One of  the comments we get here at Bamboletta is ,why do the dolls cost so much? I totally get it – $250 for a doll is a lot. We are used to seeing a doll for a lot less. I’ve talked about this in a bunch of blog posts, but today I want to touch on the real cost of things. So many people talk about wanting to buy local and handmade but then balk at the price because we are conditioned to seeing such low prices on things.  Those low prices come at a heavy cost to the environment and to the people making them.

I’m continuing this post to sort of go along last night’s one, which is the possible affect that the business part of Bamboletta may have on our kids. When a sewing mama takes a doll home, her child sees the 2 hours or so it takes for her mom to put the doll together (and that’s about a 3^rd  of the actual labour part of the doll constructions – not including the clothes), then she can see how much her mom is paid and make the connection between work and time and money. With what that sewing mama got paid for one doll, you can buy 2 finished dolls at Walmart. Somehow, somewhere, someone is paying a very heavy price for that  Walmart doll. When I see the pictures of the factories that dolls and toys are made in, oh man, it’s rough conditions.  I get it, people in other countries need to work too and I applaud businesses that have found an ethical and helpful way to do so – not all factories are the same.  But that seems to be the minority and it’s sickening what conditions people are put through to make a cheap plastic doll.

There is so much more I could go on about , this is a topic I feel very strongly about. Why are we making people so expendable? What is wrong with us?  You know, when I was in highschool I was voted ‘Most likely to be arrested at a protest rally’ and ‘Most likely to become a famous artist’ Haha – not sure about the artist part (well, doll–artist, I suppose 😉 ) but I do get fired up when I see injustice in the world. The older I get the more passionate I feel about this – maybe this is what my side gig will be – an advocate for local commerce and business? Anyhow,  I digress, I just felt like sharing this with you all.

Much love and thanks for your business. I see the impact your business has on the people who work here and it’s amazing – I am in deep gratitude to you all.

Christina