Imagine Losing $50,000+ in Sales
One small business and their ongoing *journey* with counterfeit products on the internet (I would be losing my f*cking mind)
*I need to channel some ~feels~ today so we’re going to write something a little productive with it*
I can’t *EVEN*
As a small business owner and artist, what I design and make and put out into the world in hopes that someone… anyone… will like it enough to buy it. I don’t envy folks whose designs get stolen and plastered across every third party site.
I remember probably around this time last year seeing my first post from Paper Bunny Press, another small Chicago business who makes snarky stationery - you can probably see why I’d be into following her by that tagline alone - about how fucking people ripped off her 2024 calendar and were selling it illegally. Well… flash forward to 2025 AND what did these fine folks do again, they took the interior of the 2024 calendar - did not change the dates - and then photoshopped the “2024” to say “2025” so now people are ordering this counterfeit calendar from places like Amazon and Temu, receiving it, and then noticing it’s wrong. In the listing photos they also remove the brand name from the front (very, very poorly I might add).
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Currently, one of the knockoffs, has an “Amazon’s Choice” badge and has sold over 2,000 units in the last month which would equal over $19,100 on Amazon (and since it’s being shipped on Prime it’s in an Amazon warehouse. So those goods have been basically pre-purchased by Amazon from the “seller” who them assume is the “brand” so the seller has been paid their wholesale price for how-many-ever units already.
If I had to guess from back in my Toy Designer Days, they probably sold them to Amazon a $5/piece at around with stocking 3,000-5,000 pieces since they haven’t sold out yet with selling over 2k units. There are reviews with the vine program which is a sponsors, pay-to-play or of review thing were you send products out to consumers (at random - they’ve agreed to be part of the program) and then they write a review in return to boost the rating. So that also signals a high warehouse quantity.
…But anyway, back on track… This calendar has a retail price on the Paper Bunny Press website of $28. Which means if they had bought directly from PBP, they would have made over $56,000 in sales over the last month instead and that money would have gone to a small local business instead of in the pocket of Bezos and an unknown Chinese Factory. And that’s just one listing of who fucking knows how many.
So… pop quiz time… what have we learned? Is it MAYBE just go directly to the FUCKING BRAND and by the pretty things from the people that make the pretty things? Stop sidestepping small businesses to try and save a few freaking dollars.
PS: When you buy the legit PBP Calendar, You get a ✨ bonus ✨ sticker sheet w/ the 2025 Paper Bunny Press Calendar<— the actual link to the real product (which no, I don’t get anything from this but I’m in MOOD soooooo enjoy and I hope y’all sell her out).
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In Conclusion…
We’re all angry and sad right now. So support your favorite small business, small creator, small artist, or writer in whatever way you can - that can go beyond making a purchase. Share their work that you have bought and love and tag them, or share, comment or like their posts, or send them a kind message of appreciation, or subscribe to them on Substack (and consider upgrading to paid if you’re able).
There are so many ways to help boost them (both free and paid) that go a long way.
💖 We see every interaction and we love each & every one of you. 💖
Thanks for the info -- I googled, found the actual website, and ordered! It's going to be a fucking year, I know that much!
This is insane! I’m so glad I try to support small local creators as much as I can because… flames… out the side of my face…