If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#21
|
|||
|
|||
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. |
Ads |
#22
|
|||
|
|||
2006 Projects?
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" |
#23
|
|||
|
|||
2006 Projects?
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 |
#24
|
|||
|
|||
2006 Projects?
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. |
#25
|
|||
|
|||
2006 Projects?
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 |
#26
|
|||
|
|||
2006 Projects?
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 |
#27
|
|||
|
|||
2006 Projects?
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 ? |
#28
|
|||
|
|||
2006 Projects?
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. |
#29
|
|||
|
|||
2006 Projects?
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 |
#30
|
|||
|
|||
2006 Projects?
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. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
CATS 2006 classes announced | Phylis Maurer | Needlework | 1 | November 18th 05 03:33 AM |
January Finished Projects | Craftkitten (Darlene) | Yarn | 29 | February 7th 05 10:21 PM |
UFOs/WIPs and other projects | Pati Cook | Quilting | 41 | January 18th 05 06:36 PM |
Unfinished projects -> finished projects | Elsa | Yarn | 2 | December 22nd 03 06:02 PM |
Easy Projects | Mpchet | Pottery | 6 | December 13th 03 03:11 PM |