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Are Temu, Amazon & Etsy Selling the SAME Products *let's find out*
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ค. 2025
- I Bought the SAME products from Temu, Amazon & Etsy.. let's compare them
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I miss when eBay was all second hand items and Etsy was all handmade items 💔
I think that for people they don't know that eBay is second hand that the sellers should indeed tell people that their items are purchased second hand and that they are not firsthand items because I was duped by that and I ordered an item for the first time from eBay I got way overcharged and I was also charged for shipping and then a long time after that I saw the item show up at a Goodwill so now I know that the item that was sold to me was a Goodwill item and that I grossly overpaid so because of that reason I will never order from eBay ever again because they are dishonest
I was looking for part for my laptop on eBay.
I NEVER received the item and the seller refused to give a refund
Never me again
@@marciwhitman3513 punctuation is free 😄ebay has been around for so long that how would you not know what it is and what it sells? each listing says the condition. if it said new and was used, you can return it and get your money back.
Wait what ebay had handmaid thing
On eBay, I always select "used" when making a search. It pretty much cuts through all of the garbage and the overpriced refurbished stuff.
The fact that the Etsy seller of the glass mushrooms had pairs of ONLY the EXACT same colors as the Temu mushrooms is a dead giveaway that they purchased from temu or drop shipped from the same manufacturer and resold for higher price.
100% my thoughts too. They just split it up, claimed it was vintage, and are selling each for a huge mark-up. I respect the hustle ngl.
@MillieG I don't respect the hustle. They are lying in their listing! That's scamming their customers!They could represent it as a cute mushroom vase, just not vintage.
@@dawnchesbro4189 right it should be taken down by etsy!
@@dawnchesbro4189Yes it is not running a respectable place of business to have no problem lying to your customers. I agree. I have no respect for that. Honest ways to make change that is admirable to me.
@@dawnchesbro4189 they are scamming their customers and taking away customers from actual artists (and vintage sellers) trying to sell their legitimate handmade/vintage items. Those people *ARE* what's wrong with Etsy.
As an Etsy seller the dropshipping on the site is SO FRUSTRATING. It's hard work to maintain a shop and I put so much care into making my products. Luckily, I'm not big enough for people to be stealing my photos yet, but it's sad to think it's only a matter of time. Thanks for bringing light to this MIa!
Watermark everything!!!!!
I used to be an Etsy seller & I agree. I ended up closing up shop because of all the bs. Instead have a store in a flea market. Even some flea market shops are just straight up filled with temu & alibaba crap for higher than temu prices
what’s your seller name on etsy! i’d like to check your stuff out!
What should I do to avoid drop shippers on Etsy?
I’m not a very big shop and yet all of my best sellers have been stolen. It is so frustrating!
Glass artist here!
Those mushrooms are all mass manufactured, with makers as a part of the process which leads to the variations but none of them are antique. 29:53
i would rather buy a quality product from a artisans 'small business that creates sustainable products. Otherwise i will buy from Temu - there is no way I am paying etsy markup to a dishonest seller pretending they are original, or Amazon with drop shippers markup.
I wish Temu offered higher quality products - i would be willing to pay more for something sustainable.
@@akask6458The prob with Temu is the manufactorers of these things are using slave labor or paying them next to nothing which is why they can sell it "so cheap".
What would qualify as an antique? Would the glass be thicker?
@@8yuhg Antiques are something that is 100 years old or older. Vintage is 20 year old to 99 years old. And Retro is new items made to LOOK like stuff made in the past. (edited 90 to 99)
@8yuhg antique is a term for actually aged items. Good rule of thumb is 70yrs or older. Vintage is 20yrs or older but not yet over 70yrs.
When shopping in Etsy, I always do a reverse image search to see if the item pops up on Amazon, Alibaba, Temu, SHEIN, etc. It’s actually shocking how often Etsy sellers are just peddling overpriced junk. Conversely, a lot of those places that manufacture cheap junk steal ideas or photos from small businesses.
I check the seller's profile and hope they have social media linked and many times real small bussineses will have an instagram where they post their work or a website
Same, I saw a cute bag I liked, I thought it was handmade, did a reverse image search and found the same product by multiple sellers on Etsy
@@dominiquebaby678yeah, as a silversmith who makes jewelry, it’s so frustrating! I stopped selling on Etsy because I couldn’t complete with all the sellers peddling mass produced junk as hand crafted and selling them for cheap.
this happened to me on etsy with croc charms. i paid way more for like 5 charms just to find out they came from a giant pack i found listed on amazon for $10
@@cassierene5287that sucks!
not a waste. it’s education. you have truly taught me how to shop in the most humane way possible
Hey Mia, the hearty pinky blouse is actually from a brand named SISSEL EDELBO :) I think you will find many pieces you will enjoy!!
I’m so glad you knew!! Thank you for helping g the community out 🙌🏼🙌🏼
Commenting here to boost this
The real MVP! I’m going to check them out!
It is a wonderful brand!! I have multiple pieces from them. Highly recommend
Everything they sell it’s beautiful 🤩
This is NOT USELESS MIA!!! You are helping us customers know where our money goes and also we love that you call Etsy out! We I want craft items!
Thank you! If buyers keep calling Etsy out, perhaps they’ll LISTEN. (We sellers feel unheard.)
Etsy is allowing people to sell merchandise for the "Alligator Alcatraz" in Florida. Which goes against their own rules stating they do not allow items that promote hate to be sold. Etsy has said NOTHING about this and are continuing to allow the sale of these hateful items. Etsy is no longer a "good" place to buy or sell from if you have empathy for others.
i really want to see her tailor the dresses/clothes to fit herself! maybe show us how?
The thing is, even with small businesses they might be putting in the labor for the item, there’s definitely some out there that buy their materials from temu or amazon. Just because it’s “handmade” doesn’t mean it was made sustainably or with ethical business practices.
yes, maybe they put the beads together but where are the beads from? obvioualy they didn make them.
@@Iusuallydontcommentbut... it's still considered handmade. You are assembling parts to create something.
That's actually a question etsy asks when you set up a listing. Did you buy the parts to make it?
Etsy is so frustrating as there's so much dropshipping now, its against their policies but they turn a blind eye. I closed my Etsy shop because I was competing with people dropshipping earrings at much lower prices than I could do
You have to be SO careful on etsy now. I pretty much only buy from vintage stores on there and I only get custom made products. It's so annoying how drop shippers have taken it over
So true
i had someone sell me a “silver ring” that didn’t have the stamp and was cracked…
I totally agree! Etsy has become very disappointing. Many small businesses rely on Etsy for advertisement, which also forces them to sell on the platform simply to receive traffic. I’m so sorry that you had to close your earring shop 😢
I have a similar issue with crochet patterns. I’ve seen patterns for like $.50 which seems like a steal but when you buy it, it’s just an AI generated slop. It’s really disheartening to see that when there are hard-working people spending hours making a pattern.
22:36 I’m a bead enthusiast. The difference between the ‘smooth’ lemon and the bumpy one is where the beads are made. The smooth are Chinese made, the bumpy are Czech. There’s a huge difference in price. The Czech ones are made in small family factories, and are hard to find (trust me, I’ve been looking for lemons for a while. They sell out in days).
Totally unsolicited tip, but...have you tried Shipwreck Beads? They're out of someplace in WA state, and they've got an AMAZING selection for decent (not cheap, but not hugely inflated) prices, I've found. I got to stop there once on a trip up to Seattle and had to force myself to leave the store before taking out a second mortgage for shiny beads. :D. (I mention it because I'm 99% sure I saw the Czech glass in the lemon shape there, but that was a while ago, so YMMV.)
This is really valuable information! And something that the sellers should use when they can.
Ooh thank you for saying this because I have some of those lemon earrings but they're more see through, and watching this video I so thought I probably accidentally supported a reseller or something, but the beads on mine are textured and the color is not consistent throughout (which was why I liked them; theyre kind of clear with subtle diffusion of yellow that doesnt go throughout the entire piece).
@@kelqueen9998except 90% of resellers don't really know about the item
So true! Czech glass beads are gorgeous and such nice quality! However, I have also bought glass beads on aliexpress before, and they are decently well made! Great for anybody wanting to craft on a budget.
When shopping on Etsy, I've started looking at sellers's names and what social media they have attached to their profiles. Often I find genuine small businesses have social media accounts that give a bit more of a behind-the-scenes look compared to the drop-shipping sellers :)
As a person who crochets, I would never make that strawberry plant for anything less than $35. It might not be a lot of yarn but it is time consuming to say the least.
right?! that hurt my heart to see it for $3 😑 atrocious
Yes agreed! I don’t even make them for stuff anymore because they are one of the common dupes
I agree. As a crocheter, I was devastated to see the price!
I’ve made similar plants but with the flowers. It’s like 6-7 different patterns and gotta sew it all together. Very cute but a pain to make! It makes me sad someone is making it for nothing
I would never buy that for $35.
Honestly, I know you’re saying this is wasteful but respectfully I disagree. This is incredibly important consumer advice, this kind of advice I believe will reduce waste on a wider scale so thank you Mia ❤
Yeah, I think the education provided to 1M+ people stops more waste than this video created
@@caseypatterson7030 exactly my thoughts!
That’s a good way of thinking
Especially because so many people just believe anything they see. Not to mention, we've all been brainwashed to think that Amazon has such great pricing, when in fact they're a lot higher than many.
💯‼️💯‼️💯‼️
I wanna take a moment to be extremely grateful you exist, I’ve been a silent watcher since 2017, your content is always extremely well executed. I love who you are, what you stand for, you thinking of the environment, other people, contributing to charities, shopping second hand, family oriented, giving back to the community, making your family proud, all the renovations you do, youre so dedicated and multi skilled. I love you so much, not in a weird way but just so appreciative. I never miss any of ur uploads, dedicated viewer since 2017
30:45 It’s definitely NOT vintage. The glass would be darker and thicker. I know because I own a lot of 60s/70s (real) vases. The glass is thicker and because of the age it gets darker.
Also, I was alive in the 60s/70s and those didn't exist. :P
@@sherryjanke5434 Love, with all due respect, you don't look a day over 30?! Helloo?! You're so stunning, wowowowow!
I bought some of these vases from cheap stores in the uk they’re sold for like £1 - £3 each 😅
The glass is fake. the other trick is if the glass is painted vs. colored, for pink, it should be REALLY faded because it will be paint. Since the only way to get that color pink is with GOLD. literally, the color is called gold pink, and it costs 5 to 10 times as much as say an equivalent piece in blue.
To be fair though, some of the "hand blown" glass can be legit made by independent glass artists as "practice" type pieces. Like blown pumpkins are often made as practice item, both because they're impressive but easy to make and fairly easy to sell at craft fairs, etc. but it's good practice for making sure you learn to keep spinning it smoothly.
😢 Etsy sellers SHOULD’NT be selling mass-produced items unless they’re being sold as craft supplies. As a handmade, Etsy seller I find this is all incredibly frustrating.
If people want to support Etsy’s handmade sellers, I always recommend reading the ABOUT sections of a shop and visiting their social media pages. Look for photos and videos of them making their items and sharing their stories. (Many also do craft fairs and post those events. I can’t do fairs anymore, due to health issues.)
Thank you for supporting small businesses! ❤
I’m an acrylic painter who worked craft fairs and festivals for years. People selling mass produced products at craft shows goes back years and was the primary reason I stopped doing shows. I’m sure the people who are selling mass produced items on Etsy are some of the same people. My best friend is an Etsy seller who does make her own items by hand. I intend to forward this video to her. Thank you for posting this. I doubt it will cause Etsy to change their policy in any way but it will at least inform Etsy craftsperson’s to what you have found. One last comment. We would often bring up to show producers who was selling mass produced because the contracts always said it would be removed from the show and over the span of 25 years and hundreds of shows I never once seen anyone removed although there were a few shows I left early because of it.
That is actually what I was hoping she would do. You can click on the seller's page and do a bit more in depth digging before just buying. Also, I wish she had analyzed the quality of the products when comparing them. They may look similar but were some better made with higher quality materials, which may justify the price differences.
I don't think you can sell craft supplies anymore?
I like to ask questions of sellers before I buy. I also find having no custom option is often a red flag for me that it could possibly not be handmade, which I when I'll ask questions. Because if you make it you should know how it was made or a bit about the materials.
@@erinmaxwell8133I do see some. Mostly like “starter crochet kit” kind of things
Reverse image searching often helps you not only see all of the stolen/resellers, but you can usually track down the real shop (for clothing, the photo where heads aren't cut off isba decent sign)
So interesting. Thanks for the info. How can one do this?
@ritaparker478 if you open up google you'll see a little camera icon to the right of the search bar. You can upload images and Google will show you matches and where they came from
@@ritaparker478screen shot the image, crop it to the area you want to search and google image search it.
@@ritaparker478if you go to the Google search bar at the right there’s a little photo icon that allows you to search by photo.
The etsy mushroom is absolutely drop shipped. There are several similar listings from different shops with the same combination of colours as the Temu multi-pack (current as of July 4, 2025)
The drop shipping epidemic is so bad. I went to a local craft show and a “crafter” had a whole stall of SHEIN earrings with their own “branding” paper cards on them and selling them at a premium. There were boss babes and their MLM products. Only the food, soda drinks, and soaps/candles had a CHANCE of being actually handmade. My mom did hand painted pottery for years and if she had to sit next to that mess, yes they’re different products, but you literally can’t compete. It’s too hard to be a creative these days! 😢
Hater
On the art show circuit, not the juried fairs, but the ones that seem to pop up from nowhere use "artists" who source from China and they just sign the works themselves.
@@phillosc Untalented slop
Many of them are still handmade, just by underpaid hands in China and the developing world.
I hate going to a craft thing and there's a pyramid scheme (MLM) there. You did not make those lip sticks, no I don't want to join under you because the only way for you to make money is by convincing others to sign up as sellers and selling them starter kits.
You should do a video when you hunt for vintage items in the thrift store, and you go to an antique shop afterwards to see the value of those things and the history behind them!! 😍😍😍😍
As a crocheter myself (and Etsy seller) I know it can be hard to tell what is dropped shipped and what is not. Some of the common drop shipped crochet items are things such as planters. If you are unsure of whether something is drop shipped or not you could try asking the seller for materials they are using, crochet hooks size, stuffing material, pattern, etc. because if they didn't make it they likely won't know. I hope this helps!
The sad thing about the crochet is that it can't be machine made. which means all the drop shipped items are still human made but probably by extremely underpaid people or even kids.
@@Ro0wRiotyes, i was just gonna say that! if it’s being sold for cheap, the person who made it probably gets little to no money for it
Found out after spending way too much at local arts markets that many crochet stalls are drop shippers by finally asking these questions. I was just so impressed by the thread crochet I wanted to talk to the artist but they never had answers. It's either their 'mom' or 'aunt' and they're just selling on their behalf...
That’s good advice.😊
@@melodymastache3401 I have helped at people's booths before. How do you know they aren't actually helping out a relative
Thank you for doing this! As a former Etsy seller, any visibility brought to this is so appreciated, because it has been SO. FRUSTRATING. I just want to bring cute things to the people!
Yep my wife is a former Etsy real maker designer and seller. Had to leave it was getting brutal.
A friend did as well she got pushed out by fake sellers copying her ideas at a lower price with free shipping. Free shipping is hint to it not been homemade
You should try and make the best selling Lululemon apparel for cheaper! Like the series where you made Shein, Skims, etc apparel for more affordable prices. I've been absolutely loving watching that series!!💗💗💖💖
Etsy still has so much good handmade stuff, I wish they would get rid of the drop shippers.
Yeah they do but finding them is so hard 😭
I’m literally trying to start selling my handmade bracelets on etsy now.
so true. I have started supporting small businesses on etsy. I got a couple of hand painted paintings and bookmarks from the same person. She was so happy when she got her first sale x
Please share your shop name on Etsy- I love buying handmade and supporting small business on Etsy
@@gingerbullock8731 mishisartwork
I love these comparison videos. Adding Etsy is definitely helpful because you expect Etsy to be small business and handmade items not people reselling mass produced items. But apparently not anymore. Thank you for what you do Mia!
Etsy doesn't allow drop shipping or reselling items from temu.
@@erinmaxwell8133and yet everybody is doing it.
@@erinmaxwell8133Yeah officially they don't allow it but people still do it. Etsy doesn't really take (enough) action against those who drop ship.
@@erinmaxwell8133according to the terms and conditions they don’t allow it sure, but they totally turn a blind eye on it. as long as they get their share from each sale they prefer to have dropshippers than not
@@erinmaxwell8133 Officially but I see items all the time on there that the seller has obviously bought from Temu.
I sell my completely handmade jewelry on Etsy (in real silver or gold, gemstones sourced from ethical stonecutters and small dealers in Canada). Many sellers who are not dropshipping/reselling and actually still making handmade pieces for Etsy will post photos and bios about themselves, post pictures or videos of themselves making the piece, and also have links to social media where there are more photos and videos showing at least part of their crafting/making process. It helps shoppers know (and realize) that there's an actual small business behind the piece, and hopefully it helps explain the cost involved.
Thank you for that!! Add that to the checklist to make sure we’re supporting the real crafters
Love these videos Mia! As a vintage seller I'd like to clarify the definitions of vintage, antique and retro. Vintage items are typically considered 20+ years old, antique is typically considered 100+ years old, and retro is a term referring to an item that is new but is made to replicate a style from an older era. So I'd say the mushrooms are retro, new made to look "old".
Thank you :) THIS was just what I was going to say, but you said it better!
@@angelshine64 Are you a vintage seller too?!
Here it is 50 and 100 in general. Retro is copy from 20-+ old, one - two generation old item.
@@Christina_Paz Sort of haha I live in Norway and is selling all the stuff after my mom on several places here. And she and I did some reselling for many years. And I am "old" so I "know" things? I don't mean to be a know-it-all, I just know things in general :)
I got SO excited at 16:40 when you said you intend to bring back the series where you used to make clothes sold on these sites but cheaper. Those were one of my most favorites, to the point that I re-watched them quite a few times. Patiently waiting for them!
Also, 26:00 with the duckie lamps, I was like, "Is she being sarcastic? I don't see the lamps lighting up." Turns out, it was the filming lights and I'm just not very observant to small changes. 😂
same i love that series!!
I don’t mean to go on a tangent here but I found your channel a few months ago & basically binged your videos for three days and all this to say these videos are my favorite because you answer the questions I personally have about these brands. I also appreciate how you are environmentally conscious as I try to be as well, so I learn a lot from you. Love your channel 🎉
This is why I always research the sellers now on Etsy. So many shops are now drop shipping, AI, or stolen work so I always go to the social media pages of the shops if they’re listed to see if they show themselves actually making the product
This is so smart!
It sucks that we have to go to such lengths, but I would still rather support a small handmade business than a drop shipper.
Same, shopping online used to be an easier faster way to shop, but now the time involved in researching is ridiculous and Amazon used to be much better too, 😢.
I don't film myself I'm not a content creator, but I get your point.
My dad and I have thought about manufacturing rings and that would be a major strategy for us so people know we're the ones actually designing and machining it, especially since it would be made in his machine shop. I'm happy to see other people look out for things like that!
The original gingham heart shirt is from Sissel Edelbo. The style is the ''Astrid top''.
Thank you!
Bump
For those curious to compare pricing to the knockoffs it comes in S/M or M/L sizes and it’s 160 euros!
The top is also sold on hellomoonshop and the picture is from her corridor
It was a stolen image from Hello Moon Shop.
When you said the last video like this was a few years ago, I was like, “Wait, girl, I swear it was just a few months ago!” Then I checked… and yep, it’s been two years! I can’t believe it’s already been two years since I started watching your videos. I first found them to help with my English listening and now I’m still here, two years later. Sending love all the way from Brazil! 💖
If the pink mushroom was actually vintage it would have a makers mark on the bottom.
I thought the same. At least the company name and article number maybe etc. The glass would be thick and sturdy as well. And the colours from the 60s are often a bit "weird" like rusty orange, poisonous green, blueish green, super warm purple or brown etc. These colours look too fresh and bright.
Not necessarily. IF these mushrooms were some cheap mass produced glassware then they didnt have to have them or those marks were just stickers. There is many examples of highly valuable soviet glass vases that are faked and the only way to tell difference is “it does not look used enough”. The colour can also vary between specimen with these old vases.
Not all vintage items have makers marks especially glass. I am a vintage seller on Etsy, a genuine one ☺️ That mushroom was 100% not vintage but not because it did not have a mark, because it was clearly a mass produced item from a set the same as the others. The slight variations are what you find with all handbooks glass pieces. I sell lots of glass pieces, some with makers marks yes but these are more Crystal candles sticks or Etched paperweight, not hand blown items so much unless it was a very expensive piece. Most blown glass animals, clowns, fruit etc from the 50's and 60's do not have markers marks at all.
That strawberry hanger came in florescent green from Temu too. You just bought the army green version. Exact same product. Great comparisons- thanks for the deep dive!
On german shein the strawberry hanger is sold for 6,83€, also in the brighter green and army green. Just checked out of curiosity and ofc it's there as well but it's surprisingly pricier
Slave and child labour. Yeah!!!
I am so happy to see your video❤ I've been depressed and it's difficult to eat, but getting to eat while watching your video makes me feel like I am eating with a friend. Thank you for being you, Mia:)
As a small business owner on Etsy myself, it can be super frustrating when you see things on Temu and Ali Express that are just like yours. Even more so when they use your photos and then make a cheap copy (which has happened to me and others on Etsy)…which may have happened to the crocheted strawberry. However, I’m not sure how that duck light could be made by a small business. And if you didn’t ever receive the disco ball, pretty sure it wasn’t from a small business. From all the legitimate small businesses out there…thank you for your support, we sincerely appreciate you.
Small Business DOES NOT mean handmade, it simply means, Small Business ! Of anything !
@@Susan-xg7qnyou are correct, however Etsy is supposed to be specifically for handmade businesses.
As a small artist myself, it annoys me to no end that Etsy keeps raising their fees but makes close to no effort to prevent temu resellers from making huge profits off of their ‚all handmade‘ reputation. Of course, it also happens that big brands rip off small artists and banning everything that also shows up on Amazon won’t solve the problem but so many shops are obvious resellers and Etsy doesn’t care. It brings down the reputation of all of us small, hard working people who actually put thought into what they sell.
If Etsy is charging you a fee to keep resale out then they are ripping you off not keeping it to the higher standards
But on other side Etsy deleted listing of my husband because someone from Amazon, Temu and other chinese marketplaces stolen his designs and photos. He sculpt his figurines by hand and every of them is unique (never two identical), he even put his initials on their back and shops from this marketplaces which are printing his designs on 3D printers didn't even remove his initials from design. ☹
I miss that Etsy used to have small artists and creators! I can't imagine how frustrating you find this!
@@a.s.2525that has happened to so many creators. SO irritating.
@@cspat1 If etsy is charging us a fee to keep resale out, then who they're really ripping off is YOU, the BUYER, who has a reasonable expectation of handmade items instead of crappy manufactured products.
Until both sellers AND buyers start complaining and removing financial support, it's simply not going to change, either. Etsy makes its listing fees and selling fees whether you crocheted that product yourself or you bought it on Wish and are reselling it there, so it's got zero motivation to remove this shady practice.
As far as I know, when a buyer sources from a manufacturer, they can often tweak certain aspects of the product. So, with the chick lights, for example,the buyer may have specified they wanted multiple colours and an orange box, whereas another buyer might want different settings and a white box. This can affect the purchasing price and, therefore, the resale price. Shipping of the product from manufacturer to buyer is also a factor. Either way, they could all (or some) be from the same manufacturer with tweaks made by the buyer for resale. This could also factor into the biscuit clips. The biscuit toppers could also be sold separately from the clips themselves.
Just a few ideas to consider.
I figure that the Etsy product is something they designed and had manufacturered. Then the manufacturer kept the mold and made lower cost versions without all the colored LEDs, softness of material, and specialty finishing.
@@lelalu101Entirely possible.
I work in supply chain. There's really only so many factories so the likelihood that the factories for the products are the same is high, however the differences probably come from the middle men companies buying, providing specs for boxes or colors or features that are different from others. What we manufacture is the same product for different companies, however the specs for packaging are very different if it's their company brand or our brand or just non-branded, or some companies want their product with extra things...factories probably the same but the people requesting the products to be made are different.
Classic white label slop 😢
This! A lot of these products were quite similar so I do think they came from the same factories and just were essentially ordered slightly different. So for any Etsy shops where the products are quite similar to Amazon/Temu, I would immediately suspect that they are not hand made, and are being ordered somehow. The Crochet item w/ the strawberries is the one I suspect the least simply because it has some marked differences. The price disparity bothers me though, how much are the workers being paid if Temu is charging such a tiny amount?
@@SkyeSalindarI feel like Temu is probably a factory not using middle men & selling directly to the public. Like the company I work for we don't sell to the general public, but the general public buys our products from other companies that we source from the factories, who require very large MOQ orders. With tariffs however, a lot of factories were cutting that out, & were selling direct, like with the factories who manufacture luxury goods.
@@SkyeSalindar But just because "Amazon" is charging more doesn't mean the workers are being paid more. Just means the seller is making more profit. (Or Amazon is)
Or, the factories are just using what raw materials are the cheapest at the moment because drop shippers aren't picky about specs. My experience buying things from small factories in China is that the quality/specs vary wildly from batch to batch anyway.
Thank you so much for these videos! I like how you show the quality, size and price differences. Please do more of these. Love you, Mia! ❤
This is why I think it's best for all sellers, regardless of platform, be transparent about their products. I sell on Etsy and at craft fairs. Example for earrings: I always try to be specific if I source a charm vs modified something to be a charm vs made the charm myself. Transparency is important.
I think it’d also be helpful for Etsy sellers to have videos showing parts of their process as proof they make it themselves.
@@themimsy hope you have a great summer
I wish every seller did this 😩
@@brittanyhyatt3407 take your word for it
@@brittanyhyatt3407 please enjoy the summer
As a crocheter, I felt so happy hearing Mia talk about how much work goes into crochet items and how much value it should have! ❤
Thanks for this Mia. You inspire me to be more conscious with my buying and this was very eye-opening. ❤
I miss the way Etsy used to be when it was only real artisans and small businesses selling. They destroyed what made them special when they started!😢
Me too.
gay
Me too. Now I‘m almost scared to buy on etsy.
Yeah, but turns out it couldn’t turn a profit with just handmade.
Greed ruins everything
Not only is Etsy full of drop shippers, those cheap stores like Temu and amazon copy all our stuff, up to a point where they steal the photos. Many people in the crochet and knit community find their designs copied and used in those cheap stores and can't do anything about it. Recently even some original etsy sellers have been reprimanded by Etsy that they are copying stuff from Temu and the likes while the Etsy artist is the original designer. It's heart breaking ☹️
exactly why I stopped selling on Etsy and only do in person craft shows now
Sad. I have bought from Temu but only things coming from China anyway like phone cases, screen protectors, laptop cases etc
Love the Michael Scott quote 😂 "I'm not a superstitious, I'm a little stitious." ❤
11:30 I have so much respect for you Mia. The way you handle these videos is amazing. Your compassion for others shines through always!
I had to stop selling on Etsy because I couldn’t compete with the drop shipping. My heart goes out to all the small businesses out there just trying to be heard among all the ‘noise’ from big manufacturers.
Thank you... Still hanging in with two shops. One vintage and one jewellery. The amount of ten jewellery being sold as vintage is criminal. I report to Etsy with links from Temu, they are so lazy they use the same photos on Etsy. But for £1-2 selling for £20-80 it's shocking! I want to scream at the poor buyer "It's not vintage!" What more can we do? Thanks for the heart though ☺️
What I find interesting is there are people who will happily shop on Amazon but refuse to go near Temu…for the same stuff. Blows my mind.
I am the other way round😂 totally illogical, I know. But you can add Shein and Aliexpress to the list, slightly different profile in what they are selling but definitely same products (presumably same producer). Last time I looked, Shein acts as their own "drop shipper", Ali works more or less like TEMU, Temu is just more aggressively promoting themselves. And if we all buy (mostly) from these platforms, then most other trading platforms will go out of business, and that's not even considering small- scale traders and producers.
As someone who would fall in this category, there are a few reasons (for me): where i live, amazon is simply the go to. It's only been a year or so since I've known Temu, Amazon on the other hand is something i knew for quite a long time. I'm guessing its just the fact which one you used before, if it's the same, why change?
I generally hate online shopping, however I've seen a few of Temu's ads and i think they are horrible, while Amazon ads are... more normal?
There is also the argument which of these two people trust more. Because amazon is the go to in my country, temu is seen as something more "crappy" than Amazon.
I hope that gave u some insight 😂
I only use Amazon when I can't get that stuff somewhere else, but there is a difference and it's safety guarantees. Temu has had a lot of issues with clients data (even credit card!) being stolen out of their site and app because they mostly make profit not out of the products they sell, but out of selling data to third parties. That's why it's so cheap and they have this games for getting discounts that require you to spend hours on the app just to earn something, so that you keep on using it. On the other hand, on Amazon you can get scammed out of one seller in particular but the whole site generally has some safety measures and also when complaining from a product they usually favour the client, it's pretty easy to return if the product is not what you expected or ask for a refund if it doesn't come.
@tinki4704 also the return or exchange policies and the customer support is better on amazon (as far as my experience)
Well no, because if I buy from Amazon I don’t buy crap. I buy things like beauty and cleaning products or medicine, stuff like that. People who don’t support ultra fast fashion just don’t buy fast fashion. I support small quality brands made from good fabrics. I try not to buy from Amazon but sometimes I need something quick but again not “clothes” or accessories etc.
Your professional approach to comparing products from various sellers is much appreciated and enjoyable to watch. Thank you! Probably find Cotton Gingham in a thrift store, in that lovely darker red (which was the original hue not the orangey hue). The glass of the "vintage" mushroom did not seem different from the other glass. Older glass has a different quality, texture (feel) and usually has slightly different colouring. Older glass is not the same as newer glass and it is usually easy to spot. However, not being able to feel or see the glass in person I couldn't say for sure the Etsy one is not old, being vintage it could still be made using same glass process as currently. Though not probable as everything seems to be made cheaply these days so quality not the same. Many sellers call things vintage, antique or retro without knowing what exactly each term means when selling older items. An Antique is 100 plus years old. Vintage is generally used to describe items from 22-99 years old. Vintage items are genuinely from this specific time period. Retro pieces are designed to look like they come from a certain era eg.1950's or styles like Art Deco, Art Nouveau etc, but they are not old and not made in the specific period.
I've ordered a few things from Temu that have gotten delivered by Amazon.... I've been curious about it. Also, Etsy has gotten SO BAD with drop shipping and fake companies in the last few years. It's sad that they have let it get like that. Mia, you are right to have your suspicions!
I have bought on Temu only to have it delivered by Amazon too.
I did Amazon delivery for a while, we would deliver TikTok shop and temu too. Tends to just be because it’s a seller on temu or TikTok that use Amazon warehouse and delivery services and it’s more convenient than other methods of courier/shipping. Still comes from temu/tiktok/wherever it’s just Amazon is involved in a lot more than you’d expect it’s not just its own online marketplace it’s everywhere and spread like a disease 😅
Please do a video where you rebuy the same items a few months apart! That would be so interesting to watch. I believe this video is really helping out consumers like myself who mainly shop online (I don't have a car or my license and it's much easier buying online than taking an hour long bus ride to the shops).
This is very helpful for drawing attention to your audience about being a careful and knowledgeable consumer.
I'm so glad you talk about the issues with companies like temu and amazon selling crocheted items at such a cheap price. I'm a crocheter who doesn't have a small business but I know many who do. It's so sad when I hear of potential customers complaining about the prices being too high, when in reality many of these small businesses are UNDER-charging. I've heard many times that these sellers won't factor labor into their pricing because it'll bring the price up "too much". This probably goes for a lot of small business owners, not just crocheters. It's very unfortunate. And don't even get me started on scammers on Etsy using AI-generated or stolen photos to sell crochet items and patterns 🙃
13:03 the cookies even habe the same „holes“. there‘s a straight line going through all of them, then there‘s a bigger hol on top of the three dots AND then on each clip there is another one on the right side of the straight line
i notice that too!!
This is the first time running across your channel. It’s awesome. Thanks for all your research. I do not shop at Etsy because they are way too expensive for my pocket. I do shop a lot at Amazon and I shop at TEMU sometimes. I like TEMU but it takes forever to get. And now, they have so many places that send out merchandise you have to be careful because some charges $2.99 for shipping. All this makes me wonder what to do, because I do have to price shop.
The OG video was 2 YEARS AGO.....How time flies. I have been here since the prom dress/makeup haul days and am forever living the evolution of this channel
your long and short hair eras were stunning and iconic but this mid-length wavy number? i'm speechless it looks SO good on you!! both up and down!
First time watching you, and your video, and I LOVED it! You have a great way of presenting the info., and it’s all so useful. You really have done alot of work, so thank you!😊
I remember when Etsy first started. What it was and what it is now is completely opposite. Always a great video and info Mia ! ❤❤❤❤❤
39:06 you’re not too trusting!!! You just remember the good old days where Etsy was strictly for small creative businesses 😭 Etsy was never in my price range but I always love perusing… now it’s just crazy
I love these comparison videos, they are very detailed and very helpful❤️
23:58 disappointed she didn't say she has all her ducks in a row
Thank You! Me over here, racing to the comments section to see that it's not just me thinking it.
14:50 my guess is that’s not self made, why should the clip not be in the middle if it is handmade??
I truly love your videos in general, but especially the try-ons and the comparisons. this series is amazing, cause we can see how the internet lies to us and thanks to one of your videos from your series I saved my boyfriend from buying something he saw online, cause it was one of the things you showed. THANK YOU
Etsy's case is so sad to me because when I first heard about from a friend like 12 years ago it was pretty much all handmade stuff. I remember finding so many stores on there that made geek culture jewelry (think movie/TV shows/comic book type of stuff) but nowadays when I search for something from a certain show or game I like I'll often get the exact same product being sold by 5 different shops recommended on one page and none of them are handmade, they're all just cheap things that people are reselling for a huge markup
Etsy changed when they were sold and became a primarily profit making business. It is now rare to actually get something handmade there anymore and the owners do not care. I closed my shop after many years because I could not compete with the fake "handmades".
Yes! More videos like this please! Its great to see the comparisons of similar products from different companies. Now I'm off to find that light up duck/chick hahahahaha
I have never commented on any TH-cam video before, but 10 mins back when I opened TH-cam it just came to my mind that I haven’t seen your video in quite a while. Then I remembered that you mentioned that it’s been difficult for you creating the content you want and you will be posting less than regular which I truly truly appreciate! But the moment I saw your video on the page, I directly went to the comment section to tell you that I have been following you for quite a few years and you are the sweetest the most grounded person ever! I wish to meet you some day, though I am from India. You are the best TH-camr Mia nd so much love to Mama Maples as well❤
That would be the Astrid Top by Sissel Edelbo (the heart blouse)
You would love their clothes!
You are tooo cute with hoping and wishing Etsy was handmade in these items. Sadly, I feel most of them any more have gone the drop ship route because it's just too easy.. also, I LOVE your videos, been watching for a long time, you are just adorable ❤️ ❤ I love seeing when I new video pops up. You always put a smile on my face so Thank you. 😊
Genuinely unreasonably excited that as a plus-sized girly I'm FINALLY able to enter your giveaway for the stuff in your video! Absolutely appreciate why no plus size stuff has been bought because you don't want to be wasteful and it isn't your size, just want to express your my happiness!! I entered your Teuta Matoshi giveaway when you were generous to buy the dresses in every size, and I always appreciate you noting size inclusivity in everything you do.
(side note: I'm hoping to buy my wedding dress from TM, I saw it and fell in love and I'm just waiting on their black friday sale this year)
I also don’t think it’s large companies on Etsy’s, but single people buying in bulk off Amazon/shein/temu and reselling it as their own. I’ve read that people do that at renaissance festivals as well
People definitely do it at ren faires and other events like that. There are still sellers who hand make stuff but plenty who obviously have drop shipped cheapy metal mugs and other, similar things especially. I like going to my medieval events to see the vendors who make their own wares. Sometimes the stuff people find is interesting or cool, but I'd rather pay someone for handmade work.
I've seen it at local craft fairs / markets in my area. Not as much in the last year or two, but that's only because now every other booth is 3D knick knacks or 3D printed toys for kids... just what we need, more plastic junk!
The way you explained this is SO clear. Thank you
I'm sorry but I burst out laughing when during the pink mushrooms HAHAHA When she opened the antique and it looked almost identical.
Likely same manufacturer/factory for all 3 and they have different molds or updated their molds at some point. The nubs could be put on by hand but its just as likely these are part of the molds too
I’m vintage and I don’t remember ever seeing mushroom glass vases like those ever being in style!
Actually, they were at the same time as the mushroom pillows/potholders, "strawberry pot" lamps/kitchen chandeliers were in & the color avocado was king, lol, mid to late 70's
Lol same😂
@@RayyvynI remember when the 70’s mushrooms were big but never saw those.
I'm glad that it was difficult to find the same clothing items on Etsy. It gives me hope that Etsy isn't completely ruined yet and that small businesses making their own clothing aren't always getting ideas/pictures stolen from. Love this video concept as it it provides a glimpse of transparency into the differences between these sellers/sites. And the fact that it's Mia makes it that much better ☺️
2:40 WAS is the key word here. They did recently change their selling policies slightly but it's absolutely not the amazing place it once was.
Love you mia! Your content is amazing! I love how you prioritize ethical buisness practices over low cost!
You have no idea how excited I am to hear you're doing another sewing video!! I've been really into thrift-flipping & altering my clothes lately and have been putting your videos on in the background while I work - SUPER excited for another Mia sewing video, can't wait :)
I am so excited for the make it yourself series to come back 😍
Mia I hardly comment on videos but I have to publicly commend you on your personal morals and values about trying to avoid any negativity on others. It’s very admirable and especially from creators these days. Bravo you’re an amazing human seriously ❤❤
May I also add bravo to mumma maples too for raising such a beautiful daughter inside and out ❤
Ummm I cannot stand when places like Amazon and TEMU make it look like a product comes in cute packaging like the cookie clips look like they come in a cute box and then it comes in a plastic bag. Grrrr that makes me mad and makes it hard to buy things as gifts. If they don’t come in the cute packaging it makes a huge difference in gifting in my opinion. They need to just be transparent and I wish they’d add what packaging things come in. Even with jewelry some things come in a box and some come in a plastic bag. That’s one thing that turns me off purchasing on those sites, they lack transparency
As someone with a small business on etsy, I HATE that it's become so overrun with dropshipped products, AI listings, etc. It's driving people away from the site, and I can't even blame them for leaving!
30:54 I think it's a drop shipped.
No doubt about it
Yeah, that's NOT an antique
Yep
100%
I understand and respect your choice in not showing the names of the Etsy sellers but a lot of them need to be called out because it’s extremely common now for drop shippers to masquerade as small businesses and I believe if you compare alibaba and Etsy you’ll find the products extremely similar
Well said 👏👏👏 I'm a vintage seller on Etsy and I have a jewellery shop too, both genuine. I am so sick of Temu rubbish flooding the pages and ripping customers off. If they wanted cheap and cheerful they would have gone to temu, they wanted quality and premium so came to Etsy, they are ruining genuine sellers good reputations!.
@bellblue5527what's your etsy? i'm always looking to browse for new jewelry!
Omg!!! I want the duck!!!! Or the glass vases please❤❤❤❤
The problem I have is that Etsy started as a place for people to sell their handmade products - and now at least half of the stuff is drop shipped. And Etsy doesn't care because they make money from it. So now you can't trust anything on Etsy because is it a person who made it and then Temu or someone stole the idea - or is it just a drop shipper. If I can find the same thing on Amazon or Temu then I am going to assume it is a drop shipper. I am not surprised when the same things are on Amazon and Temu and there is a reason I would buy from Amazon over Temu because I know I can return the item if it has issues. They all suck honestly - you can't trust any online company at this point. Also when the descriptions on Etsy are a word salad also makes me feel like it is a drop shipper. Oh and the duck lamp is adorable and I would love to have one I think you are super lucky lol.
A real etsy small buisness listing also probably won t have all those keeywords. Love your videos and the editing in this
Oooo the patchwork vest is so gosh darn GOOOOD
The top is originally from Sissel Edelbo and is called the ASTRID TOP. The company is from Denmark.
You also have to take into account most things from Temu or Etsy will take weeks if not months just to ship where as amazon you can usually get the next day or in a couple days. So amazon being more than the other 2 price wise makes sense since you are just paying for shipping but through the items value instead of an added on fee.
yep you are buying prioerity shipped items. my cheap items can take weeks t oship.
Makes a lot of sense actually. Warehouse space inside the US surely costs a lot more than the same in the country these items are made in(most of the time)
Right, Amazon has to have warehouses nearby stocked with all this stuff so the price will be automatically marked up. Dropped shipping isn't needed and it comes from cheaper places anyway. Storing stuff in say China or India is likely cheaper than US/Canada
Every Mia video day is a happy day, I just love the cozy, funny, realistic but super professionalist she is
I really struggle shopping on Etsy because sometimes dropshippers have really convincing product pages that it is just some indie crafter.
It is nice they tell you if the product has been made with AI (although I wish that wasn't so buried in a listing)
I'm glad you make these videos because it may be the first time someone is exposed to the idea that Etsy is full of drop shippers.
these are some of my favourite vids because not only is it just interesting but it's also really useful to help avoid being scammed or just knowing which sites are most trustworthy in these situations
So excited about future sewing videos!!
Something else to consider is sometimes with small businesses the companies they work with to produce molds of their products (think enamel pins but could happen with things like the duck light) the manufacturer might steal the mold. Many small businesses I follow have had it happen with their pins and usually the result is poorer/different looking pins as they don't exactly match the color/material of the original since they're trying to mass produce copies for cheap and easy sales of the creators original.
So it could explain why the duck lamps for example are so similar with different bases. Could be the same mold used in another manufacturer that used different material for the duck and tech for the light portion
Chinese manufacturers will frequently just share molds or sell each other the molds when they no longer want to produce the product. They will also sell "seconds" of official products without the IP holders permission
As someone who crochets, thank for taking the time to educate people what they’re supporting when they buy crochet products at super cheap prices.
the video with shein, temu and wish was actually the video that got me into watching you 😁
I so so appreciate Mia’s integrity. Even after being on TH-cam for so long she has stuck to her core values and still makes fantastic content drama free. I will support her forever. 💕
With all honesty, really enjoy and appreciate these video comparisons of items visually seeing them side by side. Really helps put things into perspective and helps me give a bit more thought as to where I’m actually buying the item as well.
I looked for the duck light on etsy and found 2 equal items. And, then, as I was reading some of the shop reviews and looking in another shop that sells only duck related items I saw 2 exact same reviews as in the previous shop! Even the names of the reviewers were the same! I was shocked! 😮