10,000 villages

We were in Asheville a couple of weeks back and were browsing the local crafts shops when we came across Ten Thousand Villages. I had read about it somewhere, but this was the first time I actually stepped into one of their stores. They sell handmade wares of artisans from around the world and ensure that they get their fair prices.Home decor,jewelry, toys,musical instruments, soaps, creams. It felt nice to walk through the store among all those beautiful things and even see the pictures of the actual artisans.A nice break from the regular plastic smelling retail stores selling mass produced goods.  They also have a clearance section but the artisans are still paid the actual price.


We bought a couple of miniatures handmade in Peru.And since I also found that we have a store about 6 miles from home ( and won't have to travel 3 or 4 hours), I have been trying to convince hubby darling that handmade is the way to go:)