Aug. 25, 2022

Erin Nelson wants to source as many ingredients as possible locally for her handmade soaps, travel candles and other bath and body products.

But now, “I source anywhere I can,” said Nelson, owner of Irish Twins Soap Co. “Almost all the ingredients, if you can get them, have doubled. That’s the reality of it. It’s gotten to be ridiculous. And I’ve had the same suppliers for years. I don’t know what to do.”

Every time she logs on to buy soy wax, for instance, “it seems like it gets higher and higher,” she said. “Two dollars more, $4 more, and now it’s $10 more for a box. Wax and wicks. You can’t even get glass. We had to switch candle glass to salsa jars. You order, and it comes in six months later, so it’s those things. Anything I order. It’s not fun.”

Her struggle is shared by many who make a living creating homemade, handmade merchandise.

“Wood, for sure,” said Stacy Wengler, co-owner of Knotty Gnome Variety & Salvage. “I use a lot of wood for my laser projects, my paint kits and earrings. Wood prices have increased, doubled, and availability on some of that is still hard. The usual vendors that we use don’t have it, so we’re having to look outside to additional vendors to try and meet my demand of what I need for my product.”

Steel, which also figures heavily into her work, was down noticeably at the start of the year after spiking during the pandemic, but “then with the bombing in Ukraine on the steel plants, it went up again, shot back up,” Wengler said. “Now, it’s kind of going down again, so that’s good.”

Supplies for other crafting materials and fabrics also have experienced price increases, but the more noticeable change is an end to the bulk discounts and wholesale-friendly pricing of the past, she said.

“As a retailer, I’ve seen an increase on the costs from my makers,” she added, especially those selling candles and bath and body products because of the raw materials. “And with my wholesale brand I carry, the prices went up 10 percent.”

For artists, and retailers such as Knotty Gnome, the situation presents a conundrum. Pass along the cost increase, or take a smaller margin?

“It’s hard as a maker to pass along all of that cost to our customer because we’re still competing with big-box stores,” Wengler said. “I felt like I was in a position where I’m almost having to consume some of that inflation myself and not have as much profit just so I can still make product available to customers at a reasonable price.”

It all adds up to an artist community that needs consumer support more than ever, she said.

This Saturday, dozens of local makers will sell their work at the 605 Made Night Market from 4 to 10 p.m. in the Raven parking lot at Sixth Street and Phillips Avenue in downtown Sioux Falls.

The hope is it will turn around a trend many artists are experiencing at shows this season – slower sales after a surge last year as shoppers returned following a year of pandemic-related event cancellations.

“We have done less pop-ups, but sales have been slow,” Nelson said. “People can’t afford groceries. Candles are sort of not a necessity. Soap kind of is. I’m trying to wrap my head around it and be positive about it.”

Karli Raymond, owner of Sew Doggy Boutique, reports sales also have been slower.

“It was good for us during the pandemic; everyone got a pandemic puppy,” said Raymond, who makes and sells pet accessories, including collars, bandanas and bowties.

“I can tell people are being more cautious with their spending because everything else is so much higher. Shows have been quieter, but I’m hoping they will pick back up once we get into the holiday season.”

Meanwhile, she’ll be at the Night Market ready to outfit canines for Halloween, Thanksgiving and family portraits.

“If they bring the pet for the family picture, we’ll have an outfit for it.”

Here’s a look at the makers, chefs and entertainers coming to Saturday’s Night Market:

Here’s your guide to shopping, food, entertainment at Saturday’s 605 Made Night Market