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Post #10 Critical Thinking Process: PowerBalance Scam

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Post #10 Critical Thinking Process: PowerBalance Scam

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Define Problem:
The problem is that the bracelets claim that they improve balance, strength and other physical forms.  In this case those claims are all false and retain business from customers thinking the product actually works.

Gather Information:
Some information gathered contains a article that shows that PowerBalance, the company. Finally admitted that their products were all fake and had no scientific benefits whatsoever.

Evaluate Information:
This information is true because the words shown are quoted straight from the australian media that they had to post. They were under attack and had to let out the truth to the public. Therefore this information came straight from the company. Otherwise being the truth.

Recognize Assumptions, Biases:
There could be some bias with the article because the article could of been written by a former customer who was scammed by the company themselves and is writing from pure anger and hate. This can cause a bias towards the information that he gives out. Such as letting out all of the negative information about the company rather than any positive.

Synthesize Evidence, Identify Alternatives.
The  information on the article could always have been fake or created by an angry customer like spoken above. It is possible that they want to spread fake news to dig the company even deeper into the ground. This can benefit the customer as they are gaining more viewpoints on their side rather than the companies side. Therefore getting what they want. Another alternative is that the company could of tumbled under stress and just let out information that may of not been entirely true just to get all of the negative attention off their backs.

Select Best Alternative:
In my opinion I conclude that the most logical evidence/claim would have to be that the company actually did post the statement and that they didn't have any scientific facts to prove their products productivity. Because lying to everyone with valid information for no reason would just be silly. If they had the information and facts that they were legit they would release them to the public once and for all. But they cracked down and spilt the tea.

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Made by Ryan Martin, Working Alone.

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Post #2 Red Flag: Suppression by Authority (Digital Article)

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Post #2 Red Flag: Suppression by Authority (Digital Article)

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Definition:
The Red Flag; Suppression by Authority is when information, and or possibly any physical thing is suppressed/hidden from selected groups/certain people from an authority such as a police, the government, etc. The point of suppression is to keep information for the authorities benefits and or beneficial use. Whichever that may be, their goal is to prevent the public/the selected group from being exposed to the information/object.

Connection:
This video shows a clear sighting of Suppression by Authority because on the popular social media, "Facebook" a protest page in Hong-Kong was suspended by facebook themselves. By doing so, the protesters were suppressed of their voices and shut down due to the authorities actions.

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Chinese state media slams Facebook for 'suppressing voices of justice'

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People's Daily says social media giant gave 'rioters in Hong Kong special privileges to disseminate fake news', while Global Times calls for it to be put on Beijing's unreliable entity list.

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Post #9 Reason For Belief: Agenticity (Picture)

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Post #9 Reason For Belief: Agenticity (Picture)

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Definition:
The definition of Agenticity is something that brings us much farther than what we know and or believe. This can range from ghost, to aliens. Basically anything that is unexplained and could have some kind of paranormal or witchcraft explanations. People find this fascinating, and a good reason to believe in something because it is very mysterious and can lead to many different theories and ideas.

Connection:
This image contains sightings of these mystical people called "The Shadow People". These creatures have no explanation and have been reportedly seen all the time in peoples homes, near cemeteries, and every-day places. These images cannot be explained and leave people thinking that it has to be paranormal or mystical. Therefore there are a lot more theories people can make up and dig deeper with.

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Post #8 Reason For Belief: Patternicity (Digital Article)

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Post #8 Reason For Belief: Patternicity (Digital Article)

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Definition:
The definition of patternicity is study that humans are pattern seeking animals and we can point out certain patterns and or images that we have seen before based off of memory. We tend to see images of things in the clouds, water, and even landscapes such as rocks or mountains. This can be a good thing as it can help us figure out problems or find certain things quickly. But it also can get us to believe that something is there even tho it is not. Believing to hard can cause you to be attached to something that isn't even real.

Connection:
In this case, people have reported seeing faces on the moon and believed that NASA was hiding some sort of aliens and or life on the moon. This started a big protest and the people demanded that NASA take more pictures of the face to reveal what they've been hiding. But in reality NASA didn't actually make anything and it was just a crater in the moon that looked like a face. This confused people and really had them thinking of what's false and whats true. Seeing isn't always believing.

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Self-proclaimed alien life analyst Scott Waring made the bizarrely claims about the "alien artwork" on his etdatabase.com blog. He said: "In Jenner crater I have found something really extraordinary: an alien face in the middle of a crater. "These faces are designed to be visible only from long distances.

"The more onlookers zoom-in on the image, the more blurred the alien face gets.

The face is 100 percent proof that aliens exist and they are leaving signs across the universe for us to find

Scott Waring

"That is kind of the way aliens create their art.

"They don't always build their artworks for humans to find.

"If you want to see these alien artefacts, you are going to have to search for them.
READ MORE: Glowing object over Ukraine 'could be Russian TR-3B'
"This example is one of the more common ones that was not to be hidden."

Waring proceeds to examine the bizarre shape sitting in the Moon crater's centre with sophisticated photo editing software.

And he uses the tech to wildly speculate that NASA is doctoring evidence of extraterrestrial art.

He said: "If you look at some of the newer photos, you will probably not see anything there."
READ MORE:Did NASA photograph a flying bird on Mars?
The alien life conspiracy theorist then illustrates the ease of editing-out anomalies in post production.

He added: "Now, it took me all of three seconds to do that.

"How much would NASA take to do that? Probably $1million or a $1trillion to do that.

"It is only the faked photo that NASA is going to show everyone."
READ MORE: New Area 51 underground base found on Google Maps
Waring also added contrast to the image in order for the "face" to become clearer.

He conjectured two reasons for creating this face.

He said: "You can see the chin, the cheeks, the nose and the forehead.

"The forehead has a little bit of a longer back, but it closely resembles the face of a human male.

"But what kind of species of male? Is it reptilian, plant-based or even carbon based?
READ MORE:Does NASA Apollo 10 photo show alien 'Dark Knight'?
"We really don't know what is going on with these aliens.

"It is just extraordinary as these aliens put these faces in different places for two reasons: to mark their territory and to get create a lot of emotion they are not allowed to express.

"If you are an advanced species, you are probably looked down upon if you break down in tears - and they probably don't have therapy.

"They probably have to create some art somewhere and have it hidden on some moon or asteroid, because it releases those feelings."

The Moon's Jenner crater is huge, spanning 4.6miles (7.4km) in diameter.

That means the supposed "face" - which is certainly just a pile of Moon rock - itself is also huge, at 82,021ft (25,000m).

The source of the photograph is reportedly from the Lunar Orbiter Photographic Atlas.

The highly-dubious find quickly attracted scores of YouTube comments.

YouTube user SelectCircleLooks wrote: "Looks like a bald Trotsky."

While Brett Cowen appears to believe in Waring's unsubstantiated NASA conspiracy theory, writing: "With all the evidence of UFOs these days ... so the question is why are they covering it up?"

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UFO sighting: 'Alien face' on Moon sparks bizarre claims aliens exist - '100% proof'

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Self-proclaimed alien life analyst Scott Waring made the bizarrely claims about the "alien artwork" on his etdatabase.com blog. He said: "In Jenner crater I have found something really extraordinary: an alien face in the middle of a crater. "These faces are designed to be visible only from long distances.

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Post #7 Reason For Belief: Simplicity (Digital Article)

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Post #7 Reason For Belief: Simplicity (Digital Article)

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Definition:
The definition of Simplicity is that it is so simple and must be the most logical answer. This is used all the time for everyday decisions. The most simple and logical route is usually the one taken as it would be the most easy. This can be used for solving various problems such as cases of murder, which roads to take to ge to the destination the fastest, and also placing things and or organizing things such as a list.

Connection:
In this case, there have been many many claims that the dinosaurs were hit by a meteor in their extinction. There have been other theories as well but this one has very very solid facts and in this case is the most simplistic answer to the disappearance of the dinosaurs. There's really no other evidence that comes close to meteors. Therefore this is what everyone has been thought and has started to been public, valid information.

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Drilling into the seafloor off Mexico, scientists have extracted a unique geologic record of the single worst day in the history of life on Earth, when a city-sized asteroid smashed into the planet 65 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs and three-quarters of all other life.

Their analysis of these new rock samples from the Chicxulub crater, made public Monday, reveals a parfait of debris deposited in layers almost minute-by-minute at the heart of the impact during the first day of a global catastrophe. It records traces...

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Scientists Discover New Evidence of the Asteroid That Killed Off the Dinosaurs

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Drilling into the seafloor off Mexico, scientists have extracted a unique geologic record of the single worst day in the history of life on Earth, when a city-sized asteroid smashed into the planet 65 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs and three-quarters of all other life.

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Post #4 Red Flag: All Natural (Digital Article)

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Post #4 Red Flag: All Natural (Digital Article)

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Definition:
The definition of All Natural is a product, and or an item which claims that their ingredients or components are all natural and have no artificial elements. This can be something such as food (organics) or maybe skin care products claiming they have all natural ingredients. This can become a problem say if the natural ingredient is toxic such as mercury. You can rightfully advertise it as a all natural ingredient but it is extremely toxic to the human body. So just because its all natural doesn't mean it's healthy for the body or whichever case it's affecting.

Connection:
In this case, most  "All Natural" beauty products require no testing or approval from the FDA which means that people can claim that their product is all natural and or is organic without the proof. This can be quite dangerous as people are tricked into thinking the product is safe and is also what they claimed it to be. But in reality the product could have dangerous chemicals or "natural" chemicals that can harm the body. Although some companies do have approval and may supply proper natural products, alot have snuck their way into the marketplace with their false claims.

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Jessica Assaf has been on a crusade to change the beauty industry for 10 years. When she first fell in love with cosmetics at the age of 15, she was horrified to find out that the FDA doesn't require any pre-market testing or approval before beauty products hit the shelves. She was equally terrified to find out that many of the ingredients in U.S. products have been banned in Europe and other countries, as scientific studies suggest that they could be linked to cancer, reproductive harm and neurotoxicity.

While Assaf spent the first half of her life protesting the use of harmful chemicals in beauty products, she later enrolled at Harvard Business School and she realized she could be the change she wanted to see in the industry. The now-25-year-old entrepreneur teamed up with two female classmates, Enke Bashllari and Katie Power, to launch a curated collection of bioactive skincare called Raw Is Everything. Each of their four skin care solutions contain only a single natural oil that is organic, cold-pressed and unrefined.

We chatted with Assaf to find out what led to the creation of Raw Is Everything, and to talk about the biggest issues facing the beauty industry right now:
On the state of the current cosmetic regulations:
"So at this point in time, regulations have not changed since 1938. In 1938, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act was put into action and does not guarantee the safety of our products. [The act] does not require that cosmetic companies disclose their ingredients to the FDA, or any governmental entity, before they hit the shelves. Right now, we're the human guinea pigs. Products are on the market, we use them, and if there are any issues that arise, whether that's immediate allergic reactions or long-term health affects, then they are taken off the shelves. Last week, Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $72 million dollars in damages for the death of a woman from ovarian cancer that was caused by the talc in their baby powder. That's where we're at. All these products and all these chemicals are innocent until proven guilty."
On how our regulations differ from the EU:
"The European Union has banned over 1,300 chemicals found in cosmetics. The FDA has only banned 8 and restricted 3. [In the U.S.] it's a free market and you don't have to do anything -- no safety testing required -- until there is a problem. And the issue is, a lot of these health impacts are long-term. It's not like if I develop breast cancer in 20 years, I can link that to the aluminum zirconium in my deodorant. We don't know how these ingredients are interacting when they come into play. The average woman puts 515 synthetic chemicals on her body every single day without even knowing. And 60 percent of what we put onto our skin is absorbed into our bodies."
On the biggest barriers to safer cosmetics:
"Awareness is the biggest barrier, because even people I talk to at Harvard Business School have no idea to question the ingredients in their products. I don't believe that consumers don't care. People are really concerned with what they are eating and we're taking all of these precautionary measures in that realm, but we just don't make the connection between what we put on our skin and our health. So it's awareness and it's the lobbying efforts. I mean, we're talking about a $60 billion dollar personal care product industry and they are so powerful. The mainstream industry does not want any other regulations, they want this freedom."
On her thoughts on the Personal Care Products Safety Act:
"The Personal Care Products Safety Act act is what I've been waiting for almost 10 years. It's so important, it would strengthen the regulations that haven't changed since 1938. The most important part, is that [the act] would require the FDA to review five potentially harmful chemicals every year, and then the FDA would have the power to ban or restrict the use of these ingredients based on their findings. So it would empower the FDA to know what is in our products, and take action if there is an issue. As a beauty activist, I wish that it was more than five potentially harmful ingredients that were reviewed each year -- with the money and the tools that they have, I think they are capable of studying a few more -- but this is such an important start and it's really critical that this passes."
On why safer formulations of the products we love, which are available abroad, aren't available in the U.S.:
"A few years ago, I was part of this action to try and get Johnson & Johnson to remove two formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, known human carcinogens, from their baby shampoo. A report that was done by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics helped get the shampoo pulled from the shelves of many different countries [but] the shampoo was not found to have carcinogens in China, but it did in the U.S.. So every country has its own regulations and that's a big part of the problem. Cosmetic companies have safer formulations for each country, depending on their laws. A product made here could have a safer formulation in Europe, so it's possible to make some of these products without these chemicals but it's an issue of cost. It's much more expensive to buy organic ingredients, extracted from nature, than it is to buy barrels of synthetic compounds."
On the two chemicals she would never touch:
"Anything that ends with paraben -- propylparaben, methylparaben, ethylparaben -- [many of them] have actually been banned in Europe and linked to cancer. And any petroleum derivative -- so mineral oil, petrolatum, petroleum -- this is actually crude oil. We're putting crude oil on our faces and it's drying out our skin and doing what it's intending to cure."
On the one easy thing everyone can do right now to improve the healthfulness of their bathroom cabinet:
"The most empowering thing you can do to start this process is use [an oil] from your kitchen cabinet to take off your makeup. Try using coconut oil or olive oil. You can also use it as an oil cleanser or as a moisturizer. Just try something you consider a food as a skin care product."
On the best resources to consult if you're trying to avoid toxic chemicals:
"On my blog Beauty, Lies, Truth, I have the clean list and the dirty list, and the dirty list has 10 chemicals that I would avoid from all products. The Environmental Working Group has this Skin Deep database where they've studied thousands of products and you can type in a product that you use and it will rate it and break down the ingredients. And the Think Dirty app is also pretty good. But there is such a lack of information. So often you'll do research and you'll type in the product you use and it will say lack of safety data. The best thing that you can do is expose yourself to ingredients that you can pronounce -- ingredients that are food-grade, organic, that you would feel comfortable eating."

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The Average Woman Puts 515 Synthetic Chemicals On Her Body Every Day

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Jessica Assaf has been on a crusade to change the beauty industry for 10 years. When she first fell in love with cosmetics at the age of 15, she was horrified to find out that the FDA doesn't require any pre-market testing or approval before beauty products hit the shelves.

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Post #5 Red Flag: Appeal to Authority (Video)

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Post #5 Red Flag: Appeal to Authority (Video)

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Definition:
The definition of Appeal to Authority is when a person or subject of authority delivers a message and or a product to draw more people in. This Red Flag happens almost everyday in which it could be a photo of a celebrity drinking a brand name drink or eating some sort of food. This can draw people in to think that "well if so and so's drinking sprite, I should too!" This can be a good thing with advertising but also can lead to bad things like in this case a advertisement of a dentist recommending a certain brand of cigarettes because they are "the #1 cigarette choice recommended by your dentist" which in reality wouldnt be the case at all.

Connection:
In this video a man is speaking about how more doctors smoke camels cigarettes than any other cigarette. This ad can create problems because people will think that these cigarettes are healthy and that doctors recommend them. And in that case is completely false because they are extremely unhealthy and deadly to the body. Of course this ad was recorded in the 40's which could have some change in which doctors could have been smoking but this can also just be an actor wearing a lab coat. And in most cases that's all it is. A real doctor would not recommend cigarettes to anyone.

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More Doctors Smoke Camels Than Any Other Cigarette

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Post #6 Red Flag: Mystical Energy (Digital Article)

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Post #6 Red Flag: Mystical Energy (Digital Article)

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Definition:
The definition of Mystical Energy a item, a product, and or a company that claims there product can do such things that involve some kind of energy or powers that are just simply not possible. This can be a problem because humans now a days can be tricked quite easily by making something or a product to believable that people have no other option but to believe that it works. This can be things such as energy stones, bracelets, and any other thing that apparently generates energy "magically".

Connection:
In this article, the product Power Balance Wristbands are being showcased as a scam. The product claims to improve strength, balance and flexibility. The company even admits that there product has zero scientific proof that their product improves any mobility whatsoever. They've sold these all over the world and have many different varieties. They try to embed information into your head that they actually work but indeed they don't and it's all in your head.

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I don't think this would surprise anyone, but PowerBalance-manufacturers of plastic wristbands with hologram stickers on it-have admitted that there's "no credible scientific evidence that supports [their] claims and therefore [they] engaged in misleading conduct." Here's their statement:

In our advertising we stated that Power Balance wristbands improved your strength, balance and flexibility.

We admit that there is no credible scientific evidence that supports our claims and therefore we engaged in misleading conduct in breach of s52 of the Trade Practices Act 1974.

If you feel you have been misled by our promotions, we wish to unreservedly apologise and offer a full refund.

They had to publish that in Australian media. The company has been under attack by consumer associations all over Europe because of their bogus claims and pseudo-scientific mumbojumbo, but this seems to be the first time in which a regulatory authority has made them admit that their claims are a simply a fraud.

The whole PowerBalance and similar magic wristbands swindle reminds me of the old magnetic wristbands my grandma used to wear in the 80s. Those were able to cure anything, from rheumatism to diabetes and, like this modern powertrickery, they made people feel better because the metal vibrated in the same frequency as the planet does, whatever that means.

Of course, these pseudo-scientific amulets have been made and distributed since the beginning of civilization. From magic stones to sanctified pendants made of holy chicken bones, charlatans have been devising miraculous devices to take advantage of often desperate people. These are just fancier versions of those, used by a new generation of gullible people. But that doesn't mean the governments should stay still and not do anything. Like in Australia, the US and the European Union should smash all these companies and prohibit their misleading commercials.

In the meantime, I will keep using my vacuum-injected Monster Cable necklace to keep my strength, balance and flexibility at optimally enhanced crappy levels. Really, it works! [ PowerBalance]

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PowerBalance Admits Their Wristbands Are a Scam

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I don't think this would surprise anyone, but PowerBalance-manufacturers of plastic wristbands with hologram stickers on it-have admitted that there's "no credible scientific evidence that supports [their] claims and therefore [they] engaged in misleading conduct." Here's their statement: In our advertising we stated that Power Balance wristbands improved your strength, balance and flexibility.

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Post #3 Red Flag: Ancient Wisdom (Website)

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Post #3 Red Flag: Ancient Wisdom (Website)

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Definition:
The definition of Ancient Wisdom consist of claims and or products that contain some sort of ancient wisdom power or effect. This could be a shampoo company that claims their shampoo can make hair grow 5x faster due to the ancient magical herb inside the bottle. This claim may be entirely false and used to trick consumers into thinking their product or claim is something it's really not.

Connection:
Lots of products now a days claim that their products have some kind of ancient wisdom powers and or mystical energy that benefits their product. A Lot of these products today have false claims, but also real claims but use the Ancient Wisdom claim for advertising purposes. Such as essential oils. There are thousands of these products roaming around the marketplace and some of them actually do have benefits. But they mostly use ancient wisdom to sell their product. Essential oils have been around for many many years and can go back to the native american times when they burnt oils and herbs for health benefits. Advertising about the ancient wisdom can be a problem because yes the product may work, but it isn't some sort of ancient wisdom magical item that they may claim it to be.

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If you are looking for a giftware wholesaler that can bring you new products every week, the best deals and trade fairly - you have come to the right place.
At Ancient Wisdom we are dedicated to bringing you the best in wholesale giftware, delighting your customers and helping your retail business grow. The only wholesaler that imports hand-crafted giftware directly from India, Indonesia & China - AND manufactures Aromatherapy, Home Fragrance Items and Bathroom Gifts in our UK factory. With offices, warehouses and committed staff across Asia, with distribution warehouses in UK, Spain and Slovakia we are able to meet any customers expectations, big or small. Passionate about giftware since 1995, over 50,000 retailers across the world are registered and benefit from trading with us.
Fairly Trading since 1995 - Main Incense Importer - Top Bathbomb Producer - Soywax Candles Expert - Best Aromatherapy Ranges - New Products & Deals every week - Best for Soap Flowers, Salt Lamps and so much more. Check out the departments below, whatever your speciality we have products that will boost your sales .

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If you are looking for a giftware wholesaler that can bring you new products every week, the best deals and trade fairly - you have come to the right place. At Ancient Wisdom we are dedicated to bringing you the best in wholesale giftware, delighting your customers and helping your retail business grow.