In high school we had a word for those courses you took for an easy A. We called them bird classes—'cause you'd fly right through them. Well. This was supposed to be a bird post. I was going to pop over to Etsy, grab a slew of cute and quirky vintage furnture that we'd all be thrilled to bring into our nests, and go about my day. Then I somehow spent the last four hours feeling more like a flightless fowl than a soaring swallow, and I still barely scraped together enough to blog about it.
I'd planned a conversation around the question of, 'Would you shop for furniture on Etsy?' But it's really one of 'How could you?' For the presentation of large vintage items leaves much to be desired. Sure, buyers are more likely to make big purchases in person—but if sellers shot their dressers and sofas in soft, even light on a clean background (ie. not in full sun, or in the shower, or in the forest at midnight) they might find the market for their pieces would increase.
That said, a couple sellers are hitting the mark. Ethanollie offers exquisite images, and Hindsvik beautifully showcases midcentury furnishings in a neutral setting. To answer my own question, I would make big purchases from sellers with good photography; if I trust their aesthetic, I trust their product as well. But is this a false sense of security? Am I getting my feathers ruffled over superficial matters? Should the real question be, 'Can you look past a bad photo and see the golden egg beneath?'
Shopping Guide: 1. Industrial Factory Chair 2. Vintage Heywood Wakefield Chair 3. Vintage Wood and Leather Stool 4. Midcentury Teak Dresser 5. Midcentury Tripod Table 6. Black Midcentury Wood Dresser 7. Camelback Settee 8. Vintage Bent Plywood Chair Images 1-4: Ethanollie Instagram.
It’s not entirely limited to just Etsy. eBay and Craigslist and fill in random site here. People asking large sums of money but can’t be bothered to make their product look good. Can I look past their bad photos? Sure but who has the time or wishes to spend time in a virtual back and forth asking/answering questions that could have been taken care of with one or two well taken photos.
why wouldn’t you try Craig’s list n your area first. Less shipping hassle.
I’m with you on the presentation. I’ve bought tons of stuff on Etsy, but not furniture, although there are some amazing pieces that I wish weren’t ten states away. 🙂 I am actually a photographer and I’ve thought about offering my services to some Etsy sellers because their merchandise is so great, it just needs better pictures and styling.