Keep your primitives, PRIMITIVE!!!  Keep them handmade!  Don't be lured in by those imports that claim to be "Handmade" because they are NOT.....they are made by some poor person who doesn't have a clue as to what they are making or WHY they are making it!!!  If you are a TRUE primitive collector, you will know the difference!  Now don't get me wrong, I've purchased "Fake" rusty stuff to decorate my home, but it is nowhere NEAR as good as that REAL rusty stuff......the rusty stuff that has been rusted over the years!!  Some things to look for when deciding which primitive handmade craft you should buy.......Make sure you are buying from a seller who has a good reputation with ebay and other customers.....Do some research!  Look at that feedback!!!!!! ;) Read the description!!!  See if it is handmade!! Ask the seller questions!  Don't be shy ;)

Do your best to stay away from those cheap imitation imports!  There is nothing better than HANDMADE.......especially when it comes to buying Primitives.

For instance.....if you do a search for "PRIMITIVE HOOKED RUG".....it will pull up a bunch of auctions.....If you will notice most of the listings for a good handmade hooked rug are being bid way on up there....This usually means that the artist has spent HOURS UPON HOURS hooking this rug.....and it is the artists original design that she or he has spent TIME and VERY HARD work finishing so they can offer it to you.....Then you will see a few auctions that say something like....."NEW PRIMITIVE HOOKED RUG".........This USUALLY means that it is imported.....NOT handmade, and has a tag on it that says something like "Made in China"...........You can get them for a fraction of the cost of an original design by an artist......but they are just NOT worth it!!!!

This is just an example!!  I've been lured in by buying a hooked rug once that said....."HANDMADE PRIMITIVE GRUNGY HOOKED RUG".........the description was short and to the point.......something like....."Primitive hand hooked rug 20" by 20".........and that was about it for the description!  I should have asked a few questions before I bought, because when I got it, it was just thrown together, with a tacky tag on the back that said "Made in China".........I was VERY disappointed!  I learned my lesson ;).....so I am passing that little bit of info on to you!  Hope this helps you out........Again, I make Handmade primitive crafts , but I have never made a hooked rug....I DO know that they take a lot of time and effort, AND TALENT!!!!  So steer clear of those imports!

Just be SURE to ask questions BEFORE you buy ;).......

Hope this helps you out..........

Many Blessings,
Tennessee Ridge Primitives