ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — For many small vendors in Western North Carolina, supporting each other is as important as selling their wares. That is certainly the case for Traci Simpson, the founder of Read Me Unconditionally and the organizer behind the Buy Good, Do Good Market.

The Buy Good, Do Good Market will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19 at Retro Coffee, 2619 Sweeten Creek Road.

Doing good through buying local

Simpson founded Read Me Unconditionally following the destruction caused by Tropical Storm Helene in Western North Carolina.

“I wanted to help people. I wanted to find a way to help the community,” Simpson said. “I decided I was gonna do ‘blind date with a book.'”

For the uninitiated, “blind date with a book” is a book shopping phenomenon where readers purchase wrapped books without knowing which title they will be receiving. Read Me Unconditionally volumes are wrapped in bright, colorful paper, decorated with stickers and labeled with a short plot tease, along with their Goodreads and Amazon ratings.

Wrapped Read Me Unconditionally books with a box of caramels from The Sweet Pea Pantry at Retro Coffee.

What makes Read Me Unconditionally special as a “blind date with a book” business are the bonus items. From teabags to caramels to embroidery, Simpson purchases small gifts from small vendors and includes them in her packages. Simpson has over 25 local businesses she promotes through Read Me Unconditionally, online and inside over 10 different WNC shops.

Read Me Unconditionally partners include:

  • Alexandra Ross
  • Annette’s Creations
  • Asheville Bee Charmer
  • Asheville Tea Company
  • Bethany Joy Art
  • The Blue Bike
  • Clydescope Creations
  • Conjure Craft Chocolate
  • Cornerstone Tea Co.
  • Corrine Elaine Photography
  • The Dryad’s Garden
  • Fernberry
  • Honeycomb Art Co.
  • House of Crenshaw Designs
  • Kai Leia Clay
  • Lauren is Hooked
  • Little l. Designs
  • Michelle Made, Misha Approved
  • Open Hearts Art Center
  • Penumbra Sundries
  • Reems Creek Pottery
  • Simplee Bee Sacred
  • The Sweet Pea Pantry
  • Thistle Owl Studio, LLC
  • Tiny Batch Productions
  • Wandering Art and Crafts
  • Wilde Dairy Goats

“It was always about helping local artisans, not so much about a ‘blind date with a book’ business, so to speak. It was more so about what can I do to help people in my community and give back,” said Simpson.

Read Me Unconditionally books can be found in these locations:

  • Blue Bird Boutique, Newton
  • Charmed Boutique, Asheville
  • Charmed Boutique, Waynesville
  • Coffee Art Music type Place, Asheville
  • Cottage Collections, Asheville
  • The Emporium Market, Hendersonville
  • The Emporium on Main, Hendersonville
  • Hygge Market, Asheville
  • Mine & Yours Asheville Resale, Asheville
  • Retro Coffee, South Asheville
  • Tulsi Rose Tea & Books, South Asheville

Simpson and many of her collaborators frequently attend artisan markets around WNC. Simpson was talking to a fellow vendor at one of these events when the inspiration for the Buy Good, Do Good Market struck.

“We were at this really crappy event and I was like, we should do our own event sometime,” Simpson recalled.

Simpson wanted her market to be a little different from other events she and her vendors have attended.

“One of the biggest things was sticking to the community approach of my business,” Simpson said. “I don’t want to charge a vendor fee necessarily, but I would like to let everybody donate a percentage to a charity.”

Each of the 10 vendors who will be in attendance at the event, five per day, were required to pledge at least 10% of their profits to a charity of their choosing.

The interior of Retro Coffee, the site of the indoor Buy Good, Do Good Market.

“When she reached out to me about this one, I sent it to my vendor friends. It’s very nice to help each other out in that way. This is an opportunity that has a low fee. The low cost of entry with the donation system,” said Courtney Chrisman, a former professional pastry chef and owner of The Sweet Pea Pantry, a candy, pottery, home and pantry goods business.

Chrisman is a regular partner of Read Me Unconditionally and will be in attendance at the Buy Good, Do Good Market.

For more about Read Me Unconditionally, visit www.readmeunconditionally.com.

For more about the Buy Good, Do Good Market, click here.

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