Etsy sellers and crafters using doll images....

Although the seller doesn't get any money out of it, she might sell more because of the free gift. It's a sales ploy to be honest. Bogo, buy 1 get 1 free or something similar to that. It creates an appeal that buyers say, "Oh, there's something free along, maybe that'll justify the cost" or evens the cost along. So if the cat item sells for $10, the buyer might be thinking hmm the free gift might just even out or make the purchase worthwhile. It's no lie that everyone wants to get a good deal as possible.

I can understand the frustration that many people have with their own unique works of art being copied. Whether it be a multimillionaire corporation or a small seller that is selling meager creative original art, it still seems to be wrong because you wouldn't want the same thing to be done to you.

 

And even beyond that, what if Volks or whoever makes Pullips wanted to make stickers, or compacts, or other 'fun' items to sell to their customers? They obviously have the rights to do this with their own merchandise and designs. Their market gets hurt by the people making these items without licensing, and that's a kick in the pants on top of being stolen from.

 

The sad part is, surreality, there are always going to be bootleggers of all kinds from dolls to handbags. To stop them is very difficult, (since local authorities can only have so much resources before they focus on other crimes such as murder), the company has to employ resources in tracking down bootleggers and use any legal means in stopping them. This is happening with LV. If one cannot fully stop bootleggers from selling these items, it is then up to the individuals within the society to be educated by others to not buy cheap products that hurt the integrity of the company. The market is not hurt only by bootleggers but also by those who support them by buying their bootlegged objects. It takes two to tango. If no one gave into buying these bootlegged items in the first place, the bootleggers wouldn't even have begun.

 

Oh, I wasn't even talking about bootlegging. I'm talking about killing a legitimate product line before it has a chance to exist in the first place. Who wants to pay $5 for Volks Brand stickers when someone ran some off on their printer illegally for $2.50, after all? Ethical folks, sure -- but for the person who doesn't know any better, or doesn't think to question the source, it's not as likely.

The little 'fun' items like this can be big sellers, and appeal to an even more broad market than the dolls themselves in many cases. Especially among people who can't justify the price, maintenance, or space requirements of a doll, but love them and would love to have $5 stickers, or maybe a $10 compact, or some similar small item with doll art or a picture. Things like this can be big sellers, especially during harder financial times when larger purchases are on the wane.

 

I'm wondering if some of it depends on the kind of doll. For example if it's for Blythe twice as much is charged than the same thing for Licca and in many instances they have the exact same body. The Volks something will always cost more than the Dollzone something because of what brand it is.

Volks could put out something like this and people would still buy because it's a Volks, there are enough people out there who would put off their rent to buy a Coach purse then go begging for charity with the same purse on their arm.

Blame can be spread evenly between the seller and the buyer.