The world is full of things for sale, and people who want to sell them to you. Sometimes those things you can buy will fulfill your dreams and desires and bring you joy. Sometimes what you are promised or what you imagined looks pretty different from what you get.
What is most helpful to you in evaluating potential purchases—or the people who are selling them?
I do research before I buy. Anyone that doesn’t want you to research their product knows they’re selling bad merchandise.
The most helpful to me it not to decide on the spot. Something I’ve learned about myself is that I make better decisions if I let things percolate while I do something else, and sometimes even wait a day or two. More helpful thoughts always occur to me. If the seller applies pressure, e.g. “supplies are limited” or “special discount today only” or “if you buy today, I’ll throw in a…” I am put off, rather than attracted.
I see objects that arouse my artistic, visual response almost immediately. I like it right then and there. On second thought, cost enters but not always. I so like to buy an object that has this strong appeal to me, whether there is a real reason to do so or not. Another factor, in buying something that I can see is handmade, generally from an international source, is this: I imagine how pleased the artist would/will be if I buy it for its basic beauty and truthfulness , so I buy it and enjoy that sense of communication of an art lover with an artist, even perhaps not communicated directly.