Today reading thru my many RSS feeds I came across a story from my friend Matt from MattBites. He has just entered into a new venture with the folks at 1000markets.com. 1000Markets features artisans, both large and small that want to connect with their customers. 

The attention to detail on the preview site is excellent. A nice, clean interface not cluttered with ads or descriptions to confuse you – just a clean, vibrant environment that conveys the message of community. 

Matt Tifiro, the founder of 1000Markets has come up with a “minifesto” and explains the vision he sees for his new venture – so far he has outlined 8 of their 15 principles and guidelines:

1. A marketplace should feel “alive”
2. The best markets will be like public amenities
3. People matter
4. Scarcity matters
5. Trust matters
6. Scale matters
7. Ownership matters
8. Authenticity matters

From what I have seen so far, they have partnered with artisans who also share in their minifesto.

1000Markets features a Food Crafters section with artisans such as Mt. Townsend Creamery from Port Townsend, WA just NW of Seattle. They have focused marketing in the Pacific NW where local farmers’ markets and cheeseshops can get access to their inventory quickly. I believe 1000Markets is their first venture into selling their artisan cheeses beyond the NW market.

Check out the Hazelnut Chocolate Whisky Sandwich cookies from another artisan on the site: Whimsy&Spice a Brooklyn Confectioner.