>>Shop Analog Life Products from Uncommon Goods<<
We spoke with Uncommon Goods founder David Bolotsky to discover how the brand's curated selection of unique, handmade, and artist-driven products fosters deeper connections between makers and buyers, while encouraging a more mindful and slower pace of living. He emphasized the brand’s dedication to craftsmanship and sustainability, always making thoughtful choices that positively impact both people and the planet, and how they remain committed to offering high-quality, meaningful products that inspire creativity, imagination, and thoughtful living.
Q: How does Uncommon Goods encourage customers to hit the pause button, step away from the hustle, and appreciate the analog side of life?
A: When picking products for our assortment or designing them ourselves, we think about how people will interact with them and use them in their everyday lives. We have things that make people’s day-to-day easier and solve problems, but we also carry designs intended to help people slow down and take a break from their busy lives and screens. These products often help foster human connection.
Our My Life Story-So Far journal was created by our in-house team. It’s a cloth-bound book of prompts that gets its owner writing down their memories and telling stories that can be passed down through generations. When it comes to stuff for kids, we focus on encouraging imaginative play and creativity. We carry everything from dress-up capes that let kids be dinosaurs or unicorns to craft kits that get kids to put down the screens and make something with their hands.
Some of our products help people slow down simply by being beautiful or interesting. They elicit a double-take that makes you give them another closer look. Many of the products we carry are artist-made by hand using sustainable or repurposed materials. Something like a reclaimed oak bourbon barrel becomes a beautiful lazy Susan, for example. That’s handcrafted in Arkansas by a husband-and-wife team, Jeremiah and Kassy Reynolds. Another handmade example is our collection of wool baby booties, designed by Gulnara Kydyrmyshova and hand-felted by artisans in Kyrgyzstan.
We consider how, where, and by whom each product is made when choosing what to add to our assortment. We’re a founding B Corp, and it’s always been extremely important to us to make each decision by starting with impact on people and the planet, not just profit.
Q: When someone shops with Uncommon Goods, what do you hope they feel and what do you hope your product brings them? Happiness, nostalgia, confidence, fulfillment?
A: Trust, for one. We give our customers the product’s story up front, so they can feel a connection to that item and the person who makes it. We hope the customer trusts that we’re selecting the highest-quality, most uncommon items for our assortment. To build that trust, we share where a product is made, who makes it, and what it’s made from. We also offer lifetime returns. If it’s not what the customer expected, they can send it back at any time.
And two, happiness! We want those buying our gifts (and shopping for themselves) to find joy in discovering exactly the right thing, and those receiving the gifts to be surprised and delighted.
Q: How does Uncommon Goods balance tradition with innovation to stay relevant in today's fast-changing world?
A: Our business blends tradition and innovation by the nature of what we do. The craftspeople we work with often use elaborate, labor-intensive techniques like traditional woodworking, painting with meticulous detail, lost-wax casting in jewelry, and so many other artisan practices that require immense levels of skill and talent. We use technology to promote those goods and the people making them, who’ve dedicated their lives to their craft. We’ve been building relationships with the maker community since our founding in 1999, and we’re constantly on the lookout for new makers. We not only sell their creations, but often work with maker partners to co-create exclusive designs.
We also develop our own Uncommon Originals in-house. The interactive mugs we created are a great example of technology meeting tradition. They feature QR codes that, when scanned, bring up daily quotes (our Literature Every Day mug) or facts (our Baseball and History Every Day mugs). They let someone who’s enjoying their morning coffee or afternoon tea spend a little extra time with that experience. They can make learning more about a subject they love a part of their daily ritual.
Another good example is Uncommon Experiences, which are live, virtual classes taught by experts. We launched the series in 2021 and have added dozens of classes since. For example, you can learn mixology from a Brooklyn-based bartender or paint watercolors with a talented artist from Oklahoma. Since the classes are held online, you learn a skill while utilizing technology—and you can take the class from wherever you are, with other people, wherever they are, so it’s a way to connect with far-flung friends.
Q: Can you share a specific story or example that illustrates how your brand has made a meaningful impact on someone's life?
A: By working directly with the maker community, we’re able to help them connect with a wider audience than they may be able to reach on their own. If we place a large purchase order, the maker gets to focus on crafting the products, while we take care of advertising, shipping, and customer service. They can feel good about working with a brand that bolsters independent artists and small businesses, while we get to work with vendor partners who are generally making better choices for their communities and the environment than many manufacturers of mass-produced items.
One maker who comes to mind is John Harrison, who invented the Long Distance Friendship Lamps. He first created them as Christmas gifts for his family to easily stay in touch. The lamps are a great example of technology bringing people together. You keep one and give one to someone in another location (or several people to create a network of lamps) and when you tap yours, theirs lights up. It’s a meaningful way to send someone a hello wherever they are, anywhere in the world.
John’s Friendship Lamps became instant bestsellers, and we were scrambling to keep them in stock. They sold so well not only because they’re a functional piece of home decor but also because of the unique way they bring people together. We now offer an exclusive wooden version of the lamps, which we developed with John and his wife and business partner, Vanessa Whalen. We also sell their digital photo frames, which work in a similar way. We’ve built a strong partnership with these makers that’s mutually beneficial, and the products coming out of it are—pun intended—brightening people’s days.
Q: What's one change you believe other brands in your field can make to encourage a more mindful approach to life and foster deeper connections with their customers?
A: Consider who you are as a brand and your impact on the world in everything you do. Rather than simply chasing the lowest cost, think about your effect on people and the planet. Bring that into your decisions and tell those stories often. We work with people who have an incredible amount of pride and passion in their craft. We provide opportunities for people to express love and gratitude for each other through meaningful gifts. And we do that while maintaining a high level of integrity in our business practices. Few brands can honestly say that. Those who can say it should say it loudly! I encourage other brands to follow the B Corp model and be very open about how they’re living those values to bring customers along on the journey. And remember, the goal is not to be perfect, but to keep being better!
Q: What inspired you to create Uncommon Goods 25 years ago, and why do you think it has enjoyed continued success over that time period?
A: I had the idea for Uncommon Goods back in 1999 when I attended a craft show and realized it was one of the only ways for small makers to reach their customers at the time. The artists would have to travel and spend their weekends at these shows. It wasn’t convenient for shoppers either because the shows were infrequent, often at inconvenient locations and times. An online marketplace like Uncommon Goods didn’t exist at the time, so we gave makers a new way to connect with shoppers looking for unique goods.
The internet allowed for creativity and individuality in a way that chain stores didn’t. The retail landscape has certainly changed over the years, and we have many competitors now that didn’t exist back then. We’ve remained successful because we’ve worked to provide customers with a great experience. We sell quality products they can’t find anywhere else with a lifetime satisfaction guarantee. We’re focused on continuously improving and not trying to grow too quickly.
Q: In a world that’s all about fast fashion and quick production, how does Uncommon Goods take a different approach and foster a deeper relationship with craftspeople around the world?
A: We work with many small businesses and independent makers based in the USA, so we have opportunities to meet face-to-face and get to know them personally. We see them at shows and visit some of their studios. There are makers in our line-up who we’ve worked with for many years. Jeff Davis, for example, who’s based in Philadelphia, has sold his reclaimed vinyl record designs with us for more than 20 years.
We do carry products that are made overseas, so we work to ensure that those goods are always high quality and that the craftspeople making them have fair working conditions. Whether we’re working with artists close to home or abroad, when a product is handmade, we give the customer relevant information through the product’s story on our website, including where it’s made and who makes it.
Q: Tell us about some of these featured products from Uncommon Goods – what makes them so unique and interesting?
A: In addition to the uncommon products I mentioned earlier, one that springs to mind is artist Aaron Foster's enormous handmade one-of-a-kind license plate map of the USA. Each state is represented by an authentic license plate mounted on a painted cedar background. It's the very definition of a conversation piece.
We've recently added something special for all the book lovers out there—a clock designed just for bibliophiles. The Literary Clock displays book passages instead of traditional numbers, featuring over 13,000 quotes from literature spanning six centuries. You can even choose to see them in English, French, German, or Spanish and adjust how often they appear.
Since reading time is sacred, our Uncommon Originals team gave it the shrine it deserves. The Book Nook, exclusively available at Uncommon Goods, is an all-in-one reading valet with dedicated spots for your book, reading glasses, and beverage, plus a structure to hold your book and mark your page. There’s even a hidden compartment that keeps your phone out of sight so you can focus.
Another standout from our assortment is David Goldhagen's Infinity Glass Sculpture. This exquisite creation features clear glass hand-blown with ethereal ribbons of color, forming a stunning figure-eight that symbolizes an eternal connection to your soulmate. It's an heirloom-worthy work of art, making it a popular choice for wedding and anniversary gifts.
Coping with grief and loss is never easy, so we're honored to present Benjamin Giguere's Cremation Memorial Glass Collection. Benjamin and his team create breathtaking glass art and jewelry by incorporating your loved one's cremated remains, providing a beautiful and comforting way to keep them with you always. Customers also receive two photos capturing key moments during the piece's creation: when the molten glass rolls over the ashes and when the glass, covered in ashes, returns to the furnace.
Q: Could you tell us a bit about the overall vibe of Uncommon Goods?
A: This comes back to how we tell the stories of our products online and through our catalog. We want to create a picture of how someone would use the product in their life—or how they could see it fitting into the life of someone they care about. We merchandise our homepage to appeal to various interests (like gifts for sports fans, avid readers, or home chefs) and by people or occasions (outside of major holidays, birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries get a lot of attention). We have thousands of items to peruse, and each of those has a story behind it. We also feature maker bios to let customers learn a bit about the people behind those products.
