How is your pin game?

New to the print shop: lapel pins!

This little guy is a pink combat boot made of hard enamel that is one inch long.

Only one up right now, but many more to come in the next few weeks. How do you style your pins?

is it too early to discuss Halloween? um, no.

Oh, hey, blog! A post every 2 years is good, no? The shop is currently at 50% off and features loads of great ideas for Halloween. It's never too early to put together your outfit! Here are a few ideas that might work:

Vintage Nurse

Vintage Country Bride

Vintage Lucy Inspired Dress - You know I have a soft spot for Lucy costumes.

For your tiny pumpkin.

Maybe the blog will be a costume blog from now on. You know, when I write the next post...in two years.

Etsy continues to ignore resellers and it pretty much blows.

Let me preface this post with a few things: I am grateful to Etsy for everything they have done in helping small businesses like mine really take off. I don't want to seem unappreciative, because when I came to Etsy from eBay it was like a revelation in my life. People cared about their inventory. They cared to take great pictures. They cared to accurately describe vintage as true vintage and so on. This will seem like biting the hands that feeds me, but I feel I can't take a terrible trend on Etsy any longer.

My best friend is getting married in two weeks and I have been searching Etsy all summer for cute jewelry to wear for the wedding and rehearsal dinner. I love the handmade community and want to support it as often as I can. This is where I started noticing a major problem on Etsy and the seeming lack of concern by the powers that be to do anything to the right the ship. There are an INSANE number of resellers, most specifically in China, selling jewelry at a price that is crazy low. The jewelry is obviously not going to be up to the standards of handmade pieces for one, but almost more importantly, they are taking revenue away from the handmade artists that used to ooooh and ahhhh over how great Etsy was. Let me take you a pic trip with me down this rabbit hole:

I noticed a cute necklace in on of the featured spots on the FP, so I click:

That takes me this page of jewelry, so I click on necklaces:

Nice selection...but, oh wait, what's that at the bottom of the page? A store with bubble necklaces (probably the #1 reseller item on Etsy) in all colors for...FIVE DOLLARS? Click:

I don't want to lead anyone to this shop, because there is no doubt in my mind that it is a reseller, but hell, how can anyone else report them (which I've done to no avail)?

GemPearls has 1180 items for sale in their store. They've sold over 16 THOUSAND items. Yes. It is true. They're a bit sneakier than many resellers as they have items that range in variety, but if you take two seconds to peruse, you will see that every item has an inventory number in the title. Now with 1000+ items that is expected, but I thought oh hell, why not type that inventory into Google. So, I choose a silver bracelet that seemed quite nice for the price tag and also, very intricate to be handmade and sterling silver and cost so low...and, and, and...you get the point.

And wouldn't you know that I found the EXACT bracelet on Amazon from another company in China? They're not claiming to be handmade either. It got me thinking, so I went back to Etsy, searched by the inventory number, and like magic that same bracelet (that is TOTALLY handmade) is being sold in THREE different shops. They don't even both to change the original inventory number. The ignorance on Etsy's part is astounding and how about the cojones on these shops to just maintain the same inventory number as their suppliers? Then again if Etsy does nothing to stop them, why not make it as easy as possible to rip people off?

And on Amazon:

Ok, so I go for another bracelet that seemed quite unique:

Pop that number in to Google and it gives me an option to go to an item on Etsy. Naturally I think oh, it is just sending me back to the shop, but wait...IT IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SHOP WITH THE EXACT SAME HANDMADE CUFF. Twinsies must be working together, right? That's the only explanation. There couldn't be companies in China selling sweat shop style jewelry on a reputable HANDMADE ONLY site like Etsy, right?

And if you think that, let me go to the dollar tree and buy some necklaces to resell to you at ten dollars a piece. They're handmade. I swear.

I understand that policing resellers is a difficult job and that there will always be resellers getting by the powerful and mighty Etsy Integrity Team, but my god, I spent an hour and found about 10 different shops (most with thousands of sales) that were CLEARLY resellers. If it is so easy for me and several of my Etsy friends on Twitter who tweet about the same thing, why isn't Etsy doing anything about it? Oh, right...thousands of sales. 

Please take some time to report the shops in this post and if you get a chance spread this post to fellow Etsy sellers. Let's make Etsy accountable for hosting these shops for years, when the average person can easily identify them as wholesale resellers in a matter of minutes.  Based on the above pictures alone, GemPearls, BubbleJewellery, and MegJewelry4U should not be allowed to sell on Etsy. They do not make their jewelry and the evidence to prove that is overwhelming. Now, let's see what Etsy will do about it. They have a chance to really prove that they care more about their legit sellers than about the bottom line.

dress me up sundays.

Five dresses available on Etsy (including one from my shop) that I'm digging right now:

Rust Belt Threads - $265

Height of Vintage - $30.60

North Star Vintage - $75

Ms. Tips - $32

Blue Butterfly Vintage - $47.60

mega sale over at the etsy shop

Huge sale over at BBV with a ton of items marked down to between 10 and 20 dollars. Even new listings! Three excellent finds below, but more here:

$20

$10

$10

has it really been two years?

Just noticed that today was my 2 year Etsy-versary. Maybe a nice reflective post is in order for some time this week, but until then, there's a pretty huge 50% off section you can check out here. 

Also, listing a ton of new inventory this week such as these three lovely items available, right now:

So, stop on by and here's to another year of vintage sales:)

is that even relevant?

So, I had decided not to chime in on the blog about the relevancy default over at Etsy, but alas, something thing happened yesterday that has forced my opinions to be shared in public manner. Before we get into it, I am pro-relevancy. Etsy may not have the best formula for deciding which items are relevant just yet, but I think in the long run it will be an excellent change on the site. Ok, opinion is out there, now moving on...

My pal Lauren wrote a blog post about people whining over the relevancy change and how it was too early to be so negative with comments that are littering up Twitter feeds, probably still as we speak. In it she quoted one of my tweets that points out that August is one of the slowest sales months in online venues and to stop blaming relevancy for your lack of sales.

I guess you are not allowed to have an opinion as such, which is funny, because my tweet was less of an opinion and more of an actual fact, but hey, someone took offense to the comment. They proceeded to write a comment on the blog post in anonymous fashion (isn't that how the very mature handle things?) and went on to say how ridiculous Lauren was to quote someone who FLAGRANTLY tag stuffs. Anonymous Angel (my new pet name for Anonymous) then went on to say EVERYONE knows what tag stuffing is and ended their comment with "I've had fun reporting all of her listings for the last half hour. YIPEE! Relevancy is a bitch" Haha. Wtf? That person must live a pretty exciting life to take so much joy in wasting a half hour of her life reporting my items to Etsy.

Now, let me sidetrack here. Up until this past week, I didn't know tag stuffing was even thing. I thought it meant when someone lists something, say a rustic pair of 1960s boots and then tags them as modern, 1980s, and a whole bunch of other things that do not match the item. I used to have simple tags, then asked a friend of mine how she sold so much. She told me to beef up my tags and she was not doing it to break the rules, she clearly had no idea they existed. So, in fact, Anonymous Angel, not everyone is aware of tagging rules. I really don't see why we can't tag an item whatever we want in the space provided (as long as it pertains to the item), especially considering we are cut off at 13 tags and each has a limited number of characters, but that's a fight for another day. 

I am sure Anonymous Angel would not believe that, but it is true. I am never one to read the rules of Etsy and I NEVER go into the forums, because of 90% of the comments in them. Watching people attack Truche a few months back or the Hobo Wedding last month is more than enough reason to stay out of the vitriolic tunnels known as Forums. 

And, fyi, I am not the only one who didn't know what tag stuffing was, as when I mentioned the whole situation on Twitter, other friends who have been on Etsy even longer than I have didn't know about it. I must be a pretty flagrant jerk then, right?

That being said, I did learn about it the other day and up until my Anonymous Angel left her message, I had been changing a few per day. Well, she really helped me prioritize and now I have about 10 pages done out of 20, which is a much faster pace than I had been working at. So, thanks again, Anonymous Angel, for giving my motivation a needed boost. You're a real doll. And a class act to take so much joy in reporting a stranger's items to Etsy. Yipee! Relevancy just makes sense.

And I think that is pretty relevant.

shop my twitter pal's going out of biz sale

I wanted to let you all know about a great shop on Etsy that is closing up for the time being and having an amazing sale, with nothing over 9.99. Hellcat Vintage is run by a hilarious gal named Cindy, who I have come to thoroughly enjoy tweeting with (you should still follow @hellcatvintage, regardless of the store being open). 

To this day, the only tweet I have ever marked as favorite was courtesy of Cindy, after a scenario when Etsy told me they removed one of my listings due to copyright infringement on Dr. Seuss. It was a vintage Florida tee, so you can imagine my confusion over what that had to do with Dr. Seuss. After some emailing back and forth they realized they made a mistake and that my listing was not the number they were talking about, but not before @hellcatvintage tweeted about Green Eggs and Sand.

She just seems like a great gal and her store pics are awesome, not to mention her great merchandise. I am sad to see her close up shop, but hopefully she will be pulled back in the vintage world in the future. Best of luck to you, lady!

Here are some sweet items you can grab during the sale:

So, go peruse her shop and help her go out of Etsy with a fat wallet!

The MEGA Mid Summer Giveaway! - CLOSED Winner #121

It may be a scorcher outside, but do you know what is cool? Free stuff.

Not just one free thing, but how about 7 free things? This is a giveaway for a prize pack with a value of over 100 dollars. Yup, that is pretty cool. Even cooler? You could win another one over at A Wild Tonic. You could win both prize packs and have over $250 in prizes. So, let's get right down to it. Here is what you can win on BBV's giveaway(click on each pic to visit the sponsor's store):

Vintage 1970s Love Beads Necklace from Tialey Vintage ($20 value)

**NOTE: You can use the code BLOG711 for 10% off your purchase at Tialey Vintage during this giveaway**

Climbing Leaves Blue Suede Necklace from Miss Fluff ($20 value)

Vintage Pin Set from Vintage Eye Fashion (value $24)

$15 Store Credit to Jaclyn 1423 (value $15)

$20 Store Credit to Hemlines Vintage (value $20)

Vintage Purple and Gold Necklace from Vivibell (value $18)

$20 Store Credit to Waistland Vintage (value $20)

How to win :

Mandatory Entry: This entry must be completed before any other entry. You must check out the form below and complete every task listed. Once you have completed the tasks, comment that you did so. This prize pack is worth over a hundred dollars, so yes, you must complete EVERY step listed on that form and we will check once the giveaway has ended.

Really want to win? Extra entries you can complete after the mandatory entry is done:

• Check out each of the sponsor stores and leave a comment below with your favorite item from each shop and a link to that item: Waistland, Hemlines, Vintage Eye Fashion, Tialey Vintage, Jaclyn1423, Vivibell, and Miss Fluff. (One entry for each shop)  

• Tweet about this contest daily and leave a new comment for each tweet. (Up to 5x's per day) The tweet should look like this: #Win A MEGA Prize Pack valued at over $100 via @bbvintage #giveaway http://t.co/O7skdzS

• Post this contest to your blog or Facebook page and leave the link. (One for either) 

• Follow the sponsors or myself/A Wild Tonic on Twitter: @MissFluff_ @TialeyVintage @VintageEye @Waistland @Jaclyn1423 @bbvintage @awildtonic and leave a comment for each. (One entry for each)

• Become a fan of Jaclyn1423 or  BBV on Facebook and leave a comment for each. (One entry for each)

•  Follow the blogs Miss Fluff or A Wild Tonic and leave a comment for each. (One entry for each)

You have to leave separate comments for each entry. In other words, if you become a follower and tweet about the contest at the same time, leave one comment saying you're following and another saying that you tweeted it. Also, be sure to leave your email address in your comment. Thanks!

That simple! This contest is open to readers WORLDWIDE. Yes. You read that correctly. 

This contest will run until August 15th. After that a winner will be chosen using a random number generator over at random.org. The winner will be the person with the comment of the corresponding number. I will then contact the person via the email left in your comments. If no answer is received in 48 hours a new winner will be chosen.


PS-Have a new business that you want to promote? Have an old business that seems a bit stagnant? Just wanting some close-to-free publicity? Contact me at bluebutterflyvintage [at] yahoo.com to talk about sponsoring a giveaway on BBV. I will send you some fancy stats. Yes. Fancy.


A note for The Man: Sponsors are providing this prize for BBV for promotional purposes. I am not being paid for this promotion.

Treasury!

Front Page!

Today was the first time I have ever had a treasury that I curated hit the front page on Etsy (see below). It was pretty mega. As I watched Wimbledon, my favorite sporting event of the year, I watched my treasury about Wimbledon hit the FP. It was MEGA.

New Giveaway! from Eklectic Xplosion - Closed Winner #47

Today's giveaway comes courtesy of BBV sponsor, Eklectic Xplosion. It is the wonderful gray clutch seen below. See more pics here. This clutch has a value of $16.

Description:

We truly can never have to many purses! The perfect little clutch that would be a great addition to any wardrobe! In good Vintage condition.

Length:8"
Width:5"
Color: Light Gray/Charcoal

How to win:
Mandatory Entry: This entry must be completed before any other entry. You must be a follower of this blog via GFC, then head over to Eklectic Xplosion and come back with a comment on your favorite item from her wonderful store. You have to do both of those things and leave ONE comment.

Really want to win? Extra entries:

• Heart her shop on Etsy. (One entry)  

• Tweet about this contest daily and leave a new comment for each tweet. (Up to 10x's per day) The tweet should look like this: #Win A Clutch from @eklecticx via @bbvintage http://t.co/LUHauu8 #giveaway #vintage 

• Leave a comment on any non contest post on this blog and leave a comment saying which post. (Up to 3 additional entries)

• Post this contest to your blog or Facebook page and leave the link. (One for either) 

• If you use Stumble Upon, then stumble this page and leave a message with the time of said Stumble. (Three entries for one Stumble)

• Follow @eklecticx or @bbvintage (or both) on Twitter and leave a comment. (One entry for either)

• Become a fan of EX or BBV on Facebook and leave a comment. (One entry for either)

You have to leave separate comments for each entry. In other words, if you become a follower and tweet about the contest at the same time, leave one comment saying you're following and another saying that you tweeted it. Also, be sure to leave your email address in your comment. Thanks!

That simple! This contest is open to readers in the US and Canada.

This contest will run until July 7th. After that a winner will be chosen using a random number generator over at random.org. The winner will be the person with the comment of the corresponding number. I will then contact the person via the email left in your comments. If no answer is received in 48 hours a new winner will be chosen.


PS-Have a new business that you want to promote? Have an old business that seems a bit stagnant? Just wanting some close-to-free publicity? Contact me at bluebutterflyvintage [at] yahoo.com to talk about sponsoring a giveaway on BBV. I will send you some fancy stats. Yes. Fancy.


A note for The Man: Sponsor  is providing this prize for BBV for promotional purposes. I am not being paid for this promotion.

The Writing Process: Name Game

When I write, one of my favorite things to do is pick the names for each character. I even consult various websites to check out baby names and their meanings.

Last week I began a new project and it has started off quite well. The ideas are aplenty, but what I want to know is, which name do you like better: Connor or Cameron? I want it to be a common name, because I hate reading things where every character has some crazy name, but at the same time I don't want it to be too common.

It is currently Connor, because Cameron reminds me of a guy I knew in college who looked like a porcelain doll and I always assumed there was some horror movie about to play out there. Creepy, right? I know.

In other news, one of my items was on the front page yesterday. It didn't sell (siiiigh) but I did sell three things while it was up there, which has be a direct correlation(yayyy). The item was this sweet hat you can grab for 19 dollars in my store:

So stop on over, because most of the store is still half off to help out a very worthy cause: my bank account.

Buying Vintage Online: A Beginner's Guide

I have been selling vintage for a few years now and as anyone who has ever worked in the retail business can tell you, you will encounter quite a variety of customers from the kooky to the just plain rude. I know a lot of people who want to buy vintage and become wonderfully, kind, normal customers, but are scared as they are first timers, so here is a short list of things that you should keep in mind when buying from a vintage seller. Check back next week for more tips!


1. Vintage Runs Small. Seriously small.
You wouldn't believe the difference in what a size ten was back in the 50s as compared to today. Have you ever heard someone say that Marilyn Monroe wore a size 16? Yeah, it may be true, but a 1950s size 16 is probably around a size 6 by today's standards. Not quite the same.

Oh, to be a size 16.

In shoes it is the same story. I wear a 7.5 and one day found the most AMAZING shoes that I saw from across the thrift store. I ran to them as the sound of angels playing harps chimed in the background. I saw 7.5 printed on the inside and I couldn't believe my eyes. And then...I couldn't even jam my fat feet into them.

The shoes that launched a thousand tears...in my heart.

My feet aren't really fat, but buying vintage may make you feel a bit saddened over wearing a size you never thought possible. It is the opposite of today's vanity sizing. You have to get over the tag size and just know that you are rocking some amazing clothing. It was probably made better than anything you could find on the racks in a store that tells you you're a size 2 when you are an 8 anywhere else.


2. Vintage Runs Small...Part 2
This is a point to take seriously. Always, always, always measure a similar clothing item in your closet before you blindly buy a vintage piece in a size that you think is correct. Even if you know that vintage runs small and you generally wear a size or two away, take the time to measure. As a seller, I can't tell you the number of times people have messaged me saying something doesn't fit, even with disclaimers in both of my online stores concerning checking measurements as I do not accept returns for items that don't fit. It takes time for sellers to accurately measure everything, so don't let that effort go to waste. Utilize it. You will be happy when something you wanted so badly arrives and fits as if it had always been yours.


3. Vintage Runs Small...Part 3
Repetitious right? This is more about questions I get all of the time and goes along with measuring an item of clothing. If an item says "would best fit a small" and you wear a large, please don't send the seller a question asking if it will fit you. We are not all knowing when it comes to sizing, although I am sure a few sellers are close. I can generally tell what a medium is in clothing, because that is what I wear, just as I can usually tell if a shoe marked 7.5 is actually a 7.5. That being said, I really couldn't tell you if the extra small is more like like a small or vice versa. Use the measurements provided. Your idea of a large may be different from mine, the same way Abercrombie's idea is different from Banana Republic's.


4. We are human. 
A bullet not about sizing. How novel! In the flaws section or condition of an item, many sellers list any obvious flaws such as stains or sticky zippers. These flaws are quite obvious. I know this may sound crazy, but it is possible that a seller, maybe, just maybe, could overlook a flaw on a shirt and not list it. If this happens, don't get angry. Don't assume the seller is trying to pull one over on you. Don't rush to the feedback system and throw down some heavy words. Kindly send the seller a note and describe the flaw they did not list. If you have a camera readily available, you could even send a pic. A good seller will offer some compensation. I say some, because a tiny dot stain that will likely come off via dry cleaning does not warrant a full refund, so don't get greedy. If the seller doesn't offer any type of refund, then you can consider a neutral or negative, but don't quickly write something without thinking about the situation, which brings us to the next topic.

5. Quick negatives.
As stated above, if you EVER have a problem with your order, don't go to feedback before contacting the seller. It is quite rude to that actually. In my Etsy experience, I have I had one neutral feedback and one negative, both times without any contact from the buyer beforehand. The neutral says nothing in the comments, which should be another section, but I will just say it here: do not leave a neutral/negative on Etsy without stating why. It is aggravating to the seller and to the people who want to check out ratings prior to purchase. A blind negative doesn't help anyone.

Don't be this buyer.

In the other instance, a buyer rudely left me a negative for a pair of shoes they said were narrow and not listed as such. All measurements were listed and the shoes were 3.5 inches in width. That is not narrow. That is a buyer who doesn't really know what size shoe they wear.

Most sellers strive for 100% perfection. If you think about it, I could receive 100 ratings and 99 people could be elated with their experience, while one person who feels particularly upset over something that may not even be my fault can leave a negative and even though it is ONE person that 99% looks so much less impressive than 100%. Can you imagine if you lived every aspect of life that way? No, because it is not realistic. My rule of thumb when buying is that you shouldn't be afraid to purchase anything from a seller with 97% or better in feedback. If 97 people were happy and 3 weren't, odds are really in your favor.




Thanks for reading and if you sell vintage, feel free to add some tips in the comment section below. A second list will be posted next week!

The Opposite of Holiday Cheer

So, today I had two strange/annoying messages sent to me on the Bay(eBay). I won't get into them, but let's just say it took every fiber of my being to not respond in a snotty way. Well, the third one I was just sent via Etsy, became the unlucky gal with a mega snark response. Now, I know it is quite close to Christmas and I am supposed to be nice here, but let's take a look at her message:

"Just to be honest, I found this exact pair in size 9 at a thrift store for $4. Same brand and everything. They are awesome quality and I grabbed them up! I just don't think it's fair that you're selling them for $50."

Now, I won't say her name here, because frankly, I don't want to get sued, but seriously? I think the best part has to be that they're not even in her size! They're a 7. She felt compelled to message me about a pair of boots that wouldn't even fit. That's dedication/a serious amount of time on your hands.


So, now you're all curious about my response, correct?


Sure, you are.


I won't deny you that gem of a message. In its entirety no less:

Well, just to be honest, that's your opinion. This has to be the strangest message I have ever gotten on Etsy. I have been running a vintage clothing business for 3 years and have been on Etsy since February. Take a look at my recent sales and you will see three pair of similar boots (one Danexx) that I have sold this week for similar prices.

They are marked 50 because I am having a 20% off sale, so the program I use will auto mark them down to 40 later tonight, but I am sure, just to be honest, that it is still too high in your opinion.

If they're not even in your size, don't you have better things to do than to message a random seller to complain about their prices?

And what makes you the ultimate source for what is fair on Etsy? This isn't some charity where I am ripping people off. Of course I am making money off the sale of these boots, that's why I sell things on here, you know, to make money. This is a business and selling vintage is my full-time job, so I'm pretty sure I know what I can and cannot mark my shoes. You have no idea how much I paid for them, so you should probably hold your judgment next time.

Perhaps you can take the time you spend messaging sellers that you don't know about the price of items you're not even interested in buying and put that towards more $4 thrift store finds. Hey, you could even start your own Etsy store and charge what you think is a fair price.

Thanks for the tip tho!
Jenn

It was a bit mean, sure, but it was the wrong time for a message of that nature, lady. So glad we got that settled. I know that the customer is always right, but the person who has no intention of buying your item, can be wrong. You know, just to be honest.

Tuesday Dudes' Day: Loafing About

A bit late to get these for Christmas, but I liked these posts so much that I think they will be a weekly thing for the dudes out there. Some loafers today.

via bluebutterflyvintage

via vintageshoescloset

via mygmascloset

via dontstopvintage

via timelessvintageshoes

via oliverandalaexa

Dress Me Up Sundays (On a Monday): Golden Coast

Forgot to post this yesterday. Some lovely dresses in a variety of golds.

via ironorchidvintage

via floriavintage

via hinterlandvintage

via reluctantdamsel

via smallearthvintage

via wildfellhallvintage

via heightofvintage

via thrush

via rustbeltthreads

via simplethrift

via awildtonic