I have to agree about the merchandise. I do NOT mind spending more for american made hand crafts! As I personally know American's can not work for a penny a hour like they pay in India, China, etc, and it cost more money for fewer amounts of materials and what not then when you are mass producing in big ole factories. Being a crafter myself I know materials and time alone add up fast, and I don't mind paying the price for that.
Back in the day my mom and I never left the park with out a bag of merchandise, weather it be a hand made basket, a hand made quilt, some new pattern from Ye Ol' Stitchin' Post, once we even actually spent quite a bit in that shop as my mom bought a hand made wooden thing to hold cross stitch patterns. I was going to buy a hand made wooden dresser thing to store thread in, but the shop was gone the next year. We always bought lots of the hand made stuff, candles, blown glass etc. I still don't like using the plastic mugs, I still use my glass mugs with our initials hand etched in them.
Lately though we barely leave with anything. I sometimes buy a rag doll for a child or what not but that's about it. And it seems to me even the amount of options they have for them has gone down. (they used to sell rag angels and other types of rag dolls as well). And I have bought some pie plates from the clay shop (sorry can't think of it's true name).
But, nope, I won't be buying mass produced junk I can get any where.
I do wish the "clothing" shops would sell some era stuff. Like the hats, hat pins and such that they used to sell in the past (my mom and I used to always buy a new hat and hat pin when they used to sell them on the park!) and even some of the dresses. There's still a ton of people who like to dress vintage! Oh I forgot, I do almost always buy my girls and I a new bonnet every year from the General store, so see I think this kind of things would still sell. Personally like I said I won't be buying the junk I can get at the mall.......that's just me though, I don't for for what I can get at the mall...as I'm not even a mall shopper!
