Behind the Price, the Value of a Human Gesture

The magic of the holidays is in the air, and with it, the official opening of the Christmas markets. These sparkling aisles are more than just places to shop; they are showcases for creativity, meeting places, and, above all, spaces where craftsmanship is celebrated.

However, at a stall where a unique piece glitters, one remark keeps coming up: "It's so expensive!" or "I can find the same thing for less elsewhere."

This phrase, often uttered without malice, raises a fundamental question about how we perceive and value work and production today.

The Contrast: Soft Production vs. Mass Industry

We live in an era of material abundance. Large chains and online platforms accustom us to the mass consumption of discounted items, often devoid of history, the product of outsourced industrial production. We have become desensitized to the history of these objects, accepting a short and disposable lifecycle.

Craftsmanship is the perfect counterpoint to this model. It is a gentle production process that does not seek maximum cost optimization, but rather the excellence of the piece.

• There are hours of research and development: The time spent mastering a technique, choosing the right materials, failing and starting again.
  
  
• There is sweat and emotion: Each creation is a reflection of the questions, the trials, and the soul of a person who puts their heart into their work.

Hearing that this work "isn't worth the price" is deeply devaluing. It signals a disconnect between the consumer and the manufacturing process, a tacit dehumanization of the time and skills invested.

What does a price tag on a craftsman's stand tell us?

The goal is not to make us feel guilty about our wallets, which obviously play a key role in our choices. It is to open up the discussion on what a fair price should encompass.

When a creator sets a price, they are not simply adding up the cost of their raw materials. They are taking into account multiple unavoidable economic realities:

1. Creative Investment: The value of actual working time. In the artisanal model, this time is long and meticulous, not compressed by a chain.
   
   
2. Social and Tax Charges: Craftsmen, like any business, pay taxes and contributions which guarantee their social protection and allow them to live decently.
   
   
3. Raw Materials: Raw materials have a cost.
   
   
4. Overhead Costs: Workshop rent, electricity, specialized tools, even the coffee needed to get through long working evenings.
   
   
5. A salary that allows one to live properly: Yes, a craftsman must also earn a salary to be able to pay his personal rent and food.

In short, buying handmade goods means contributing to these creators being able to live from their passion in a dignified way.

Craftsmanship as a Societal Choice

Our consumption patterns have become highly problematic, not out of necessity, but often through social mimicry or the urgency of having the latest model .

Buying from designers means adopting a stance that values ​​people and sustainability:

• It's about fighting against planned obsolescence.
  
  
• It means supporting the local economy and the diversity of regional expertise.
  
  
• It's about choosing objects that have a soul and are made to last.

It's not about going into debt, but about reallocating our budgets. If we reduce our purchases of disposable and mass-produced items, we might free up the necessary funds to invest in a single, meaningful, and lasting handcrafted piece.

The next time you encounter a craftsman, remember that if you don't want to or can't pay the price they quoted, that's your choice. However, let's stop implying that their work has no value.

In this market season, let's make our purchases not a constraint, but a declaration of support: a gentle but concrete way to value human effort and affirm our desire for a fairer mode of consumption.