'm able to spend more for something handmade to support the maker, with the bonus of often getting a higher quality product. It's become trickier recently with rampant handmaking fraud on places like Etsy.

I always reverse image search and image search on aliexpress, but I've become a bit paranoid. The irony is that everything is handmade to some extent, and I would be happy to pay the people who actually made the thing the money!

What I don't like is people buying something from the actual maker for peanuts and then pretending they made it for a 20X mark up or something. The markup and the hidden maker is how all our supply chains and capitalism currently work and I absolutely hate it.
But the pretending to make it themselves is literally fraud.

On the other side of the problem, is that manufacturers in China routinely copy independent makers' designs and then mass produce them.

Fashion & Apparel

Comments

  • coffeeinmyveins on 20/01/2024 - 19:25
    +10

    99.9% of what's on Etsy is not handmade. It's just from Alibaba.

    You can use common sense.

    Something that would take hours of work is not going to be $15 on Etsy.

    • apsilon on 20/01/2024 - 19:52
      +2

      Something that would take hours of work is not going to be $15 on Etsy.

      While that's often true, it's far too common for people not to value their time and charge only for materials or simply undercut everyone else just so they can make a sale when in reality your time should be the most valuable component.

    • AustriaBargain on 21/01/2024 - 00:09
      +1

      It's still handmade, I've seen videos of the kids in the factory and they are definitely using their hands and sewing machines.

    • bargain huntress on 21/01/2024 - 10:08

      Its really expensive stuff too

      Have etsy just given up?

      • coffeeinmyveins on 22/01/2024 - 08:59
        +1

        It's not a matter of giving up IMO

        Etsy makes money when the sellers, sorry, "creators" sell things.

        So what makes Etsy more money? Someone selling 10 handmade crochet things a month at $100 each or the drop shipper selling 10,000 $5 items a month?

        • bargain huntress on 22/01/2024 - 15:21

          So etsy is just empty branding now

          • coffeeinmyveins on 22/01/2024 - 15:38
            +2

            @bargain huntress: type in "phone stand" and there's 25,000 results. They are all drop shipped from China.

            Pretty much yeah, Etsy is just crap.

            • apsilon on 22/01/2024 - 15:58

              @coffeeinmyveins: That's some dedication to check every single one of those 25,000 results to make sure none of them are what they claim.

              • coffeeinmyveins on 23/01/2024 - 08:35

                @apsilon: Go and have a look yourself, I guarantee you that you aren't getting a handmade wooden phone stand for $30 from etsy.

                • apsilon on 23/01/2024 - 08:39
                  -1

                  @coffeeinmyveins: I don't have the time it'd take to go through them all, I value my time greatly. FWIW, I could easily make and sell a phone stand in that price bracket depending on the design and decoration. I don't however think it'd be worth my time but I am certain that some people would think it's worth it.

                  • coffeeinmyveins on 23/01/2024 - 08:59

                    @apsilon:

                    I value my time greatly

                    Right, weird comment but ok.

                    I could easily make and sell a phone stand in that price bracket depending on the design and decoration

                    Good for you, but that's not what's happening.

  • BoltThrower on 20/01/2024 - 19:52
    +5

    "On the other side of the problem, is that manufacturers in China routinely copy independent makers' designs and then mass produce them."

    ^ This. On top of that they'll use the original photos, rather than photos of their knock-off. Definitely need to check the customer reviews with photos.

    • AustriaBargain on 21/01/2024 - 00:10
      +1

      You can't copyright a fashion design. There's nothing illegal about cloning a fashion design, which is why the big brands use their trademark all over their bags and such because their trademark logo is protected. Doesn't quite make sense to me because plenty of other designs are copyrighted, but fashion apparently not.

      • bargain huntress on 21/01/2024 - 10:06

        I wonder why?

      • Ughhh on 21/01/2024 - 10:59
        +1

        Using designer hand bags as an example. If CK decided to release a Hermes copycat bag, I would imagine that would be career/reputation suicide move for the designer and the brand.

        If Kmart was to release a copycat (as long as it's not 100% copy), I dont think Hermes would care, as the people buying Kmart most likely weren't going to spend $10k+ on a Hermes anyway.

        • bargain huntress on 22/01/2024 - 15:25

          There is an interesting scene in the house of Gucci movie where the younger guccis are horrified to discover that an older one is participating in cheap knock offs. Its a source of income plus it drives desire for the expensive version. Where as the younger ones think it damages the brand for poor people to have them.

    • bargain huntress on 21/01/2024 - 10:07

      On top of that they'll use the original photos, rather than photos of their knock-off. Definitely need to check the customer reviews with photos.

      I didnt know that trick, thank you

  • Minimum chips on 20/01/2024 - 20:26
    +1

    Obviosuly Etsy is dead, and what little handmade stuff is still posted on there is impossible to find. Unfortunately nothing has really come along to replace it.

    If you want handmade, your best chance is to find local artists. Google [your area]+[type of craft], or check out your local markets - though even there, there are some people who sell Alibaba stuff with the implication they made it.

    Another option is to peruse the craft hall when your local show rolls around. You can check out the good (and bad) handiwork of people competing for the various arts/craft prizes. You can find the names of people who make cool stuff, and sometimes you can even buy the competition entries.

    • bargain huntress on 21/01/2024 - 10:05

      though even there, there are some people who sell Alibaba stuff with the implication they made it.

      And selling produce pretending they grew it.

      A trick i learnt is to ask them a few questions.

      It becomes apparent who is actually knowledgable and passionate about what they are selling.

    • bargain huntress on 21/01/2024 - 10:05

      Another option is to peruse the craft hall when your local show rolls around. You can check out the good (and bad) handiwork of people competing for the various arts/craft prizes. You can find the names of people who make cool stuff, and sometimes you can even buy the competition entries.

      Thats a brilliant idea i hadnt thought of, thank you

  • MrThing on 20/01/2024 - 22:15
    +1

    Handmade rings alarm bells for me in everyday life and travel

    Just like push button start does for me at work

  • cloudy on 23/01/2024 - 06:28
    +1

    If you really want hand made crafts your local market is most certainly the only place to go.

    I also like redbubble for their ethos of sharing a fifth of the sales with their designers and I follow a few designers on insta whom I know design their own stuff and not just rip it off someone else. But of course the product itself is made else where

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