My Favorite Fall Finds; Fair Trade, Supporting Small Businesses & A Good Read

You know I'm all about fair trade. I've been collaborating with artisans in Guatemala for a really long time to bring you fantastic Dunitz & Company jewelry. When making personal purchases, I always look to support other fair traders and small businesses whenever I can. In July, I shared my favorite summer finds.  Now it's fall and I have a few more discoveries to share with you.

 

I recently returned home from the western region Museum Store Association meeting that took place in Las Vegas. My intent was to mingle with museum store buyers. And as it turns out, one of the most fun things at this get together was meeting other vendors. I met Gila, the proprietor of Dar Chocolate Art Bars. They make the most fantastic chocolate bars in Denver from cacao they import from small farmers in many countries. Gila is an amazing graphic illustrator too. Not only can you see her fantastic drawing featured on their website, but on their chocolate bars. You can purchase direct, or if you're really lucky, you'll find some of Dar's bars at your favorite museum store.

 

Yes Yes. I love to eat. And I do love honey. I was randomly searching on ETSY, and stumbled upon Honey Run Farm, a small family owned business out of Ohio. I was fascinated that the honey they collect varies each season based on what the bees "eat." I was hooked. I wanted to know the difference between honey produced in Summer, Spring and Fall. Their website explains it all so well. And their customer service is absolutely fantastic.  They also make handmade soaps. If you know me at all, you know I'm also crazy for handmade soap. What's not to love? A small business that offers honey and soap. Ya gotta check them out!

I've been taking more time to read lately.  Admittedly, I do watch a few too many Netflix series. But by joining the NYU Alumni Voracious Violets Book Club, I've dug into some fantastic books that have been recommended. If you're reading my blog, I think you'll be fascinated by The Monk of Mokha. "A heart-pounding true story, The Monk of Mokha weaves together the history of coffee, the ongoing Yemeni civil war, and the courageous journey of a young man--a Muslim and a US citizen--following the most American of dreams." If you started and operate a small fair trade business, you will absolutely relate to Mokhtar Alkhanshal's story. When you build a small business, things don't always go to plan or how you set out in your business plan. That assumes you had a business plan.

A follow up to my July Favorite Finds post, I have to sing the praises of Sevya Fair Trade again. After loving my first summer top from them, I had to order others. The pink & white cotton top shown here is my new favorite.  And since it seems to NOT be cooling off here in Los Angeles, I've had lots of opportunity to wear it. The weather will cool down, and I know I'll have to order some long sleeve blouses from their catalog. Check them out. And like Dunitz, Sevya is a verified member of Fair Trade Federation. You'll look good and feel good wearing their designs.

 

Many of you know I'm a new and enthusiastic gardener. My yard is small, but it's mighty. I'm monkeying around in it and cleaning up every day. I can't stop. My latest "fun" has been discovering bulbs I can plant that will provide me beautiful flowers. I often search for suppliers in California where I live because there are so many agricultural regulations when it comes to our state.  My newest discovery is Easy to Grow Bulbs, a small business with fantastic customer service. They have been so friendly and prompt answering my endless questions. And their website is also replete with lots of info. Their office seems to be based in Oceanside, CA, but my order shipped from Wisconsin. (I guess that means it's okay to ship bulbs from elsewhere into California. I had no idea on that.) I'll be planting various types of paperwhites soon. Stand by for my garden photos when I can show them off. 

So, there you have it.  A few of my favorite Fall finds. Perhaps one of them will become a favorite of yours. In the meantime, don't forget to check out Dunitz & Company's fair trade jewelry. Check out our store locator to find a brick & mortar in your area selling our designs. Or peruse our website. My hope is that my designs will become one of your favorite finds :). -ND

My Favorite Summer Finds; Fair Trade, Vintage, Handmade

As owner, salesperson and box packer for my business, Dunitz & Company, you know I'm all about fair trade. I like supporting fair trade in general. I also love hunting for vintage treasure and all things handmade. Here are some of my favorite finds this summer of 2023.

 

If you've been watching my personal Instagram, you know gardening is my new passion! What does that mean? I'm always on the hunt for pots and plants and all things gardening.  One of my favorite discoveries this summer is Gardener's Hand Soap from Daisy Hollow Farm on ETSY.  OMG, it's amazing. It smells wonderful without being overpowering. It has little cranberry seeds that also help scrub off dirt. My newest bar hangs out in a small dish by my kitchen sink where I use it regularly.

I have recently joined all these gardening groups on Facebook. And I'm inundated with videos and stories on Instagram of gardens I envy. It also means I'm gathering all sorts of tips and inspirations. You might not know this about me. But my favorite flower is Stargazers.  My ears perked up when another California person wrote that her Stargazers blossomed and looked amazing. How is that possible? She told me about Holland Bulb Farms. This website is a true find. I immediately ordered Stargazer bulbs which I will plant this weekend. Let's hope they come up next Spring. The best part, they were on sale and the instructions were for immediate planting. (I promise to share photos when they bloom.)

It's been HOT! I think that is the consensus just about everywhere. The lightweight sleeveless tops I discovered from Sevya Fair Trade are amazing. They're super adorable and super comfie.  I strongly recommend you check out our Fair Trade Federation colleague’s designs.  Don't worry if you want to cover up your arms they have lots of options for you. Once I realized how much I LOVE the top I'm wearing in this photo, I had to order others.

I adore vintage. And this one is so random. A few months ago, I was thinking about a scarab bracelet my parents had given me when I was a young girl. I assumed it was long lost, and randomly went on eBay to see if I might see something similar. Guess what? I found the bracelet in my safety deposit box recently and I've been wearing it. It fill me with joy knowing it was a gift from my parents who passed long ago. Honestly, it isn't all that valuable dollar-wise. It being tucked away in such a secure location is baffling to me. If you'd like a piece of history, you can find one similar for $20 or $25 on eBay. Just search for scarab bracelets. This one on my wrist, is a wonderful summer find!

Did I say how much I like hunting for vintage goodies? Of course, I have. Typically I do this by scouring flea markets, and sometimes eBay. This summer I discovered Estate Sales are another way to find treasures. One estate sale, actually. But I might go to some others now from time to time. For some reason I was seeing ads on Facebook for Again LA Estate Sales, based here in Los Angeles. They were advertising an estate sale for Naomi Hirshhorn who passed at 97. She was the daughter of Joseph Hirshhorn, think Smithsonian Museum. I knew he was one of  the art collecting greats, which made me very curious about his daughter. I was most curious about her house which was located in a more up-market neighborhood close to my home, and only an 18 minute walk per Google. How could I not go have a look. And as it turned out, I learned of the sale on the last day, when anything remaining was 75% off!  Evidently her most valuable art was transferred to bigger art galleries for sale. But trust me, even on the last day of the sale, there was tons of  "stuff" that had to go. I spent about $40.00 - and $20 went for this wonderful vintage framed botanical. Not bad. And to think I now have a piece, Hirshhorn. Crazy Find.

 

Finally a re-find. Several years ago, I had purchased Ethiopian fair trade coffee at Trader Joes. And then somehow I forgot how nice Ethiopian beans are. I'm once again drinking in style. And the best thing? This coffee is fair trade certified.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Finds Pin

We're in the throws of summer now. Summer is officially over the first Monday of September. That means between now and then, I hope to uncover some other fabulous finds.  If and when I do, I'll add them to this post.  In the meantime, have some fun and happy hunting for your own treasures. Let me what you discover. Maybe you'll find your next favorite on the Dunitz & Company website! -ND

What is Handmade? A Rant.

Nancy in Guatemala

I launched Dunitz & Company back in 1989. And I have focused on our handmade fair trade jewelry collection since the early 1990s. I have spent countless hours with artisans in Guatemala. We've worked out designs together at beading tables. I've sketched many a jewelry concept. Artists have presented their ideas to me. I've watched my colleagues laboriously craft countless pieces of jewelry. What Dunitz & Company offers is definitely handmade. And as an integral part of the design process, I can without hesitation confirm that our designs are original and not mass produced.

 

 

When did the definition of handmade change? At many junctures over the years, we've seen the definition of handmade change and/or be questioned.

One of the first times Dunitz & Company was affected by how people defined "handmade" was when the New York Gift Show decided to reorganize their show.  And after that, most of major trade shows followed suit. In the "old days" everything considered handmade was presented to customers in the same section. And then it was decided that artists making their goods in the first world (USA, Canada, Europe, even Japan) were different than artists working in developing countries. My theory was American artists complained about being in the same room as those working in Africa or Central America because designs from developing nations tend to be less expensive. So, it happened. It didn't matter if your designs were ethnic or contemporary, we were all segregated into sections based on where physically artisans produced goods.  I had always preferred it when everyone was all mixed up in a hall. I found I was able to sell to a more diverse group of retailers who "shopped" the entire handmade section regardless of where things were made. I found retailers were searching for a "look." They weren't necessarily shopping price or visiting what was now perceived as the "ethnic" sections of the shows. Bottom line. It is what it is. And it was what it was. We didn't have control of our locations. We took what we got and hoped enough buyers found us.

I know it's a dirty word. Amazon. Dunitz & Company does sell some designs on Amazon Handmade. [Did you know there is a juried handmade section on Amazon?] We do not sell to Amazon resellers. (In fact, we do our very best screen retailers so we don't sell to those that  buy wholesale and then resell on Etsy, eBay, Facebook or Instagram.) [One time a major mail order catalog placed an order for our botanical earrings, and at one point I saw them being offered on an advertisement on eBay. I wanted to pull my hair out. The amusing thing was they described poppies as dahlias and dahlias as poppies. No wonder they couldn't sell those earrings well.] 

We didn't jump on the B2C bandwagon until very late in the game.  Our wholesale business was ample, and stores always asked if we retailed. We learned if companies sold direct to consumers, those retail store buyers would not buy from them. It didn't take the world very long to change and retailers didn't have the luxury of walking away any longer.  We have fair trade colleagues who were emphatic that they would never sell direct to retailers. They all do now.

Having said all this, there was a time in 2017 that Amazon was at the New York Gift Show actively recruiting vendors to sell in their then new 'Amazon Handmade' section. I'm certain Amazon was attempting to compete with Etsy, another B2C website focused on handmade goods.  In the beginning these sites were struggling with their definition of handmade.  Was handmade a first world artist working at their desk making as many earrings as they could make in a day?  Was handmade that first world artist with a few or many employees making their designs at work tables? Did handmade include products made by artisans in developing countries? And on and on. Since these are publicly traded companies, I'm sure the end game was and is to most broadly define handmade so the most sales can be made.  What was clear at that New York Gift Show, Amazon Handmade actively pursued me. Their representatives were very clear that I, a designer working with artisans in Guatemala and a vetted member of Fair Trade Federation would have easy clearance to sell on Amazon Handmade. And that AH rep was right. Dunitz & Company was accepted and up and running quickly. 

Crafting Earrings

So what happened recently? Amazon Handmade questioned whether Dunitz & Company jewelry was handmade or not. Seriously! After being vetted by them back in the day, it was as if they wanted to vet us all over again. They even started singling out products in our collection. The designs they were questioning couldn't be anything other than handmade. They wanted proof that our beaded teardrop earrings were made by artisans (and not by machine?) They singled out our beaded coral necklaces, one of the very first designs I offered in the 1990s. One friend of mine suggested that a competitor who had copied our designs had written in to Amazon Handmade complaining. It can be dirty business selling on some of these B2C websites. It is true that these two designs singled out are two of our oldest and most copied by other companies. If they didn't sell well, I would have retired them long ago.

 

Beading Coral Necklace

How do you prove to Amazon Handmade that your product is in fact handmade? Their definition of handmade? Videos showing artisans making our glass earrings, embroidered & beaded jewelry and yarmulkes was not good enough. Proof of Fair Trade Federation membership is not ample. What was the clincher, I think? I asked the artisans that create our work if they could snap a few photos with the teardrop earrings and beaded necklaces in front of some old Dunitz & Company posters that hang in the workshop.  It was a lot of work to convince AH reps that I was not buying from Alibaba in China. After several emails, AH reps informed me I could still offer my designs in their handmade section. 

AFTER NOTE: 7/12/22 - Not yet 3 weeks after this Amazon Ordeal described above, they have written me again, threatening that Dunitz will be removed from their Handmade section because they're questioning our work. Let's see where it goes. The result might be we no longer vend on Amazon. And now 7/13/22, they report once again, I'm good to go on Amazon Handmade. What a roller coaster!

Oh my gosh. I think today's rant is over.  I'm sure this isn't the end of Dunitz & Company justifying our artisan jewelry is in fact handmade. But, these are my stories for today.  How do you define handmade? -ND