# Etsy shopping for Kindle bag



## Jamielove21 (Feb 10, 2009)

So I know that the Etsy website has the seller BorsaBella and that their bags come highly recommended, but I was just wondering if the bags by janinekingdesigns aren't just as good? I saw a fabric on her list that I really liked, but before I order it I wanted to make sure there wasnt alot of negative feedback for her.....

Thanks!!


----------



## kevin63 (Feb 10, 2009)

I'm sure you'll find that there are a lot of supporters for Melissa (from BorsaBella).  Seems like this other seller came out with the "Kindle Bag" after Melissa started producing them and was selling hers for quite a bit more than Melissa was.  Then she dropped the price for a "promotion" and I believe had something on her site implying the Melissas' product was inferior or something to do with the quality.  Seems like she was trying to cut in on the "hot" item.  

Melissa has been a great supporter of the making the Kindle bag and has really seemed to put the effort into adjusting the size of her bag as needed to ensure the bag will hold the kindle and the cover, etc.  Melissa has wonderful customer service and I found her bag to be well made.  I can't speak to the customer service aspect for the other provider since I've never ordered anythign from her site.  I just think she may have used some tactics to cut Melissas product down and tried to make hers look better.  I just didn't like the way she went about the situation.  I tend to be pretty loyal when I get such great customer service.  Even though I'm a male and Melissas product is primarily for women, Melissa found a "masculine" fabric for me and at my request put a strap on it.  The end product was great even though I now have a "murse".  Melissa provided a great product and I found her customer service to be nothing less than excellent.  I'm sure I'll be buying more of her products for my Mother and Sisters.  Hope this provides a little bit of insight.  I'm not trying to discredit the other seller, I just didn't like the way her tactics tried to put down Melissas' product.  Just my opinion.


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott (Oct 28, 2008)

ditto what Kevin said. I dealt with Melissa first and  found her most accommodating. If I find a seller that meets my needs, their product is high quality then there is no need for me to go anywhere else.   I have found KB members to be a great source for feedback on products and have purchased several based on reviews here. 

The "we make them better" comment was a real turn off for me.


----------



## gwen10 (Feb 9, 2009)

kevin63 said:


> Seems like this other seller came out with the "Kindle Bag" after Melissa started producing them and was selling hers for quite a bit more than Melissa was. Then she dropped the price for a "promotion" and I believe had something on her site implying the Melissas' product was inferior or something to do with the quality. Seems like she was trying to cut in on the "hot" item.


I don't have an issue with her selling a hot item, if she didn't sell up to the minute products she wouldn't be in business. I do, however, have an issue with her talking trash about the competition's product. So not the way to attract customers.

*Note:* She has now updated her site and removed the negative comments about the competition. She is now stating that the competition is making negative statements about her product.


----------



## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

I think it is no secret that I am a fan of Melissa and Borsa Bella and am actually working with her.

That said. Here are just my own observations about this seller. I actually checked her store before I found Melissa's and she did not have these bags on there. Since adding them she has had _3_ different prices for them, 19.99, 24.99 and now 29.95, every time she says it is a special promo price and that the bags are actually a higher price? Her shipping is also higher and she states in her profile that to expect to wait 12 to 14 days for shipment, cause she makes them to order. So be prepared to wait. Melissa also makes her to order and usually ships the next day.

I also checked her feedback and no one has given any for these bags, though she has sold some, so I am guessing they are still waiting for their bags. Since, I do not think she owns a Kindle, it is hard to know what the fit of the bag is like. Is she allowing enough width for covers? Does she even know most people use a cover?

I also like some of her fabrics & designs... but as someone else stated her business tactics are questionable at best. I think she stumbled onto a competitor who was doing very well with something and thought she could cash in. I have no problem with that either but how she has gone about has turned many off.


----------



## vlapinta (Jan 11, 2009)

Melissa is fantastic to work with. Try sending her an e-mail about the fabric that you like with a link. Maybe she can get the fabric for you. 
Melissa will do anything if she can. Great customer service!

Vicki


----------



## Lizzarddance (Oct 28, 2008)

Ditto what Kevin said. I also like to support her since she's a one woman show. Don't forget, I think I read somewhere here where she is working on a bag that will hold your Kindle along with the accessories. Stay tuned!


----------



## Boston (Nov 7, 2008)

To answer the original question, I purchased a laptop tote and matching wristlet from janinekingdesign years ago.  It received many compliments and held up well.  I have since bought a few more wristlets.   

I am not sure they are as accommodating to personal requests as Melissa is...it seems they have a bigger and probably more established business.  

While I think its great that the board has found, helped grow, and established relationships with several vendors (like BorsaBella, Oberon) , I don't think it should stop people from buying what they want or who they want to buy from.


----------



## Cowgirl (Nov 1, 2008)

Borsa Bella bags all the way...I don't like negative comments regarding others products.  That totally turned me off.


----------



## Simplemines (Feb 21, 2009)

I like the style of the Borsa Bella bags. I'd buy one, but God's honest truth, I haven't found one print I like. And as much as I hate to say it, the only prints I have found I like are from her Etsy competition (I also agree, the whining from the competition really is unprofessional.)

So I haven't bought anything from either of them. I'm waiting to see if the fabric choices of the Borsa bag line expands a bit.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

You could ask the nice lady if she can get the same fabric the mean lady uses. . . .

Seriously, unless the mean lady is making it herself, it's probably available and just doesn't happen to be a style the nice lady has decided to use.

<apologies for the 'nice' and 'mean' but I've only been half following the thread and I'm not sure which is which. >

Ann


----------



## ogie287 (est. 1838) (Feb 5, 2009)

Ditto what Kevin said.



Simplemines said:


> I like the style of the Borsa Bella bags. I'd buy one, but God's honest truth, I haven't found one print I like. And as much as I hate to say it, the only prints I have found I like are from her Etsy competition (I also agree, the whining from the competition really is unprofessional.)
> 
> So I haven't bought anything from either of them. I'm waiting to see if the fabric choices of the Borsa bag line expands a bit.


Borsa Bella will take custom orders so if you don't see what you like, just ask Melissa for the type of print you prefer. She is great to work with to get what you want.


----------



## gwen10 (Feb 9, 2009)

Boston said:


> While I think its great that the board has found, helped grow, and established relationships with several vendors (like BorsaBella, Oberon) , I don't think it should stop people from buying what they want or who they want to buy from.


I don't think any board members are trying to stop other board members from buying anything from anybody. We are just stating our opinions. I personally like the janine king designs, but I won't buy from her solely because I know she made negative statements about a competitors product. I saw the comments on the janine king site before they were taken down.


----------



## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

One thing not mentioned--the BorsaBella bags are washable; the Janine King Designs are not.  I have several of those fabrics as covers for a semi custom camera bag, and let me tell you they get DIRTY when you shoot on location.  Dry clean only is not the way to go, and was actually my biggest deciding factor in buying the BorsaBella case instead.

I love those upholstery weight fabrics, I really do, and it would be fun to get Kindle cases & laptop sleeves & such to match my camera stuff....but after what I've gone through to keep those looking halfway nice, there's no way that a case that gets tossed into my purse daily will be anything other than washable.


----------



## avidreader8891 (Mar 11, 2009)

You know I checked out this board specifically to find out what others thought of Janine King's cases and the nasty threads here against her have swayed me in her favor.

It looks to me like Borsa Bella is trashing Janine King, not the other way around. Check out their Kindle cover listings on Etsy and see for yourself. Also, Janine King is getting great feedback about her kindle covers : http://www.etsy.com/feedback_public.php?user_id=78675

JK came out with hers just a couple of days after BB did. I don't think she could have copied anyone that fast. My guess is that hers were well in the works and BB just beat her to the punch. Another thing, take a look and you'll see that JK has been selling laptop bags and padded cases on Etsy for a long time and her Kindle cover looks very similar to her other bags. I think it's unfair to say she copied BB.


----------



## avidreader8891 (Mar 11, 2009)

Oh and one last thing, I honestly don't see what the big deal is with being washable. In any case, Janine King's  bags are washable.  This is what it says in the description:  

► CARE INSTRUCTIONS: spot clean with damp cloth, hand wash or for best results dry clean.


----------



## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

Well alrighty then.


----------



## stargazer0725 (Feb 10, 2009)

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."  (in the venerable words of Mr. Shakespeare)


----------



## kevindorsey (Mar 4, 2009)

I don't know if washing is important to me, so leather is probably the way to go.


----------



## Kindgirl (Jan 31, 2009)

I was looking at those too, in the end I only care if it's the right bag for me (material, pattern, price, shipping costs, etc) I'll order it.  

Not I have any knowledge of either seller or preference, but for the record, the very first day when people started talking about BorsaBella bags I looked at them and then started poking around the Etsy site because I'd never seen it before.  That first day I found Janine's bags already for sale there as well.  I don't think she is copying BorsaBella, personally, but I can't really say for sure one way or the other because we're not BFFs or anything.   

As for the other negative stuff, I had no idea...


----------



## Kind (Jan 28, 2009)

I've heard great things about Melissa but I can't say anything positive or negative about the other suppliers since I've never heard of them or dealt with them. Just shoot the others an e-mail and ask some questions. You can decide by how they respond to you and such.


----------



## kari (Feb 15, 2009)

avidreader8891 said:


> You know I checked out this board specifically to find out what others thought of Janine King's cases and the nasty threads here against her have swayed me in her favor.
> 
> It looks to me like Borsa Bella is trashing Janine King, not the other way around. Check out their Kindle cover listings on Etsy and see for yourself. Also, Janine King is getting great feedback about her kindle covers : http://www.etsy.com/feedback_public.php?user_id=78675
> 
> JK came out with hers just a couple of days after BB did. I don't think she could have copied anyone that fast. My guess is that hers were well in the works and BB just beat her to the punch. Another thing, take a look and you'll see that JK has been selling laptop bags and padded cases on Etsy for a long time and her Kindle cover looks very similar to her other bags. I think it's unfair to say she copied BB.


I personally feel that everyone can buy from whomever they wish - no matter the product. But I will say that Kindles have been around for over a year and JK didn't start offering them until after someone else did. I don't believe for one minute it was an original idea - but granted, that doesn't mean she doesn't have as much of a right to sell them as anyone else.


----------



## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

kari said:


> I personally feel that everyone can buy from whomever they wish - no matter the product. But I will say that Kindles have been around for over a year and JK didn't start offering them until after someone else did. I don't believe for one minute it was an original idea - but granted, that doesn't mean she doesn't have as much of a right to sell them as anyone else.


Well, BorsaBella didn't market them as Kindle sleeves until last month either. She got the idea to start marketing them as Kindle sleeves from Octochick last month. She's adapted them a bit, and had to work with Octochick to get the dimensions right since she doesn't have one herself. Couldn't it just be that a Kindle owner saw one of JK's wristlet/cosmetic bags as well & did pretty much the same type thing? Then again, clearly BB & JK are monitoring each other's sites since they seem to be referencing each other. So I'm sure a bit of that goes both ways.

I just found JK's bags this morning & posted about them, this afternoon I saw this thread & another one. Love the fabrics, would like that side pocket if I were like my daughters who can walk out the door with their keys, a drivers license & a credit card & not much else. Sadly, I'm an old-school mom with a purse stuffed with way too much stuff. And I've justified enough accessories for Pearl for a good long while...just don't really need it. But man, I do love some of those fabrics. Wish I'd seen them when I was looking for my netbook sleeve/bag!


----------

