8 Reasons To Purchase Handmade Over Commercial Products

This list was composed by a fellow Etsyian and is being reprinted with her permission. I feel very strongly about this topic and I think this list is well written and may be a catalyst for others to begin experiencing handmade items. I guarantee, once you use a bar of soap, or wear a knit hat, or don a pair of earrings that was made by an artistic person with whom you had some measure of contact, you will cherish that item.

1. Handmade products are unique. Do you really want the same scarf, mug, earrings, necklace or other item that 20,000 other people have? Of course not! Handmade items are always unique, even if they are the same type of product because they are not made by machines they are crafted by human beings so each piece will have its’ own unique characteristics.

2. Handmade items have personality. Life is not about being blah. Life is about expressing yourself and to do that your things need to have as much personality as you do. If you are happy with buying mass produced items that have no personality off a shelf at Wal Mart think about what that says about you. Don’t you want to express some personality?

3. Handmade items are special. When you get a gift don’t you feel a little bit more loved when someone gives you a handmade gift? Everyone loves getting handmade gifts or wearing something that was made just for them.

4. Handmade items last longer. Because they are made from high quality materials and handcrafted by trained artists items that are handmade last longer than low quality imported mass produced items.

5. Handmade goods are high quality. If you are a person who values the quality of an item more than the price then you already know that handmade items are far superior to mass produced items. While a mass produced item may be cheaper initially is it really cheaper when the item needs to be replaced a month later? When quality matters, go handmade!6. Handmade items are not made by children in sweatshops in Third World countries making 10 cents a day. Experienced and trained craftspeople make each handmade item. So while you might pay a few dollars more for a handmade item it’s because you are paying for quality materials, years of experience, artistic talent, and well-honed craftsmanship. Isn’t that worth paying for?

7. When you buy handmade you are supporting traditional arts and crafts techniques that have passed down through generations. In today’s high tech world the old arts and crafts traditions are being replaced by mass production but when you buy handmade you are saying that you prefer your items to be high quality pieces of art instead of mass produced trinkets.

8. When you buy handmade you are supporting local and small businesses. By paying artists and craftspeople for their goods you are supporting them and all the businesses that they do business with. If you are a person who believes in supporting your community economically then buying from local artists is a great way to support your community and make sure that your money goes to support local businesses.

Keep these things in mind the next time you see a scarf, a bracelet, some great handmade soap or other item and think, "I could get that for half price at Wal Mart."!

originally written and reprinted from http://www.cozycatscarves.squarespace.com

Entering the World of Blog :)

I feel like I've landed in a foreign land. Blogs are for other people...not me. Or so I thought.

I recently joined the Etsy community http://www.etsy.com/ - an amazingly talented group of folks that exhibit and sell their handmade (totally handmade) work on a group website. Based on an article a few days ago in the New York Times, this little venture started just 2 years ago is taking off now fast and furious. Over $4 million dollars worth of handmade art/craft was sold on Etsy just in the month of November. December is already a record breaker.

So in the few weeks I've been on Etsy, I've learned a lot about self-promotion.....and a lot about blogs. I thought I would start a blog and just begin to ramble to myself and see how it goes. I may find it disconcerting to talk to myself...or I may find I love it.

I plan on working on my Profile next, so I won't give all that info here. I will list a few of my items currently on Etsy so you can take a peek if you'd like.