FAQ
What is American Artisans About?
We aim to support individual craftsman, designers and producers. We need these courageous independent voices to remind us that our world can be beautiful and inspiring. That our world is not meant to be ugly, mundane and disposable. Future generations will see the artifacts carefully preserved, handed down and will reflect that their ancestors are worthy of respect and reverence. We would be happy to see a return to hand-crafted durable everyday objects and less worthless landfill. Our youth may see an alternative to mindless thankless jobs and pursue self-employment creating with joy. Most give up not because of talent but because they don’t know how to market their work to support themselves. We have the solution.
Is obsolesence really planned?
What makes American Artisans different?
It’s easy to find mass-produced products that sacrifice quality and originality to keep prices low. These products made by cheap exploited labor and machines lack character and soul. If you go to an antique store you may notice that many items were carefully crafted long ago. Have you wondered why so many people want to visit the past and see items that are the opposite of what is found on Amazon or in Walmart? We are naturally attracted and drawn to objects that tell an authentic story and were made with compassion and pride.
A toaster from the 1950s for instance may actually use a clock mechanism to time the process. It will be heavy and solid. You won’t doubt that it is over 50 years old and still working perfectly. Now go to any retailer and you will see toasters that lack any semblance of charm. Cheap disposable junk regardless of brand. Same with furniture, appliances, cars and everything else.
Of course you have seen high-end luxury brands that purport to have quality and style that are in reality mass produced in China. Note the recent Rolex fiasco. We only list products that are hand-made by true artists one-at-a-time. There is joy just looking at these works of art. They feel good to the touch. Your senses awaken as you participate in the process from conception to design to manufacture to end use. This is what we seek and we will not settle for anything less. We encourage you to join our quest to discover items truly worthy of consideration.
How do you decide which products to list?
Our site is rigorously curated. We research exhaustively to find artisans and products worthy of the attention and consideration of our discriminating audience. We consider it unpardonable to be pretentious and waste their time. We look for interesting, handmade high-quality products made in the USA that may not be well known. Value is more important than a price tag. Manufacturers often price products ridiculously high in an attempt to gain publicity and bolster their image. This is done without any connection to cost or actual value. There is a point where design and engineering hit a near perfect level with further embellishments being ornamental and without functionality.
How does the Priority Request work?
Since the listed products and services are from one-person or small businesses they can’t always respond to inquiries quickly. They want to but there is no staff to delegate customer service to. Likewise your time is valuable and you expect prompt service. We step into that void to ensure your request is received and acted on immediately. We have personal cell phone numbers and email address which are never published. We email the form you submit and then follow up with a live call and a text message. Large manufacturers are replacing live customer service reps with AI. We are bringing back to customer centric service.
How are purchases made?
All transactions are made directly with the artisans. We are not selling products. We are listing them for your consideration. Final prices are specified by the artisans after the product specifications are agreed upon. Delivery times can vary from fast in stock to weeks or months to produce. Some may be backordered for months or even years. You will get fast answers by sending in the Priority Request form. Pricing does not vary. You will always get the best price direct from the artisan we contact on your behalf.