World Directory of the Handmade Trade

15 Craft Families · 57 Producing Countries · 24 Craft Cities · Free Directory 2026

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Buyer guide

How to source handicrafts: a buyer's route map

A working sequence for a buyer starting from nothing: define the product family and price point, identify producing countries rather than single suppliers, narrow to clusters, then to workshops, then sample. Most sourcing failures in craft come from inverting this order — starting with a supplier found at random and reverse-engineering a range around whatever that supplier happens to make. This guide sets out the order of decisions, what to ask at each step, and which questions can only be answered by visiting.

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The current practiceExplore →
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Common mistakesExplore →
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