Alternative to Christmas shopping

by donal Wed Nov 29, 2006 07:08 donal_finn at hotmail dot com 7 henry street galway 087 6909125

hey folks
donal in galway here
i manned the stall in shop street for buy nothing day on saturday gone and let me say that im suprised to see negative comments from the market stall holders in the city .
I thought that above all people in our society the traders on the ground would want to be the first people to back a protest about anti globalisation and connsumerism in a hope to keep people out of the high street stores over the christmas ,
buy nothing day in my eyes is a great thing and the world would be a sadder place without it .
i have been a regular face round the market for most of my adult life and have done the vast majority of my weekly shoping and christmas shopping there for many years its almost like a pilgramage my walk from henrys street and back first thing saturday morning rain or shine .and many of the traders im sure will vouch to seeing my face in all conditions over there stalls for many years
i do this because i believe strongly in local trade
i do this because i like to know where my money goes when i spend it and know it stays locally instead of in some "expletives" pocket
i do this because i believe in fair trade and value for money both sides of the equation
THESE ARE THE SAME REASONS I WAS ON THAT STALL ON SATURDAY GONE
every single person that i spoke to that day had allready made several purchases in the shops several had spent many hundreds of euros without knowing who they gave there money to. i asked them they didnt know !!!!!
when they told me that i pointed EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM IN THE DIRECTION OF GUESS WHERE ???
thats right the market !!!!!!
telling them that if they couldnt buy nothing to at least buy local
some laughed and scorned me
some went to the shops and spent more money
some shouted get a job
hundreds of people said fair play it needs doing and went about there shopping
but a group of about five teenage girls stopped and listened to what i had to say and questioned me for almost an hour after it and i know i made a difference to them and that they WILL THINK BEFORE THEY SPEND from now on i know this so dont be to suprised when you see them at your stall next week . and if we can make one person think then the efforts of the ten or so crew most definitly werent wasted.

long live the L.E.T.S.
DONAL FINN
P.S. any sign of the market traders starting to take corribs ???!!!???

by Catlady Mon Nov 20, 2006 18:10

Thats the way i understood it anyway! Well done to the organisers. Promise I won't buy any crap I don't need that day, and will do my best to check out better alternatives as I mentioned above.

by Santa Mon Nov 20, 2006 17:07

Buy Nothing Day is to draw attention to over consumption in our society. It is about thinking about how we buy, how much we buy and what effect our actions have.

We are all consumers, but we can all make a difference in choosing local produce from small independent traders, therefore we wholeheartedly support the saturday market traders. It is the big multinational corporations we have a problem with and buying for buying's sake.

We are not necessarily asking people to buy nothing on that day, just to think about what they buy and whether we really need all the useless stuff we buy. Think about what kind of social and environmental impacts our actions have.

by Catlady Fri Nov 17, 2006 19:52

In fairness, I think most people who are disgusted with the consumerist society would (correct me if I'm wrong anyone!). The way I see this day is more that its against the big companies who constantly dupe us into buying crap we don't need through intensive advertising and scare-mongering. Rest assured that while I would avoid those guys for this one day in the year at least, I would have no qualms buying from yourselves, charity shops, fairtrade shops etc. In fact, it would actually encourage me to go to these more ethical places in search of pressies!

by David Fri Nov 17, 2006 13:10

From Malahide Market traders, who only operate on Saturday and who sell fresh fruit and veg, and handmade craft goods etc etc one day a week.

by Trader Fri Nov 17, 2006 09:08

Thanks a lot from the traders in Galway Weekend Market . Many of us only trade one day a week, most of us selling produce we have made or grown ourselves during the week.