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