Buying From Independent Makers

GIFTS · GLOBAL

Buying From Independent Makers

What you are paying for, lead times, commissioning something and supporting them

Buying directly from a maker is a different transaction from buying from a shop, and understanding how it works makes it considerably smoother.

What the price covers

Materials, hours, workshop costs, packaging, platform fees and a wage. Handmade work costs what it costs because someone made it individually, and a price that looks high next to a mass-produced equivalent is usually simply accurate.

Small variations between items are the nature of handmade rather than faults.

Lead times

Made-to-order means the item does not exist yet. Ask for a realistic timescale before ordering for an occasion, and order weeks rather than days ahead in November and December.

One person making everything means illness and holidays affect delivery, which is worth accepting graciously.

Commissioning something

Be clear about dimensions, colours, materials and budget at the start, and expect to pay a deposit. Agree how many revisions are included and what happens if you change your mind.

Send reference images rather than descriptions, since words mean different things to different people.

Your rights

Distance selling rules still apply, and personalised and made-to-order items are generally exempt from the standard cancellation right for good reason. Faulty goods are a different matter and remain covered.

Supporting a maker

Leaving a review, sharing their work and buying at full price rather than waiting for a sale all matter more to a small business than to a large one.

Finding makers

Craft markets, local studios, open studio weekends and maker platforms. Following a maker before you need a gift means you know what they make and when they accept custom orders.

Ask where materials come from, which most makers are pleased to answer.

Gifting

Include a note about the maker, since the story is part of the gift. Order early for anything personalised.

Handmade and mass produced

Both have a place. A handmade piece is bought for the person who made it as much as for the object, and for something used daily that connection is what makes it worth the difference.

Ask about repairs, since many makers will mend what they made.

Markets and fairs

Carry cash as well as a card, ask questions, and note the maker's details even if you buy nothing, since finding them again afterwards is difficult.

Commissions

Put the agreement in writing — dimensions, materials, price, deposit, timescale and what happens if either side changes their mind. That protects both of you and is normal practice.

Expect to wait, and say if a date is fixed.

Care

Ask how to look after the piece, since handmade finishes frequently need something specific.

WHERE TO BUY

Ready to shop Made Here With Love? Use the link below to visit the official store.

→ Shop Made Here With Love — official site

Visit this site