Out with the old and in with the new!

Everytime I turn around, I hear about another local scrapbook store closing which really saddens me. A common theme is that they aren't making enough money to stay open or they are just burned out on the business. Running a scrapbook store isn't an easy task - -there is a constant demand for all the latest and greatest products which owners can't afford to order in unless there is space and money. There is also the competition of the chains with their 40% off coupons. Even the Dollar Tree stores are getting into the scrapbook business -- just look at the Miss Elizabeth's scrapbooking line! How can a "regular" store compete? They can but sometimes I think it is just too hard to do. Personally, I love my local scrapbook stores! I shop there at full retail for paper that I plan to use in kits to make sure that I actually like it enough to order it in bulk. How about you...do you support your local scrapbook store? If not, who's fault will it be when they close the doors?

As an online business, I don't have as much of an overhead but I still have to sell the old in order to make space for the new products. Because so many of the stores around me are closing, I want to make an extra effort to give you a new source for all the latest and greatest items in the scrapbook world. In order to do that, I need to sell off some older items which means I will be adding lots of items to the website and some of those items will be on sale! Once it's gone, the shelves will be restocked with fresh merchandise, some of which is already on order. I will also be listing some limited edition kits so be sure to check back often -- once they are gone, they won't be offered again! ;)

Once the store is fully stocked, I will also go back to adding tutorials to the website to demonstrate how to use your existing products such as the Crop-a-dile, eyelet setters, and other tools that you may have purchased but never used. I'm going to be adding lots more projects to the site, too, so be watching!

Until the next time, happy scrapping!

Ronda

Scrapbooking "bargains"

A couple of years ago, I talked to a lady at the Orlando Memories Expo about the Crop-a-dile. This is a tool that I love because it simplifies using eyelets...simply punch the hole, insert the eyelet, and squeeze. I was doing a demo of how to use it and I found it very interesting when this lady told me that she had already bought one but no one had ever showed her how to use it! She got frustrated with it and stuck in a drawer in her scrapbook room. Sound familiar? Believe it or not, I hear this more and more...stories about tools and the latest gadgets that people purchased but never used because the local craft store didn't have anyone to show them how to use it. Sure, she got it with a discount coupon but did she really get her money's worth?

First of all, the price was marked up above "recommended retail". I've shopped in this store lots of times and since I know what the price is supposed to be, I'm always surprised to see things marked way above that price in the stores. Why are they marked up? So that you can use your 40% off coupon without it costing them as much! Is this legal? Sure, it is! The manufacturer gives a recommended price -- stores can charge more than that if they want but they are not supposed to charge less.

Secondly, there was no one to show this lady how to use the tool. To the store, it was just another sale. A good scrapbook store would have not only shown the customer how to use the tool but would have also explained how to use all the features of the tool. Another consideration is the strength and hand size required to use the Crop-a-dile. It's not for everyone -- people with small hands tend to have a harder time using it so before I sell one, I have the person try it so that I can make sure they will be able to use it.

So my question is...was her purchase really a bargain? She bought the tool for around $20 with her coupon and took it home and shoved it into a drawer. That's an expensive paper weight in MY book! How about you? Do you have a tool that you bought and aren't sure how to use? Let me know what YOUR "bargain" buy was and maybe I can show you how to use it to get your money's worth.

Until the next time!
Ronda

Ronda