Dragonfly Import in Emerald Isle

Had been parasailing for several years at that point and saved all the money we could. We had heard that you can live on $10 a day and we were going to try being surf bums for a month or so. So my buddy and I left the world we knew with a couple of backpacks and surfboards. As I developed a sense of awareness of the wonderful cultures around me I began to see how I wanted to return. Each experienc

e made me want to learn more language and travel further and further off the beaten track. Village after village I kept seeing and meeting friendly families that have amazing hand made products. But in their world, they worked very hard for very, very little money. So by fate or luck I met an American couple that operated a small shop back in the states. We had very like ideas and I was fortunate to learn from them. If you go to the big markets and buy products, usually it is "tourist price". But if you can find the village where it's made you can buy from the families that make it. We save a little bit of money for going straight to them (don't feel bad for the market people, there are always more tourists to sell to) and the families make much more which makes everyone happy. If we can get a good price, then you, the customer gets a good price. We want to sell all we can each year because it does the villagers no good if we do not come back to buy more. Each year it gets better, the families remember us and the children get bigger and bigger. It's amazing to see how things are made and also to help me sleep better, to MAKE SURE THE WORKING CONDITIONS ARE GOOD. And so now I hope I have shed some light on the term "Backpacker Fair Trade". And now being almost a decade later, and the seventh year in business, we are a simple small family company. We have two stores on the the Crystal Coast, North Carolina. One in Emerald Isle at the Emerald Isle plantation, and one in Alantic Beach at the Atlantic Beach Plaza. And after years of persuading my sister to quit her corporate job. In 2008 we opened a store in Key West, Florida. (right behind the Jimmy Buffet's music studio and Schooners Wharf) We really appreciate your support and the time you took to read this. Let's hope for gas prices to go down and the economy to go up. So every winter we can go to Asia and find all that is "not in our world". Usually, if you have seen it before, we don't get it. Then do our best to bring it, 12 time zones, back for you. There is a bit more to it than that, but I hope this gives you a little taste of what we are about here at Dragonfly Import Company. Thanks......