Did you know that over 40% of Amazon goods are made in China? Add to that nearly 99% for Alibaba Group, which itself is the Chinese Amazon, and all its subsidiaries. To say nothing of the black market, and the human rights tragedies going on there, as I've typed madly about before. If you're tired of shopping in other countries for Americans, you should give the entrepreneur makers on Etsy a try.
Amazingly enough, even though the US lost a lot of its factory and industrial infrastructure to China, there's still plenty of manufacturing going on at home. That's because the era of the Internet, online shipping, 3D printers, and skilled trades crafters working out of their garage and basement has replaced what we once needed factories to make.
Granted, we don't have people at home pumping out their own cars and dishwashers yet. We still have to rely on some commercial scale for now. For the most common goods you'd be buying off the shelf at the mall, you can find somebody who makes it here, with a personal touch.
Brass Pocket Telescope
Personalized Travel Neck Pillow
Nothing says "handmade Etsy" like your personalized name. Granted, you're not doing much traveling these days. You're more likely kicking it hardcore at the home hearth, what with the COVID-19 pandemic. But even if you fall asleep reading in your chair in the evening, you'll still want to wake up without a crick in your neck. Keep your name on one, because you don't want to fall asleep on somebody else's dried droll.
Phone Pillow
Utah Monolith Tshirt
The news literally just broke about this
Stanley-Kubrick monolith appearing and disappearing all over the world, and here we have the funniest Tshirt about it. That didn't take long! This uniquely 2020 incident has captured the world's imagination. Considering last year we had our Naruto
Run to Area 51 fun, this year the aliens strike back with their mind-control, uh, decorative fixtures. Don't leave 2020 without it!
2021 Triangle Wall Calendar
Freeze Dried Bigfoot Poop
Miniature Concrete Blocks
Personalized Leather Wallet
Fruity Soaps Gift Set
"Today," said Tyler Durden, "we make soap!" Handmade soap has been a staple of boutique bohemian crafting for decades. This unique set has a variety of nine fruity fragrances, which is just what you need because if you're sitting around the house, your housemates would appreciate it if you smelled like something besides your stale socks. If you go out, it's a test to see who has COVID, since losing the sense of smell is the first symptom.
Custom Cityscape Ring
What will they think of next? We've seen thousands of ring designs, and nobody has thought of putting your city's unique downtown skyline on a ring. Here's a clever way to express your local pride, have a cool memento of every place you're visited, or just have a conversation piece among your jewelry collection. The detail is impressive on these too. These crafted cityscape rings will go with everything and be a little piece of home wherever you go.
Candle Making Kit
Talk about a stay-at-home hobby! For the homemaker on your list, not to mention the spacey Yoga Starchild or the practical geek, these DIY candle kits are an interesting gift. You get to pick up a new hobby and find out how easy this is, and then you have something to liven up your home space. You get to create a timeless object of beauty and joy and then set it on fire.
Carrot Pillow As Seen on TV
The rules for 2021 : There ARE No Rules!
BE a giant carrot! Collect Bigfoot poop. Shower with soap that makes you smell like a mango. After the slapping-around that we've gotten this year, we have every justification for all of us to let our freak flags fly. Nobody can tell us what to do! Society is being restructured, and whether anybody likes it or not, the smart people will come out on top!