Comments on: Quality goods made by real people

Question: Quality goods made by real people

dance — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:36:19 -0800

Talented people making high quality goods (belts, wooden objects, pens, misc leather items , clothes, manuscript books, etc) at reasonable prices.

A recent askme thread whetted my appetite for lovingly crafted objects created by real people who have a talent and a passion for their work, and are maybe selling on eBay...or via a personal website.
These things are perhaps made simply but effectively, or in a traditional way - and the seller's aim is usually not massive profit but just to see their quality goods used by happy customers.

Or maybe people who refurbish antiques, get them working again and sell them on?

A real world example is a man called David Naish who sells his high quality leather wallets, belts, pouches etc from a bridge in Jesmond Dene, Newcastle, England for very small amounts of money.

By: leapfrog

leapfrog — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:40:25 -0800

Isn't this what Etsy is about?

By: philip-random

philip-random — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:47:02 -0800

Is there a question here that you seek an answer to?

By: dance

dance — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 09:06:42 -0800

not so random there, Phil, right on the mark!

Yes, I forgot to say - Tips, please!!

Thanks to leapfrog who read between the lines.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 09:55:08 -0800

[removed link to ebay store - put it in your profile if it's critical to this post]

By: PatoPata

PatoPata — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:32:44 -0800

If you like beadwork and leather, you might like Neokistomi, run by a pair of women who create Blackfeet chokers and other goods.

By: Class Goat

Class Goat — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:35:01 -0800

Here in Portland, the place/time to go for this kind of thing is "Saturday Market". I'm sure that other cities have equivalent things.

By: LunaticFringe

LunaticFringe — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:42:06 -0800

I bought a custom made travel journal from here and I absolutely love it. It's perfect and, since it was handmade for me, definitely unique. The artist was super easy to deal with and prompt as well. If you're after handmade books, this is the place.

By: pineapple

pineapple — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:00:32 -0800

I like Elsewares for this sort of thing.

By: desuetude

desuetude — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:31:38 -0800

What do you consider a reasonable amount of money? Making a living as a sole proprietor producing handcrafted goods is tough. The cost isn't generally reflecting huge profit margins, it reflects high overhead and time-consuming labor.

By: seasparrow

seasparrow — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:59:26 -0800

Usually on a thread like this, someone will mention Cool Tools, an excellent blog that highlights one item each day. I guess that someone is me. The highlighted "tool" can be a gadget, a book, or anything that is useful. Some of the items will fit your definition. For example, a leather craftsman in Idaho makes superb handmade cases for geologist's tools, including a lovely case that fits moleskine notebooks. I bought one based on the recommendation, and it is rugged and does a great job protecting my notebook. It also looks beautiful.

By: louche mustachio

louche mustachio — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:14:34 -0800

It's not a mass store or anything, but my father makes pens, pencils, magnifying glasses, keychains, bells, whistles, etc.

Dad link

I also have a friend who does custom leather work. He used to work as a bookbinder. His aesthetic is pretty weird (ask him to carve a platypus into the flap on your bag and he will love you forever.) Joey Marez