Ever since the industrial revolution, mass produced goods have flooded the consumer market. Although such goods have proved to be highly popular, it is now becoming increasingly clear that handmade goods are more desirable for modern, informed consumers. In this essay, I shall look at some of the ethical and quality-based reasons for this re-evaluation.
To begin with, handmade goods can be made with far more care and attention to detail than mass produced goods. This is because machines lack a sensitivity that experienced craftsman evidently possess. For example, a study by the International Consumerist Society found that handmade furniture, musical instruments and jewellery were consistently rated as being more attractive (by consumers) than their mass made counterparts. Therefore it is clear that buyers prefer handmade goods for reasons that relate to quality of workmanship.
Secondly, handmade production companies have far more ethical attitudes towards the environment. This is because factories and chemical processes heavily underpin mass industrial production.
For example the British Green Party found that the levels of toxicity and environmental damage outside handmade production centres were paltry compared to the levels found outside factories used for mass production. Consequently, since modern consumers are more environmentally conscious than ever before, these findings have clearly contributed to their preference for handmade goods.
In conclusion, there are compelling reasons for why modern consumers favour handmade goods. In the future, as environmental issues worsen, this preference will no doubt grow more pronounced.