Wares On Earth

I think Wares on Earth makes a great gift store, but it’s not likely a place I’d come to buy anything for myself. They have a lot of pottery items and many other types of beautiful art, made by a variety of artists from around the World. Most of the pieces were rather unique and very detailed, like the penguin statuettes I saw. (These were very cute.)
They also sell a line of beautiful jewellery, that was featured in a national magazine. There was also a lot of framed art for sale – most of these were paintings and drawings that were signed and numbered by the artist. I saw a really cool lamp too. It was very round and colourful, and I believe there were dolphins or fish on it. It cost $ 300 though. This was probably one of the more expensive items in the store – some stuff was reasonably priced. I thought some of the most interesting items were the homemade soaps, lotions, and cold & flu rubs. This is something I’d actually consider trying.
I didn’t get much time to look in this store, because the worker said he was closing right away. She said I could look around, but she stood there watching me, while I did, so I kind of felt uncomfortable.

There are some great items in this store that will make for cool gifts. Wares on Earth brings in stuff from around the world, like Thailand and Peru. Half of the store is kind of like Ten Thousand Villages. And yes, it’s all fair trade, I made sure to ask. Not all their items come from third-​world countries though, as the owner put it; she was quite adamant on pointing that fact out to me actually.
A lot of their stuff is handcrafted by artisans, so much of it can be considered art. I noticed they had Northwest Coast wood carvings, something very common in BC Native art. Other items include pottery, paintings, kitchen accessories, oil lamps, cards, stationary, ink bottles and pens, and body creams and lotions.
I liked the pottery pieces and jewelry the best. Their jewelry is all quite fancy, not pieces you would usually wear on an average day. But they’re stunning, with real stones and some with crystals. It’s all pretty affordable too, not just the jewelry, but the whole store overall.
I’d consider going back for gift ideas, but the owner made me feel uneasy as she watched me browse the store. I know shoplifting can be a problem these days, but honestly, can’t people just shop without being watched like a hawk? It seems like trust no longer exists, and paranoia has taken its place.