Why buy handmade?

In our ever expanding globally connected world, it seems it's more important then ever to look at the benefits of buying handmade and locally. What are the benefits, you ask? Let's take a look:

~Buying handmade supports the craftperson directly, no one takes a cut and there is no middleman.


~Customer service is paramount. If you ever have an issue, question, or compliment about something handmade that you have bought, you are dealing with the person who created the item you bought, not some 'representative' who probably doesn't much enjoy what they do and could care less what sort of problem you have. Crafters tend to go above and beyond to make their customers uber-happy and enjoy doing it.

~Creativity and love. Every last detail of a handmade piece was carefully thought about and assembled from a unique mind with love and care. No sweatshops, no mass production by machines, and no exact copies mean that you get a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork that was made especially for you with love.

~This one I got from the Pledge Handmade website, which you need to check out and don't forget to pledge!
"Buying handmade is better for people.
The ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. We are encouraged to be consumers, not producers, of our own culture. Our ties to the local and human sources of our goods have been lost. Buying handmade helps us reconnect."

Think of something I forgot? If you've got some other reasons, feel free to comment!