I remember bringing our daughter home from Guatemala, her birth country, and thinking, how can I help these wonderful people that I have just left? There are so many beautiful creations. So much talent. So much hope.

Fast forward two years later and I am introduced to eBay’s new marketplace – World of Good. A place to shop. A place to chat. A place to learn. Bringing together the open air markets that I frequent when I visit Guatemala. Brought together in one place, the super market of supermarkets, eBay.
Amazon is sooooooo bummed.

Finding out about eBay’s World of Good is like making a new friend and having her introduce you to 200+ of her closest friends. Except they are all living in different countries and they all speak my language – shopping. I can buy cool stuff made by artisans all over the world.

The most important thing about WorldofGood.com is that they protect the people who sell their wares by giving them a fair wage and a chance at a better life. A wage that translates across borders. They protect the planet by measuring the impact of what we buy. When was the last time you bought something and you knew where, how and who made it? It’s a powerful feeling to have a connection to what we buy. To know that the people who create are respected.

World of Good has two fantastic features built into their shopping experience called Trustology and Goodprint. The item’s ‘Trustology’ is posted next to it, showing third party validation of the sellers, producers and products that are sold at World of Good.

Goodprint is my favorite feature. It allows you to match your interests and values with your purchase by narrowing the items shown depending on your interests – interests that are people positive, eco positive, animal friendly or support a cause. For example, I can search for “art” and it initially pulls up about 2,400 items. I decide I only want to buy art that impacts a person’s quality of life, so I click  “quality of life” (people positive) and I shop the remaining 258 pieces. Or I click “animal welfare” (animal friendly) and shop the remaining 57 pieces.

It’s great to shop by country or item category. The site is easy to navigate and fun to explore because it has so much going on in the community. I found that because it is so new there is still a work in progress but it did not deter me. I especially loved the personal profiles of the companies that come up with each product.

Like for a fabulous Recycled Bag – A Foil Clutch Bag with Black Fabric Strap from MYO Accessories in Mexico.

“A company aware of poverty, especially among indigenous groups in Mexico…” They allow the women who make these bags to take the materials and work from home therefore improving the lives of their entire family. They say you can still smell the sweetness of the candy on the wrappers!

Or for a beautiful Fused Glass Necklace Green & Blue, made in Chile by a non-profit called Comparte. A member of IFAT, their mission is to “improve the standard of living for owners and employees of Chilean handicraft workshops, by promoting and exporting various handmade products….”

World of Good is brought to us by founders Robert Chatwani and Priya Haji and a team of do-gooders who put their expertise into creating this fantastic online world market. Good job, Guys! (You can check out their story here!)

When I think about the significance of World Of Good, it’s kinda like the anti-Walmart. WalMart is more of a Machievellian shopping experience where the final price and product justify the means for creating it. World Of Good is for people who care about ‘how’ a product came into existence. WalMart can make you feel good because you saved $1.94. World Of Good can make you feel good because you saved a life – or at least made someone’s day a little brighter. And that’s priceless.