As Good as a bought one ...

by Tash Hughes of Word Constructions

Australians are great at using sayings and expressions, and saying that it is ‘as good as a bought one’ is common.

It is a way of saying something is well done, even professionally done, such that no one could tell the difference between it a shop bought equivalent.

In many instances, however, it is more of an insult than a compliment. Our modern world is so based on commercialism and buying rather than making than bought items seem somehow better and that the home made items are cheap or less valued.

The reality is that home made items are often much better than the shop bought. Some of the advantages to home made are as follows:

#  It can be customised to your tastes and needs, often at no extra cost; try telling a department store that you really want a blue one if they don’t stock it!

#  It may be one-of-a-kind or part of a limited run, which adds value and interest. Even where a number of the items exist, each one will have its own idiosyncrasies to make it unique.

#  There is craftsmanship and pride in the little details; home made clothes usually don’t need buttons to be resewn on after one wear

#  You will be supporting an individual and a small business, not a large corporation

#  Time and effort went into making the item, and they are precious commodities

#  A craftsperson does each piece individually so the quality will be consistent; shop bought items may have been made in bulk and thus some defects are more easily missed

#  You are not paying for huge overheads in terms of a shop front and advertising

Home made items include a personal touch; either you buy the item from the maker or the creator gives it to you as a gift. Receiving a gift made especially for you is special and can be displayed with pride.

Next time you are tempted to compliment someone for making something ‘as good as a bought one’, think about how good the shop bought equivalent really is and give a genuine compliment instead.

Tash Hughes is the owner of Word Constructions and is available to solve all your business writing problems! From letters to policies, newsletters to web content, Word Constructions writes all business documents to your style and satisfaction.

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