Craft show attracts local shoppers

Starting off the holiday season with international flair, the Middlebury Baptist Church held its annual Ten Thousand Villages Craft Sale the weekend before Thanksgiving. Holiday shoppers were able to get a head start on purchasing gifts at the craft sale on Friday, Nov. 20 and Saturday, Nov. 21.

Held in the basement of the Baptist Church in downtown Middlebury, the craft fair boasted a wealth of colorful goods from a variety of far-off places. Shoppers perused silk picture frames, bowls and decorative boxes made from recycled paper, beaded jewelry, pottery, candles and scarves, among other wares, laid out on tables arranged in a circle.

Ten Thousand Villages is a fair trade retailer that was founded in 1946. It works with artisans from around the world to bring their handicrafts to fairs and stores in the United States. Villages is a founding member of the Fair Trade Association and a member of the Fair Trade Federation, working with local artisans in 37 countries.

Artisans especially benefit from Ten Thousand Villages. They are able to set the price for their crafts, receive cash advances when an order is placed and recieve full payment once the order is shipped. In addition, they can expect consistent orders from Ten Thousand Villages in the future with no overhead.

Informational note cards placed alongside the crafts described the goods’ origins. Artisans from Peru contributed “retablos,” portrayals of religious and daily life constructed from wood, gourds and eggshells. On another table, customers could read about dolls made in Zimbabwe.

The sale was staffed primarily by members of the Baptist Church. Kathy Jewett, an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the College, has been volunteering at the craft sale at the Baptist Church for 15 years.

Jewett described the craft fair as an excellent opportunity to contribute to a good cause as well as start the holiday shopping season.

“It helps other people and feels good,” she said.

Jewett added that the crafts offered are unlike anything else that is sold in the area.

According to Jewett, hand-decorated Christmas tree ornaments and woven baskets are big sellers each year. Customers can also purchase gift cards, which can be used at any of the Ten Thousand Villages’ more than 140 retail stores across the nation.

Jewett noted that customers also have the option to have their gift purchases sent to the recipient.

Each year, Villages staff members select, order and ship goods to the Baptist Church based on how much the sale’s organizers think can be sold there. The sale’s organizers can keep 10 percent of the income. Jewett described proceeds from the sale as being “fairly consistent,” with a large number of repeat customers.

Laura Sturtevant and her daughters, who are members of the Baptist Church, have worked at the sale for about 10 years.

“[We get] a lot of regulars because there is such variety [and] prices are so reasonable,” Sturtevant said. The sale used to be held only on Saturday, but the company expanded to Friday several years ago to accommodate more shoppers, Sturtevant explained.

Marilyn Griffith, who lives in Rutland, left the sale feeling satisfied with her purchases. A first-time shopper at the sale, Griffith’s impression was that there were “many nice, different items” and that the prices were very reasonable. She had stopped in to “get some ideas” for gifts after seeing the sign advertising the sale outside the Baptist Church.

Mention in local newspapers also drew in customers, including Dave Crockwell and his family. Crockwell was particularly impressed with the variety of items offered for purchase.

Mattea Freeman, a junior at Middlebury High School and a member of the Baptist Church, said she has been coming to the sale every year since she was little.

“I get something for Christmas here each year,” Freeman said.

Craft staff members encourage people to get information regarding retail locations, holiday craft sales and online purchasing on the organization’s Web site: http://www.tenthousandvillages.com.