I Pledge To Buy Handmade:  Watch Out Wally World
Words: MacKenzie Pause

In the age of corporate layoffs and outsourcing, the idea of banning these greedy monopolies sounds more appealing by the second.  I'll admit that I've been bitching about many of these companies for years, but then out of convenience (or utter lack of options), I've found myself in the checkout lane of my archenemy.

As I've been known to say before, there is only one thing I hate more than Jimmy Buffet. I won't name any names, but let's just say it rhymes with Small-Fart. They may stink, but they are anything but small, and these conglomerates control the masses. We are brainwashed by sales and extremely clever consumer marketing. How many times have you gone to one of said superstores and walked out with bags of things you never thought you needed? "But they were on sale," you say to excuse yourself, or "I may need this someday." That super-sale just made that pile in the back of your closet grow to a mound.

As the years add on, and my wisdom exudes (insert smirk here), I find myself caring about the conditions in which my products are made. I want a guarantee that the shirt on my back wasn't made by a minor working a fourteen-hour shift for three cents an hour.

However, I recently discovered the world of handmade products. Etsy.com has allowed artists and craftsters to make and sell everything handmade from clothing, jewelry, bath products and stationary, to furniture, geekery (everything under the sun, even pirate theme products), plants, edibles and wedding accessories. The list doesn't end there. You name it, and someone on Etsy makes it.

Purchases made in recent years would have made my teen punk rock, DIY way of thinking cringe. What made it okay to buy that dress from Target in my twenties? When I was fifteen I would have spent a day thrift store shopping to find that perfect, completely unique dress. Did the corporate marketing get to me? Did I fall for advertising campaigns, and promises of the best prices? I think most of our culture has succumbed to this consumerism, and with these stores sprouting up in every small town and major metropolis, it's hard not to.

In the age of this corporate saturation, who wouldn't want to support local artists? Your money goes directly to the creator, who most likely made the item with TLC. A handmade product is one-of-a-kind, something completely unique. That individualism doesn't exist in department stores that just contribute to a society of clones.

Very importantly – and not always thought of – buying handmade helps the environment. Mass production is one of the major causes of global warming and air pollution, not to mention the slew of environmental abuses that come with the existence of these super stores. Lush farmland and natural habitats are destroyed while local water becomes polluted from rapid building, improper cleaning of construction sites and handling of pesticides and fertilizers sold on premises.  Recycled or environmentally conscious products are frequently used in the making of handmade goods.  Each purchase through something like Etsy.com is a small blow to large scale manufacturing and a step in the right direction.

Each month, I will feature an artist, giving REAX readers an alternative to the big box. Local craft events that promote this consumer lifestyle will also be featured.

Stop being fooled by the supposed "sales." Support artists and join me in my Handmade Crusade!

buyhandmade.org
etsy.com