11/23/2025
Let's talk custom made vs store bought for a minute.
Nowadays, most items you buy in a store are made overseas by a workforce that is getting paid pennies compared to US work rates. That's no secret. Big companies want to make a profit. So they'll pay as little as possible to make an item and sell it for the largest profit they can that the market will allow.
That creates an issue for small businesses that are either trying to sell their own items or sell items for people making their own items. We can't compete with those big business prices.
But here's something to keep in mind. Those items you get from the big stores are more often than not made from inferior quality products. They will fail probably within a year. Then you'll have to buy another. Big companies rely on this to make money. Quantity over quality. While that same item from a small business owner is most often being made from higher quality material that will last years.
Heres an example. My wife needed a new purse (what wife doesn't?). We looked around at stores and found high prices ($50-75) for low quality items. So I looked at making her one from quality leather. I made it to her specifications with what she wanted in a purse, in the colors she wanted. Was it more expensive? Yes. Probably close to $200 if I sold it. Was it worth it? My wife usually changed purses every month or so to one of the several she has. She has not changed purses now in 5 years. The purse has aged and grown even better looking. I recondition and polish it up about once a year. It's still like new.
Compare this to a store bought purse. You would have bought 5 purses in that time and spent at least $250. You saved money.
Think about that the next time you are looking at hand made vs store bought. Is it more expensive up front? Yes. Your paying for the material and the time of the artist making it. When I started, it could take me up to 10 hours to make a purse. Even selling cheaply, that's $100 just in labor. Plus materials. Leather and hardware aren't cheap. For leather alone I figure $8/ft². Not expensive when you look at it individually. But I can use 9-10 yards of leather on a purse. Add the $30 of hardware and you get a purse over $200. But it will LAST.
This holiday season, consider buying local. Look now because if you want custom, it will take time. Many small local businesses stock up with items at this time. Keep them alive. Keep their families fed.
