Value of the urban crafter and buying locally made goods

BUY LOCAL

I really like buying locally made products and produce. Not only are they supporting our local community and families but just think about the shipping cost you will save, the transporting fumes put out by the big trucks to deliver it and the best part is that the products are actually produced with love.

For me and my family we like to visit our local Palm Springs Farmers Market every Thursday. We really like all the local fresh fruits, vegetables, plants and my daughter really loves seeing all the different types of products that some of the vendors have. I really love knowing that not only are we buy local produce but that we are supporting a local family by purchasing item from the Farmer's Markets plus we also save money too. 

With Christmas coming everyone should take the time to check out some local family owned businesses in their own hometown or the local Farmer's Markets too. Not only are you going to have fun but you will supporting within your own community.

We as family also big into recycling and we truly love companies that used recycled materials and products. One company that I have come to learn about that used recycled material to make products is called Rickshaw Bags and they are customizable too.

Rickshaw is a new San Francisco-based bag company. Inspired by the creative energy of our city, urban cycling and an intense desire to make great products, we started Rickshaw to satisfy our own personal passion for bags. We know how people love their bags. We think it’s cool–if not kind of weird–the way people grow attached to their favorite bag as though it were a pet or loved–one.
We also love city living–the excitement, diversity, creativity and culture we experience in a fast-paced
metropolitan environment. With access to art, theater, music and restaurants, there’s an energy that pulses through the community. We design our bags for people who thrive on the urban experience and celebrate the creative spirit.
We’re a new company, but we have many years of experience designing and manufacturing great bags and
providing unique customer experiences. In addition to our passion for bags, we share a strong set of humanistic, environmental and social values that guide the way we conduct every aspect of our business. The name of our company derives from three Japanese characters meaning “human powered vehicle”–delightfully apropos for a company making bags for bicycle enthusiasts, and our metaphor for the strength of the human spirit.
We’re excited to embark on our new entrepreneurial adventure, and we look forward to seeing people carrying our bags on the city streets soon.

At Rickshaw, low minimums, speed, agility, and expertise command premium prices for our bags, which retail for $50 to $100. Typical order sizes range from one to 1,000 pieces, with lead times of three to 30 days. By contrast, offshore factories generally require orders of at least 5,000 pieces, with lead times of 90 to 120 days.
We also observe the "KISS" principle: Keep It Super Simple. By making products to order, we can offer a portfolio of bags designed specifically for our own lean manufacturing process. We don't maintain a finished-goods inventory, and our materials are delivered just in time. We keep our supply chain as short as possible, purchasing most materials from American manufacturers and working with local subcontractors who specialize in the few things we don't do ourselves. We also focus on direct sales, as opposed to wholesale, to improve profit margins and support higher costs. (read more HERE)

Rickshaw Bags Video

Rickshaw Bagworks: Who We Are from Rickshaw Bagworks on Vimeo.

 Rickshaw Bags is a fabulous company for the earth and consumer. I truly like how they really do not waste any materials in the making of any of their products.

If you would like to find out more about them and see all the wonderful products that they carry and make in their own building and not sourced out then you can visit them on their website by clicking the link below:

http://www.rickshawbags.com/ 

or on one of the following social media sites:

• 
• 
• 
• 

 Thanks for taking the time read this article and I hope that you have learned a little about buying locally, urban crafters, Customizable Fashion, and The Maker Movement.