"offensive material"

[cogcog]

eBay in their infinite wisdom has removed one of my items, and frankly I'm offended that they did so!

I had a listing of 3 mid-century dolls (204162356899 - Three Vintage Black Cloth African American Doll Handmade) that were probably among the first dolls that children of color could play with that were theirs, not white dolls that didn't look like them.

I'm very upset that they were removed, and don't see any logic in eBay's decision----of course, I'm responding in this format because there is no way to reply to or appeal eBay's "final decision"!!

[ebooksdiva]

Your item was probably reported as offensive.

May have been a word or group of words in the title that triggered the take down. 
Whatever it was I would advise you not to list it again. 

Prohibited and Restricted items policy 

[ed8108]

White doll supremacy ?

You are complaining ebay is effectively practicing race discrimination by the removal of the listing of dolls of color ?

---

@cogcog wrote:

eBay in their infinite wisdom has removed one of my items, and frankly I'm offended that they did so!

.... dolls that children of color could play with that were theirs, not white dolls that didn't look like them.

---

[richard1rst]

---

@cogcog wrote:

eBay in their infinite wisdom has removed one of my items, and frankly I'm offended that they did so!

I had a listing of 3 mid-century dolls (204162356899 - Three Vintage Black Cloth African American Doll Handmade) that were probably among the first dolls that children of color could play with that were theirs, not white dolls that didn't look like them.

I'm very upset that they were removed, and don't see any logic in eBay's decision----of course, I'm responding in this format because there is no way to reply to or appeal eBay's "final decision"!!

---

It is quite simple: You are offended eBay took it down, someone else was offended you put it up.

2 sides of the same coin.

[nobody*s_perfect]

eBay decided to prohibit golliwogs and anything resembling them, a couple of years ago. 

[s.scharmu0]

Hi!

     There are other venues you can use😊

[dbfolks166mt]

     Everything offends somebody these days. In all reality eBay's ever growing list of prohibited items along with a couple of other less than stellar business moves was one of the initial reasons I began to diversify off of this forum and platform. I have found MANY other platforms and venues that have virtually no restrictions on what you can list or sell there. 

[simba6]

Alphabet   blocks with the letter Z on them will be next.

[toomuchstuffagain35]

cloth black dolls aren't necessarily golliwogs.

next they'll be banning black and Asian barbies.

[maxine*j]

You just need to sell them somewhere else. Do not relist and thereby risk permanent suspension of your selling account.

All of the eBay Restricted and Prohibited Items policies in all categories are vague and subjective, but most especially so as to "Offensive Materials."   Policy enforcement is then done by primitive AI, which is not up to the task, and you are left with capricious enforcement of fuzzy policies.  Issues of right, wrong, fair, unfair, sensible or senseless, all go out the window so, in effect, there can be no appeal.

-

[coolections]

It's a catch 22. You are offended because Ebay will not allow you to sell your dolls. Some other people are offended because they think your dolls are prejudice. No, there is no way to appeal the take down as it is Ebay's rules.

[whatmorefabric]

The first black dolls made for African Americans were at best ugly.     They were mostly clothed in servant attire or poor people clothes.     They were not pretty or dressed in nice clothing.     

They had exaggerated features.

You would not  sell a doll dressed as a Nazi  as they are offensive to Jews,   so why is it OK to sell dolls that are offensive to blacks?

These dolls represented what a white person thought black girls wanted to play with in the Jim Crow era.    

[soh.maryl]

Am nearly 90 years old.  As a young child, probably 4-5 years, had two African-American dolls, so I guess such dolls were available by at least the mid 1930's.  They were lovely playmates.  Later on, as the Amos and Andy radio show became popular, there was an Amosandra doll, named after a child on that show.  It might have been made by either Ideal or Sun Rubber, the latter of which was located in my town.  

[house*of*paws]

---

@cogcog wrote:

I had a listing of 3 mid-century dolls (204162356899 - Three Vintage Black Cloth African American Doll Handmade) that were probably among the first dolls that children of color could play with that were theirs, not white dolls that didn't look like them.

---

Hi @cogcog 

We are unable to see listings that have been removed ... so we have no idea what your dolls looked like.  IF you had listed black dolls that actually looked like African Americans ... they likely would NOT have been removed.

It is the dolls with exaggerated, cartoonish features:  bulging eyes, overly-thick lips, and frizzy hair sticking straight out of their heads ... often called 'Black Americana' ... that are considered offensive and are banned on eBay.

In general, sellers should NEVER relist an item that's been removed ... even if they think it was removed by mistake.  Once pulled, the item is on a bot's radar ... and will be discovered and removed again quickly.  Serious penalties will then start that will escalate to being permanently restricted from selling on eBay.

[bonjourami]

"next they'll be banning black and Asian barbies."

If they are racially offensive with exaggerated, or cartoonish features, I hope they do.