Saturday 6 April 2013

Imitation the highest form of Flattery? I think not....

Vintage and New Heritage Blue Perfect Mason Jar Candle
No I am not grizzling about MY copycats ~although....*cough* I digress. A friend of mine has a Copycat ~(don't we all) Now I automatically went to ease her pain with the usual platitudes.....

"Its the highest form of flattery"
"Don't worry ~ your the original"
"Take it as a compliment"

But then I remembered how I feel when someone else tells me about the ones who copy ME. I don't care what the platitudes are ~I am frustrated and cranky and basically gobsmacked. Not speechless ~never speechless but completely and utterly gobsmacked.
Why? The unmitigated BALLS (Seriously no pun intended) Yes the BALLS of these thick skinned people who imitate.
So ~ Can one of you who has copied or imitated please please PLEASE tell me how you justify it to yourself? What are YOUR justifications and how do you have peace with doing it? How can you sell a product you have copied and literally stolen an idea from someone? I am genuinely asking this question because when I am unable to understand something ~I research and delve till I found the answer. I NEED to know. I WANT to know. I have to admit ~sometimes I go and have a look at my imitators and I see they have incorrect information ~ or they are going on about something and its completely wrong ~ or their customers are saying how clever they are ( yeah yeah ok that's annoying as well I admit it)~I start getting incredibly itchy just wanting to send them a message and ask....why? You have decided to copy another persons idea but you are using incorrect information or not producing a product with the same quality or your imitation is only half way there ~WHY DO IT???? Lets talk about this honestly ~so ~you obviously have some creativity or you would not be making a hand made product correct? You obviously enjoy it or you would not be wasting precious time on something which has such a small return ( I hear the Crafters and Hand makers reading this saying "Oh yeah sister you got that right") So ~use that beautiful brain of YOURS!!! ~ yep there is only a finite amount of things you can do in crafting but why not put your OWN slant on it? Why not do the hard yards and figure it out for yourself? I will freely admit to roaming the Internet and Etsy ( Shameless Plug ~Please visit our Etsy store! https://www.etsy.com/shop/fsvintage ) I found ideas and thought "hmmmmm how can I make that Fabulous." I didn't trawl pages and think "Hmmm that's a good idea I might copy it exactly and then carry on as like its my idea". 
Vintage Mason Wire Ball Pint burning with New Ball Mason Pint Jar


Just be true to yourself till next time fabsters....

fs vintage 
xx


4 comments :

  1. Thank you FS Vintage..
    .I have a market stall holder, who is opposite me at a local market...anyway 4 months ago she has a few things thrown on a table, no gazebo, or anything fancy. 4 months on and her stall now looks a mirrored image of mine....every month she has added something to her stall so it looks more like mine...and today she copied something that was my dessign. This showed that it was sooooooo obvious that she was direct copying me.
    It really hurt, I felt angry and upset as this was so in my face, yet there was nothing I could do about it .
    Thankfully the market organisers are onto her and she will have her stall moved away from mine - hopefully.
    Thanks for your post and my advice anyone would be if you see something you like, recreate the idea so it is different from the original and more you, as direct copying only makes the copy cat look silly. XoX

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  2. I cant begin to imagine how awful it must be to literally see your imitator like that. I suppose I might be considered lucky because mine are only on Facebook. Good luck Ocean Pebbles ~I honestly dont think they can quite imitate...The Style. They may try but that magic ingredient is not there ~Passion. xxx

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  3. Just out of interest I was wondering about candles in mason jars? I have seen them around for a few years and the ones I've seen are American made. Do you mean yours are the originals? If so well done!

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    1. *lol* Gosh No EllenaElizabeth ~I have never ever said I was the original. I first saw them about 2 years ago on Etsy ~watched them and loved them then when we went to America ~I was actually making homemade moonshine to be honest when I thought ~Hmmmmm How can I make these Fabulous! So we purchased and we still import the Square Half Pints and the Vintage Pints & Quarts. My post was to discuss the people who copy others concepts of ideas. There is a finite amount of things one can do with crafts so it stands to reason there will be a large group doing a certain kind of item. I have many friends who make Mason Jar candles and we enjoy chatting and discussing the best way to make a particular jar or where we source them from. Nothing that can be done and I was genuinely asking why people do it. My friend above was devastated when she literally saw her entire concept right in front of her eyes!!! Can you imagine!!! Thankyou for your comment
      xxx

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