Steampunk As Vintage
7:57 PM Wednesday, August 12, 2009What are your thoughts on searching for vintage items and seeing steampunk??
I received an email from a reader that is so tired of seeing this seller when they are searching for vintage clocks..
AUTOMATIEK
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7572146">http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7572146</a>
Gah!!! I would like to give her the benefit of the doubt and say that she doesn't understand tagging. She's a relatively new seller (June of this year), and possibly doesn't understand that 'vintage' cannot be her first tag, because she is altering the clocks and watches and using them as components in her pieces. Her first tag should always be handmade, and vintage can be any tag after that, unless she is selling a vintage piece in toto, in which case it can be labeled as either vintage or supplies, depending on who she is marketing it towards.
I will flag.........
EtsyCallOut September 15, 2009 at 1:53 PM
she says she is using vintage materials, so she can still tag vintage under materials as well. vintage as a first tag though...no. she'll figure it out. i've seen a lot worse than that.
EtsyCallOut September 15, 2009 at 1:53 PM
People just do not understand that first category when they list, even people who have been around for awhile.
Etsy is full of lazy staff who can't / won't limit that first listing choice to one of the three mains, no matter how many times and how many years they are begged to do so.
If you really want to be depressed, check out the vintage showcase. There is at least one every day, sometimes 3 or 4, that tag altered as vintage.
EtsyCallOut September 15, 2009 at 1:53 PM
HWo cares? Steampunkis so played anyway, the cool cats were out of it ten months ago. CYa.
EtsyCallOut September 15, 2009 at 1:53 PM
Oh, I see.....whether or not things are mistagged is only important if the things are COOL.
Ok, that makes sense. Yep.
EtsyCallOut September 15, 2009 at 1:53 PM
"HWo cares? Steampunkis so played anyway, the cool cats were out of it ten months ago. CYa."
You should apply for a position at Etsy!
You'd fit right in. They're always looking for employees who don't give a damn.
EtsyCallOut September 15, 2009 at 1:53 PM
it kinda makes sense if they use vintage watch parts.
EtsyCallOut September 15, 2009 at 1:53 PM
I've flagged lots of handmade items on the FP that are constructed with vintage elements, but listed in the vintage category. Etsy admin seems pretty much okay with this. Months ago one of the staff posted in the forums that Etsy was going to make some kind of official statement on whether or not altered vintage is considered vintage on Etsy...as far as I know, nothing was said.
This doesn't happen only on Etsy. Steampunk is being listed as vintage on other handmade sites as well.
The problem with the handmade sites seems to be that many of the staff know little about art, design, history, or the history of art and design, so they can't identify an item as being vintage or handmade or neither. I realized this when I saw the admin selected FP with the theme 'French Blue' where most of the items were turquoise or 1960s aqua. Clueless bunch.
EtsyCallOut September 15, 2009 at 1:53 PM
When I found a list of the administrators' shops at EB, it suddenly became crystal clear for me, why the place works as it does (e.g. all the FP fails). I feel sorry for the vintage sellers, if Etsy will make that change...
EtsyCallOut September 15, 2009 at 1:53 PM
TeenAngster thinks that it's fine to categorize vintage-altered as pure vintage. It can be both handmade AND vintage. SHE TOLD ME SO.
EtsyCallOut September 15, 2009 at 1:53 PM
That looks like a simple misunderstanding. It would easily be resolved by flagging it and the support team contacting them to explain the problem. Unfortunately, the support team will just send a generic email that doesn't explain the problem, so the poor seller will continue to accidentally irritate customers and her peers. Such a shame.
EtsyCallOut September 15, 2009 at 1:53 PM