Handmade, Vintage and Preloved: My problems with Etsy November 15, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Advice, Crafting, Inspiration, Life, Chatter & Politics, Rants, Vintage.Tags: Crafting, eBay, etsy, handmade, online shopping, Shopping, vintage fashion
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You have probably gathered just how much I love vintage fashion. The quirky, the wierd, the classic and the wonderful – I am happier in my preloved belongings than in brand new items. It would make sense, therefore, for me to love Etsy. After all, unlike eBay (my usual haunt), you don’t have to compete and bid against other buyers, and the prices are fixed and obvious. Along the same lines, vintage clothes tend to be cheaper on Etsy than they are on online stores, and even often cheaper than they are on eBay.
Etsy Logo
With all these advantages, however, come a number of disadvantages that mean I only buy on Etsy if it really is a case of needs must. These little things make the overall buying experience a bit of a disappointment, and really are simple little things. I simply fail to understand why such a big and successful website won’t put in the effort to make their site that bit more user-friendly.
So why do I have problems with Etsy?
Firstly, they will piss a lot of people off by not having multiple currencies. I don’t mind this too much (I can roughly translate dollars to pounds in my head), but for those who don’t have it programmed into their brains this can be a right hassle. People will find that heading to a site such as XE.com in order to find out the cost is often time-consuming, and can persuade people away from buying at all.
Etsy Local Search - No Keywords!
Next the search local tool. This is great if you don’t have something specific in mind. If you are just browsing, this tool allows you to enter a location, and see the first 100 shops that match those parameters. Of course, a brilliant shop may not have updated recently and will only come much further down the list than that initial 100, and there is no facility to extend the search and see the next bunch. Even worse, you can EITHER search by keyword, or by location, never by both. The closest you can get to this is to see who delivers to the UK, but if you are trying to keep postage costs down and only buy local this is quite a major pain in the ass.
Finally, I have an issue with the feedback method for Etsy. Like its more professional competitor, eBay, people are rated on selling accuracy – but unlike eBay, people don’t have to fill this in. That pressure to be a good and trustworthy seller isnt there, and whilst most people are good guys, there will always be scammers out there.
The thing is, there is still a recession on. We should be encouraging people to buy vintage, and experience the quality and brilliance of a real quality item. Similarly, people are becoming more and more creative, and for the first time in years a real handmade force is out there, crafting and sewing away. eBay doesn’t care about these creatives, concentrating more on the big corporate brands – and Etsy is fatally flawed. There are few outlets for such wonderful talent, and I just wish the website would get off its lazy bottom and sort it out!!
All that said, Etsy is home to the most wonderful and beautiful items. Definitely give it a visit, I am not trying to persuade you away from it! I just think that if they fixed these flaws, their website would be better than ever before, and so many more people would use it!
Do unto others… the debate of Organ Donation November 13, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Life, Chatter & Politics, Rants.Tags: healthcare, life saving, nhs, organ donation
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(I don’t know why Organ Donation deserves capitals in the title – sorry!)
Organ Donation Card
As people who follow my Twitter feed or know me on Facebook may have noticed, I have been thinking about organ donation this week. They are currently doing a mas push on it using television ads, and it triggered me to formally sign up in more of a way than just ticking the box for my cards and hoping someone notices. I also got Ben to sign up, and chatted to my family about the issue.
Organ donation is something I have always wanted to do. As long as there is something of me left to bury under a Horse Chestnut tree when I have died, I don’t mind where the other bits go. If they can help someone, all the better. For some unknown reason I have always had an issue with my eyes being used. Somehow, above anything else, that creeped me out. When signing up last night, however, I bit the bullet and hit the “take it all!!!” button – which, I would like to add, is not worded like that at all!
Whilst organ donation seems an automatic thing to me, other people never make an outright decision. For a majority of people, they never say yes, or no, to the prospect. So many feel don’t feel passionately about it either way, and as such they get missed, any opinions that they have may not expressed aren’t known if they do die, and plenty of organs go wasted based on the families wishes, and not the wishes of the actual person who really matters, the person whose body it is.
The ting is, I can understand people not wanting to donate organs. I don’t necessarily agree, but I know it is their right and someone messing with their body is an idea that disturbs some people. I am completely empathise with the squeamish side of it, and that as a reason for people choosing not to donate. And where this is the case, I feel people should be able to choose to opt out, whether for religion, or personal opinion, or whatever reason they may darn well choose.
That is where I stand on the argument - I believe everyone should automatically be put on the register, and if they care enough they can choose not be on it, with no problem at all. I simply don’t see why this isn’t the case?!
Can someone shed light on why we have to opt in rather than opt in? Do proactive organs work better?!
By the way, if you want to sign up for the UK register, simply go here.
Why do we wear makeup? October 14, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Makeup/Cosmetics, Rants.Tags: cosmetics, Fashion, makeup, peer pressure
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I don’t wear makeup much. I am just not really a makeup girl. For me, I am aware that whilst my habit of eating too much salt produces black bags, I also have near perfect skin. Makeup neither completes me nor feels necessary, and I take pleasure in only wearing makeup when I feel I want to. Makeup, to me, is just great fun!
Lime Crime Bright and Colourful Makeup
(Image from the wonderful and bright Doe Deere, making makeup fun!)
Don’t get me wrong, I am not anti-makeup in any way shape or form. I, in fact, love the vibrant shades, the subtle blending, sweeps of dark liner and rosebud lips. But rather than having this every day (and losing precious sleep time!), I choose to only where it when I want to or when it is needed, and am happy to go bare on the days in-between.
At work this week, however, I experienced something upsetting. On a day without makeup I trotted pertly into the office, where a certain member enquired in a concerned fashion about my health. “Are you OK?! Just you have really big black bags under your eyes!”. I stumbled to find an answer, before explaining that no, I was not ill, I just didn’t feel the need to cover my flaws with makeup and that the bags were due to too much salt, which is my form of heroin!
So if girls are being told they look “wrong” or “ill” when they don’t wear makeup, where does that leave us?
Does that mean that those with perceived flaws should coat themselves in makeup day and night, even if they don’t want to? Does that mean the joys of a bright eyeliner, a sweep of spangly glitter or a completely different work of art on your face should be superceded by cosmetic work to correct faces, to fix flaws and to make people look presentable? Does it ruin the fun of makeup, and make it turn from something glorious, feminist and fun and into something designed purely to please the opposite sex, to confirm to societal pressures?
I have no doubt that part of all of these contribute to why we girls feel the need or the desire to wear makeup. And I think that should change. We should wear makeup because it is fun, enjoyable, because it makes us feel better about ourselves, or a dull day, or a questionable outfit. It should be something we choose to wear, not something we need, and definitely not something we have to wear.
Choice, people! It is all about choice!
Do you ever feel pressured to wear makeup or clothes that you don’t necessarily want to? What do you do about it?
A Little Social Media Whine September 28, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Life, Chatter & Politics, Rants, Social Media.Tags: blogging, digital media, google, online media, Social Media, twitter
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I have noticed something interesting. This something interesting is also something a little… irritating, to be honest. With the blogging world and digital media world obsessed with social media sites, you could be forgiven for thinking that everyone has jumped on the twitter and social networking bandwagon. You could be understood for presuming that everyone is punching out witty one-liners (witty 140 - character-ers just doesn’t sound as cool) at the drop of hat, that blogs are de rigour in media savvy companies and that google is old hat and completely understood by the business world.
What did I notice?
I noticed that none of the above is actually true.
Firstly, twitter. Many companies use it well – publishing companies chat about new book releases, big companies host twitter competitions based on re-tweeting and more. A lot of people have twigged onto the fact that twitter reaches an instant waiting mass audience, easily and efficiently. More companies, however, do not use it well. Recruitment agencies, for whom twitter should be an invaluable tool, generally fail to publish new jobs to a captive and interested audience. Social media companies forget to link simply and clearly to their twitter feed, which seems rather hypocritical to me.
Then take blogs. Perfect for technological and forward thinking companies to show how much they understand their industry, and to boost their SEO returns to boot. So many, however, have a neglected pitiful creature of a blog, or never even set one up to start with. The static, unchanging, boring content of their website is deemed enough, yet not even a digital savvy sloth would stay around for more than 5 seconds. Hmm, what a crap metaphor!
Why are so many companies bucking the trend? No, scratch that… why are so many digital, social media conscious companies missing the potential. Are they rebelling against the power of the internet, or are they stuck in print for promotion even though what they promote is online? Have they simply forgotten to add their business result to google businesses, or is it an ommision of choice?
Come on people – put your media hat on and use it wisely, it has so much potential!
Moving Nightmares September 17, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Life, Chatter & Politics, Rants.Tags: moving house, Rants
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Unfortunately, these nightmares aren’t of the midnight dreams variety. They are of the wide-awake-and-oh-so-real variety instead, which is of course much worse.
As you know, I am due to be moving into my flat. Well, correction – I was meant to be moving in on Tuesday but the Landlord hadn’t finished the kitchen. Or got the gas safety certificate. Or finished the bathroom. Or even realised we were meant to be moving in. After plenty of phonecalls between him, us and the letting agents, he has promised we will be in by Saturday. I, believe it or not, went a little bit Rottweiler, and was at the point of demanding a daily rate back on what we were paying for the flat!
I want to be in. I want to be setting up the furniture, unpacking all the books, curling up in the corner and surveying my new kingdom. I wanted to work out what we needed, check out the new kitchen, put my mark on the place. Instead, no such luck.
I am thoroughly depressed, and more than a little pissed off!
Secondhand and Vintage Fashion – a rant September 15, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Rants, Vintage.Tags: charity shops, economy, secondhand fashion, Thrifting, vintage fashion
5 comments
Step back guys – I sense a rant coming on.
On the way to work I was thinking about Friday, when I spent my afternoon traipsing desperately around Leamington, searching for a white stole of any description that would suit my 1930’s outfit. The journey was, suffice to say, a failure, and I trailed home just as depressed and uninspired as I had been when I arrived.
The only hope for such a stole had been the secondhand clothes shops and charity shops that litter our streets and fill up so much of my time of a weekend. The stores, however, were blissfully void of stoles, and instead my attention began diverting to the vast array of other items that I neither needed, nor knew I wanted. Before I knew it, however, I found myself feeling rather irritated at that oh-so-familiar situation – overpricing.
I have probably ranted about charity shops and their prices before. Don’t get me wrong, I love that they are raising money for charity. But in my head charity shops are aiming at those who cannot afford new clothes, and who therefore don’t have much money. Pricing heels at £25 even after plenty of use because they have a vaguely recognisable name is absurd. The influx of Atmosphere (Read: Primark) dresses on the shelves for more than their original retail price cripples me. I actually challenged a few prices, to be told that the sales person knows they are absurd but it is the powers that be who dictate the prices. Unsurprisingly, I stomp out fuming, in a very mature way.
Secondhand Fashion at a car boot sale
The charity shop prices rant has been done by me before. It may still irritate me, but my one little voice is unlikely to change it. I had almost accepted this when I wandered into a secondhand clothes shop down the road. The prices here? The prices here were astronomical! Charity shops are one thing – but these prices were all nearly £100 or above – and largely for unheard of brands, or brands who had a recognisable name but horrible clothes. There were some gems there too – but if you wanted them, I think the cost was one arm, one leg, and possibly an earlobe.
I don’t understand the mentality of paying that much money for something someone has already worn. They may be in great condition, but it is just… unfair! And ridiculous! I much prefer to stick with buying my vintage items on eBay, or even in the charity shops. Suddenly the common £10 costs don’t seem as bad!
Semi-Daily eBay | I wish I won… September 10, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Fashion, Rants, Semi-Daily eBay.Tags: daily ebay, designer clothes, eBay, Fashion, rick owens, Semi-Daily eBay
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I couldn’t really tell you why I wish I won this Rick Owens pea coat quite so much. It’s an odd shape (although I am sure it would be stunning on), and in a rather nondescript (but always popular) shade of grey. I just wish, really really wish, that I had won it. Until two hours before the auction ended I was winning this for a rather astounding £22. Which, for a coat that no doubt cost in excess of £1000 pounds, was quite a bargain! And, to be fair, the £134 is suddenly rocketed to is still a ridiculous saving on a lovely item.
I am suffering from the depression of a coveted eBay item loss!
Rick owens cashmere mix pea coat
Paint by Numbers September 9, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Rants, Wordy Business.Tags: computers, digital media, internet, Life, passwords, the future
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Life is ruled by a series of passwords, usernames and email addresses. I sign in at work, identified as not even a name, but a long series of numbers. I type in my username – which has to be exactly 8 letters long, with one capital and one number. I log onto my Hotmail account… I sign out and log into my other Hotmail account. I check my bank account with a customer number and my pin. I draw out money with my pin, identified by a little metal chip. I check twitter, I blog, I switch constantly between accounts.
I worry, sometimes, that we will all forget who we are. That maybe, one day in the future, we will be little more than a username, and a password you have to constantly update.
Modern life – Trials and Tribulations August 26, 2009
Posted by Lauren Cooke in Life, Chatter & Politics, Rants.Tags: blogging, courses, freelance, Life, pro-blogging, professional development
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Has anyone noticed that life is a busy and complicated business at the moment? Of course you have noticed! On the TV, radio, on the Internet – everwhere I look people are starting realise just how crazy their lives are and how much time is spent on so many different things.
My life is fast becoming just as manic as the tabloids and scaremongers would like us to believe. Think about it – I work full time, 9-5, 5 days a week. I then write my blog, which I try to do daily, tricking myself into believing people would miss me if I was gone! On top of this I write a pro-blogger post, and supplement this with other freelance. Currently I am working on an assignment is which I need to write 46 posts in 2 weeks.
In addition to coming home from work and, well, working, I am also trying to find the perfect CIM professional marketing certificate course for me. As none near me have been free for months, I have decided to do a distance learning course rather than spend £9 a week getting to and from the course in Bourneville. I need to sign up for this, and then come late September I will be adding this work to my evening agenda. I am also moving house in September, and fretting about replacing my sofa which is falling apart.
You know what though? Life is manic and absurd – but I am not complaining. This week I have come home and written 6 articles a night – and I have really enjoyed it. There are some days when you just want to do nothing – but for me the busier I am the more vilified I feel. The more I feel that I am not wasting my life, that I am building experience, that I am keeping myself occupied.
What I do wish, however? Is that I had more time to do things that don’t fit into the busy and difficult agenda – like shopping, or reading books, or reading other peoples blogs. I would like to figure out just a little bit of wiggle room.
For now, it ain’t going to happen. Meaning I haven’t read Kite Runner again for my book club meeting tonight. But perhaps, if I try hard and watch less television… perhaps then I will.
