Farmers market in Portsmouth made me question the whole handmade label

I stopped by the Portsmouth farmers market last Saturday and counted 5 booths selling resin coasters and wooden signs with the same generic quotes. One seller admitted they bought the wood precut from a bulk supplier and just sanded the edges. Meanwhile the lady next to them was selling handwoven baskets she made from reeds she gathered herself, charging $45 each. Everyone raves about the resin stuff but I think we are diluting what handmade actually means. Why do we celebrate someone who assembles parts as much as the person doing the real craft from scratch?

2 comments

2 Comments

alice1217d ago

Those 5 resin booths probably sell more in one weekend than that basket weaver does in a month, which says a lot about what buyers actually value. I wonder if the distinction even matters to most people, or if they just want something that looks nice on a shelf. Do you think the term handmade is still useful, or has it just become a marketing word like organic?

lilycraig6d ago

buyers actually value" is the key part honestly. I used to stress over labels too, but people just want stuff that looks good and fits their vibe, handmade or not. I stopped calling things "artisan" and just made cool shit, and sales went up. It's basically just a buzzword now, but that's fine, the product does the talking.