Commercialized crochet items bother me....

[purples]

If true crochet cannot be done by machine, then who are the people making the items by hand and where do they live? How much are they getting paid for their hours and hours of work for just one item?

 

I've found crocheted baby hats in craft stores for a dollar and doilies for the same price. I know for sure the item took a while to make. When I see things like this or am item with a trim, I cringe because commercially this is so wrong!!!

 

I find myself not wanting to purchase commercially crocheted items out of protest. Someone, somewhere isn't being fairly compensated for their work when I buy something so cheaply when it wasn't physically so cheap to make.

[FrLopLady]

more than likely 3rd world countries where they get a pittance of what it is sold for, and probably SO much more than they could have earned before. I'm not saying it's right, but all means those hats should sell for more, but that doesn't guarantee the one making it will get more.

[magiccrochetfan]

I see your point in a way, that the art of crocheting is devalued by the cheap-priced products. And i don't buy them myself, generally. But really most clothing is made by people who are, by US standards, underpaid. Whether the underpaid worker is in a knitting factory, or is crocheting, they are still underpaid.

 

As far as i can tell from looking at labels, most of the crochet in stores is made in China. Same as most of the clothing in stores.

[purples]

It breaks my heart! It totally breaks my cotton, acrylic, yarn crocheting heart!!

[HappyOldCro]

I am one of those folks who does buy them, and in large quantities too. I send them to charities and others who cannot even afford the "dollar" that they are sold for.

Protesting only works when it has an impact or positive conclusion. The quality really isn't that good, but it works to keep some poor child warm. It may even wind up on the child/family that originally made it for a small amount to try to put food in their mouths, but in the overall scheme of things, does serve a purpose.

Annoying, yes it is VERY annoying, but a necessity to them.

[Real Deal]

Along the same lines, my sister was just reading some Craig's List ads from local women who had crocheted items for sale. The prices were so low, it ruins it for everyone else, because the prices only cover the yarn. For example, a dishcloth for $1, or a baby blanket for $15. Whew!

[Afghaniac]

Some are crocheted by small girls. And, It is unconscionable that they are paid so little by U.S. standards, but if people don't buy their goods, those families might have no income at all.

[HappyOldCro]

Along the same lines, my sister was just reading some Craig's List ads from local women who had crocheted items for sale. The prices were so low, it ruins it for everyone else, because the prices only cover the yarn. For example, a dishcloth for $1, or a baby blanket for $15. Whew!

 

I know what you are saying, but I also know what it is like to have such a deep need to crochet and keep busy, but don't really need everything you make. The public just isn't laying out the money for a washcloth that costs more than one or two dollars. I was once told along time ago, that something is only worth what someone will pay for it. If that is all they can get, then that is what it is worth. Better a dollar or two than a pile of crocheted items sitting and collecting dust. At least they are getting some of their money back. It is like a retail store doing a clearance sale...

[CrochetAmore]

Like the others have said, these items are most likely made in China or other 3rd world countries.

 

I still struggle with my conscience over this one. It's a catch-22 situation. The working conditions in the factories are deplorable. The quotas are high and the pay is nearly non-existent. There are a few fortunate people who can work from home, but from what I understand that is a rarity. Most are in factories, many of them locked in. With all my heart I want to shout it from the rooftops not to buy these things... but when it comes down to it, even with the harsh conditions, without these wages many families would go hungry. I'm not condoning it, I'm just saying there are always two sides to the story...