Qti.ai

Kevin Merck: Ne’re a Naysaying Nosferatu

This week, What I Bought vs What I Got went down to Georgia to meet Kevin “Turkey” Merck, whose freakishly inventive, hand sculpted ceramic mugs could only be the result of a pact with Lucifer herself. Kevin’s gruesome, hand sculptured pieces are not for the faint of heart, but for those of you who like a little gore (or a lot) with your warm beverage of choice, Turkey Merck is the haven for you.

So, consider yourself forewarned, dear reader, and be prepared to unearth just how much carnage you can stomach while you delight in your ghoulish mug of morning joe.

Location: Buford, Georgia, USA

Kevin Merck’s fascination with the macabre goes back to his high school days, where he first began to put an edge on his craft. More than two decades later, he has found himself a far-reaching force in the dark realm of functional fright. His heady ceramic compositions are coveted by collectors the world over; often selling out within minutes of being released to the public. Nevertheless, if you find yourself lucky enough to be a regular collector, Kevin will invite you to enjoy a private release, where he will put his finest foot forward and shower you with limited addition earthenware delights.

Left: Released only to Turkey Merck’s collectors as an ode to Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker. Right: The first Nosferatu style mug, also only released to collectors. Kevin has used this style several times over the years with different colors.

For fifteen of those creative years, Kevin has owned and operated TurkeyMerck.com, the place to find your favorite ceramic monstrosity. With mug names like “Gruesome Greg”, “Jawbone Jake”, and “Crimson Nosferatu”, you’re sure to find everything you’ve ever wanted in a frightful flagon. Turkey Merck’s mugs are painstakingly handcrafted and custom painted. And, while many a finished product is similar, each one has been lovingly reworked to ensure that Kevin’s already uncommon mugs are truly one-of-a-kind.

Unsurprisingly, this blood bath bon vivant has become a target for e-commerce and dropshipping scams near and far. His ceramic masterpieces are deceptively peddled on well-known wholesale sites like AliExpress and Alibaba, and on formerly trusted sites like Amazon, Walmart, and even Etsy. Like so many other legitimate online retailers, these misleading sites have hurt his trade and bruised his brand, as many of those who are deceived assume that Turkey Merck is behind the rubbish they eventually receive from a scam site.

Looking to get his images permanently removed from platforms that knowingly host scam sites, Kevin found Qti.ai on Facebook and signed up for Brand Protection and Monitoring. Qti.ai now monitors e-commerce platforms for him, identifying copyright infringements and issuing take-down demands on Turkey Merck’s behalf; proactively halting scams from using his images and content before they can register a new store.

A counterfeit mug that consumers will receive if they place an order on a scam e-commerce website.

Qti.ai’s unprecedented approach to scam fighting is taking the e-commerce world by storm; combating double-dealing merchants all over the globe and providing independent artists and designers affordable brand protection. Allowing these talented souls to get back to what they do best, rather than unproductively struggling to have images and content removed from counterfeit sites.

You may be wondering where Kevin found the unique name for his website. And, while “Turkey Merck” is certainly a curious title, Kevin prefers to keep that story to himself. What I can tell you is this: the story behind the name is just as cool as the name itself, and there’s no need for Kevin to worry, because this girl will never tell.

Sarah Peak-Stacey
What I Bought vs. What I Got
Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

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