Opinion: Following Trends

As a small business owner and artist, I find trends to be interesting. Trends have always and will always be an aspect of society, and it isn’t just the trends themselves that I have in mind to write about, but rather something saddening I have seen over the last 5+ years of attending markets.

There are two key ways that I have seen a trend’s impact on neighbouring market stalls, and they have very important distinctions.

One of the most influential examples I can think of is from 2020, when the game Among Us was thriving globally. At the beginning of the pandemic, it was a great way to have fun and connect with friends and strangers on the internet while being trapped in lockdown – and I’m certainly guilty of spending many hours playing the game.

I'm sure there is no surprise that I loved playing as the purple character.

As the lockdowns eased in South Australia, and we were allowed to return to tentatively regular market events, I noticed that a lot of people had Among Us themed products. It was to be expected – it’s a fun game and even I indulged in buying a handful of handmade Among Us related creations I found.

This is what I consider to be a relatively harmless and healthy form of trend-following. Of course, there are always questions regarding sustainability in terms of following trends – looking at you, Stanley cups and the utter disaster of plastic farmed landfill that followed! But all in all, making something inspired by a fun and harmless video game is something I do not have a gripe with.

The second form of trend-following that I have seen across markets makes me genuinely sad for the small businesses and artists partaking in it. There is one thing to make something inspired by a trend, such as Among Us. There is an entirely different and saddening aspect to completely changing what products you are selling determined by what is ‘hot’ in the moment.

There are a handful of stall holders I know that have easily bounced between numerous product lines, just based on their present-day popularity.

Handmade scrunchies to chunky silicone bead keyrings, moving on to Stanley cups, then 3D printed fidget toys followed by the present-day landfill additive: Croc charms, no doubt sourced by Shein or Temu, and sold at a 100% (or more) mark-up.

What work goes into these aside from clicking 'add to cart' and taking off the plastic packaging so that it looks like it's yours? Some stallholders don't even bother with the second step.

On one hand, it is their business, and they can do as they choose. But it makes me very sad to see, because it is not experimenting with ideas but completely abandoning their own ideas for something new.

It’s a futile “Get Rich Quick!” scheme that never leaves the ‘trendee’ satisfied. They abandon handmade creations for an easy win and buy from cheap, wholesale websites that are guaranteed to break for their customers in a month or so. And when the trend dies off, and something new has arrived, who knows where all their stock has gone. The money they have flooded into cups or keyrings is long gone while they focus their money on the next cheap garbage they can buy in bulk.

What happened to handmade?

I have seen it more and more in recent years, with croc charms being ‘the latest and greatest’ obsession. At a market we attended in February 2025, I counted over 5 stalls that had a section of croc charms, none of which were handmade.

There is no love that goes into these - especially not from the stall holders you are buying them from.

Here is an example of a pack of 200 croc charms I could find from Shein. They were on sale for $17.96, meaning that they get each charm for no more than $0.09 AUD. Let’s break this down and see how that’s fair for their customers…

At a 100% mark up for their customers, each charm would cost only 18 cents.

At a 200% mark up for their customers, each charm would cost only 27 cents.

At a 300% mark up for their customers, each charm would cost only 36 cents.

At a 400% mark up for their customers, each charm would cost only 45 cents.

The kindest stalls I have seen price their charms at 50 cents each, which is a 450% mark up. And some of the dearest stalls I have seen price individual charms for $3, which would be a 3230% mark up.

I paid a visit to a market over the June long weekend and lost count of the number of croc charm resellers. It was a 'craft market' with over 100 stalls, a significant portion of which were obviously resellers from Shein, Temu and other cheap websites. The experience was sorely disappointing and pays homage to an earlier blog post: Why Bigger Isn't Always Better.

Where do they go when the fad ends? Hopefully, an OP Shop. Most likely, landfill.

Their customers? Ripped off, not knowing better. Fooled into supporting small, when in reality, billionaire companies like Shein and Temu are exploiting their workers for literal pennies.

It is a sickening feeling, especially when a new trend rears its head and you know it’s all you will see.

The herd mentality of obsessive trend-followers, abandoning a niche that could survive well beyond the limited lifespan of Stanley cups, hurts to watch. Because they are trapped believing that the grass is greener on the other side, and not because you have taken the time and care to water it.

My advice to all small businesses, artists and hobbyists – new and old – is to look at what’s trending in a different light. Use it for inspiration, but do not allow the pressure of success devalue the passion that made you begin creating in the first place.

Handmade creations are more important – and more valuable – than ever before, especially with the rise of resellers in markets. It is more work, but I promise you, it is worthwhile, especially to your customers who are looking to support YOU, not Shein or Temu. If they wanted to do that, they would go right to the source.

What are your thoughts on trends? Have you bought something that has been ‘all the rage’ only to find it obsolete within a month? Have you known someone who has fallen into the trap of following trend after trend after trend? I would love to know your experiences.

Kimberley (they/them)

Accessories by Antoinette