Nov 29, 2004

Holiday Gift Ideas

by John C. Dvorak

ARTS AND CRAFTS. First of all, if you are going to do online shopping, then you'd better get your order in this week, especially if you're after the most interesting products. Despite my constant recommendations that people buy high-tech gizmos, there is one Web site that offers what I consider the best value worldwide for something even a computer geek would like: handcrafted art. I've been getting e-mails about Novica.com ever since I highlighted it on my old public radio broadcasts. In association with National Geographic, these folks have dug up high-end craftsmen from around the world and sell arts and crafts to you directly from them. This saves about 70 to 80 percent of the overhead normally associated with the kind of pottery, tapestries, and other art obtained here. Pay careful attention to the Andean tapestries, leatherwork, and pots. The founder of Novica is Peruvian and is particularly adept at finding modern Inca art.