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Artisan goods
Beautiful, distinctive, and carrying a question the organization has to answer.
Free for up to 20 items Unlimited bidders No credit card required
Handmade goods from the communities an organization works with are the most distinctive thing an international catalogue can contain — genuinely fine, unavailable locally, and connected to the cause in a way a restaurant certificate is not.
Answer the question before it is asked
What was the maker paid, and how does an auction price relate to it?
If a textile sells for a substantial sum and the weaver received a fraction of it, a thoughtful bidder will notice, and the organization should have decided its position rather than being caught by the question.
- Buy at a fair price rather than accepting donations from makers, which is the cleanest answer — the artisan is paid, the organization owns the item, and the auction is a straightforward sale
- Say what was paid, or say that the maker was paid their asking price. Either is better than silence
- Where a maker donates, make sure it is genuinely their choice and that they are not the least wealthy party subsidising the campaign
- Consider a share of the proceeds going back to the maker or the cooperative, stated up front, which is legitimate and increasingly expected
Buying at a fair price and reselling is the option most organizations do not consider, and it resolves nearly all of this.
Name the maker and the place
Provenance is what makes these items sell, and anonymity is what makes them feel extractive.
- The maker's name where they wish to be named, or the cooperative's
- The specific place, not the country
- The technique, the materials, the time it took
- What the tradition is, briefly and accurately
- A photograph of the work being made, with consent, rather than of the maker's face if they prefer
A woven piece described as "handmade in Guatemala" is generic. The same piece described with the cooperative, the town, the technique and the fact that it took eleven days is a different lot entirely.
Cultural care
Not everything a community makes is for sale, and an organization should know the difference.
- Ceremonial, religious and ritual objects are frequently not appropriate to sell, however beautiful
- Some designs and patterns carry meaning or belong to particular families or groups
- Ask the community, not a supplier or an intermediary
- Describe accurately rather than exoticising — no "tribal", "primitive" or "authentic native" framing
- Where an item's significance cannot be established, do not invent one
The practical import layer
Goods crossing borders carry rules that an auction committee will not think about, and some of them have teeth.
- Customs and duties on imported goods, and correct declaration
- Wildlife and endangered species rules — feathers, ivory, shell, horn, certain hardwoods and animal products are restricted or prohibited, and these turn up in craft goods routinely
- Cultural property and antiquities rules, which prohibit trade in certain objects entirely
- Agricultural restrictions on seeds, plant material, untreated wood and some fibres
- Food import rules, which affect coffee, spices, honey and preserves
The wildlife products point is the one that catches organizations out. A beautiful item incorporating shell, feather or horn may be illegal to import or sell, and the fact that it was a gift does not change that.
Shipping to the winner
Textiles and small goods ship easily. Anything large, fragile, heavy or irreplaceable should be handled deliberately — and the item page should say who pays for shipping and what happens if something is damaged.
For genuinely irreplaceable pieces, consider local collection only, or holding the item until the winner can receive it properly.
Do not let the goods replace the ask
A caution. An artisan catalogue is attractive enough that an auction can become a craft sale with a charitable association, where bidders buy a scarf and never engage with the work.
Keep the programme unit visible alongside the goods — the school fees, the well, the clinic week — so the catalogue is a route into the cause rather than a substitute for it.
General information, not legal advice for your organization. Sanctions screening, export and import rules for goods, and the regulatory framework for cross-border grantmaking are technical and consequential — your counsel decides how any of this applies.
Frequently asked questions
What was the maker paid?
Answer it before it is asked. The cleanest approach is buying at a fair price rather than accepting donations from makers — the artisan is paid, the organization owns the item, and the auction is a straightforward sale.
How should artisan items be described?
With provenance. The maker or cooperative's name where they wish, the specific place rather than the country, the technique, the materials and the time it took. "Handmade in Guatemala" is generic; the cooperative, the town and eleven days of work is a different lot.
Is everything appropriate to sell?
No. Ceremonial, religious and ritual objects frequently are not, and some designs belong to particular families or groups. Ask the community rather than a supplier.
What import rules catch organizations out?
Wildlife and endangered species restrictions. Feathers, ivory, shell, horn and certain hardwoods turn up in craft goods routinely, may be illegal to import or sell, and the fact that an item was a gift does not change that.
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Free for up to 20 items · Unlimited bidders · No credit card required