Handmade or Mass‑Produced? The Truth Behind Etsy’s Jersey Shops
Two shops tied to one registration number, identical listings, out of state registrations or no business registration - Exposed: how dropship networks subvert Etsy’s rules and undermine genuine artisans
By James Vanson
Founder, HK Sportswear | Marketplace Integrity Advocate
PORTLAND, Ore. — Two Etsy storefronts, operating under different names and cities, are tied to the same Colorado business registration number. One claims handmade production from a residential address. The other showcases a full-scale garment facility. Together, they raise serious questions about transparency, origin claims, and Etsy’s enforcement of its own seller policies.
This is only the tip of the iceberg other shops in Texas, Seattle, Illinois, New York and more are already using nearly identical mockups, suggesting the network is expanding into new markets. Which beacons the question, why do these shops continue to thrive on Etsy and are they doing anything to curtail this activity or better vet sellers for authenticity? Repeated attempts to open cases and report shops has led nowhere. So let's take a look at two particular shops that should raise some eyebrows.
The Shops in Question
ExclusiveExprDesigns, operated by “Ron,” lists its location as Broomfield, Colorado. Jerseycykingdom, run by “Kevin,” presents itself as based in Los Angeles, California. Despite the different identities and locations, both shops publicly list the same business registration number: 20248059002.
The Corporate Record
Colorado Secretary of State filings confirm that registration number 20248059002 belongs to Exclusive Expression LLC, formed in September 2024. The company’s principal office is listed at 4686 Castle Circle, Broomfield, Colorado — a residential home with an estimated value of over $1 million. Voter rolls show multiple individuals registered at the property, but no evidence of a manufacturing facility.
Handmade Claims vs. Factory Reality
ExclusiveExprDesigns lists its products as handmade, a designation that implies in-house production. In direct messages, the seller said the jerseys were made in the USA, that he was one of the founders. When pressed further he admitted that fabrics are sourced from China and the US and that factories are used to reduce costs. When asked about visiting the facility, the seller declined, stating the business was “temporarily not open to the public.” When asked why manufacturing partners aren't listed, he said he didn't fill in that information and they have a team doing this. 
That conversation took part on April 7, 2025. To date, no production partners are listed. When finally pressed about the discovery of someone named Rongrui Xiao listed at the address of the business registry and sent a photo of the home listed on the registry, and registry page, his last word to me was "no." I did not receive any follow up replies since then.
Meanwhile, jerseycykingdom’s product listings include video stills showing at least two individuals working in a large manufacturing space, complete with industrial sewing machines, large format textile printers, cutters, laser engravers and stacks of jerseys in production. The environment resembles a commercial factory floor rather than a handmade workshop. Neither shop discloses any production partners, despite Etsy’s requirement to do so when outside help is used.
AI Mockups and Automation Clues
Listings from both shops feature AI‑generated mockups of families in holiday settings wearing jerseys labeled “MOM,” “DAD,” “SON,” and even the misspelled “Dady.” Such anomalies point to automated batch generation rather than authentic customer personalization. The mockups themselves are identical in pose, lighting, and jersey templates across both shops, reinforcing the likelihood of a coordinated dropship operation. The misspellings and awkward phrasing in these manually altered images further suggest that the creators may not be fluent in English, underscoring the distance between the sellers’ claimed identities and the actual source of production.
Sales Volume vs. Production Reality
According to analytics platform eRank, jerseycykingdom has recorded 222 sales in the past 30 days and 1,328 sales in just eight months. For comparison, my own Etsy shop, HKSportswear, has recorded 13,118 sales over ten years. Jerseycykingdom’s rapid growth represents nearly 10 percent of that lifetime volume in less than a year — a scale that would be impossible without mass-production partners. Yet the shop lists no partners and does not claim handmade status.
Etsy Policy Violations
Etsy allows sellers to operate multiple shops, but each must represent a distinct brand or product line. Running two shops that sell the exact same products — as jerseycykingdom and ExclusiveExprDesigns do — violates Etsy’s marketplace rules. Additionally, Etsy requires sellers to disclose any production partners involved in making their products. Neither shop does so, despite clear reliance on offshore or industrial manufacturing.
Why Subvert the Rules
Dropship networks exploit Etsy’s trust signals in several ways. Etsy highlights nearby businesses to shoppers, giving them a ranking boost. Listing cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York— while operating from a Colorado entity and sourcing offshore — can game local discovery and visibility. Colorado’s LLC framework is relatively easy to use, with minimal disclosure requirements, making it attractive for entities seeking anonymity.
There is also the possibility that profits flow overseas, with the U.S. entity serving primarily as a storefront intermediary. Some global e-commerce operations have been reported to use rented U.S. IP addresses or devices to appear domestic while being managed abroad. While direct evidence is limited, the pattern is consistent with broader tactics used to circumvent platform rules and regulatory oversight.
Impact on Independent Sellers
The consequences of mass-produced goods on the platform land hardest on independent Etsy shops. When mass-produced networks masquerade as local or handmade, they siphon algorithmic visibility intended for genuine makers. Even if the quality is low, high volume combined with proximity signals can dominate search results, diverting sales from individual artisans to industrial pipelines. Consequently, shoppers seeking genuinely U.S.-made goods are often unknowingly nudged toward imports disguised as local craftsmanship.
These large networks exploit the Etsy algorithm’s preference for new listings. Because they don't spend time on actual production, these entities can rapidly replicate top-selling items, upload hundreds of new listings across dozens of affiliated shops, and effectively drown out long-established independent stores, often timing this influx around peak shopping seasons.
The network appears to be expanding. A Seattle-based shop using nearly identical product mockups suggests a broader strategy: multiple storefronts across multiple regions, all linked to a single supply chain.
Regulatory disparities further complicate the situation. Many shops aren't required to register as formal businesses until they hit specific sales thresholds that vary widely by state. While Etsy reports all seller income over $600 annually to the IRS, state-level business registration rules are inconsistent:
- Some states, like California, require you to register if you have any sales.
- Colorado sets its threshold at $100,000.
- Texas doesn't require registration until a seller hits $500,000 in sales.
Texas even adds a paywall: a $1.00 fee to look up a business on their state registry. This means there is a financial barrier to verify a business's registration status, even when that business might be selling nearly half a million dollars worth of goods before being legally required to register.
Conclusion
This investigation begins with a clear lead — two shops tied to the same registration number — and points toward a wider pattern. Dropship networks are exploiting Etsy’s trust signals, crowding out independent artisans, and reshaping the marketplace in ways that undercut its mission.
For consumers, the lesson is clear: scrutinize seller details, question origin claims, and support shops that disclose their partners and processes. For platforms, enforcement of partner disclosures and duplicate-shop manipulation is essential. For independent sellers, the fight for visibility is no longer just about quality — it is about exposing deception and demanding accountability.