Ten Thousand Villages

Ten thousand villages is a unique, fair trade shop on Main St. in south Evanston. They carry items from Latin America, Mexico, Africa, and Asia, and every item has a story.
They have housewares, stationery, books, scarves, candles, soaps, coffee, chocolates, various trinkets… and my favorite items are always the jewelry. I come here when I need a special gift for someone or a unique piece of jewelry for myself. The workers are all friendly and helpful, and I love that most of them are volunteers. I like to support small businesses, and I feel good about shopping here, knowing that the artists are paid fair wages.

Still a great place to get Fair Trade items at a reasonable price. I finished up my Christmas shopping here and am very happy (as always) with what I found.
Shopping here is a way to do good on so many levels.

I find something amazing every time I visit, and I live around the corner so I visit a lot. Staff is very friendly and helpful. It’s all fair trade so I feel good shopping here too.

Another delightful browsing destination on Main St (see also: Wine Goddess, Oliver’s Toys, and the Rock Shop). This double-​size shop has plenty of room for a huge variety of ethically sourced items. Their jewelry and accessories section is particularly impressive. They also have great seasonal rotations, and regular visiting rug-​sale events. The shop is well organized, and the staff are, without exception, friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable. If you’re trying to buy something special for that hard-​to-​buy-​for MIL/​SIL/​coworker, stop by Ten Thousand Villages, and enjoy complimentary coffee while you browse to boot!

This was my first shopping stop while spending an afternoon in Evanston. The shop is a bright, open and inviting space, and the employees are very friendly. A lady eagerly approached me, asked if I’d been there before, and then took the time to explain that everything in their shop is «fair trade.» The artisans in other countries make a fair wage for the goods they produce. Warm fuzzies, everyone! Okay, let’s shop.
The jewelry reminded me a lot of what I see at World Market, and it is displayed nicely in color groupings. Most of the jewelry was in the $ 20 – 30 range, which is fair for the more unique pieces. They also had bangles made in India for $ 6/​each.
Most of the shop is filled with decorative and household goods. There were a lot of pretty dishes and serving bowls on display, which would make great gifts for a mother, housewarming party, or bridal shower.
There’s a small corner dedicated to chocolate and coffee, so I suppose there is something for everybody here. Although I left without making a purchase, it’s definitely a nice shop to check out.

On the shelves and displays in Ten Thousand Villages you’ll find all sorts of fair trade items, from coffee to finger puppets. The store layout is easy to navigate, and there are many interesting items to check out. The staff are friendly, kind, and helpful, and they aren’t pushy. We bought a bag of Café Chicago (ground beans), and it made some great coffee using my home coffee maker.

This is one of my favorite places to shop in Evanston. They have a wide variety of items — tea and coffee, lots of jewelry, delicious chocolates and tons of hand made crafts. It’s a fair trade/​not for profit store that is helping to make a difference in the world. The staff and volunteers are always friendly and helpful.

A great place to pick up some uniqe hand crafted home décor. A little pricey but hard to find the quality and pieces anywhere else.

I love these fair trade stores featuring international arts and crafts. The first one I ever went to was in Toronto, Canada, and I have been a fan ever since. I have frequented the Evanston store several times over the last year and a half, and I have found the same high quality products on sale, many at a reasonable price, some on the slightly more expensive side. They sell everything from textiles for wall décor, knickknacks, and garden items, to toys, world music cds, and fair trade coffee. I have bought things here for myself and for friends. Last year, I bought several little menorahs so that my friends’ children could have their own for celebrating Hanukkah. These menorahs were made in India, I believe, and from recycled bicycle chain. These gifts were not only inventive and socially and environmentally conscious, but were also practical (they stood upright and worked for lighting the candles, and you could even adjust their shapes) and very attractive. My friends’ children were very excited and enjoyed using these menorahs to celebrate the holiday. This is really a great store.

Such a great place for gifts for both adults and children, and it’s my go-​to place for coffee beans. I’m in full support of its fair trade mission, and the all-​volunteer staff is very friendly and helpful. I go here so often though I sometimes wish they’d get some new items a little more often. Still, I love what they have available, which is a lot.

How can you say anything but good things about this store? The only next best thing would be living in a communal village where you would cut out the middle man. I love this store, its purpose, its mission, the people working there, and the people who are making home items beautifully and authentically. The store itself is colorful and charming, with lots of things to look at and admire.

Love this store… fair trade goodness. I came in looking for something creative to put my makeup brushes in the bathroom and one of the store volunteers surprised me with the perfect thing… a crushed used glass bottle! How different and unique to put on the counter in the bathroom. He had an incredible eye though I was doubtful a guy could envision what I wanted in terms of a makeup brush holder. I also bought a natural fiber lamp and asked them to pack it nicely as I’m moving soon. They did with a smile and even gave me some extra boxes for my move! These boxes have handles and are super sturdy. TTV is just fabulous, come in here to treat yourself and learn why we need to pay attention to and support fair trade.

Sorry to rain on the politically correct parade, but this operation is a mess. I was there in early November, 2010. The staff was hopelessly incompetent, unable to process routine transactions or wrap fragile pottery for transport home. Rude, too. Yes, the merchandise selection is fun… but should it hurt this bad to shop so good?

Fair trade heaven, as they say «representing the diverse cultures of artisans in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.»
Anything you buy there you know the artisan was given a fair price for his creation. Think of it as a classier, smaller, at times more high-​end and way more ethical Cost Plus World Market. (I do love Cost Plus World Market too– but my conscience feels better with Ten Thousand Villages.) They do have a range of prices. I have gotten wall hangings and wall art there, some jewelry, awesome carved wood boxes, etc. The place is somewhat pricey for some things, but that’s only because the artisan got properly compensated. I’d say the quality of craftsmanship is generally higher in Ten Thousand Villages than at Cost Plus.
It’s a good place for gifts for others, though I always get gifts for myself there! They also always offer you a sample of fair trade coffee, if you’re a coffee person. I guess in my ideal world they’d offer a sample of fair trade tea too but they don’t. They have a lot of rich colors in the store and it’s pleasant to browse, plus my beloved Dave’s Rock Shop is just up the street!

Fair Trade=GOOD!
It’s a cute and charming little place to go, and a great place to get presents! All my winter paraphernalia is from here! And what could be better than free samples almost every time you go?
There is pretty much something for everyone here!

I love how everything here is made by people who are paid fairly for their trade or craft…
The people who work here are volunteers, very kind, and not at all pushy. It’s great how volunteers make for a great experience — since they are there because they want to be there, not because they have to.
I love the jewelry, although I didn’t get any on my most recent visit. They have décor for your home, winter accessories, tons o’ coffee, and a little section of musical «instruments». Do you need anything from Ten Thousand Villages — probably not. But is it stuff you will appreciate — more than likely, especially when you are supporting artisans world wide.

This is a great shop when you need a gift on the fly — choose from home goods, coffees and yummy soup or baking mixes, kid stuff, decorations during the holidays, jewelry and more. The staff, mostly volunteers, is so kind and it makes for a peaceful shopping experience. Added bonus — it’s fair trade stuff.

This is one of my very favorite places to shop. Everything you find here is made by hand and purchased directly from the artisan from all over the world.
I have found things ranging from soaps, coffee, chocolate, music, clothing, things for home, jewelery and much more. It’s a new collection every time I visit.
Every purchase you make here will be unique, it will not only bring you much joy it will also help the artisan and a community.
A proud member of the IFAT, the international fair trade association.
for more information visit
Here are some other sites where they carry ethnic crafts.
For Mexican folk art
For ethnic items form all over the world.
For Handicrafts from Sri lanka
South African artisans handcrafting serving accessories and jewelry.

Fairly Traded Goods. Word. They are the best.
Tired of ripping off the developed world by buying inexpensive goods made by exploited workers? Shop here.
Seriously, there are some very nice things in this shop and they are not all super-​expensive. They are mostly the products of skilled hands in other countries, and there are many beautiful and unique items to be had. Need a drum made from an animal hide? It’s here. What about an impressive, hand woven wool rug? Check it out. Many of the items can be used in your house and put Pier 1 to shame.
Stopping off in this shop is totally worth your time and your dollars.

This store has non-​profit status and is run largely by volunteers! What a concept. The items that they sell are fair trade, meaning that the artisans get a fair price for what they make. The store is filled with items from all over the world. The store is so big, that it feels like a museum. The prices are fair and the selection is amazing! It is a wonderful place for finding a great gift.