Who are Planet-Craft?
Just the four of us
After returning from teaching in Brazil, Toby started selling started pouffes at Blackrock Market, in Dublin, in 2003. Now in 2012, Rosie and Toby are still on the lookout for cool new products whilst out and about, whether it’s at a Dorset craft fare or on holiday in Cape Town. Since teaming up with upholsterers Tim & Liz, Planet Craft has started to make products here in Suffolk as well. Tolly the dog? He keeps the courier drivers in line.
Our small team is committed to our brand of ‘fair trade’. We aim to give honest information and to respect our customers, suppliers and all those with whom we work.
Our ideas about selling
Our website is informative and honest rather than slick and trendy. We don't use cliches like 'hand-made' and 'unique' unless that really is relevant to the product. Sometimes machine-stitched things are better than hand-stitched, sometimes not! We price 'properly', we don't write 'normally £400' if it's normally £325. We return calls, deal with any queries and try to always keep our customers informed. Ideally you would see these items before buying so we try hard to give as much useful information as possible. Artisan crafts have their challenges; we have taken thousands of photos over the years so you can see individual products. Photographing frames and mirrors individually takes ages.
Our ideas about buying
We are a small company who deal direct with the artisans, their families and their small businesses. We offer an alternative to mass-produced products. Due to the way the artisans work they simply can't produce large quantities (products we sell have cheaper mass-produced alternatives). Mass produced iPhones and Sunday Times papers are great but there's an intrinsic value in what we are selling. Each product’s manufacture only involves a few people and they put something of themselves into each piece. We don't put pressure on our suppliers to work in a way that would reduce quality, or pride in products, or working conditions or that would encourage out-sourcing.
We are concerned about the origin of the products. We have a keen interest in animal welfare, the environment and working conditions and try to ensure your custom, through our small business, is a force for good. Many websites pay lip service to this kind of ethos these days but we're not doing it to brand ourselves 'green'. It feels right for us. In practice this might mean making a phone call to the artisan to check the origin of a certain leather, or, saying “no” to something even though you know it may make you a little money!
Our website
We have launched our third website in 2012. Thanks go to Nick in Gloucestershire as always, to Craig Girling for the cool new photos and to Best of Suffolk for the great shoot location. We try hard to make this site gimmick-free and jargon-free. Please let us know what you think or if you have any suggestions about making it even better.
Want to know more?
Enough