The Benefits of Buying Handmade Arts & Crafts!
There are a multitude of hand made crafters out there, just hoping you will take a moment to consider their hard work and handmade items. But what are the advantages to you as a shopper buying handmade crafts and gifts? They are many.
Handmade crafts and original artwork provide you with a level of individuality not available from mass market retailers. Each crafter brings their own design and creativity to their projects. Even given the same pattern, handmade crafters will produce outcomes with a variety of colors, textures, fabrics and sizes. In contrast to mass producers of machine made retail items, crafters lack the ability to produce products in vast quantities. It is this lack of volume capability that results in unique purchasing; The likelihood of you running into the same handcrafted purchase in your neighbor’s home is slim, even if the crafter sold 20 of the same design. You are much less likely to run into a hand crafted item than one you purchased from a store that had 20 at each of their locations.
Another way that handmade crafts and original artwork promote unique purchasing is your direct contact with the producer of the work. Most crafters welcome, even encourage, custom orders. Crafters are happy to have you commission an offering to suit your color preferences, sizes or decor. Given this ability, you can truly control your interior design.
Taking all of this into consideration, hand made crafts offer many more gift giving options for those impossible to buy for people on your holiday and birthday lists. The person that “has everything” really does not, and a trip around your local craft fair or online craft mall is sure to turn up something new.
Crafts are often higher in quality as well. A small crafts person has only their unique talent and product to speak to their buyers. A crafter who does not set a high quality standard for themselves will not see repeat customers, and word will soon get around that their work is shoddy. A bad reputation spells disaster for crafters. Furthermore, hand crafters and artisans are in their respective businesses for the love of the work. They want to take pride in a job well done as much as they want to sell it.
One main reason people often neglect to take advantage of buying from craftspeople is that buyers think all hand crafted items and original artwork carry a high price tag. Although hours spent producing one item and the cost of materials can make this true, it is just as frequently not the case. Retailers selling high end designer dolls and accessories use the name to raise prices for the latest trend. A handy seamstress can produce clothes for these standard size toys for a fraction of the name brand price. Likewise, talented artists without a name for themselves will often offer competitive or lower than market value prices for their artwork as a means of building a client base. “Starving Artist” sales are held periodically throughout the country to support those trying to break into the business.
Many people do not shop regularly for crafts because they think they have to go out of their way. This is really not the case, especially in this age of technology. Not only are local craft fairs abundant, but crafts can also be bought at local outlets such as craft stores (many of which carry local crafts on consignment), Farmer’s Markets and fundraisers. In rural areas it may be easier and more economical to get to these places than to spend hours out of your day and a tank full of gas getting to a large retailer. A burgeoning presence on the internet are online craft websites, online craft fairs, craft malls and handmade items on online auction sites. Often individual crafters maintain websites to showcase and sell their newest productions as well. These sites offer you all the convenience of online shopping, without having to track down a local fair.
The personal interaction with the producer that is often the benefit of shopping with craftspeople and artisans is frequently the reason that customers choose not to shop craft fairs. Customers may want to peruse a booth, but feel that they have to buy from the seller or face disappointing, even insulting them. This difficulty is alleviated by online craft shops, but it is also a myth worth dispelling. While a crafter is obviously hoping to make a sale, they also appreciate your interest in their items. Crafters are consumers like the rest of the population, and they understand that their product may not suit your need or interest. Offered in a constructive manner, crafters welcome feedback on their offerings whether or not you make a purchase.
As consumer shopping options change and grow, handmade items are often overlooked. With the emergence of handmade craft shopping sites and their entrance into online auctions, crafts are becoming available to the public in increasingly convenient ways, and they are bringing all the benefits of their uniqueness, quality and pricing with them.
