Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Gross, or Not Gross?

Question:

Are you "grossed out" by photos of items for sale being worn by a model? Especially jewelry - in particular, earrings - and also hats?

Would the fact that the item is modeled by a real live person be so completely repugnant to you that you would NOT buy the item, no matter how cute it was?

I ask, because of an interesting thread on the Etsy forums concerning this subject. Some people are so grossed out by models wearing earrings in the photos they never buy and move on to un-modeled earrings.

Others are grossed out by even bracelets and necklaces worn in photos. Some sellers that get returns get mad because they have to throw the earrings away because they've been worn by someone else.

Some of the people refuse to buy hats if they're worn in the photos. (Mostly handmade hats.)

When I buy vintage things, I try to only buy items in the best condition; even new, unworn condition. But obviously with vintage, it's old; so you can safely assume the item has been worn before.

I suppose most people who have a "thing" about wearing anything previously modeled by a real live, potentially smelly, dirty, oily, germy person, would also not be buying anything vintage. I also assume any person who shops for vintage is aware of the fact that vintage = worn by someone else in most cases. Unless it is dead stock or MIB.

But I dunno. That's why I am asking. I try to personally model all of my items; it best represents the shape, size, and look of an item. I never thought about grossing potential customers out before.

I am generally a very clean person; and not stinky. I usually wash my hair before modeling any and all hats. Is it still "nasty"?

I guess I should not care so much; I have managed to sell a whole lot of hats and things in the 10 months or so I have been on Etsy.

But I just wanna know:

Modeled Hats - nasty?

Modeled earrings - super gross?

Modeled other jewelry that touches skin - creepy?

Modeled clothing - heebeygeebeys?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's a sign of a neurosis if you ask me. Are these the same people that open doors with tissues? I've never understood that.

Catherine said...

Hmmm. Before you said that I never thought any of those were gross. The earrings I can kind of understand because the metal touches the inside of the skin, but I don't think there's anything wrong with the others...

Denise said...

I think there are more serious things to worry about than modeled jewelry and clothing. And as for the earrings just take some peroxide and clean them. If you want vintage and not off the assembly line new, you take the "germs" and dings because old things are beautiful and well made.

Denise said...

I have to say, I consider myself a very clean person, and I do not think "gross" when I see any of that. Even the earrings, if vintage, I would not think "gross", but I would not buy them. I think that's because it just seems to "personal" to see someone modeling them, and I would prefer a seller to tell me they've been steam sterilized and treated with peroxide/alcohol by them, as that would let me know they keep a high cleanliness standard. I'm much more comfortable buying from someone that will state up front what they do, rather than me having to email them before buying and ask "do you clean your jewelry" or something like that.

I would not think twice about buying a bracelet/necklace that has touched someone's skin. I would clean it myself when I got it, but I would not require or expect that necessarily.

For what it's worth, I think you have such a classically beautiful and fashionable look WITH your clothes. I think by modeling your clothes and hats, etc, you actually sell more, because they look so great. My opinion, anyway!

Hosanna said...

I can understand the earrings, also. I can see how it is kind of nasty.... but for me personally, I would still buy them if I seriously loved them, and clean the heck out of them when I got them in hand.

I suppose it is really a matter of personal preference; for myself, I have zero qualms about wearing old stuff that has probably worn by someone else.

I do, however, avoid all clearly dirty, nasty, really really obviously gross things. As I said, when I buy, I only buy the best items in the finest condition, and then dry clean, or wash, and line-dry in the sun for a good long time.

I never heard of anyone actually "getting anything" from a used piece of jewelry, hat, or clothing.

Shoes, on the other hand..... I didn't even think about that.

Ewwww. Gross.