bfroberts Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 I'm new to selling on etsy. Well, I've sold things on etsy before, but I have never sold anything I made on etsy. Just vintage stuff. I recently opened an etsy shop for candles, etc. I've got about 15 listings, getting decent hits but no sales yet. I don't have an internet presence for my products....at all. I'm just beginning to work on that, but I don't have a lot of time to devote. Point is, I have an etsy shop & a website but no customers. Now I've created what I think is an original product, similar to wax brittle kinda, but a little trendy and very pretty. I do not see this particular item being offered by anyone else anywhere. It's labor intensive and will require a little more costly packaging, so it will have a higher price tag, but I think the market will bear that. I have not listed this item yet because I also think it will immediately be copied. And it will probably be copied by someone who actually has a following and customers that will buy it. I have neither. I'm trying to decide if I should list it and hope it brings me some buyers before other people also start making it and push little ole me out of the marketplace altogether. Basically, I guess I am selfish. I don't know. Or maybe it's not that great of an idea and no one will copy it. I don't know that either. But I would hate to put it out there and have no buyers, but then see an established seller make it and sell boatloads. Are copycats even a thing on etsy? It's horrible in our real life biz. Every stinking thing we do gets copied by someone. Our t-shirt designs, our cabin design, our signs, our Facebook posts, every stinking thing. Somebody talk to me, please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScentedPleasurez Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 56 minutes ago, bfroberts said: Are copycats even a thing on etsy? I would say yes, its everywhere. Someone was just talking about the copying on youtube. Im sitting on something myself that i stumbled on by accident and refuse to put it out because i know that it would be copied. I would generally say go for it, but know how u would feel if someone else took your creation and sold tons. Maybe try a sale to drum up some buyers first?? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iansmommaya Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 You would not BELIEVE the copycats on Etsy. And I don't mean exclusively copying your product or idea. I mean the whole shebang. Everything. Store name, font, colors, style, products everything. EVERYTHING. Hold on, I'll try to find the example I'm thinking of. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandlekrazy Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 Etsy is tough because so saturated but can be done. I'd suggest going to social media to promote your etsy shop. You can do it in Instagram and Facebook. Link your accounts so you're posting only once and goes to both accts. Then be sure you're Etsy store is listed in both of those accounts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iansmommaya Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 HA! Found it! https://etsycallout.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/heartsandbows494/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenni Wix Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 I'm not surprised. Just saddened. A big demotivator. It's so expensive to trademark (etc?) everything. It seems like that's the biggest thing you can do to protect yourself. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iansmommaya Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 Yes, it is very expensive (at least for me) to TM. There is a thing called trade dress though, in which if an average person would be confused, that covers most of us without TM status. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenni Wix Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 This type of thing contributes to why I'm stubborn enough to insist on original artwork and lettering for future stuff. (Helps that my SO is a graphic designer). Not because there's anything wrong with using fonts and images currently available, but because is It's going to be copyrighted to us. It might take me longer but it will be worth it. I'm glad there's some kind of protection with Trade Dress @iansmommaya. Going to read about that. As far as product type copying, unless you have a patent (not sure how that works), any one can create a product type, no? I understand the concern about that. If you're more comfortable, maybe you can build your brand and presence first, then introduce it. From what I've read, it seems like there's a balance between knowing, and acting on what you can protect, and letting go of the things you can't control, focusing on, and promoting your own unique way of doing something. When somebody copies a whole line? Man, that's a lot of unwanted trouble and frustration. It looks like Etsy will remove copycats of that degree, how expedient is the process is for the original creator? Smh. I'd much rather support the person who gives credit where credit is due. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iansmommaya Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 With the situated I mentioned above, the originators lawyer worked things out with the copycat. So there is hope. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfroberts Posted October 7, 2018 Author Share Posted October 7, 2018 Thanks for the responses. I've been super busy today and haven't had time to mull everything over BUT I did want to jump in and say...... I got my first etsy sale today! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iansmommaya Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 Yep, copycats everywhere. We had someone actually copy our "About us" on our website word for word, the only exception is they changed the hometown name. It was truly pathetic. We started doing festival shows, now they are doing festival shows. Copied all our price points, copied the look of our product. We don't consider them competition as they are a couple states away. Be original people! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShelleyF Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 (edited) On 10/16/2018 at 2:09 PM, Ray said: Yep, copycats everywhere. We had someone actually copy our "About us" on our website word for word, the only exception is they changed the hometown name. It was truly pathetic. We started doing festival shows, now they are doing festival shows. Copied all our price points, copied the look of our product. We don't consider them competition as they are a couple states away. Be original people! I'm sorry they did that. It is wrong. I don't want to copy anyone. I think it's something to be proud of being unique. They should be ashamed. I have an idea and I'm watching to see if I will be copied. They have a lot of catching up to do if so. I have around 2,000 different fragrance oils now and will keep buying. I find amazing deals. Having choices should help snuff out the wannabes. Unless they have a lot of cash or know how to get amazing deals like I do. You could get a trademark but it's very expensive but might be worth it. Edited October 20, 2018 by ShelleyF Added info 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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