How to Tell If It's Truly Handmade (and If the Shop Is Real)

Simple, powerful ways to see what’s true — even if you’ve never bought handmade before.

There’s something deeply special about buying handmade.

It’s not just about the item, but the energy behind it: the care, the hours, the hands. An authentic handmade piece carries soul. A factory product doesn’t.

But how can you tell the difference?

Today’s online shops look and are beautiful and professional. They may even say the right words: "artisan-made," "unique," "crafted with love." But not all of them are telling the truth.

This simple handmade buyer’s guide will help you see through the surface and spot what’s real - without needing to be an expert.

1. Look for Imperfections (The Good Kind)

Handcrafted doesn’t mean flawless. It means human.

When something is truly handmade — stitched, carved, shaped, or braided by real hands, it will never be machine-perfect. You might see tiny quirks:

A stitch that's just slightly angled.

A small size variation between two “identical” pieces.

A flower that’s a little pinker than the one next to it.

These aren’t flaws. They’re proof. They’re the heartbeat in the work. And usually, they have a story hidden within their description. The inspiration behind it, the symbolism, the thought of the maker regarding "why" and "how" about it.

2. The Inventory Tells a Story (Or Raises a Red Flag)

If you're trying to figure out how to identify real handmade products, look at the shop as a whole. Real artists specialize. They may branch out, but their shop has a center of gravity.

Imagine a ceramic artist. Their shop might feature mugs, bowls, maybe a few wall tiles, but you’ll notice and feel the focus. Maybe 200 mugs, 50-60 other pieces. That’s consistency.

Check out my own shop - here or everywhere else you might find me. Yes, you will find some leather keychains, a few bookmarks, a couple of lanyards or bag charms. But you’ll also notice what everything revolves around: leather bracelets. That’s the craft I’ve deepened over time.

So if you see a shop that sells…

crochet blankets,

ceramic mugs,

pillowcases,

baby shoes,

and kitchen cutlery...

…that’s not a handmade artist. That’s a catalog. We makers might be good at many things — but we’re not that good - nobody can truly specialize in everything and still create genuine handmade items with care and quality.

Real shops don’t look like a department store. They look like someone’s craft took root — and grew.

 A leather shop might have a few simple cuffs listed along with their niche inventory, but you will clearly see that their expertise is leather bags. Or mens belts. You get my point.

3. Watch the Sales Volume vs. Time Open

If a shop is claiming to sell handmade goods made by one person, their sales volume should reflect that.

A small studio - and especially a single-person-business (as many claim to be) can’t ship thousands of pieces per month, not even hundreds. It’s just not possible.

Do the math.

If a shop has, say, 35,000+ sales, but was only opened 3 years ago, and claims everything is fully handmade by one person, just ask yourself: How?

4. Ask Questions. Then Read the Answers.

This is one of the most powerful tools you have as a buyer. Ask questions! Ask things like:

Can you make this in black instead of brown?

What kind of leather is this, and where does it come from?

How will this material age or wear over time?

Can you explain how the sizing works on wider vs. thinner cuffs?

Does it matter if I take a shower while wearing it?

A true handmade seller knows these answers like the back of their hand.

They’ve worked with the same materials for years. They know how leather behaves, where the closures sit best, and how to adjust something for you, because even with a size chart, not every M sized wrist is the same with another. How colors react to temperatures, how fabric absorbs each dye and so on.

If the answers are vague, evasive, or overly rehearsed, it's a red flag. It's a sign you're not talking to the maker at all. 

5. Reviews Reveal More Than Stars

Don’t just skim the stars and focus on how many 5-stars this and that shop have. A majority of 5-star ratings is not the whole image and it doesn't prove anything apart from okay, a real shop that for real ships something out. If you're wondering how to verify handmade sellers, reviews are a goldmine. Read the reviews. You’re not looking for perfection. You’re looking for realness.

✨ Do people talk about the packaging, the personal touches, the communication?

✨ Are there reviews with photos showing the item in real life?

✨ When something went wrong, how did the shop respond?

✨ Are the reviews way too similar, robotic and/or oddly short? ("Great! Love it! Fast shipping!") — that’s a red flag.

Good reviews are stories, not scorecards.

They tell you who the maker is, what they value, and how they treat people — long after the sale.

Bonus Tip: Trust Your Gut

This may be the simplest and most important one of all.

A truly handmade item is more than a just another product.

It’s a piece of someone’s time, energy, personal story, and spirit, a quiet echo of the hands that made it.

When you find that kind of work…

…you’ll feel it.