Copycat Crafters on s - Protect Your Designs!

Copycat Crafters on okay - What's a Crafter to Do?

I have been selling my original handmade craft designs on okay since 2001. During that time, I have met some really terrific people who have turned into regular customers. Some, I even consider as friends as we keep in touch through emails and internet craft groups. Some are fellow crafters that I can share ideas with, swap original artwork with and from whom I can get feedback about a new design before it ever hits the market. These people are absolutely terrific because it affords me the opportunity to get honest feedback about a design, but I am also gefortable knowing that they aren't going to steal my designs and resell them at a later date. Unfortunately, this can't be said for several of the crafters on okay. I will list just a couple of the examples of copycat issues below to support the fact why it is obvious this is a serious problem. (Trust me, there are lots more than these examples, but this is suppossed to be a guide, not a novel. :) )

Polymer Clay Art Jewelry:
I have been working with polymer clay for about 15 years. When I started working with this terrific and very addicting medium, I found that project ideas in the craft stores and in magazines were extremely limited. For example, projects featuring things like polymer clay animals, faces, Christmas ornaments and embellishments were a dime a dozen.

I was an avid postage stamp collector since I was a young girl, having collected literally thousands of great art stamps. I thought it would be great to turn these little gems into pieces of wearable art, utilizing one of my favorite mediums - polymer clay. After all, why not share this beautiful artwork with the world, instead of keeping them hidden away in a dark closet. Hence, my idea for the polymer clay art jewelry was born. I began experimenting by making little decorated frames from polymer clay and encasing the postage stamps within them. I made hundreds of these little beauties - and no two were ever alike. Well, my family and friends thought I was onto something. No one had ever seen anything like that. I began selling them on okay. At that time - NO ONE - and I mean NO ONE - was making anything like this at that time. I literally was the ONLY person on okay making these gorgeous clay art pins. In addition, I also sold these little beauties in art galleries and boutiques across the United States. I literally sold hundreds of these.

Being a person who wants to branch out in the craft world as a trend-setter in altered art jewelry designs, I shared this idea with the readers of Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine. In the article, I wrote about how I developed this idea and shared the design format with readers. Needless to say - it was a hit! Several readers contacted me for additional tips on making and decorating their pins. I liked the idea that I could help someone make their own art pins from my original design. I even listed my okay store in the article so people could purchase the pins from me. Unfortunately, this backfired on me.There has been an influx of copycat designs on okay these days. I see many items almost identical to mine at a fraction of the cost. Some sellers start the prices on their pins/pendants at just $1.59 and offer "buy-it-now" prices of $4.99 for the same items. I can't tell you how frustrating it is to see something I worked so hard to design being sold for such a "cheap" price. It cheapens the overall effect of the art jewelry; in addition, it probably has resulted in newer customers shopping with those sellerswho offer lower prices because they want to save a little money. They don't take into consideration the time and care used to make these items. Either that - or they don't care.

In any case, I am all for people using their craft to make a living or a little extra pocket money, but the least people can do is use their own original designs.

Kitschy Food Jewelry:Well, it's unbelievable, but it's happening again. This section is being added on March 10, 2008. Yet another okayer has decided to copy my original designs. This time, it's my kitschy food earrings. I came up with the novelty idea of making mini food earrings and jewelry utilizing well known food packaging products, such as Lipton soup, Campbell's Soup, Good