Half-Past Crap

Half-Past Crap

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Is imitation the sincerest form of flattery?
from this Wall Street Journal article blog
http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2009/10/16/when-online-imitation-is-the-sincerest-form-of-flattery/?mod=rss_WSJBlog

for those too lazy ( me) to learn how to make links linkable on here... here is an excerpt:

The most recent target for online funning is handicraft marketplace Etsy Inc. The company’s motto is “Your place to buy & sell things handmade.” However, Regretsy.com has decided to give that motto a twist. “Handmade? It looks like you made it with your feet,” the site prominently displays under its banner. (Caution: Some of the items and the language on the Regretsy site are pretty graphic.)

Etsy Spokesman Adam Brown said the two sites were so similar at first that Etsy had to ask for Regretsy to redesign its site and add a disclaimer that the two aren’t affiliated.

Regretsy chooses actual items listed on Etsy and applies a little comedic commentary. The folks at Regretsy definitely deserve some thanks for highlighting this “Fish in a Squirrel Suit Taxidermy.”

Tongue firmly planted in cheek, the site also addresses the fact that they’re belittling some people’s livelihoods: “Yes, we know these people put their hearts into it. We know it took hours and hours. We know how mean it is to laugh at their creations. And we regret being the only Web site on the Internet that makes fun of things.

“But what can we do? We’re immature.”

Etsy itself also has something to say on that issue.

“For the individual sellers, they may not be so flattered, but if it brings more traffic to the shop and helps make sales then all the better,” Brown said.

Wait. Could it be that these parody sites are actually good for start-ups?

“Listen, if you like something you see here, don’t argue with us, go and buy it,” the Regretsy site says. “Seriously. Click on any photo and you’ll be taken to the seller’s store. We’re only too glad to have made the introduction.”

It seems that Regretsy could actually boost the exposure of the items on Etsy, and in turn helps drive the start-up’s revenue.

That is, if there’s really a buyer out there for a “Goat Coat.”