My junk Advent calendar shows what’s going wrong on Etsy and Co. right now

It’s a damn bad Advent calendar in so many ways – but for me it’s also a reminder of our times. (Image source: GameStar Tech / Adobe Stock by aanbetta)

Christmas deception: I received an Advent calendar from a friend at the beginning of the month – 24 small crocheted figures were supposed to sweeten the weeks until Christmas Eve.

But disillusionment followed quickly: behind poorly punched doors in the cardboard box there were no cute crocheted creatures hiding, but rather cheap plastic scrap. My Advent calendar is not an annoying isolated case, but a symptom of what is currently dominating on handcraft platforms like Etsy.

I’ll show you what is probably the most annoying Advent calendar I’ve ever had – and why, given the circumstances, I’m still almost glad that the packaging doesn’t match the contents.

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An Advent calendar with 24 little insolences

My friend said Merry Christmas to me somewhat bashfully when she gave me a present on December 2nd. I’m embarrassed, but I must have fallen for a scam.

Emotional Support Pickle is written on it. A small crocheted cucumber on the package promises me that it will always be there for me and that I am “a big dill,” a play on words with “big deal.”

I’m happy about the attention and immediately pull open the first door.

• Instead of a crochet creature I find a small plastic chip there. The carrot pictured is holding up a sign that is so tiny that you can’t read the writing on it at all.
• Door number 2: I can even read the saying: One Positive potato tells me that although she may only be a small potato, she still believes in me. I should just in my mind make. I’m unsure if that’s for me emotional support gives.

My friend bought the calendar through an Instagram ad, but the problem is cross-platform. Who today after Handmade Searches – whether via social media ads or directly on Etsy – end up in the same swamp of AI images and the cheapest imported goods.

AI junk is currently displacing handmade items

Etsy was actually a platform that wanted to be a haven for handmade items and small artists. I am aware of the business of drop shipping: you are probably familiar with YouTube advertisements from eager young entrepreneurs who explain to us that we can all earn thousands of euros a week in online trading without having a warehouse of goods.

But when I’m looking for goods from real craftsmen, Etsy is still the number 1 port of call for me. The problem with my junk calendar is different, you’ve probably guessed it: AI-generated junk and this is where Etsy’s own strategy falls on its feet:

In 2024, the platform changed its policies for products created using generative AI. In principle, sellers are allowed to use AI tools to create their own art. However, there is a labeling requirement.

In theory, I think it is entirely justifiable to generally allow salespeople to use AI. In practice, however, this becomes a problem, especially for Etsy. Not only on Reddit, forum posts documenting this from the seller’s and buyer’s perspective have been increasing for over a year now:

• An artist complains that he spends three days on a single illustration. Now the platform is full of shops that have a catalog of over 2,000 printable illustrations: impossible for a single human, a matter of a few hours for generative image AI.
• A shopper explains how AI is destroying the shopping experience: Instead of looking for a motif for a large mouse pad, the user is newyroo busy trying to find evidence of AI in the image because that’s exactly what he doesn’t want to buy on Etsy.
• And Etsy has also become a minefield for the handcrafting community: Crochet and knitting instructions promise: Follow this pattern and at the end you will have a finished sweater. But AI-generated instructions are sold alongside AI-generated images of exciting clothing items. A layperson in particular has to notice in the middle of the process that the instructions provided make no sense at all.

There are currently tons of AI-generated product images on Etsy. Entire shops are also entirely AI-generated with a few prompts.

Just like the sayings on my fake crochet plastic figures: Fine-Apple. It’s fine. You’re fine. Everything’s fine. stands on a small pineapple. Seriously, ChatGPT?

Nothing is fine here.

Why I’m also glad that the calendar only contains plastic scrap

You might be wondering: Why is she criticizing Etsy here when the calendar itself comes from an Instagram ad? Well, on the one hand because I can find very similar calendars on the platform and on the other hand because I am of the opinion that a calendar like this belongs on Etsy.

Unlike knitting, machines cannot crochet. Just last year, the first prototype for a crochet machine, the CroMat, was presented at Bielefeld University. And it’s still far from being ready to supply Etsy shops with delicate goods.

Now of course I didn’t ask the price of my gift, but I found the same calendar online for 15 euros. The idea that there are now people in some Shein sweatshop who assemble crochet figurines on the assembly line in such a way that you can put 24 of them into a calendar for 15 euros and still make a profit is, to me, more terrible than the lousy calendar.

That’s why: Not all crochet calendars on Etsy and Co. are junk, but the good ones also have their price.

Unfortunately, the AI ​​grits (English: To-slop) not only fills social media feeds, but also makes life difficult for people who want to do something with their hands in real life.

The crochet pug in my calendar says: If pigs can fly, then so can you. Hopefully the AI ​​traders will soon learn that pigs can’t fly and they won’t get away with their scam.

What do you think about that? Have you had any experience with products that quickly turned out to be AI junk? Do you have any tips on how you personally deal with such rubbish? Write us your experiences in the comments!