Why do you buy handmade? Is it a priority for you? In the past, to be honest, I bought from Etsy sheerly because of the amazing variety and the affordability of certain items.
Over the years my thinking changed. Before starting my blog I did a lot of research and it gave me the hard facts I needed to shift my spending patterns. I read in article after article from mainstream and well respected newspapers about continued concerns with the conditions for workers in overseas factories. Further to that it was noted that many factories do not have appropriate environmental standards.
The transition to shopping handmade hasn’t been perfect for me. Overall I find myself shopping a lot less generally. This probably isn’t a bad thing – but I do find from time to time that I buy things at the mall that could be found on Etsy or at smaller shops here in Vancouver that carry clothing and other items that are manufactured in North America.
Scoutie Girl wrote an interesting post the other day and one point in particular that she made really hit home for me. To really increase my spend on handmade products – I’m going to need to plan ahead.
So – I started tonight. I need a good messenger style bag – and sure I could find one at pretty much any mall location. And it would probably be cheaper than the gorgeous grey letter bag that I found from Moop. And I’d be able to get it tomorrow and not wait a few weeks to receive it. But since I can wait, and because I want to support handmade and everything it stands for – this is the one I’m planning to get.
I’d love to hear your story and how buying handmade fits into your life!
tara - scoutie girl says
April 21, 2010 at 2:09 amHey Amy! Thanks for linking to Scoutie Girl!
I can tell you – you will not at all be disappointed waiting for your Moop bag. I have a small gray clutch that I've had for about a year and it is truly fantastic. When I think about grabbing a new one out of the sheer desire for "new", I remember how awesome what I already have is and promptly do an about face.
Have a good one! Stumbled this post for ya!
sharon says
April 21, 2010 at 2:51 ami have always created… but business of life made me start shopping more and making less… until our family went through a very sad time and i have found how healing creating is and delved back into it more passionately than ever before! this is a great post :) – if you want to read more about why I make handmade you can check out my blog…
sharon says
April 21, 2010 at 2:51 amand as far as buying handmade i like to support others who are following their passion!
amy says
April 21, 2010 at 4:20 amhey tara – that's great to re: moop – i hear you re: the "new" – sometimes so tempting… thanks for the comment and the stumble :)
Lisa says
April 22, 2010 at 2:27 amBuying handmade doesn't always make fiscal sense – handmade items can cost more (my Moop letter bag was $135; I can get a similar sized canvas bag at Target for $25) and if they don't work out, sellers often don't permit returns or have very short return windows. It is difficult to resell handmade items too – I once tried to resell a Moop market bag that was practically brand new and the highest price I was able to get for it was $30 (a loss of $60). But. That all being said, I enjoy supporting US businesses and putting money back into our economy. I enjoy knowing exactly who I'm paying for a product. I enjoy the personal level of customer service (Wendy at Moop is super sweet!!). I enjoy knowing that attention and care went into my bag, and that the money I spend is stimulating local economies. While it doesn't always make fiscal sense for me personally, it does make sense on a more national level, as well as an emotional level. I also have to be more careful about what I buy now (since I can't resell anything!) so in that sense, I'm buying less and enjoying items I own more. Win-win.
Beverly Rustica says
April 23, 2010 at 5:23 amI've never really thought about it that way, but I guess I do plan ahead. There are certain handmade products that I know I want to keep on hand, so if I notice I'm running low on one of those things (soap, candles, jam, etc.) I go ahead and buy more. A few days later, there it is on my doorstep.
Some handmade things are just so fabulous they'd be worth waiting for in any event, the camera case I fell in love with when I saw it on TH and waited weeks for, comes to mind; dyedianadye's custom pieces; the artisan pottery tiles I get from Emu Tile.
So I guess it does take a little extra effort to buy handmade. But it's well worth it.
Wendy says
January 16, 2016 at 9:41 amThanks for reposting this article! It’s as relevant as ever in our rapidly changing economy to support fellow makers and thinkers and talkers. Thanks again for the continued support of our growing business!
xo,
Wendy
Moop / owner
http://www.moopshop.com