Jordan Goodman is the author of Everyone's Money Book, available at 888-201-6300. This is the third edition of the book. You can also visit his Web site at www.moneyanswers.com. He talks with us on Thursday mornings.

April 18, 2002

"Supporting Third World Artisans"

Host: Thanks to the wonders of shopping by mail and by Web, it is now possible to buy those handcrafted objets d’art that you used to be able to get your hands on only by traveling far and wide. In this week’s edition of "The Road to Riches," personal finance expert Jordan Goodman explains exactly how.

There are several ways for Americans to buy handmade crafts from around the world through some new catalogs and Web sites. The idea is to support traditional crafts in villages by giving them an outlet to Americans that they never had in the past. Here are some examples of ways to tap into this trend:

1. Eziba (at eziba.com, 888-404-5108) also has a catalog that carries over 1,000 items, including jewelry, clothes, home furnishings, toys, games and art, from more than 70 countries. It is a for-profit company that tries to get the most possible for the goods back to the artisans.

Some examples from their recent catalog:
• A lacquer pen made in Thailand
  
• Charms of endearment jewelry made in Indonesia
  
• Soapstone mother and child statue made in Zimbabwe
  
• Glass and wood, fancy tray made in Peru

2. Ten Thousand villages (at www.tenthousandvillages.com) has 180 stores across America that sell handicrafts and tell the stories of the artisans who made them.

3. Servv International (at www.secure.servv.org) is a nonprofit alternative trade organization that markets handicrafts and food products of Third World artisans through their Web site.

4. World Stock (at www.overstock.com) is an online clearance house selling products from fair trade institutions that makes sure that profits go to the artisans.

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