I'm thinking recession, too -- there may be artisans who didn't have time to MAKE crafts (in selling quantities) this year because they're working 16 part-time jobs to pay rent, or perhaps it's just not worth it to get a table at the big high-competition events, or or or. But they're definitely small and lacking in interest. Oo, which brings me to Recession Theory Subpart C: the materials to make interesting crafts are too expensive so some of the items have been dumbed down and marked up (this would explain the amount of random resale items and terribly uncreative crochet we saw, for instance).

I am absolutely going to have to come up with another solution for my last few purchases, because eek.