I’ve gotten a lot of comments about my business and buying handmade in general. Some think it’s overpriced; some say they don’t trust the quality of something made by the average Joe in their home. These are all fair questions and I encourage this kind of conversation amongst buyers. You shouldn’t have to walk away from a purchase because of unanswered questions! I compiled a list of the top 5 reasons (although I could post about a million) to buy handmade. I hope these reasons give you a bit more comfort in browsing Etsy or your local farmers markets and art walks.
REASON #1: Supporting the local economy!
This reason should be a no brainer! When was the last time you went to your local chain and saw “Made in China” slapped on a bar of soap or a t-shirt? Pretty often! When you buy handmade you buy from someone in your community. Many artisans and crafters source from inside the US and supporting them means you support local suppliers as well! All of my supplies are bought from US vendors and I try to stay as close to home as I can. The soy wax in my wax tarts is made from soybeans by US farmers! I feel good supporting farmers and you can feel good supporting a local artisan!
REASON #2: Direct line of service!
A huge benefit of being a small craft business is being a team… sometimes a team of one like myself! That’s a huge benefit to customers who have questions about the product or need assistance with an online order. Who else could answer your questions better than the creator? The best part is you don’t have to sit on hold listening to Kenny G for an hour waiting for service. I make sure to answer all of my Etsy conversations within 24-48 hours. A fast response is important to customers in the age of “get-it-now” technology. Do you think Dove will get back to you with the answers you want?
REASON #3: Better quality ingredients/materials!
Do you know whats in your bars of soap? Your lotions? I know you can tell me the scent and color but can you tell me what oils and butters? Whats artificial? Whats organic? Reading cosmetic labels from big name brands can be tricky. Even I sometimes struggle with it! Sometimes those labels hide cheap, artificial ingredients under the guise of a twenty letter word. When you buy handmade you can be sure cheap chemicals with harsh detergents are not in your products! I can tell you what my soap and wax tarts are made of without fear because I use quality ingredients! The first three ingredients in my soap are skin loving oils! Coconut, safflower and palm oil are the first 3 items in my ingredients. These are quality oils (the palm oil comes from a sustainable source and the glycerin in my soap is a kosher vegetable based one) that some companies don’t invest the money into. Glycerin is a huge example of this! Most “soaps” from big brands are missing this ingredient and act more like a detergent to dry out your skin. Glycerin attracts moisture to your skin to keep it moisturized and healthy!
REASON #4: Great for the environment!
Supporting your local city, state, country is one thing but what about our planet? Handmade artisans don’t make products in giant smoke spouting factories! Sure factories save you money by creating pallet sized batches but you pay for that in other ways. Our planet needs to be taken care of! Handmade artisans are focusing more on our planet from recycled metal jewelry to organic packaging. Even if a business doesn’t have the organic certifications you can believe that the methods of creation a far more eco-friendly!
REASON #5: Every item is different!
This is a mixed bag issue. Some people don’t like conformity. Others just want something that’s different from the rest. When you buy handmade you know that every item is just a little bit different! Many of my soaps feature a double pour which results in my colors showing differently each time. My vanilla bean bar is a great example of this! I poured ivory and brown from opposite ends of the mold and let the colors swirl on their own. As a result each bar looks different! I guarantee none of my soaps look the same! I think it’s special when a painting has a slightly different color or a scarf has a bit more texture than the rest. You’re buying something that’s for you with personality!
Keep up with my shop & social media!:
Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBlackCurrant
Instagram: http://instagram.com/theblackcurrantshop/
Twitter: @BlackCurrantWA
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR5WLIY4E4TzgMgWQau2uew
REASON #1: Supporting the local economy!
This reason should be a no brainer! When was the last time you went to your local chain and saw “Made in China” slapped on a bar of soap or a t-shirt? Pretty often! When you buy handmade you buy from someone in your community. Many artisans and crafters source from inside the US and supporting them means you support local suppliers as well! All of my supplies are bought from US vendors and I try to stay as close to home as I can. The soy wax in my wax tarts is made from soybeans by US farmers! I feel good supporting farmers and you can feel good supporting a local artisan!
REASON #2: Direct line of service!
A huge benefit of being a small craft business is being a team… sometimes a team of one like myself! That’s a huge benefit to customers who have questions about the product or need assistance with an online order. Who else could answer your questions better than the creator? The best part is you don’t have to sit on hold listening to Kenny G for an hour waiting for service. I make sure to answer all of my Etsy conversations within 24-48 hours. A fast response is important to customers in the age of “get-it-now” technology. Do you think Dove will get back to you with the answers you want?
REASON #3: Better quality ingredients/materials!
Do you know whats in your bars of soap? Your lotions? I know you can tell me the scent and color but can you tell me what oils and butters? Whats artificial? Whats organic? Reading cosmetic labels from big name brands can be tricky. Even I sometimes struggle with it! Sometimes those labels hide cheap, artificial ingredients under the guise of a twenty letter word. When you buy handmade you can be sure cheap chemicals with harsh detergents are not in your products! I can tell you what my soap and wax tarts are made of without fear because I use quality ingredients! The first three ingredients in my soap are skin loving oils! Coconut, safflower and palm oil are the first 3 items in my ingredients. These are quality oils (the palm oil comes from a sustainable source and the glycerin in my soap is a kosher vegetable based one) that some companies don’t invest the money into. Glycerin is a huge example of this! Most “soaps” from big brands are missing this ingredient and act more like a detergent to dry out your skin. Glycerin attracts moisture to your skin to keep it moisturized and healthy!
REASON #4: Great for the environment!
Supporting your local city, state, country is one thing but what about our planet? Handmade artisans don’t make products in giant smoke spouting factories! Sure factories save you money by creating pallet sized batches but you pay for that in other ways. Our planet needs to be taken care of! Handmade artisans are focusing more on our planet from recycled metal jewelry to organic packaging. Even if a business doesn’t have the organic certifications you can believe that the methods of creation a far more eco-friendly!
REASON #5: Every item is different!
This is a mixed bag issue. Some people don’t like conformity. Others just want something that’s different from the rest. When you buy handmade you know that every item is just a little bit different! Many of my soaps feature a double pour which results in my colors showing differently each time. My vanilla bean bar is a great example of this! I poured ivory and brown from opposite ends of the mold and let the colors swirl on their own. As a result each bar looks different! I guarantee none of my soaps look the same! I think it’s special when a painting has a slightly different color or a scarf has a bit more texture than the rest. You’re buying something that’s for you with personality!
Keep up with my shop & social media!:
Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBlackCurrant
Instagram: http://instagram.com/theblackcurrantshop/
Twitter: @BlackCurrantWA
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR5WLIY4E4TzgMgWQau2uew
