Ten Thousand Villages

I really love shopping in this store, they have items handcrafted from so many countries, the good thing is that you are helping the artisans with your purchase, the employees are very nice and I always walk out with a nice/​useful thing, my last purchase was an wooden eyeglass holder crafted in India.
I have many things around my house from this store: scarf, baskets, jewelry box, spoon rest and also a cute little monkey made of coconut husk in the Philippines.

amazing place to get unique handmade goods from all over the world at fair prices AND you are helping sustain the artisans to boot as these goods have been acquired at fair-​trade prices. Example. handwoven wicker laundry basket $ 49 from Uganda. Container Store, Bed Bath and Crate and Barrel had a comparable CHINESE SLAVE LABOR MADE ONE FOR NEARLY $ 100. No brainer.

This is a great place for gifts. The shop has a wide variety of unique fashion, décor, kitchen, office, kids, and food items — all at a range of prices and with a fair trade or environmentally-​friendly twist.
I dropped a star after learning that some food items (e.g., chocolate bars) can be had for much less at another local grocery store.

I came in looking for gifts, but wound up wanting to buy tons of stuff for myself. In the end, common sense prevailed (what with Christmas being just a couple of weeks away) and I did find some great gifts for three different people.
Minus a star for having the front door wide open on a day when it was not even 40 degrees outside.

I’ve always loved this store because of their fair trade policies. Prices are very affordable. I recently bought a really pretty pair of glass bead earrings for $ 8.00. If you are looking for an inexpensive hostess gift this holiday season, then head here. Your hostess will love the gift and you’ll feel good about your purchase because artisans from over 30 countries receive a fair price for their work.
Besides jewelry, they sell cute home décor items and fair trade chocolate bars.

I came in here yesterday to mooch around and see if I could pick up any cool gifts. I was very impressed by the place, a place I might add I have walked past about 10,000 times in order to have my 10,000 Guinnesses at Ri Ra.
There are two characteristics worth emphasizing — selection and quality.
They have a massive selection of art, artifacts, ornaments, fabrics etc etc from lots of different parts of the world, and the quality is absolutely outstanding — I took a close look at the African masks they have and the quality is several notches above that big store in Adams Morgan that sells them by the truckload. The prices are also fantastic.
Add to that the knowledge that you are supporting a worthwhile social mission with your purchase and it makes this place a top spot for presents.

I’ve known about 10,000 Villages for a long time, but I never thought to visit until yesterday when I was waiting for a friend to meet me for a drink at Ri Ra, the Irish pub next door. Wandering the store sounded like a good way to kill ten minutes, and it was.
I was instantly greeted as I walked in the door, and asked if I knew about the store’s fair trade mission. I had a vague idea, but said no so I could learn more about it. TTV is a chain that buys exclusively from artisans in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and provides them with a stable income. The artists are encouraged to use local and/​or recycled materials for their crafts, which I think is great.
When I wandered around I noticed that the prices were reasonable and in some cases cheap for unique, handmade works of art — sequined cushions, jade necklaces, onyx candleholders, ming dynasty-​inspired teapots, and placemats made of recycled, coiled paper. Most of the items had accompanying information about who made them and where they came from.
This store is the perfect place to pick up a beautiful gift that will not only make who you give it to happy, it will make you happy to have helped someone on the other side of the world. Christmas can’t come soon enough!

It’s a wonderful feeling to walk into a store with almost a guarantee that you’ll find something amazing and that your purchase will help the artist continue their work.
Ten Thousand Villages is a great store. If I could I’d decorate my entire apartment with their artwork. I love that each piece has a story behind it. Prices are amazingly reasonable and everything is unique and well made. The store is all about fair trade and supporting local artists. It’s a great thing to support.

My new go-​to store for gifts and for when I feel like my apartment is lacking in decoration. 10,000 Villages sells arts and crafts from developing countries around the world at prices that are fair (as in fair trade) to the artisans and fair to you, too. I got a really cool covered basket and a planter shaped like an elephant for something like $ 40 total. They have a wide selection of housewares, jewelry, bags, and tableware and a friendly and helpful staff. It had a locally-​owned feel and I wouldn’t have thought it was a chain of stores until I asked about other locations.