Buying American

I helped at a craft fair yesterday. I'm not really much of a craft fair person, but the Friends of the Sac City Shelter Animals had a booth and I contributed a few things (jewelry, which didn't sell) and spent the day helping out at the booth.

The event was at the Elks and has been popular in past years. Yesterday the turnout was dismal. We recouped the cost of our tables because I had sold $25 of jewelry in advance and we had lots of $1 items. Because there were so few customers -- at any given time there were more vendors and members of the sponsoring organization than shoppers -- I got to go look at other tables and visit with the craftspeople/artists who were selling. Or not selling. Everybody took home most of what they brought. I talked to one lady I happen to know who was selling very high quality beadwork. She uses pearls, cubic zirconia beads, and real stone. She has experience and does beautiful work. She was offering her items at about what the materials cost and selling almost nothing. I saw nearly life-size lighted snowmen (very cute) for $15 and hand-quilted tote bags for $8. We had some nice knit scarfs for $10. We had 24 and sold only 8. Again, not selling. Our biggest sellers were candy and dog biscuits.

While wandering around I did buy a couple of things at other booths to add to Christmas gifts. Also a hand painted scarf for a young freind who recently got her PhD (I had been looking for a little something to say "congrats") at a booth where the woman was also selling quite nice oil paintings.

We all want to find things that were made in the USA. I'm realizing that one of the best places to do so is at local craft fairs. Like Farmers Markets, this is sustainable commerce and nothing is manufactured in sweat shops. You actually get to purchase your small gift or personal treat from the person who made it. All this at prices that are about as good as WalMart. I will make a practice of checking out craft fairs in the future.