I was doing some product research today when I stumbled upon a bracelet at a very fancy department store. I was looking at beaded friendship bracelets after posting about some I made on my general crafty blog.
The bracelet I found had 5 or 6 rows of beads woven in a pattern on leather cord. It was beautiful! But I am quite bothered by the price. It was being sold for $10!!!! The bracelet was clearly marked as imported and was not on sale. This means that the store maybe paid $3 for the bracelet and company that imported it maybe paid $1 for it. This is not sustainable! If you are going to buy a piece of jewelry that is imported, please make sure fair trade policies are followed! It is not fair trade for anyone when handmade items are sold at a fraction of their worth. We have to take responsibility for our spending. Choose to support workers / artisans by purchasing where fair trade policies are followed! Better yet? Support your local artisans. Arts are a vital part of the community and the economy.
