Do you love everything handmade but can’t explain why? Or, do you want to buy a handmade item but not sure if it’s a good decision?
Well…
You aren’t alone.
The “handmade effect,” according to a study published on the International Review of Management and Business Research (IRMBR) journal, positively impacts customers’ buying intention.
Handmade has a positive effect on buyers’ perception of product appeal, and even willingness to pay more for such items.
Also known as handicraft, handcrafted or homemade, handmade items (both high and low involvement) convey love, uniqueness, show status symbol, quality, and creativity. They’re also green, customizable and support local artisans and communities.
These attributes of handmade items explain their popularity among consumers.
According to the same study above, handmade items are often in high demand. For instance, Etsy, an e-commerce platform for handmade things, experienced an increase in sales from US$314 million to US$1932 million between 2010 and 2014.
The figure is 71 times its first sales in 2005 when the business was founded.
Similarly, Hermes International Group, a brand for high fashion handmade items, realized a 288% increase in revenue between 2005 and 2014. Sales increased from US$1553 million to US$4483 million over the same period.
If you can’t explain your love for everything handmade or simply want a reason to get your hands on something handcrafted, read on to find out why.
Top 7 reasons handmade items are ever on high demand
Handcrafting provides detailed products, higher quality, and more… Other surprising benefits or reasons to buy handicrafts range from sustainability to uniqueness.
Handmade things are:
- Eco-friendly and sustainable
Handcrafted items, unlike mass-produced products, are sustainable. The latter involves bulk buying due to the low cost of raw materials. This translates to a reduction in significant amount of production costs for the manufacturers to make a profit.
The large-scale companies own large and noisy factories or production facilities with emissions that pollute the environment.
On the other hand, handmade items are usually made from homes or small craft studios with little to no effect on the environment. What’s more, they’re made local to eliminate the need for transportation or shipping over long distances.
High-quality materials are picked to craft handmade items. Local producers or green suppliers and recycled packaging are often involved in the process of creating handcrafted items. Together with ethical sourcing, handmade products are sustainable.
As a result, handmade items are eco-friendly and sustainable.
- Unique and stands the test of time
No two handmade items are made the same. Homemade things vary in shading, color, shape, texture, and grain. The distinct qualities render each handmade item unique.
It’s the uniqueness of each homemade product that makes it special. Every handmade item undergoes true craftsmanship to bring out its unique look, character, and value.
Uniqueness makes each item an authentic piece. According to an article on Forbes, handmade offers something more personal and different.
The items are also crafted to last a lifetime. They’re made from high- quality materials to ensure they last a long time. They’re always on trend to withstand the test of time.
Most handmade items are often designed for future trends, meaning they’re always on-trend. The items are made perfect and don’t require upgrades or changes in the future.
- Authentic, creative and thoughtful
A craftsman showcases a unique idea in every handmade item. They reflect the authenticity and creativity of the maker in ideas and features.
Although mass-produced items can mimic handmade products, they’re fake. The love and skill that goes into making each handcrafted item make it authentic.
The beautiful work of craftsmanship celebrates the artisan’s creativity and skills. The items exhibit the thoughtfulness (skill and effort) of their creators in their appearance. This is something you can’t help but appreciate as the buyer.
What’s more, handmade items, according to a study published on PHYS ORG, are made with love.
- Supports local artisans and economies
Buying handmade supports local artists and crafters, a local community and a local economy. Behind every handcrafted item is a real person.
When you purchase a handcrafted product, you impact the life of a real person with school fees to pay and a family to feed.
You also don’t pay for hidden fees in added commissions, maintenance costs, operational costs, etc. often included in the price of items sold in shopping malls.
Buying homemade items keep individuals or groups working and earning. The money earned pays tax and supports local economies. The money you spend on handmade things directly impact the lives of the persons behind them.
The maker and seller of the items also gain confidence with each sale. They’re motivated to improve their skills and re-invest their earnings in the business to continue crafting beautiful artwork.
According to a quote on https://www.pinterest.com/pin/335236766005332929/?lp=true, an actual person does a happy dance whenever you buy handmade.
- High quality, customizable and tells a story
Crafters understand the value of each handmade item. High-quality materials are used in craftsmanship to produce items that last. The feature excellence and careful workmanship that goes into each item translate to its durability.
You can order personalized homemade items because they’re customizable. Whether the item is sewn and knitted or molded, you can provide a custom message to be included on your custom product. This is handy when buying something beautiful to give out as a gift.
Crafters bespoke handmade things to create a feeling of pride in each crafted item. The goal is to make you happy with the finished product.
Moreover, each handmade product has a story to tell. It reflects the hours or days of work that goes into its making. It showcases the artisan’s skills and creativity, and the hours invested in learning and perfecting the skill.
There’s a story behind the design, color, texture, material and size selection.
- Promotes continuity of traditions and craft skills
Buying handmade enables craftsmen to continue practicing their trade. It’s a great way to showcase traditions and promote their continuity. Handcrafting is as old as mankind. It began way before the industrial revolution.
Your purchase supports learning of crafts, creating handmade things and the history of crafting things. It promotes the continuity of art and creativity to future generations. Art and craft are kept alive and skills passed on to the next generation.
Apart from keeping the TRADITION of making handmade things alive, buying handmade fosters a demand for creative skills in the education system.
In the fast-paced world that’s computer-driven, it’s in everyone’s best interest that skill-based courses are still offered in institutions of higher learning. This would ensure that craft skills aren’t lost because handmade is fast being replaced with less labor-intensive solutions.
It’s a sure way to maintain handcrafts and people’s cultural identity. What’s more, skilled industries are the key to the future of using renewables for environmental sustainability.
Buying handmade indirectly supports the continuity and increase of skilled artisanship.
- Celebrates a people
When you buy handcrafted items, you celebrate people. Real people, traditions and rich culture are behind every handmade item.
Unlike in mass production where one-size-fits-all, craftsmanship celebrates unique living cultures and traditional lives. The real ideals behind every distinct artwork.
You celebrate the unique creativity, skill, effort, time, and technical ingenuity that goes into your handmade product of choice.
Conclusion
Whether you’ve bought a handmade item before or not, there’s a good reason to get your hands on a beautiful work of art. What’s more, the authentic items are often premium and durable enough to pass down your generation.
Emma Hughes is a 25-year-old P.P.E. student who enjoys social card games, watching sport and jigsaw puzzles. Intelligent and reliable, but can also be very lazy and a bit moody.