Hello , Greetings from Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. Where again I'm running around with Ringo (our man in Indonesia) like crazy to get things done. We hav

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ancientwisdom

Hello ,

Greetings from Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. Where again I'm running around with Ringo (our man in Indonesia) like crazy to get things done.
We have been Village Bothering today.. I'll explain.

Last week I was telling you about the secrets of Yogya in Java and the spooky statues factory we found, you can read about it here.
I cancelled the flight back to Bali and stayed on to do a deal with that new big statue company. Turned out to be a good move, the boss guy is a lovely gentle fellow with long experience and lots of ideas. We ordered a container to arrive in December, ready for new year sales.

Now in Ubud, Bali - which for me is giftware heaven. Ubud is probably the most creative and artisanal place on earth. Bali is famous for its culture and beaches, but what is less well known is that maybe half a million people in the interior of Bali work as giftware artisans and gifts shops the world over carry stock from here. But giftware heaven has it's drawbacks, not least there are no big factories. Why? Because the Bali people are fiercely against industrialisation of their island. Buildings over the height of a coconut tree is practically impossible to get permission for. Anyway no-one wants in the slightest to disrupt the way of life they have here.

So what happens is that villages co-operate together and specialise in a particular craft, each family compound (with up to twelve families) which always has it's own temple and common area has also workshops and common working areas. It's a very special and unique way of life. Hens running around, children playing, old ladies either dressed immaculately for a ceremony or topless as is their custom from old days. And everywhere a steady industriousness - making offerings for the gods or making handicraft gifts.. it's the same made with love for a greater good.

We went village bothering today. My words not Ringo's, he says.. "it's no problem, they like it when strangers wander into their houses it's good luck and an honour".

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Ladies making ceremony decorations.

Village bothering is the only way to find artisans. First you have to know which village it is that makes the particular product you are after, then you wander into a compound, into a house and you can see what they are making. They even have little showrooms set up to show off the products. To day we went to a walking stick village. We entered a compound in the midst of a celebration (yes they have many) a rededication of the family temple. Ladies arriving with baskets on their heads, offerings of rice and coconuts. Guys busy constructing penjars the bamboo poles decorated with sacred symbols of gratitude. It was all going on, with gambolan music bonging in the background but the village head and his wife still found time to show us their products.

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The village head with his staffs. I love these, actually very expensive but I think will sell. Anyway very limited supply. Walking sticks are more reasonably priced.

I learned that years ago (for many generations actually) this village supplied ceremonial staffs to all the temples in Bali.. and still do. But now the staffs have morphed into walking sticks, with decor and designs to suit western markets.

Negotiating with Bali artisans is totally different to anywhere else in the world. It took me a while to "get it" ..
No point in offering to buy a huge quantity to get a better price. Because that would impact on their life style. They just don't want to do more than the capacity they have set themselves. Better ask what spare capacity they have and offer to buy it up for the next so many months. You might get a small discount for that security of custom.
There's a lot more to it than that.. I could write a book on it. But you get the idea.

So if you want products with love and soul. Check out our deals below :)

More pictures from this trip to Bali and Yoga on my new instagram feed here: Instagram

I'm going to England!
Will be in AW HQ next week.

Take care.
David

mcf

Handmade with love in Bali. So your customers can put the pictures of happy holiday times in these heart-shaped frames. Wholesale Palm Tree Mosaic Picture Frames perfect for goodtime pics. The big ones make a striking cheerful feature on any wall, and the smaller double ones are perfect for a romantic picture, maybe honeymoon snaps.

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Spice up your customers clothes.Just imagine...if you’re bored with a denim vest, or pair of jeans or denim cutoffs, you can just pin tons of badges or even sew patches onto them and they’ll feel new.

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This range of wholesale soybean candles is presented in glass jars with a cork lid. Each candle has a natural label attached with jute twine. Each box contain 6 soybean jar candles ready to go on the shelves in your shop. Soy Pot of Fragrance Candles are made in our own factory in Yiwu to ensure purity and quality and are great value compared to existing soy products. Guaranteed 3% fragrance level, long burning and very eco-friendly.

halloween

If your customers are throwing a Halloween party they are in the mood to splash out for any scary items, so party gear is profitable as well as fun. We aim to bring you great stock and to be highly competitive.

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Add a splash of colour to your living area or neutral office space with our latest collection of hand-wovenVillage Velvet Rugs.These rugs are lovingly hand made from pure cotton and recycled velvet and will bring comfort and style to your home. The material feels very soft and comfy. These rugs will invite your customers to relaxation, an urge to walk barefoot.

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Top quality Red Dragon Incense sticks are hand made and imported directly to you from Thailand. Delicately fragranced with carefully blended oils these sticks come foil wrapped in bunches of 18 sticks. They have a burn time of 1.5 hours (approx). Now Buy 1 Get 1 FREE so hurry and grab this Extra Special Deal while it lasts.

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Click to find a large selection of new additions to our Incense holders. From plain ash catchers to artistic wooden towers, colourful incense pebbles and boats. Many of them decorated with ornamental designs and brass carvings.

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Take a look at our perfect wooden balancing wine bottle holders. As the whole range depicts different animals, each wine holder is a magic gift for any occasions. In natural wood finish looks they are perfect for country gift shops or any of animal loving customers you have.

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Delight your customers with this amazing range of Candy Jars.The Candy jars come with the lid and makes a beautiful decorative piece around the home. Their unique shapes will look great in your store/website, and they're perfect for storing and displaying sweets, candies, chocolates, lollies, nuts and more, an eye-catching for your customers.

christmas

We aim to bring you the best selling wholesale Christmas gifts and most profitable Christmas stock you can buy. Christmas is the busiest time in the year for giftware so get ready and stock up the best selling Christmas stock at Ancient Wisdom.

danp

Your new Danish Christmas Pouches are made of jute and are very strong and sturdy. They are perfect for your customers to use as gift bags, stocking filler gifts, or to store their presents. Each pack of 3 has 1x small, 1x medium and 1x large pouch so your customers can have a variety to use.

santap

Bring a bit of Christmas magic to your shop with your new range of Santa Pants. Available wholesale this Santa Pants are carefully made in India with jute and cotton and would be perfect as a wine bottle bag or stacking loads of gifts in. Great for Christmas shopping and even better to give as a Christmas gift. What about a stocking filler gift bag?

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