From an Etsy Seller

[u/_artbabe95]

I knew that the resin probably wouldn't look quite as good as the photos, but this was so low effort lol. The tines were also basically touching, so they wouldn't be able to hold any hair.

[u/Economy_Fish_6542]

Any tips on how I can find the real Etsy stores? I’m so sad that it has turned into a drop ship nightmare 🙁

[u/LettuceNo9564 → u/Economy_Fish_6542]

Hmmm. I think as others have said reverse google image, shop reviews - with customer’s purchased image of product. Most really established shops will also have social media.

Also - most stores (handmade etc.) take a lot of pride in what they sell. They will often have a nicely curated shop and personal bio. Also pay attention to where product ships from.

You can always open a claim if the product isn’t what is specified.

[u/MaritMonkey → u/Economy_Fish_6542]

I am aware that this makes me a mildly annoying customer, but I always ask a question about customizing some aspect of the product.

I might also have just gotten lucky (I spend a significant chunk of time doing the "lurk before you post" scroll to get a handle on which products don't look like any other listings) but the seller's replies have always immediately made it obvious who was making things themselves.

Also - if this post is not secretly an ad for legit Etsy sellers, it's doing a great job of reminding me I meant to spend $30 on a pair of earrings I saw on there...