Aren’t machines much more accurate in making these items?
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From an economic perspective, a lot of it has to do with the uniqueness of an item. Things are more “valuable” the less of them there are. Since people aren’t machines, every handmade item is technically unique, thus increasing its value compared to something that is mass-produced by machine which there are then usually hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of that same thing.
People value uniqueness and people also value a human touch. If you want to get into it on a more… I dunno, “spiritual” level (for lack of a better word) something made by a human being has a different energy or feeling to it than something machine made. I don’t know how to qualify that in scientific terms, but it’s something that most people just *feel* to be true. The fact that someone spent time and energy making something makes it feel more special, and thus more valuable. It’s the “blood, sweat, and tears” effect—something that cost someone their blood, sweat, and tears to produce has more “energetic” or spiritual value than something a machine spit out without any emotional cost.
Sorry if that last part is a bit woo-woo, haha it’s not very scientific, but I do believe it’s a big part of why people value handmade items, whether they are consciously aware of it or not.
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