S7E2. Building a Marketplace for Palestinian Heritage with Paige of ThobeHob

Hi stitchers, welcome to Taltriz Talk, where we share conversations about Palestinian embroidery. I'm Lina, here with my co-host Imani, chatting with talented embroiderers and artists, sharing their stories, inspirations, and the cultural significance behind their work. And on today's episode, we are chatting with our friend Paige Austin, the artist Activist and the creator behind the Instagram account. I have to pronounce it the way you spell it, Hobze Shivne, but who's now venturing into something new and exciting—the Thobe Hub. Welcome to back.

Welcome back to Tataris Talk Page. We're thrilled to have you again. Thank you. Thanks for having me. It's nice to be back.

Yeah. Yeah. So we were we were just talking about it before recording. Like we're not going to do a full-fledged interview in terms of like. Your personal story.

But for those who maybe have not yet listened to the first episode, do you want to share anything about yourself, introduce yourself a little bit more than what Amani just shared? Sure. Uh, hello, my name is Paige. Um, I am a tatooist artist, like Amani said, um, and I also dabble in other arts. So technically I'm a multidisciplinary artist, um, and I also am the founder of Wandering Camel Goods, which is just a shop of my art.

And then more recently, I am coming out with a new section of my new website that's called Thawb Hob, which is basically a marketplace for Palestinian dresses. And so a little bit about my background. I'm obviously Palestinian. My mom's family is half from Ramallah, half from Al-Aqsa, and we've been in the US. I was born here.

We've been here since I think they came over in '65. 65 or 66. Um, and yeah, that's my relationship with satirist and, uh, ball sign. Also, I'm just realizing my brain said Thob Hub. That's kind of what I wanted, actually.

So that's good. Okay, perfect. Good. I did not mess up at all. I did exactly what I was supposed to do.

Um, so, so Paige, What, what is this new venture? Tell us more. Tell us what this is all about. So for my business, Wandering Camel Goods, I'm finally creating a website. It's been years now, but it's almost done, and it actually launches in less than a week.

And part of that website is going to be a hub for Palestinian dresses, specifically thobes, obviously. And basically it is an online marketplace, or that's what I would like it to be, for people to buy, sell, and potentially trade their thobes that they either no longer want or that they like, you know, they, they just outgrew the style or, you know, they're trying to find something new in their life. Um, and basically it's a place where you can list a thobe and other people around the world or in your own country can go and find you, basically find the thobe and say, hey, like, I'm interested in buying this. And then Um, it's basically like a buy-sell transaction between buyer and seller. So it also fosters community in that way.

Um, and I intentionally did it that way, A, because I'm not tech savvy enough to do like anything bigger currently. Um, and I also am like really staunch against AI. So I'm doing everything myself. Um, and the listings are posted by me. So, um, it's when you list it though, it's literally just me going in and creating the listings.

So, um, depending on, you know, like traffic, uh, you have to be really patient because it's, it's literally just me, um, and no help from computers besides entering the data. Um, and so basically how it would work is you go on the platform, um, and you fill out a form, um, and it asks you basically like about your thobe, about you, contact information, the way you want payment to receive, and then whether or not you would like to ship locally, like within your country, or ship worldwide. Um, and so depending on all those factors, there will be like filters and stuff that you can search for some— something that you want shipped from your home country, or if you want something shipped like from Palestine or Jordan or wherever. Um, so basically you go onto the platform, and if you want to shop, you just browse the thobes, and if you find one that you like, you just contact the person that has the thobe currently, and you ask them A, if the thing— if the price says negotiable, you can ask them for a better price, see how low they're willing to go. And then if there's like shipping information, so obviously you would have to handle like payment and all that.

So you would basically go through the seller and say, you know, what kind of shipping do you have? Like, what are the rates? And then basically get a total from the seller, and then you get your new thobe in the mail. Um, and so I intentionally wanted to create this kind of platform, um, a little bit more direct from buyer to seller so that you can, A, be immersed in the community. So it's not just you behind a computer screen being like, oh, I like this stove, click add to cart and you get to buy it, right?

Um, it's more of like, I have to contact this person, I have to find out more about them, I have to know if they're Palestinian, you know, like all these different things. And so I'm hoping that it also fosters sense of community within the tatreez and thobe world. And then on another note, so the platform is specifically geared for Palestinians, so Palestinians can buy thobes that are handmade, historic, or hand-stitched, and then non-Palestinian allies are able to buy thobes that are machine-made. And I know it's you know, it's hard to kind of regulate that, but it's going off an honor system. Um, and I would love for people to specifically say— and I don't think it's a problem because we're all very proud— um, to say, you know, hey, I'm Palestinian and I would like to buy this handmade thobe.

And if you're not, obviously, please just be like honorable in your intentions and follow the rules. So yeah, yeah, well, this is very exciting and something that is very needed, I think, in the community because I feel like a lot of people Excuse me, purchase these at Thwab and they only can like use them for like one occasion, a henna party or something, and then they like another one or they want to or they grow out of it, doesn't fit anymore. So I'm very excited to see where this goes. I'm curious about like the inspiration, how like where did this idea come from? How did you get inspired?

And like also why now? Why is like now a really good time to launch this? That is a great question. So first part of your question, like how did this come about. I am an avid secondhand thrifter girly, and so I'm always on these like secondhand websites like Poshmark and Depop and all these things, and I am always seeing thobes for sale.

And sometimes there's like, you know, a lot of like handmade thobes that I'm just like, why are you listing this on this platform? Like there are so many people out there that know what tatreez is, but they don't know what tatreez is, you know. They don't understand like the value of the actual dress itself and, you know, the history behind it. So for me, like, I really got tired of, like, coming across these gems and A, um, like, wondering where they're gonna go, and B, I feel bad because it's like those are the only places that currently we have to sell our cultural heritage if, like, A, you need the money, or if you need You know, if you just want to rehome the thobe, you're like praying that it's going to be someone who is going to appreciate it, but you can't really control that. And so for me, I was like, dang, I wish somebody would like come up with a, like an idea of, you know, being able to sell thobes to Palestinians.

So, you know, it's going to a good home. So you can like verify like all these different details that you would like to know where like our cultural heritage is going. So I was like, you know what? Screw that, I am gonna do it myself. And so that's kind of how it came about.

And I think for the second part of your question, why now? I think that there is a lot more appreciation even within our own community for our cultural heritage artifacts. And I think that thobes in particular are really being seen right now as an item of high value. And so I think it's a good time now because more people who are not Palestinian are kind of becoming aware of these dresses. And so I wanted there to be a solution for us to be able to keep our thobes in our hands, basically.

So for Palestinians, from Palestinians. And I think that's super important just because, you know, we're trying to preserve literally our, like, our dignity as Palestinians and our, like, heritage because it's actively being erased. So I think right now is like the perfect time for people to be able to get money for their soul because it's obviously it's worth money and also to be able to find it a home that is appropriate. We so you and I have talked about this kind of offline before the decision to make the platform a very intentionally, kind of, as you said, by Palestinians for Palestinians. Can you talk a little bit more about coming to that decision and what you want people to understand from that decision?

Sure. So I made the decision for it to be for Palestinians by Palestinians marketplace for our handmade thwab because I personally believe that those dresses were always intended to be passed down to Palestinians, and I think that just in cultural preservation, it's only right for those dresses to find their way back to Palestinian homes because a lot of the time, you know, when you see dresses being sold, our like handmade thobes, our historical thobes being sold on other marketplaces or, you know, on like these auction websites, a lot of the times they— those thobes were stolen from the people or the women who made them. Um, and that's horrible, but also like they need to go back to Palestinian homes. Um, I don't know like about you guys, but anytime I get like a historical— I'm gonna say historical because I don't have like actual historical thobes, but like, you know, vintage thobes— when— whenever I get one in the mail, like if I order order one from Tobna or wherever, and I like get it and I open it, there's immediately like this sense of connection. Like, I have said it before on my Instagram, but like it literally feels like you're meeting an old friend or like a caldo you never met before for the first time, and it's like instantly comfortable and like it feels like it belongs.

So I want Palestinians to be able to have that feeling, you know what I mean? Like, I think everyone, everyone who's Palestinian deserves to have that feeling once at least.

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I love that. That's so beautiful. And yeah, I mean, I think there's something— this is why Tatreez is so powerful, because even if you've never practiced before in your life, so many people come on here and say, you know, the first time I held a needle and thread, I was like, oh, there's some sort of— like, even if it's tough at the beginning, there's some sort of familiarity, there's some sort of connection that immediately happens. And I think for a lot of us in diaspora, we're just craving that attention.

So badly. So I think this is such a powerful way to extend that connection to even more people who potentially may not want to stitch but appreciate the fleece and want to wear it themselves and experience that feeling of wearing it. I think this is so powerful. You talked a lot about this, and I know that you haven't yet launched yet, but what are you hoping kind of comes out of the first month or two after launching? Like, how can we help kind of elevate this and amplify the message towards the community and help more people experience the platform itself?

I'm curious, like, how many, how many EthWeb will be listed? How many are you hoping to get onboarded? How do we help them find new homes? I'm not sure if they're like— the question's kind of tricky, but I'm just curious about what your hopes are for the first kind of few months of launching EthWeb. Yeah, sure.

So I'm— I mean, I have a rough idea of kind of what I would like to happen. Obviously, I can't predict the future, but in an ideal world, it would be really nice to see people actually engaging in the buying and selling process or even trading. And just like, I want to hear the feedback from people of, you know, yeah, this, this is great. Like, I, I got to have this experience and now I have a new thobe. Or, you know, I'm really glad that my xhato's thobe got to go to another Palestinian home.

I'm just really hoping that I get engagement as far as like the transaction goes. Um, and so another thing that I actually should add is that, um, I don't keep any— like, I'm not a platform, like an actual platform. Like, I don't have an app or anything. So I am really doing this for the community building. So I don't keep any percentage of the actual Thulb sale.

I only charge a $5 listing fee just because it's literally just me, and also to keep the platform running. That's just kind of the one standard fee that I have, and it's just a one-time per thobe fee. And so I'm hoping that, you know, after a while there will be thobes listed in countries around the world and people are willing to ship locally in their home countries. Hopefully we have a lot of people that are willing to ship worldwide. Obviously, if the buyers willing to pay for the shipping.

And just to kind of see how the community unfolds because I know a lot, I know actually quite a few people who don't stitch and they interact with me on Instagram and they're like, wow, like I really wish I had the time to learn to tatouerise but I don't. And like, you know, I don't have a thobe yet but I really want one. And so I'm hoping like those people will be able to come onto the platform and, you know, buy their first thobe from another Palestinian and just have that be kind of like a special experience.

I like that. It's— it does seem, even from how you're describing it, that the idea of community that you've talked about throughout the conversation is very intentional, which I'm excited to see that come to life. If someone is listening and they're interested in listing a thobe? What's the process like? How do they get started?

Sure. So, um, right now, um, I haven't launched yet, but the website launches officially on August 3rd, which is next Monday. But when this episode airs, it should be live. Um, and so you just go to wanderingcamelgoods.com/thobehobe, which is T-H-O-B-E-H-O-B.

Um, and then on there, the very first thing you'll see is kind of an overview of what the platform is. And then there's a little tiny box of Q&A if you have any questions, and then there's a lengthier Q&A if you have more questions than that. But you just go down to the bottom of the information and there's a button that says submit listing to Thobob, and you just click on it. It's a really short, quick form. It asks you basically like, you know, your name, your contact info, what kind of thobob it is, handmade.

Or machine made, and then like who, like where you're willing to ship, and then like different details about the thobe. And so you just fill out that form, you click submit, and then you pay the thobe listing fee, which is right next to it. And then it takes, I'm saying that it's going to take roughly 7 business days to get onto the platform. So you can check back in 7 days, but it'll probably be shorter because I'm really excited and I'm just gonna, you know, be doing that all the time. Um, so you can check back on to Thobhob and see your listing, and then you can also, um, share it on your social media.

I made— okay, so I made a page on Instagram for Thobhob. A lot of people have already found it, which is hilarious because I have not shared it at all. Um, but it's just Thobhob on Instagram, and I'm hoping that maybe I will do like, um, if it's not too much work for me. But, um, doing like either a highlight for the week or the month or whatever, just like highlighting the different thobs that have been posted, um, and then tagging people if they have social media and like creating kind of a direct contact on Instagram as well. Fun.

Yeah, yeah. Oh, this is so cool. And I really love the— I really like, as Imani mentioned also, like the intentionality behind creating and fostering community. I think Because I feel like Imani and I talk about this all the time. One of the things that we love about Tatri's talk is we're able to actually converse with people in the community, and it's so different than some superficial social media post, and you're just like liking, or even commenting is pretty like superficial.

It's above the ice, right? Whereas the conversations is when things get really interesting and you find commonality, you hear different stories. So I think this is such a great opportunity for other people to tap into that as well, just in the process of purchasing a thobe. So yeah, very exciting page. I'm really— I can't wait to see how it goes.

I actually do have a thobe or two that I would want to list. Yeah. So I need to get on my— I've been, I've been dragging on that. I need to list a few of mine. It's just been crazy, but I'm going to do that.

Oh, actually, quick question. As someone who's thinking about listing, I'm assuming like the lister will have to manage like photos of the thobe. Will you have like guidance on how to take the those photos and like what kind of description to include? Is— are they going to be sharing the story behind the thobe, like if there is one that they want to share on the listing? Like how much detail can a lister put on, on their thobe?

Yeah, so on the form there's specifically a spot for the different measurements, and it— I have a diagram that shows you like how to take the measurements, like where to put your measuring tape, and it should be taken laying flat. Um, and then as far as pictures go, um, I originally with beta testing I had posted 2, um, listings that were just like an example and people really were able to get it from that. So, um, with the thobes that are listed currently that are beta tested, um, it's basically just a front view, full front view, full back view, and then like if you have detail shots of the, uh, ebb bit or, you know, different like shots of the stitching, or if your thobe comes with like a belt or whatever, just to kind of show all of the things that you think are special about the thobe. And it's max of 5 pictures, but if people decide that they want to do more, like if I get that feedback over time, I can add additional photos, but I think 5 is kind of like the sweet spot. And then as far as like the detailing goes, so I have a just generic box on the forum that says, like, give me as much detail as you can about the thobe.

So you can really say whatever you want in it about, you know, if, like, if you know who made it, if you know where it came from in Volstein, if you know, you know, like, if it's a machine-made thobe, if you know the brand, or if you know, like, what camp it was made in, things like that. And then if there's a special story behind it, definitely I would love that to be included too. I mean, I know other people would love to know the story behind the thobe that they're getting. Um, so if it's like a special one that, you know, like, oh yeah, you know, my jalto made it, or, you know, my, my teta made it, something like that, then definitely include that because I think that's, that's also a special part of, you know, getting a thobe in the mail from somebody, especially another Palestinian. They typically take that stuff into account when they're, you know, listing, or if they're trying to sell a thobe, it's very sentimental.

So I'm hoping that that will also foster connection because, you know, you're finding more, finding out more basically about your culture without having to do much else other than shop for a thobe, you know. Yeah, definitely. Okay, I'm excited. I need to, like I said, I need to get my stuff together and list my thobes on the page, but I'm excited to see it all come to life and like the next iteration as you continue to kind of build this like community, this community of Thobe lovers, and kind of see what happens next. But thank you so much for sharing with us.

I think one last question.

What is the one takeaway you want for folks to have, like, who are a part of this? The one takeaway, I would probably say that Uh, it would be just like that sense of community, you know. Um, I think that coming together, even with something as like trivial and silly as buying a thobe, really fosters community, especially when it's with your own people. Um, so for Palestinians by Palestinians, I really want that to kind of be, uh, like a tagline because I think that is super important to, you know, foster community. Um, no matter where you are in the world, you're Palestinian, you get to socialize with other Palestinians and have a piece of our cultural heritage.

And I think that's really important going forward to just preserve, you know, Palestinian-ness in general. Um, one more thing I wanted to add, um, I also decided recently that I'm gonna make the Thobe listing free for people who live in Folsom. I think it's pretty pointless for a listing fee to be money transferred because there's— what's the point, you know? And also, I feel like the people in Falasteen who maybe have thobes to sell, um, they should be getting all of the money, you know what I mean? Like, they should be getting everything, and shipping is so expensive from there, and, you know, the occupation makes everything so difficult.

So, um, if you're in Falasteen and you want to list a thobe, it's completely free. Um, and then, yeah, I just I think that community is the takeaway from here. There you go, there you go. I love that. That's a really nice, uh, added bonus for anyone like living in Philistine, and I think for anyone who is wanting to buy thulbs from Philistine too.

Um, just another thing that I'm like, it's coming off the top of my head. Um, so for people who have small businesses that sell thulbs already, Um, they are also able to double list their Thob. So if like if you have one on your website or if you have an Instagram, you can also list it on Thob Hub. I'm not putting any restrictions on like small businesses and stuff like that. Cool, awesome.

Thank you so much for sharing this with us, Paige. And if people are interested, where can they find you? Um, you can find me at my Normal, totally Instagram at خبز الجبنة on Instagram or on my business page at Wandering Camel Goods or now ثوبوب at ثوبوب on Instagram. You're gonna be busy on social.

All right, thank you so much, Paige. It's always lovely to talk to you. We'll talk to you soon. Thanks for having me.

I just love hearing new innovative ideas that come out of the Palestinian tatreez community, and I know, Amanah, you and I have talked about this so much about how talented our community is, and I love seeing like new, you know, offering the new marketplaces and new, just everything new that's exciting and makes it even more accessible to more people because that just makes everyone else enjoy tatreez. So very, very exciting. I love I love seeing this. I love hearing about it. Yeah.

And I know I said it on the podcast, but I love how intentional Paige was with this idea of incorporating community and making it kind of the heart of the project. So I am excited to see it come to life. I am going to be listing some phoebes there. I just need to actually measure them and take pictures. So that's on my list this week.

But bravo to Paige. And I think anyone in this community who has an idea to do something, um, you should do it. And if you're not sure about it, like, reach out to other people. And that's what the community is all about, is really to support each other. Um, so check out Paige's new venture.

Uh, and of course, thank you so much for listening to Thathri's Talk. We want to hear about your Thathri's journeys, so be sure to share with us at thathristalk@gmail.com, and we might have you on an upcoming episode. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite listening platforms and be sure to give us a 5-star review. You can follow me @minahemani and Lina @linastov, and you can follow the pod @thethristalk. We will talk to you soon.