about the shaker brooms, i remember always going to mexico and buying them there for 2-3$ , also hand made. best brooms ever.

I saw a brilliant red colored broom in the same style a while back and can't seem to relocate it. I'm pretty sure that it was handmade in the same fashion but I'm not 100% positive. Does anyone know where to find something like this?

Or, you could support Berea College (profiled in the Times recently:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/education/21endowments.html ), and buy one of their Shaker brooms, handmade by the students, for $30....

http://bereacc.stores.yahoo.net/broomcrafts.html

Thanks Cherly! I am buying one from Berea College, now. My family has always supported this college, and now I can too, in my own way.

although the brooms are nice, I prefer some of the ceramics and woodwork that they have on their site. the wood candlesticks were great and the little ceramic pitcher would look perfect on my windowsill with a couple of flowers in it...

Glad to see some others beat me to posting Berea as a source . . . Go Berea!