I've bought stuff off Etsy, and been very happy with it, especially the tiny marbles by a glassworker from the States, and a lovely shawl printed with giant wings. (And a felted-animal kit that made up, with the aid of an on-line video, into a delightfully realistic fox - I could have just bought the supplies someplace cheaper, and watched the video, but the artist trusted me, and I wouldn't cheat like that.)
I've also seen the 'several sellers with the same item' thing, and other sellers selling 'supplies', all presumably from the same manufacturer.
It is, I think, one of those 'buyer beware' things.
And I've seen stuff at juried shows that have made me go 'hmm?'. We have, in particular, one very nice big, juried, show here. I was browsing the ceramics and on one table, alongside some hand decorated, hand-built pieces, stuff with very generic decals on pretty basic shapes. No idea whether they were snuck in with the rest of the stuff, or the potter begged for permission to carry some less expensive stuff, or whether there was some exemption in the rules, but it cheapened the look of the booth, and by extension, made me look twice at the other booths.
But, it would never, in a million years, occur to me to look at Amazon for 'one of a kind' or 'artisan-made' stuff. Okay, I only buy books there, but on occasion I've looked at other stuff, and as far as I can see, Amazon is for mass-produced, buy-it-NOW, if-original-is-good,-knock-off-is-cheaper stuff. Sort of an on-line department store, with sources from around the world. The appeal is the range of goods, and the fast delivery, rather than 'unique and original' objects.
I've also seen the 'several sellers with the same item' thing, and other sellers selling 'supplies', all presumably from the same manufacturer.
It is, I think, one of those 'buyer beware' things.
And I've seen stuff at juried shows that have made me go 'hmm?'. We have, in particular, one very nice big, juried, show here. I was browsing the ceramics and on one table, alongside some hand decorated, hand-built pieces, stuff with very generic decals on pretty basic shapes. No idea whether they were snuck in with the rest of the stuff, or the potter begged for permission to carry some less expensive stuff, or whether there was some exemption in the rules, but it cheapened the look of the booth, and by extension, made me look twice at the other booths.
But, it would never, in a million years, occur to me to look at Amazon for 'one of a kind' or 'artisan-made' stuff. Okay, I only buy books there, but on occasion I've looked at other stuff, and as far as I can see, Amazon is for mass-produced, buy-it-NOW, if-original-is-good,-knock-off-is-cheaper stuff. Sort of an on-line department store, with sources from around the world. The appeal is the range of goods, and the fast delivery, rather than 'unique and original' objects.
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