We buy wood bottom baskets. Open baskets or with lids, old or new.
A name has been coined for the wood bottom basket and that is a “Nantucket” basket.
On Nantucket, open baskets are called “Lightship” baskets and baskets with lids are called “Friendship” baskets.
This style basket is now made all over the world but still seems to be called a Nantucket basket.
The Lightship basket was named after men working the lightships off Nantucket in the 1800’s. Some of the men on these lightships would use their down time to make these open baskets to be used for utility or as gifts.
The Friendship basket was named by a Nantucket basket maker in the mid 20th century who is thought to be the first person to make these lidded baskets. In the beginning of his career, he would hang them in a tree in the yard of his rental home for sale to summer residents or seasonal tourists. His first lidded baskets sold for between $15 – $25, which is between $200 – $350 today adjusting for inflation. These baskets were often made with lumber from discarded pallets.