Brand Loyalty - Why it matters in Satanic Merch

Take a look at this picture. What do you see that is wrong with it. For someone that is new to Satanism, this might seem normal. Even some Satanists that are not well educated in the occult will probably dismiss this as something cool to own. In fact, EVERYTHING about this image is wrong. Not so much in that the symbols are wrong but how the whole thing is put together. If you are a Satanist and have been one for years, you will first notice that the Sigil of Baphomet PLUS the Seal of Lucifer typically do not go together but there is nothing wrong with that really. Its a personal thing for some Satanists as both are iconic symbols that carry very meaningful ideology for the wearer. The part that is somewhat odd is that they company that manufactured this piece literally was throwing shit against the wall to see what sticks.

Lets start with the names of these demons or satanic princes of hell. For one thing, most are based off of Jewish tradition. Some are mainly found in occult literature that contains historical names and content of other religions of the past and of course, a touch of modern Satanism, like the classic 'Lucifer'. Then there is the misspelling of the names. BELIAL is misspelled. Beezlebub, is mispelled. Abaddon, IS ALSO MISPELLED! That's 3 so far. The others are spelled correctly but all the names put together MEAN NOTHING! I mean, this really IS just throwing it all together to make an impression on someone who is into the occult but I suppose the seller expects you to be blind to what symbology means to a Satanist.

This is an ACTUAL AMAZON LISTING and people are LITERALLY BUYING THIS LIKE ITS GOING OUT OF STYLE! Explain that to me!

Now, on to my blog.

KNOCK OFFS ARE COMING! I have said this at least one before on Facebook and Instagram and the fact is, I am LATE putting this out. I wanted to see where things were going with the knock-offs and they are literally going out of control at this point.

I want to start by pointing out once again the importance of supporting Satanic merchandise by literally REAL Satanists. If you are following the politics today, you will be aware that as of recently, our current president has launched a Trade War with China. China is known to do some tricky things in the way OUR economy works. They ALSO are known for stealing INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. Most commonly, intellectual property (IP) is stolen from technology companies. However, this does not mean that they will stop at stealing anything else. Regardless of whether the property is copyrighted or NOT, they will take it and spin it. Often getting it wrong and perhaps a few time, they get it right. Nevertheless less, this impacts all businesses. INCLUDING THIS WEBSITE!

Its one thing to produce a good quality product, its ANOTHER when someone produces the SAME EXACT THING, AND STEAL YOUR PICTURES TO PROMOTE THEIR OWN BUSINESS. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, THAT is exactly what is going on. As of recently, Chinese sellers have literally copied my design styles that were implemented in the creation of the Seal of Lucifer and Satanic Cross/Brimstone Necklaces. You may have already seen the ads on social media by now.

Many sellers have created a Seal of Lucifer necklace but my version from the very beginning was quite unique in the way it was made. The same applies for the Brimstone necklace. The design elements were different and not easy to do. This is what set me apart from other sellers. Yes, I know that my techniques were more costly but to get a better product, sometimes its best to spend it to make it that much better, otherwise, someone else will come along to mimic my version and make it better. The copy-cat versions out there now are far less superior in quality and APPEAL and thus, I am confident that buyers will take notice of the differences between the ORIGINAL pieces versus the knock-offs. You literally will get what you pay for in this case.

Then comes the Sigil of Anton LaVey. Now, to be honest, this piece NEVER had a name originally. Only that is was the necklace that Anton LaVey wore. Since no other person in CoS could wear it for rituals, I refered to it as the Sigil of Anton LaVey. I literally called it this and the name stuck til this day. Its a great way to describe the item you refer to because its the one worn by LaVey. Pics were of him wearing this were published everywhere. It is perhaps his best close up pictures where his necklace was worn.

When I created a version of his necklace, I created a special spin to it that I felt would be BETTER. It was the overlapping of the pentacles lines as they cross each other.

Grant it, this is the 3rd generation of this necklace. The original version that I created did not have the overlapping 3 dimensional lines, plus, the space between the start and lightning bolt, was not 'see-through" it was filled-in in Black. The original version of the creation I had before also came in a 2 inch size. Since then, I have redesigned it to improvise the look that is best. I took out the negative space and overlapped the lines.

Now that I have been selling this piece for quite some time now, the Chinese sellers are literally KNOCKING THIS OFF down to the details. Aside from the chain, which is what they copied from a previous chain style this pendant sold in, I am now aware that they are researching my website and my Amazon listings to see what else to copy. This pic is a pic from a Chinese seller that you MAY or MAY NOT start seeing soon. I got my own ways of researching them too. lol

So why is this happening? You may ask. The answer is simple. Satanism has been in the news media for a few years now and they watch how our society reacts to this. One thing that is true about business is that people will always try to capitalize on trends. Do you remember 9-11? Remember all those flags? I recall seeing street vendors selling American flags for your car EVERYWHERE! Fuck, I should have invested in flags that year, lol. I am kidding, of course. We were so involved with the unfolding events that we were blind to the obvious. As an entrepreneur of over 20 years, I can tell you, these are things to watch for when you want to jump at the chance of turning a quick buck. Just like the Fidget Spinner, remember that one? That was last summers HYPE!

Satanism has been around for decades and very few people had stepped into the space to cater to Satanists. These days, you got major companies that are NOT Satanic but will sell you SOMETHING with Satanic imagery to make a quick buck or perhaps wing you into other interests that they may have in their catalog, for example, KILLSTAR. Yeah, that famous company that nobody knows where they are based out of nor their background on how they got started. Everyone knows MINE. I tell it often. I make every attempt to earn your business. I tell me story, my background, my beliefs, EVERYTHING to earn your VOTE via purchases. I am not one to slap a Seal of Lucifer on a pair of leggings and hope that you like it, NO. Not at all. I created jewelry because its a piece you can wear every single day, 24/7 and jewelry carries more respect than the clothes people wear. Often times, jewelry is expensive and for those who pay the premium price UNDERSTAND that its not just a piece of metal. It can be a valuable precious metal but with meaning, its SO MUCH MORE. Its the reason why people pass down jewelry to their heirs. Its not just for the value but for the meaning. Hence, jewelry was the space few had been able to fill with a good quality product and craftsmanship (eye appeal). Killstar is a little bit of everything, in my opinion, they sell a lot of items that cater to the Gothic lifestyle and of course, Satanic Goths. I am not saying they are horrible for it, but its clothing. You can ruin it and buy something new again. Clothes are designed to wear out. Jewelry is typically designed to last a lifetime. That's where I come in. Some items, I cannot guarantee for life but I can sure guarantee at least 2 years, no questions asked. Just pay shipping.

When it comes to buying something that carries a little more than just fashion, jewelry really does the job, day in, day out. For the person wearing it and for those who see it when YOU are around them. Its a statement, no doubt. And for the person selling it, wouldn't you think it's best to get it from someone who KNOWS you as a customer more? Someone who KNOWS the meaning of the symbols and how its sacred to the person who bears the symbols in their clothes are jewelry? You see, I draw comparisons with other companies you are familiar with but not because I want to say that they are bad or good but to seriously compare MYSELF with them. What sets me apart from most companies, that is the intent. I am not like Killstar or major brands. I got a story. I know the meaning of the items I sell. I am not putting a bunch of symbols together to sway you. I know what looks good and what doesn't and more importantly, I have what the Chinese sellers do not have, creativity.

It is important for me to put this blog out for your understanding of how things work themselves out to be in the end. Businesses and Entrepreneurs alike follow trends. Then there's the one's that start a product line because its part of their personality, their passion, and their desire to create products that are sacred, symbolic, and/or meaningful. These Chinese sellers on Amazon do not know Satanism. They copy what they think they can sell to compete someone that is successful in servicing others in niche markets. Once the "trend' is perceived to be over, they move on to other items...or NOT. You just never know with them but they are notorious for stealing ideas a root cause for killing small business.

This is equally important for me to put this out there to win your support by stating what sets us apart from other sellers. Every purchase is a vote to keep this site going. The longer I can stay, the more likely I will bring new ideas to market. Lilith is the most recent one. If they knock that piece off, I expect it to happen within 6 months to a year from now. I truly hope they do not. There's never been a modern LILITH pendant like the one I created until now. A much necessary upgrade if you ask me.

And with that, I just want to close once again by thanking everyone whom has gotten this site to where it is today, Alot of growth since 2013 when it all began. I hope that I can continue to grown the line of products and we all admire.

Study the products to find the flaws. That is typically a sure tell sign of who they are if they have no story to tell. Then, think about how supporting them will work for you down the road. There IS a thing called Brand Loyalty in the business world. That is what keeps the brands going for years to come. Do you remember Toys R Us? They had toys, just like Amazon. But people forgot the EXPERIENCE they had as kids to walk into a world full of toys we referred to as a STORE. And for that, the brand began to fail. The experience no longer mattered. Everyone just wanted toys and not the experience. Do you not think that makes a difference? Do you think a Chinese seller considers your religion in mind when putting this stuff out there? I DO. It fucking matters! YOU MATTER!

Satanists MATTER!

Ave Satanas!

~ Xerxes