This year my daughter has decided she wants to be a princess fairy kitty cat. Uhmmm not having very much luck finding such a costume. Sooo we've decided to make one with what we've got! She's got a gorgeous pettiskirt that I got for uber cheap (more on this in a bit) and I figured I could probably make this work somehow. I am thinking marabou would work well for a tail and I can figure out the rest. So, wish me luck on this endeavor!! I've never actually made a Halloween costume. We usually take the easy route and just buy whatever.
Now, in regards to this pettiskirt. I just have to get on my soapbox for a moment and say the following: DO YOUR RESEARCH, BE A SMART BUYER! I cannot stress this enough. Here's my story:
I finally did come across an Etsy buyer who said she'd make a 'good' deal for me and I ended up purchasing her handmade pettis for about 65. I figured three for what seemed to be the going rate for one, that's gotta be a GREAT deal, right? W R O N G !
Took about a week for her to "sew" my pettis and then I get a box in the mail from a totally different state than where the seller resided in. Apparently she had drop-shipped the item and it came directly from a wholesaler. The company had blackened out their info but it could still be made out. And the pettiskirts had a label saying "Made in China."
Boy was I furious! She claimed to be sewing my pettis and you cannot sell non-handmade items (unless it's supplies) on Etsy. I had been had. Sigh.
So I confront this seller... she denies, denies, denies... she says she had a lot of work orders and had given my order to her 'seamstress' to complete. She said she would investigate the issue. She never investigated, she never did nothing. I did get a full refund for my purchase and she got banned from Etsy. And yes, I did send back the pettis. I didn't want any part of her business or anything. She promised to get back to me with what she found out, but I never heard from her again. Go figger. She never came out and admitted what she had done, but it was obvious and I had tons of proof against her.
BUT, on the bright side of all this? I had found an AMAZING wholesaler that sells to peeps like you and me and for VERY good prices!
The reason I had decided to mention what had happened to me is because recently I hopped on over to a blog I visit daily and I saw a sponsor on there carrying the EXACT SAME petti that I spent 20some bucks on (60some for three) and this seller is selling it for about the same (give or take a few dollars). And this exact same petti can be purchased at the wholesaler I came across for SO much cheaper (nine bucks, last I checked!).
Now let me just say, I have ZERO issue with resellers. If you can make money as a reseller, good for you!!! If you are being upfront and honest with your customers that you aren't the one actually sewing the pettis and are stating that you are indeed a reseller, totally OKAY! What I am saying is, as a buyer, we must do our research and see if we are getting our items at a good deal. Because trust me, if you do the leg-work and look around, you can and will find most of these items for far cheaper when purchased directly from the wholesaler.
So here is where I share with you this AMAZING wholesaler. They get tons of large shipments directly from China, so yes, you do have to accept that itty bitty bit. BUT, they do have all certificates available stating that they follow CPSIA testing, etc. so at least you are assured that the item is OK. All certificates are available right on their site so you can check every single one out and be assured of this. Oh, and they have more than just pettiskirts and tutus and sets. They have flower clips, and headbands and so many more awesome and cool items! And you don't have to have a minimum order or buy in bulk, which is VERY nice. These items are neat ideas for birthday parties and such! I got a bunch of cute clips for my daughters for mere dollars! Soooo if you want to check them out, click here. :)
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