2006 Projects?

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 20:46:08 -0600, "Dawne Peterson"
wrote:


"Dr. Brat" wrote
You're assuming that the distributor made the kit available to Maureen's
LNS for the same wholesale price that HobbyLobby and Michael's have
available to them. That's probably not the case and the markup for the
LNS probably isn't as much as you think.

I have found that ordering on-line from the USA sometimes involves
ridiculously high shipping costs, which, coupled with the exchange rate,
even with the strong Canadian dollar, as well as "special handling charges
for foreign orders", minimum orders and duties, can make a "bargain"
purchase quite costly.
Dawne

It's in the "special handling charges" - Joan sent me a wonderful link
to a tiny sampler, about 5 x 7, with a bottle of wine on it with a
cute motto. I was going to do it and send it to Sharon in NB - but
when I got to the pay desk, the chart which started at US$5 or so, had
become over $20. I did email them and the designer responded saying
that she always couriers them, puts them in bubble envelopes etc.
that's what the 'special' charges are, I told her I thought a plain,
brown envelope and US Post was quite sufficient for a chart and would
not involve me in possible duty, which UPS always does.

So no bargains for us up here! Stupid really in the case of a chart
only, these designers should realize we're not dummies to take to the
cleaners.

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 14:04:16 GMT, lucretia borgia
muttered something like:

that's what the 'special' charges are, I told her I thought a plain,
brown envelope and US Post was quite sufficient for a chart and would
not involve me in possible duty, which UPS always does.

So no bargains for us up here! Stupid really in the case of a chart
only, these designers should realize we're not dummies to take to the
cleaners.

She may not have realized that UPS levies the higher customs/duty fees. I
didn't know better the first couple of times I sold things through ebay to
Canadian buyers; if I ever list anything again that gets won by a
Canadian, I'll send it USPS so they don't get hit with the high rates.

Although if a site makes international shipments regularly, it kind of
falls to them to do a little research on what happens at the receiving
end.

-Bertha
--
"What do they got, a lot of sand? We got a hot crustacean band!"
-- Sebastian, "The Little Mermaid"

It's in the "special handling charges" - Joan sent me a wonderful link
to a tiny sampler, about 5 x 7, with a bottle of wine on it with a
cute motto. I was going to do it and send it to Sharon in NB - but
when I got to the pay desk, the chart which started at US$5 or so, had
become over $20. I did email them and the designer responded saying
that she always couriers them, puts them in bubble envelopes etc.
that's what the 'special' charges are, I told her I thought a plain,
brown envelope and US Post was quite sufficient for a chart and would
not involve me in possible duty, which UPS always does.

So no bargains for us up here! Stupid really in the case of a chart
only, these designers should realize we're not dummies to take to the
cleaners.

I remember being very exasperated some years ago when an exchange was
being set up in a stitching chat group, and someone insisted several times
that I could "always" pick something up at (a number of US chains which do
not operate in Canada) or order a $5 item from Herrschners (the
calculation was pretty much like your $5 chart.)--the person involved would
not acknowledge the existence of the border (soon to be The Fence?????). I
have been pointed to things like the free kits on the Janlynn site which
Canadians cannot access (only in the continental USA). Actually, I have
had better service from UK websites, who were quite happy to mail in plain
envelopes at surface rates.
Dawne

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 19:29:45 -0500, "Dr. Brat"
wrote:

Jangchub wrote:

Not for nothing, but your LNS is a major rip off artist! Wow, talk
about marking something up.

You're assuming that the distributor made the kit available to Maureen's
LNS for the same wholesale price that HobbyLobby and Michael's have
available to them. That's probably not the case and the markup for the
LNS probably isn't as much as you think.

Elizabeth

The prices given were 34, 50 and 72. I understand it's an assumption
on my part, but clearly, many LNS stores have huge mark-up prices. I
find it hard to believe the price break is that steep at wholesale.
There is a margin of discrepency where the comparison is made between
USD and the Canadian dollar, but when something is TWICE the price of
the box stores there is definitely some hanky panky going on.

I do buy floss at Walmart when I need a few skeins and I'm already
there for something else. That doesn't put the LNS out of business.
Where I live, there is ONE LNS and I will never set foot in there for
the rest of my life. Why? I used to sell my laying tools there. Many
here have those tools and know what they look and feel like. I was
selling them "wholesale" to Ginger for ten dollars and she doubled the
price for retail. One day I'm in there and she's selling them for 22.
So, next batch I tell her they are now 11 dollars and she told me she
wanted to make the extra dollar. I walked to the counter, asked for
every piece of wood in there which was mine and walked out. Not only
did I sell them to her for a very fair price, it was on consignment
and she'd hem and haw to pay it.

So, now I buy my floss at Hobby Lobby, JoAnne's, or Michaels, and I
buy designs wherever I find them. Ginger's is a bustling store.
Her prices do not reflect that of a bustling store. She is a rip off.
She charges 9 dollars a yard for calico! And she is nowhere near
going out of business.

So this very well be sour grapes on my part, I do concede on that
point.

I don't think this is sour grapes at all, but an ethical decision on your
part not to deal with someone you thought made an undue profit from your
work (undue is the key word)
The LNS is not a sacred space. Some are wonderful, and really work to
provide their customers with what they need at a reasonable price. A few
aren't, and judging by the horror stories that turn up here once in a long
while, either get very clique-y and snobby (the previous owner of the store
I now love was like that) or else take advantage of a captive market and
charge waaaay too much.
Personally, I avoid the big box stores, but if those were the only stores
near me, it would be different.
Dawne

On 21 Dec 2005 14:15:45 GMT, Bertha wrote:

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 14:04:16 GMT, lucretia borgia
muttered something like:

that's what the 'special' charges are, I told her I thought a plain,
brown envelope and US Post was quite sufficient for a chart and would
not involve me in possible duty, which UPS always does.

So no bargains for us up here! Stupid really in the case of a chart
only, these designers should realize we're not dummies to take to the
cleaners.

She may not have realized that UPS levies the higher customs/duty fees. I
didn't know better the first couple of times I sold things through ebay to
Canadian buyers; if I ever list anything again that gets won by a
Canadian, I'll send it USPS so they don't get hit with the high rates.

Although if a site makes international shipments regularly, it kind of
falls to them to do a little research on what happens at the receiving
end.

-Bertha

No, she knew about it but seemed to think the chart might get bent or
somesuch if it went in the mail. Even if it did, worst case
scenario, replacing a five dollar chart here and there, would be
better than turning customers off with nearly $15 added to the initial
cost.

Now, whatever I look at online, I always cut through to the end and
see how they are going to ship, how much 'handling' they charge, and
then decide whether to order based on the final price. Sometimes
discussion is good. My club ordered (I did the ordering) name pins in
the shape of a bridge hand, from the US. We discussed shipping and he
said he went fairly frequently to visit someone in Canada. If we were
not in a rush and didn't mind a two or three week delay, he could mail
in Canada. We jumped at the chance and he has made lots of other
sales with us now, based on a mail when he comes up here order. That's
what I call really good business, keeps him going and keeps us happy
lol

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 08:25:32 -0600, "Dawne Peterson"
wrote:


It's in the "special handling charges" - Joan sent me a wonderful link
to a tiny sampler, about 5 x 7, with a bottle of wine on it with a
cute motto. I was going to do it and send it to Sharon in NB - but
when I got to the pay desk, the chart which started at US$5 or so, had
become over $20. I did email them and the designer responded saying
that she always couriers them, puts them in bubble envelopes etc.
that's what the 'special' charges are, I told her I thought a plain,
brown envelope and US Post was quite sufficient for a chart and would
not involve me in possible duty, which UPS always does.

So no bargains for us up here! Stupid really in the case of a chart
only, these designers should realize we're not dummies to take to the
cleaners.

I remember being very exasperated some years ago when an exchange was
being set up in a stitching chat group, and someone insisted several times
that I could "always" pick something up at (a number of US chains which do
not operate in Canada) or order a $5 item from Herrschners (the
calculation was pretty much like your $5 chart.)--the person involved would
not acknowledge the existence of the border (soon to be The Fence?????). I
have been pointed to things like the free kits on the Janlynn site which
Canadians cannot access (only in the continental USA). Actually, I have
had better service from UK websites, who were quite happy to mail in plain
envelopes at surface rates.
Dawne

I heard, down east, it's to be a wall, not a fence. I did wonder to
myself, who is keeping who out and who is keeping who in ?

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 14:31:35 GMT, Jangchub wrote:

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 19:29:45 -0500, "Dr. Brat"
wrote:

Jangchub wrote:

Not for nothing, but your LNS is a major rip off artist! Wow, talk
about marking something up.

You're assuming that the distributor made the kit available to Maureen's
LNS for the same wholesale price that HobbyLobby and Michael's have
available to them. That's probably not the case and the markup for the
LNS probably isn't as much as you think.

Elizabeth

The prices given were 34, 50 and 72. I understand it's an assumption
on my part, but clearly, many LNS stores have huge mark-up prices. I
find it hard to believe the price break is that steep at wholesale.
There is a margin of discrepency where the comparison is made between
USD and the Canadian dollar, but when something is TWICE the price of
the box stores there is definitely some hanky panky going on.

I do buy floss at Walmart when I need a few skeins and I'm already
there for something else. That doesn't put the LNS out of business.
Where I live, there is ONE LNS and I will never set foot in there for
the rest of my life. Why? I used to sell my laying tools there. Many
here have those tools and know what they look and feel like. I was
selling them "wholesale" to Ginger for ten dollars and she doubled the
price for retail. One day I'm in there and she's selling them for 22.
So, next batch I tell her they are now 11 dollars and she told me she
wanted to make the extra dollar. I walked to the counter, asked for
every piece of wood in there which was mine and walked out. Not only
did I sell them to her for a very fair price, it was on consignment
and she'd hem and haw to pay it.

So, now I buy my floss at Hobby Lobby, JoAnne's, or Michaels, and I
buy designs wherever I find them. Ginger's is a bustling store.
Her prices do not reflect that of a bustling store. She is a rip off.
She charges 9 dollars a yard for calico! And she is nowhere near
going out of business.

So this very well be sour grapes on my part, I do concede on that
point.

I don't know what Wartmart sells floss for here, nor do I care. I
consider it unpatriotic to even enter their doors. They are a
predator store.

If you read the book about Old Sam you will find that his kids are not
even living by his original concept of having stores with low prices
that would keep US small manufacturers going. His kids buy cheapest
offshore and single-handedly have f****d small American manufacturers.
They also have the worst reputation as employers.

There now! That said, I will get off the soapbox.

I miss the "Made in the USA" sales pitch. My current battle with my
father has to do with the "support the troops" car magnets. I won't
have one because they are made in China and I seriously doubt China
supports our troops.

Of course according to my denomination I'm supposed to be boycotting
Wal*Mart anyway because of their labor practices. I wonder how the
Wal*Mart employees who are members of our church (national body) feel
about the boycott? If that is the only local job they can get, are they
supposed to refuse to work there? That's the problem with boycotts; the
big guys don't give a damn and the little guys get hurt.

lucretia borgia wrote:
I don't know what Wartmart sells floss for here, nor do I care. I
consider it unpatriotic to even enter their doors. They are a
predator store.

If you read the book about Old Sam you will find that his kids are not
even living by his original concept of having stores with low prices
that would keep US small manufacturers going. His kids buy cheapest
offshore and single-handedly have f****d small American manufacturers.
They also have the worst reputation as employers.

There now! That said, I will get off the soapbox.

--
Brenda
Bilge Queen of Puzzle Pirates

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 15:25:54 GMT, Brenda Lewis
wrote:

I miss the "Made in the USA" sales pitch. My current battle with my
father has to do with the "support the troops" car magnets. I won't
have one because they are made in China and I seriously doubt China
supports our troops.

Of course according to my denomination I'm supposed to be boycotting
Wal*Mart anyway because of their labor practices. I wonder how the
Wal*Mart employees who are members of our church (national body) feel
about the boycott? If that is the only local job they can get, are they
supposed to refuse to work there? That's the problem with boycotts; the
big guys don't give a damn and the little guys get hurt.


I don't know if they are better employers in the States but up here it
is estimated they don't even pay a living wage. They work people in
different shifts so that they wind up not even qualifying for
unemployment if the worst comes to the worst.

I also dislike the 'check you as you leave' policy, hate 'greeters',
it's all so insincere. Do they really believe that the checking is
'to make sure you have everything you paid for' ? So I just feel if
I stay away from Wartmart, they probably don't miss me but I don't
give myself the hassle.