That’s actually kind of cute, and at $24.99, affordable, without being “99% Off!”
If I knew some die hard fans I would definitely consider this.
That’s beautiful.
Mr. Bells gave me this as a gift. It’s very cute. The door has a little magnet so it opens easily and stays closed.
I mean… I know I’m always this person, but that is straight off Alibaba/Aliexpress. (Do a search for "hobbit door necklace on Aliexpress, there’s 76 listings.)
I’m sure the designer added the lovely crystal beads with their own two hands, which is crafting/creating if you ask me. So really, the question is: where is the line? What is “handmade” and what isn’t?
I’m a “beader” - I buy beads and findings and put them together in unique ways. Which is arguably what this person has done too. I buy things on Aliexpress all the time because findings and beads are much cheaper there. But what is handmade? Where is the line? I’m honestly asking, its something I actively struggle with.
I think a “typical” jeweller* also often buys and uses prefabbed beads and findings - and I would never deny the handmade label. for me the more important part in jewellery is the design and assembly process, so it’s handmade even when the jeweller didn’t start with a silver ingot.
*) though I know a few we never really talked about the craft. shrug.
See, I don’t call myself that because I’m not a jeweller, I don’t cast metal, hell I don’t even solder (cuz I’m afraid of the fire!) but I do “make” jewellery. Its a fuzzy line that for sure!
Mostly I like drilling holes in things or turn things into other things.
The “jeweller” was only meant as placeholder for doing this type of work professionally - and when you see yourself as amateur (don’t know, in a way I don’t even care : P) it feels stupid for me to define “handmade” more strict.
I think this is totally legit to bring up. I liked the design of the door - it’s cute. And the ShanaLogic shout out is a nice contrast to the shady “99% off of this lifetime subscription” posts. But there is also no reason to be shy about pointing out that the actual key design (the door) is by a wholesaler. It is an interesting thing to note - especially to the creative people who are the audience for BB, who might want to make their own jewelry.
What is hand made comes up in my mind frequently on Etsy, where bunches of people use the same wholesale charms and such and call their product “hand made”, even if they have done nothing more than string it on a chain of their choosing, or crudely emboss it with a letter stamp. It is pretty funny to see the radical difference in prices from vendor to vendor, but the annoying thing is that as humans we are biased to think the more expensive item is actually better (not saying we all fall for that bias, but absent more info, such as your post about the door being generic wholesale, we often go by the price charged to determine value.
The doors sell for between 10 and 20 cents per dozen? Can that really be right? :-0
Not knowing the actual cost of jewelry parts is why I noted that the fun necklace from ShanaLogic is affordable rather than a great deal - because, for the most part, I don’t know what a great deal is in jewelry.
It’s $0.10 each, or $2 per dozen. Minimum order is 12 dozen, so $24.
Thanks 
Still seriously cheap.
I’m so torn about it all…
On the one hand, using bought findings is normal, we can’t make lobster claws or chains as cheaply or as well as China, so why try? Its not worth my time or the materials and on one would pay what its worth. Same with beads/pendants/tiny-doors… I buy cameos wholesale, because pouring and casting two toned resin is a pain in the ass. But i try to do more than just glue a cameo to a setting and call it a day… and I never claim to make something i didn’t actually make… the lines in the sand are so damn blurry…
I should point out that the door in the Alibaba posting is not identical, or as nice, as the one in the Shanalogic shout out, that it could even be an inferior copy of something invented by the maker of the necklace, a necklace I still think is neat:
Alibab/express is rife with copies of copies of copies. This is what happens with a race to the cheapest price possible.
But it didn’t take me long to find this one:
Wait, you mean that my single search of the Alibaba site didn’t get me the best quality on the first hit. 
So, still a Chinese finding… And who can afford them at $2.55 each :-0
Welcome to my world. Where I go “hey, I want a bird cage pendant that opens and I can put things inside of” - cue several hours of scouring Alibaba/express & eBay. LOL
This is why I can spot Chinese findings on sight. 
Well, if nothing else, I’ve learnt a new meaning for the word finding.
Did you ever submit things to the Regretsy Compare and Save entries?
I miss that site, though ironically, I only knew Etsy through Regretsy, having never been there before (though I’d heard of Etsy, just never went there to see for myself until Regretsy.)
I also love that the site owner was also the voice actor for talking cow from the Happy Cows are from California campaign (among many others.)
No, but gotdamn do I miss Regresty. Just this past weekend I found my Petja-palooza magnet from my trip to the NY meet up! That was crazy! (I did not tell my SO why I was taking him to NYC).
Oh, come ON. Fantasy buffs? Show their love?
First words of the second paragraph, first chapter, The (Friggin’) Hobbit.
It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle.
Round(ish): 
Green:
Doorknob color:
Doorknob placement: 
Was that so hard?
