Try Handmade

Shopping blog featuring products made by people not factories.

Leap of Faith: How to Shop Confidently for Handmade Goods

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[hBeverly]

You’ve browsed and searched for handmade goods and have found some things you’d love to purchase. How can you be sure you’ve selected an artist who will ship your item promptly, communicate with you as needed, and make sure your package arrives safely to your door?

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photograph by g(ART)en

Fortunately, it’s rare to find an artist doesn’t ship at all and it’s relatively easy to deal with that sort of issue if it does occur. The best way to be fully protected (and I would say this about any online purchase) is to pay with a major credit card. In the unlikely event there’s a serious problem you can, as a last resort, report it to your credit card company. They’ll will take the charge off of your bill while they sort it out.

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oil painting by Matt Talbert

If the item you’ve chosen is on Etsy, you can check an artist’s feedback to be sure there have been no major problems before you commit. Some of the other venues also have feedback ratings, so check them before you purchase. Sometimes the number of sales by an artist can be an indicator of experience selling and shipping, but often new artists will be just as conscientious so don’t let a lack of sales stop you if you find something you really love.

Most venues have a Policies page for each artist’s shop, so look for it before buying. You should find complete information about shipping and returns. If you have a question, send an email or “convo” and ask. If you don’t feel comfortable with an artist’s policies, or if the information is sketchy, don’t make the purchase. An email will also give you an idea of the communication you can expect later in the process. In most cases you should get a response within 24 hours; if it takes longer than 48 hours you may want to rethink the purchase. Normally an artist who is away longer than two days will have put their shop in “Vacation Mode” or at least added a note on their main shop page letting you know.

The venues themselves do not normally get too involved in transaction issues. You can report not receiving an item, but that’s usually about as far as it goes. The Amazon A-Z Guarantee applies to all 1000markets purchases, and Paypal also has a Buyer Protection Policy although it apparently only applies to ebay purchases. Both of these have specific requirements, so be sure to check them out ahead of time if you’re going to be relying on them.

Before taking any action with a third party, be sure you’ve given the artist an adequate amount of time to create and ship your purchase. It’s a good idea to communicate with the artist before buying to ask when they would be able to ship so you’ll have an idea of when to expect it. If it’s a gift or is needed on a specific date, leave plenty of time for creation and shipping and ask if you have any doubt.

If a problem does arise, your first step should be to contact the artist. Most will do whatever it takes to make it right.. And more times than not you will have discovered an artist that you’d be happy to purchase from again.

The Art of Buying Handmade: Where to Start

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[hBeverly]

You’ve made the decision: More handmade purchases from here on out. You know you’ll be getting superior goods and excellent value, and every dime will go towards supporting artisans who hopefully also have made the commitment to support other artists whenever possible.
 
So now what? How do you go about putting your decision into action on an everyday basis? Let’s start with an overview of some of the major handmade venues… the places online where artists show their handmade goods and offer them for sale.
 
Etsy is the largest venue that is (sort of) dedicated to handmade goods. If you’re looking for a handmade item, chances are good it is located somewhere on Etsy. The problem will be finding it in the vast number of items and limited search capabilities. The site is not juried, so anyone with 20 cents, a credit card and a self made item (or any supply, or vintage item) can set up a shop. Separating the great work from the mediocre can be a challenge, which is one reason why sites like Try Handmade are so helpful to buyers.

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vendor apron by Zemphira

 
Etsy is set up mostly for browsing… you can browse in many different ways, by category, by item color, by artists with no sales, gift guides, etc. Searching for a specific item is a bit more problematic, mostly because Etsy expects you to adapt to their way of finding things, which isn’t particularly intuitive. The front page is attractive, but is limited to showing work with the “Etsy look”. If that happens to also be your look, you’re in luck. Purchasing is a multi step process, paying is a separate step usually via Paypal. You must have an account to purchase, and you must pay each artist separately. I could go on forever about Etsy, there is quite a lot going on there and many options to play with, but for now I’ll just say that if you have an unlimited amount of time you will find a lot  to browse.
 
Artfire, still in beta, is also sort of dedicated to handmade. If the front page jumble doesn’t drive you away, there are plenty of handmade goods to explore. The much smaller Artfire is similar to Etsy in a number of ways, but seems to want to make sure supplies get equal billing. You can browse categories, and search categories (which for me does not seem to be working that well at the moment, but it’s new). The main search requires that you click off “Design/Media” and “Supplies/Vintage” every single time to search for “Handmade/Fine Art” which can be very annoying. And the explosion of ad boxes on virtually every non-studio page is distracting at best.

vendor apron by Polly Danger

 
Artfire is also not juried, so there are  a lot of marginal goods but also a lot of real gems if you know how to find them. Purchasing has a payment step separate from buying (also usually Paypal), but they do not require that you open an Artfire account to purchase. Along with their “Rapid Cart” function, this is an excellent feature that allows you to shop and purchase from artists away from the actual Artfire site (I’ll explore that option more in a future article). Like Etsy, if you purchase from more than one artist, you will need to pay them separately if you use your credit card via Paypal.
 
1000Markets, in “Sneak Preview”, is an interesting addition to the handmade venue options online. They do not currently allow supplies or vintage and are lightly juried. They are set up to function as a large group of “markets”, boutique type groupings of shops that present their work with a unifying theme such as a children’s market, a wedding market, or a specific location, for example. Each market has it’s own categories, products, search, list of artists, blog and usually a forum when buyers are welcome to meet the artists. The unique value to this venue is in finding the markets that interest you and shopping them directly. Right now this means browsing the markets available via the Browse Markets link on the front page (brace yourself, there are currently 11 pages of Markets) or search for themes that interest you, then click “Just Markets” to find those Markets that apply. But once you’re plugged into compatible markets you will always have a “boutique” in which to find the latest work in your particular area of interest. Clicking an item in a Market will take you to that item in the artist’s shop where you can communicate with the artist and purchase from them directly.

business card holder by HAREandDRUM

 
The site wide categories at 1000Markets are currently being introduced and so are still being populated (and are not yet visible to buyers as of this writing). They are unique in that they are being chosen by suggestions from the artists themselves, which allows for a bit more customization than is the norm… categories are made to fit the work instead of trying to force the work to fit into a predetermined category. The search function, however, is limited due to the small number of items returned on each page. The front page is inviting, with seven markets presented at any one time. Items on the front page are attractively (and mostly randomly) presented so you get a good overview of the type of work available. As with the other venues, purchases are made directly from the artists, but with a twist. Payments are made through Amazon Payments, which is great if you are US based and already have an Amazon account… you log in to Amazon and pay through their system. This allows you to pay for items from many artists at once, and does not require a different transaction for each artist’s work as on the other venues. Amazon also has a purchase guarantee, but does not support international buying or selling. You will need to open a separate 1000Markets account to purchase.
 
These are but three of the many, many venues available from which to purchase handmade goods online. Start with these, and I’ll continue exploring the available options in a future article.

Changing the world one purchase at a time

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Holy cow, how have I never heard of Nest before? It’s a non-profit group dedicated to giving micro-loans to women in developing countries so that they can create businesses with their crafting and art. Wow! What a fantastic idea!

“One is not born into the world to do everything but to do something.” – Henry David Thoreau

Nest is a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the lives of women in developing countries. The mission of Nest is to support women artists and artisans in the developing world by helping them create sustainable entrepreneurial businesses. To do this, Nest provides micro-credit loans to be used for the purchase of the supplies and materials necessary to begin and/or maintain art or craft-based businesses.

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The funds for these loans are generated by selling a unique line of clothing, accessories and merchandise for the home produced exclusively for Nest by a group of artists and designers. The Nest line also includes ceramic pottery, women’s clothing and other items with the Nest logo. In addition to these exclusive items created by well-known designers, the recipients of Nest loans in developing countries also make their crafts available to Nest as repayment for the micro-credit loans. These items, too, are incorporated into the Nest line of merchandise. In this way, Nest draws together artists from across the globe into a cooperative network with a shared vision of mutual support. more…

There are so many ways to get involved in Nest. You can host a trunk show featuring work from loan recipients, help Nest with an event near you, apply for a limited spot selling your own goods on their site, donate money to help fund loans, and much more.

Amazing — check them out.

How You Spend Matters: The Case for Buying Handmade

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I’m delighted to introduce Beverly Rustica who will be writing an occasional column here called “Why Handmade.” Beverly is all over the internet, including BeachyRustica, EtsyPatrons, and ByHand.me. Leave her questions in the comments if you have anything you want answered about purchasing handmade goods. She’ll be happy to share her wealth of wisdom with you :)

:: Erika

~

[hBeverly]

There has been a significant amount of discussion around the virtual water cooler lately focusing on how we as consumers choose to spend.  When faced with making a needed purchase, we often look first to value. But given the opportunity, many of us would prefer to see our purchases do more than just provide something we need or want. We’d like our purchases to have a positive impact on our lives, and the lives of others.

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There are many ways to accomplish this. Some of us purchase organic products for the good of the planet, or buy locally in an effort to positively impact our local economy. Some of us reject plastic packaging, or avoid purchasing items from countries with poor records of treating workers fairly. But one thing is certain in today’s economic environment… how you spend does matter.
 
I’d like to make the case for buying handmade. Choosing to buy handmade goods on a regular basis is a great way to obtain an excellent item at a fair price, and to have a significant impact on the lives of others at the same time. Handmade work often offers superb value; if you’re looking for the best quality product, nothing can beat work that’s been carefully crafted, one piece at a time, by a skilled artisan. In many cases customized touches are available to handmade work that make that item unique to you, often at nominal extra cost. 

 
Many of the shops you’ll find selling handmade goods at various venues across the web are one or two person businesses that will bend over backwards to make sure you’re satisfied. If you need something special, they’re usually happy to accommodate. Want a handwritten note included with a gift purchase? Most are delighted to include one.

In addition, when you purchase a handmade item, you can be sure that your purchase matters to the artist or craftsman from whom you’ve chosen to buy. You’re not just a number, you’re someone who is helping that artisan make a living. It’s not just a purchase. It’s personal. And more often than not, those who sell handmade also buy handmade, using the funds you provide to enhance the lives, work, and well-being of other artisans.

 
So if you like the idea of buying handmade goods, please check back often. In this space I’ll cover navigating the online world of handmade from a buyer’s perspective. I hope to help you find and purchase handmade items on a regular basis, get the products you need and want, and have a positive impact on the lives of others at the same time.

Excuse me while I whip this out

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BadgeI’ve had an amazing time writing this blog over the past 7 months, and I thank each and every one of you who takes the time to read. I love comments too, but clicking through to check out the featured artists is all I really ask of you.

The goal of this site is to shed light on the amazing work being done by independent artists, crafters and artisans all over the world, and to encourage folks to think twice about big box stores and name brands before shopping. I have lots of plans for 2009, but first I want to thank you all for a fabulous 2008 :)

As a Christmas present to myself, I contacted the very talented (and whip-smart hilarious) Laurie Smithwick of LEAP Design, and Try Handmade now sports lovely badges for your enjoyment and distribution. Here is the code for one, but there are several badges to choose from.

And for those of you who aren’t in(s)ane like me, this 8 second video shows where I got the title of this post. One of the very funniest movies ever :)

(Oh yeah, I know I said I was done posting for 2008 yesterday, but I couldn’t help myself!)