Opinions needed from shop owners and everyone

On 1/6/04 9:15 AM, in article ,
"animaux" wrote:

Most people here know I hand carve laying tools and sell them. I went into an
arrangement for price when I started out selling them at an LNS here in
Austin.
The price gave us a 50%-50% price. In other words, she'd double my price and
sell them. Yesterday I went up there to see what was going on. Not only is
she
charging two dollars more for them, but when I discussed it with her she got
snotty and said she just wanted to make more money on them.

HELLO, I am the one who hand carved them. All they do at her shop are sit in
a
case waiting to be bought.

Not only that, but before Christmas I left a display with a bunch of magnets I
made up. She didn't even display them and not one was sold during the
Christmas
selling.

If this were your shop, would you ever do such a thing to a vendor? I we
never
so insulted in my life. SHE wanted to make more. I should add that right
before the holiday we discussed the price and I asked her to charge two
dollars
more for the tools and she said no. Now they are marked for the two dollars
more, but she somehow thinks she should keep the two dollars. I'm so ****ed
off
I don't know what to do.

Victoria

First, I don't feel she is being honest with you and that you should remove
your stock from the shop. Did you have anything in writing?

Cheryl

Most people here know I hand carve laying tools and sell them. I went into
an arrangement for price when I started out selling them at an LNS here in
Austin.

Question. Are you selling these on consignment, or are you selling them to her
outright for her to resell? If on consignment, she is violating your
agreement, and if I were you I would withdraw the remaining stock and find
another outlet. If, OTOH, you already sold them to her, I would simply not
supply her with any more, and still find another outlet.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

It really seems to me that she has breached her end of the contract (too
much Judge Mathis). There shouldn't be any reason that you can't remove
your laying tools from her shop. She really seems very underhanded and that
is sad. We stitchers should stick together, not try to do mean things. I
feel bad for you as I know you must have put lots of work into making the
tools. Is there anywhere else you can sell them?

Let us know how it turns out.

Seaspray

Yippee! A very large happy dance for you!
Seaspray

That's great news!
Cheryl

On 1/6/04 12:02 PM, in article ,
"animaux" wrote:

It's a miracle! I suppose after I said this, an online shop owner, to be
named
later, ordered all my laying tools and all the magnets! I can't believe it.
What luck! She sent me a paypal payment and all I have to do is send them to
her.

I called the shop which has my stuff now and I'm picking them all up tomorrow.
Wow, I can't believe it!

V

On Tue, 06 Jan 2004 16:44:54 GMT, animaux opined:

Yes, I will sell them online and through my Ebay account. I was very annoyed
and when I am like that it's best to walk away and come back when I'm more
restrained.

V


On Tue, 6 Jan 2004 11:25:57 -0500, "seaspray" seaside stitcher @ yahoo. com
opined:

It really seems to me that she has breached her end of the contract (too
much Judge Mathis). There shouldn't be any reason that you can't remove
your laying tools from her shop. She really seems very underhanded and that
is sad. We stitchers should stick together, not try to do mean things. I
feel bad for you as I know you must have put lots of work into making the
tools. Is there anywhere else you can sell them?

Let us know how it turns out.

Seaspray

From: animaux

t's a miracle! I suppose after I said this, an online shop owner, to be
named
later, ordered all my laying tools and all the magnets! .........

For anyone interested, I have one of Victoria's hand carved laying tools and
they are SUPERB! Absolutely satin smooth and lovely to hold and work with!!
The online shop owner can rest assured that she has made a very wise decision.
I haven't seen the magnets but I am sure they are equally as nice. VIC --
once the new shop owner has the stock in hand, be sure to post and let us know
OK? I am sure there will be a few here who would love to get a look at the
laying tools and magnets! CiaoMeow ^;;^
..


PAX, Tia Mary ^;;^ Queen of Kitties
Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their
WHISKERS!!
Nothing is complete without a few cat hairs!

I was going to offer . . . but I'm glad you found a suitable outlet. If
you ever want to make some more . . . you know where I live!
grin
Dianne

animaux wrote:

It's a miracle! I suppose after I said this, an online shop owner, to be named
later, ordered all my laying tools and all the magnets! I can't believe it.
What luck! She sent me a paypal payment and all I have to do is send them to
her.

I called the shop which has my stuff now and I'm picking them all up tomorrow.
Wow, I can't believe it!

V

On Tue, 06 Jan 2004 16:44:54 GMT, animaux opined:


Yes, I will sell them online and through my Ebay account. I was very annoyed
and when I am like that it's best to walk away and come back when I'm more
restrained.

V


On Tue, 6 Jan 2004 11:25:57 -0500, "seaspray" seaside stitcher @ yahoo. com
opined:


It really seems to me that she has breached her end of the contract (too
much Judge Mathis). There shouldn't be any reason that you can't remove
your laying tools from her shop. She really seems very underhanded and that
is sad. We stitchers should stick together, not try to do mean things. I
feel bad for you as I know you must have put lots of work into making the
tools. Is there anywhere else you can sell them?

Let us know how it turns out.

Seaspray

Victoria,

If you do put them online, please send me the link. I would love to see what
they look like. Thanks



I am going to remove the
remaining stock one day this week. I will sell them online and at Ebay. I'm
so
annoyed I didn't want to get into it with her at the store, yesterday

Victoria


Rhea from KY, USA

On 1/6/04 9:57 AM,"animaux" posted:

On Tue, 06 Jan 2004 14:24:24 GMT, Cheryl Isaak
opined:

First, I don't feel she is being honest with you and that you should remove
your stock from the shop. Did you have anything in writing?

Cheryl

I had in writing that she would get a specified amount for the laying tools
when
sold. I called the shop and she told me she sold what she had, but when I
went
yesterday to replenish, not only didn't she sell any, they were not displayed,
still in her office. The laying tools which were displayed were being sold for
two dollars more than what we originally agreed on.

Are you saying here that the magnets weren't displayed, but some of the
laying tools were, at a higher price than you expected?

We JUST spoke about it before the holidays. I asked her to raise the price so
each of us would get one more dollar per unit. She said it wasn't a good
idea,
so I kept it at the original price. I didn't have anything in writing then,
but
this is consignment. I had a receipt for the stuff I left there, but she
never
put it out for Christmas, which is what the theme was of the magnets.

If it's consignment, then you generally have a written agreement, and the
shop should be keeping a log of what is sold, for how much. Your agreement
should specify either a percentage split, a minimum that you will accept,
suggested retail price, etc. If your agreement is 50/50 split, with a
suggested price say of $30, and she's selling them for $32 then you should
insist on the $16. If you've stated the minimum you can accept is $13, then
it's up to her to charge $26, or $20 and she makes less.

If you're dealing with yourself as a wholesaler, and her as a retail outlet,
then you sell to her, for what you're comfortable with which will allow them
to retail at a realistic price - generally your wholesale is 1/2 the retail.
But, in this case, the shop owner is investing in inventory, and if she
wishhes to mark up a little higher then you have nothing to say about it.

FWIW, in the Needlework industry - canvas designers generally don't put
prices on their canvases, nor do they have SRPs - which is why if you look
in a shop at some designer's catalog sheets they are usually just pix of the
canvases with a title, or item number. The designers supply a separate
wholesale price sheet to the shops. Most shops want to be able to price with
what mark-up works for them. XS charts are a bit different as many of them,
especially from big name, well-distributed designers, may have a price on
them pre-printed.

I have a friend/guild chapter member pal who has a business doing hand made
laying tools, little wooden ORT jars, and some other woodwork accessories.
It took her a while to figure out how she would best market. At first she
sold to the local shops - not as consignment but just to the shops, but then
she was also selling directly retail - and this was very annoying to the
shops - they paid her, had to carry inventory, and then she was selling to
their clientele on the street. Shops don't like if you're selling wholesale
to them, and then direct merchandising as well. Finally what she ended up
doing is selling at some specific needlework seminars that have expos - like
the ANG National Seminar, or others. So, she only sells directly now, no
longer wholesaling, but sells at a few markets a year, and I think does
pretty well with it.

Those are pretty much your options - either find a better shop to do
consignment with, get a written and reasonable agreement, sell your stuff
wholesale and just deal with letting the shops charge accordingly, or sell
retail directly yourself - if you have some events that are within reason
for you to attend - and you just gear up for those.

Hope that helped.
ellice

I think I'm pulling it all out of there. It's not worth it. She lied outright
to me.

Wonderful luck for you and hope you will let us know when and where these
items will be available -- would love to see them and purchase one from your
new outlet!

Lisa H