Short diary - but I had this idea that I wanted to share. There's been calls for boycotting Hobby Lobby, I certainly haven't shopped there since this all began, discussions here about where else to get craft supplies (Michael's, Joann, Hancock fabrics, ebay, Etsy, Zibbet, Amazon, etc) - and I thought, well maybe my customers would like to know that when they buy finished products from me, they are not even indirectly supporting Hobby Lobby!
So I put a statement at the front of my Zibbet store that says:
* I do not purchase from or support Hobby Lobby *
Here's what it looks like in the shop:
http://www.zibbet.com/... (shameless plug, lol).
I'm rushed now but later today I'll do the same with my Etsy shop. And I'll also post it on my website/blog, my twitter account, Facebook page, etc.
I'm just saying, that's what I'm doing. But if you have an online store, and I know lots of us crafty Kossacks do, you could do it, too.
CAVEAT: I'm not enough conversant with the TOUs for sites like Etsy or Zibbet to know how they would feel about posting a potentially "political" statement in a shop announcement. If a statement gets really controversial, you might be asked to take it down. I dunno. I deliberately phrased mine as a personal preference, rather than urging boycott. If I get asked to remove it I will. But on my website, I'll come out in full force!
Hope you like this idea.
Seeing lots of this on Twitter now ~
8:06 PM PT: Thanks for all the comments & rec's that put this diary on the Rec List! Thanks also for the kind words about my shop :) and Very Special Thanks to those, crafters & otherwise, who've been inspired to add their own statements online. We might just start a movement!
9:31 PM PT: Independent of my actions, the idea of boycotting Hobby Lobby is spreading in the craft world! I'm seeing a lot craft-buying folks tweet about how they're looking to buy only from crafters to pledge No Hobby Lobby. (see tweet embedded in diary body). Crafters & online sellers, you know what to do!
Tue Jul 01, 2014 at 4:29 PM PT: Thanks again for all the comments & rec's. I'm so glad to see this is becoming a THING that's taking off (not just my boycott, but all over the Intertubes!). Thanks also to the commenters who have given some great ideas about where to get art &craft supplies without giving a penny to "Wahhabi-Lobby."
For those who expressed concerns about any repercussions I might get from the vendor sites - I haven't heard a peep from them, neither Etsy or Zibbet (Zibbet btw is headquartered in Australia, so I doubt they even know HL exists). But - since I've gone public with my no-HL position, I've had FIVE sales! Woo-hoo! So much for the thought that you can't mix your politics with business - if you do it the right way, I guess you can ;) MUCH gratitude to my customers, of course - and you will be getting your stuff this week!