(no subject)

[zillion-eyes.livejournal.com]

I wanted to pose this discussion question:
Do you shop at Wal-Mart for craft supplies? 
If so, why? If not, why not?

Share your thoughts.

What spurred this was Charles Fishman, author of "The Wal-Mart Effect", speaking on CSpan2 earlier. He has a lot of good points against Wal-Mart without sounding like a crazy vigilante. You should try to catch a re-airing of it or snag the book.

As I was watching, I kept kicking myself for shopping there. I'm a college student and I don't get any financial support from my parents, nor do I have time to work to make my own money. Things get slim financially pretty frequently. Plus, I'm a crafter and need my beads, etc! So I think to myself . .well, it's not too bad if I only go there for beads and underwear on sale, right? But I'm just making things easier on myself, rather than making the right decision. I have come to the conclusion that for those out there who still do shop at Wal-Mart, they need to really be aware of the choice that they are making and whether or not it's worth it in the big picture of the future of our nation. Do a little reading at least. For me, I have limited resources, so sometimes I can't help it. But when I have the choice, I choose to go elsewhere for my shopping. Target, although less accessible and less cheap, and quite a behemoth corporate monster, is a better choice. If you are lucky enough to have the choice, use it wisely.

And as for my crafting supplies and my thoughts on you folks shopping there, try not to. Wal-Mart was good for cheap things as I was starting out. Wasting wire and clay and all sorts of things in my learning processes was a big part of crafting, and knowing they wouldn't be expensive to replace was good. But now, I'm more experienced. AC Moore, Michael's, etc are all fine places to get things. They are better quality and last much longer. Plus, they're prettier. The staff at these stores, more often than not, are well aquainted with crafting, as are the other customers. 

This also applies to clothes, books, health and beauty products, office supplies, home decor . .everything. There is always somewhere better to go. Please keep this in mind :) Thanks!

-Katherine