The Amazon Dilemma: Can You "Buy Better" on a Site Built for "More"?

Let’s talk about the elephant in the digital room.

We created Freckled Dimples with a clear mission: to be your trusted filter in a world of endless, disposable stuff. We’re here to champion the "keepers"—the well-made, long-lasting, and meaningful products that genuinely make your life better.

So, it’s fair to ask: why do so many of our recommendations link out to Amazon? How can we talk about "buying less" while pointing you toward the undisputed champion of "more"?

It’s a paradox we think about every single day. And for us, the answer comes down to a simple reality: a great product is a great product, no matter where you find it.

Our story with this really began a few years ago. One of our founders was living in a typically small LA apartment and needed a dining room table. The search was maddening. Weeks were spent scrolling through all the usual big-box stores, a blur of particleboard and questionable reviews. Everything was either too big, too flimsy, or just aggressively boring.

On a whim, the search moved to Etsy. We naturally assumed that anything "custom" would be way out of our budget, but we were getting desperate. That’s when we found a maker, a real craftsman, who could build a table modeled after photo inspirations. He could build it to the exact dimensions needed for the space.

Honestly, it felt too good to be true. We were completely convinced it was a scam, or that a miniature, doll-sized version of a table would show up at the door. But the risk was taken. The result? A stunning, solid wood dining table, custom-built for the space, that was actually cheaper than the generic options we’d been looking at.

That experience was a revelation. We had found a true "keeper" from a small maker, hiding in plain sight on a massive platform.

And that’s the opportunity these marketplaces provide. For thousands of incredible small businesses and independent craftspeople, platforms like Amazon and Etsy are a vital lifeline, giving them access to the warehousing and shipping infrastructure they need to compete. We love using these platforms to discover and champion those small brands.

But our mission doesn’t stop there.

Sometimes, the best-made, most durable product—the true "keeper"—isn't from a small startup. It's from a reputable, established brand that has spent decades perfecting their craft. And very often, the most convenient and reliable place to buy that product is still a major retailer like Amazon.

Our job at Freckled Dimples isn’t to pretend these mega-marketplaces don’t exist, nor is it to exclusively feature one type of business. Our job is to give you a better map to navigate them all. We are your human filter, here to cut through the 50 pages of disposable junk to find the one product that meets our standards, regardless of whether it was made by a two-person workshop or a century-old company.

When we link to a product on a big marketplace, it’s because we’ve done the homework. We've vetted the item for quality, durability, and function. We’ve asked ourselves the simple question: "Is this something we would be excited to own and use for years?" Only if the answer is a definitive "yes" does it make it onto our site.

So yes, it's a dilemma. But we see these platforms as powerful tools. They allow us to support small makers when they offer the best option, and to point you to the most durable, time-tested products from established brands when they are the right choice.

Our promise to you is simple: we will always be transparent. We’ll continue to link directly to independent sites whenever we can, and when we do link to a marketplace, you can trust that the product on the other side is one we genuinely believe is worth owning.

Because "buying better" is about choosing the best product, period. And sometimes, you find it in the biggest room.