Yoohoo, Mommies!

Cheryl P. wrote:

Well, typical or not, those are the ones she's trying to sell to so she
has to consider their probable knowledge and interests when deciding
what to make.



Precisely.

Plus, the original question was specifically about Barbie clothes, which
we can produce at no cost just to fill out a corner of the table so it
looks like we have a little more stock.

It wasn't about "what business venture should we invest money in?"
Buying each of us a large and small Webkinz to serve as "dressmaker's
dummy", plus buying patterns to make their clothing, would mean
investing more than we're expecting to earn from that little corner of
the table. We were simply looking for pricing advice on our no-cost
method of using scraps, not a way to spend even more money on this
one-time venture that we have absolutely no intention of turning into a
year-round business. The day after the craft fair, the display Barbies
and the leftover clothes go to Toys for Tots and we go back to our real
business ventures. Which don't involve spending $60 in order to sell
$30 of product.

This particular clientele isn't computer-savvy, and if we have to
explain it to them what Webkinz are (when we've never heard of them
ourselves till yesterday), then it's not going to be a big seller.

Plus, despite the claims that Barbie is passe', last year's Channel 3
toy drive was covered extensively on TV, and I saw a lot of families
with children (who certainly would know what kids their age play with)
bringing in Barbies and Barbie accessories. A couple of the newspeople
who are a bit younger than me do have children in the Webkinz age range,
and they never said "oh, cool, Webkinz, my kids love them" as people
were dropping off their donations, as they did with some of the other
toys. After the fact, there was a summary, 1111 of these toys, 1234 of
those toys were donated, and while Barbie got her own category, there
was no separate category for Webkinz (I'm guessing if any were donated
they were lumped into "stuffed animals"). If they'd said something
about it, I would've googled to learn what it was.

But, for all the ubiquitousness that's claimed here, I never heard of
them, and I'm certainly not completely out of touch; I read the
newspaper and several magazines, watch both the local news and CNN, surf
the web... none of the business reporters I follow have commented on
the Webkinz craze, it didn't come up in any of the pre-Christmas "hot
toys" reporting last year.

And none of the people either Mom or I consulted (most of whom are
mothers or grandmothers) had ever heard of them, except for one who knew
the name from seeing it on a "sold out" sign, not because she'd been
begged to buy them. So, maybe it's YOU who are not typical, because
here are three (admittedly small) survey groups in three states (NY,
Calif, and Hawaii) who've never heard of these things. The family
11-year-old has never mentioned them to me (and we computer chat on a
regular basis), DBF's nieces/nephews have never mentioned Webkinz to
him, my friend's colleagues/kids/students have never mentioned Webkinz
to her.

I do note that every one of you who's claimed they're the hottest things
since Beanie Babies is along the Eastern Corridor. Not a peep about
them from any of our Western correspondents, which is where I'm going to
be selling the stuff. And I can tell you that people in California have
never given a hoot about what's trendy on the East Coast; we create our
own trends.

--
Karen C - California
Editor/Proofreader www.IntlProofingConsortium.com

Finished 7/27/08 - MLI Christmas Visit

WIP: Oriental Kimono (Janlynn), MLI The Teacher (gift to
the library), Bethany Angel (Marbek)
Retrieved from UFO pile: Marbek's Snow Angel, MLI Farmers Market

CFSfacts -- where we give you the facts and dispel the myths
Myths, with research cites: http://www.aacfs.org/images/pdfs/myths.pdf
Newest research blog: http://journals.aol.com/kmc528/Lifeasweknowit/

Lucille wrote:
Would you please share those statistical tables with me.


I know I've seen it on more than one occasion in the local newspaper,
but they're now limiting free web access to only the newest articles; if
you want something more than a couple weeks old, you have to pay for it.

I'll see what I can find that won't require you paying to read it.


--
Karen C - California
Editor/Proofreader www.IntlProofingConsortium.com

Finished 7/27/08 - MLI Christmas Visit

WIP: Oriental Kimono (Janlynn), MLI The Teacher (gift to
the library), Bethany Angel (Marbek)
Retrieved from UFO pile: Marbek's Snow Angel, MLI Farmers Market

CFSfacts -- where we give you the facts and dispel the myths
Myths, with research cites: http://www.aacfs.org/images/pdfs/myths.pdf
Newest research blog: http://journals.aol.com/kmc528/Lifeasweknowit/

Here in the UK older folk using the internet are termed "Silver Surfers".
--
Bruce Fletcher
Stronsay, Orkney UK
http://preview.tinyurl.com/3b54af

Lucille wrote:

It certainly tells another story, doesn't it.

http://tiny.cc/UQnvz

This is more what I know.

Lucille



Actually, it tells exactly the story I've experienced:
"Despite the increases, this age group still has a long way to go. Only
22 percent of Americans over 65 go online, the study shows, compared
with 75 percent of those ages 30 to 49."


If 22% are online that means nearly 4/5 are not. Hardly the
overwhelming majority you claim in your neighborhood. Much closer to
the percentages in Mom's neighborhood, where only one of the five older
people on the block owns a computer.


"the ranks of Americans over 65 who use the Internet have jumped by 47
percent since 2000, making them the fastest-growing group to embrace the
online world"

Well, sure, because if 75% of younger people are online, it's impossible
to increase that by 47% (do the math). Whereas if 2 older people are
online, adding just one more is a 50% increase.

My aunt readily admits that the only reason she does e-mail is because
all her relatives are in Europe; the e-mail account is cheaper than
airmail postage. If her relatives were just a local phone call away,
she would have no interest in it at all. And that may be why it's so
popular in your area -- because the grannies have all moved to Florida
and left the kids and grandkids behind in Brooklyn. In this area, we
have a lot of fifth- and sixth-generation local families; the grandkids
are a local phone call, so there's no need for granny to learn to use a
computer to communicate with them.

When her son set up my aunt's e-mail account, he had her send a test
e-mail "hello, this is my new address". 10 of my next 10 contacts with
her were either by phone or snail mail. The 11th was by e-mail only
because I was stumped on a translation, and when I called to read it to
her she admitted it might make more sense if she saw the convoluted
sentence in writing; then she phoned to tell me how she'd translate it.
She's only now reaching the point where she will e-mail me instead of
calling or snail-mailing.

Like with my parents, she has a house and garden to keep up, a husband
who needs to be driven to multiple doctor appointments, doctor and
physical therapy appointments of her own; she doesn't have the time to
play on the computer every day.

--
Karen C - California
Editor/Proofreader www.IntlProofingConsortium.com

Finished 7/27/08 - MLI Christmas Visit

WIP: Oriental Kimono (Janlynn), MLI The Teacher (gift to
the library), Bethany Angel (Marbek)
Retrieved from UFO pile: Marbek's Snow Angel, MLI Farmers Market

CFSfacts -- where we give you the facts and dispel the myths
Myths, with research cites: http://www.aacfs.org/images/pdfs/myths.pdf
Newest research blog: http://journals.aol.com/kmc528/Lifeasweknowit/

lucretia borgia wrote:

Good link, it's sure more the way I know seniors, I particularly liked

"the ranks of Americans over 65 who use the Internet have jumped by 47
percent since 2000, making them the fastest-growing group to embrace
the online world. "

47% is a VERY convincing quantity.


Not particularly impressive if it took a 47% jump (over 8 long years) to
bring the total UP to 22%. And how many of those 47% were, in 2000,
57-year-old working people who aged into that statistic but have
actually been using computers at work for years?

DBF is approaching increasing the number of over-65s online; he was
actually *selling* computers (and thus knew how to use them) back in the
Kaypro days (which is, what, nearly 30 years ago?) -- he may be newly
embracing old age, but not newly "embracing the online world" ... at age
65, he will have been online for 15 years already.

Then my generation will get there, and over 65s will be nearly 100%
online, not because they're becoming more adventurous but because we've
been online for decades.

Think about it, Sheena... It's cold and snowy where you are. The old
folks here are never housebound or isolated by winter weather, because
we never have snow or icy roads. They're out and about and doing
things, not home with only their computer for company. The local bus
company gives free lifetime passes to people over 80, so there's no need
for anyone in this town to sit home alone just because they've given up
driving, and weather is never an issue.

Winters are nice enough that no one from here retires to Florida,
housing prices are affordable enough and jobs plentiful enough that the
younger generation doesn't need to refugee this area in order to buy a
house or find work, therefore, there's no need for our local retirees to
e-mail their distant grandkids, just drive over and pick them up for an
afternoon.

In this area, we garden year-round. No long boring winter with nothing
to do but surf gardening websites.

Unless I'm misrecollecting, you and Lucille and Mavia are all closer to
65 than my parents and their crowd, who are 80-something (one may even
be 90 by now). That in itself might explain why they're not as computer
savvy as you three spring chickens.

However, I suspect that if the doctor gets her way, and my parents give
up the house and garden to move to a small retirement apartment where
"gardening" will comprise a single flower box, that the survivor of them
might eventually be persuaded to get online for companionship, but right
now, they don't have time; they spend several hours a day out in the
garden, and 2-3 days a week going to various medical appointments. And
since I have unlimited long distance, they don't need to e-mail to keep
in touch cheaply; I can call them every day without it costing me any
more than if I called only once a week. On the other hand, if I pack off
to some tropical island where it costs $1 a minute to call, that might
be incentive enough to learn to e-mail.

--
Karen C - California
Editor/Proofreader www.IntlProofingConsortium.com

Finished 7/27/08 - MLI Christmas Visit

WIP: Oriental Kimono (Janlynn), MLI The Teacher (gift to
the library), Bethany Angel (Marbek)
Retrieved from UFO pile: Marbek's Snow Angel, MLI Farmers Market

CFSfacts -- where we give you the facts and dispel the myths
Myths, with research cites: http://www.aacfs.org/images/pdfs/myths.pdf
Newest research blog: http://journals.aol.com/kmc528/Lifeasweknowit/

I do note that every one of you who's claimed they're the hottest things
since Beanie Babies is along the Eastern Corridor. *Not a peep about
them from any of our Western correspondents, which is where I'm going to
be selling the stuff. *And I can tell you that people in California have
never given a hoot about what's trendy on the East Coast; we create our
own trends.

Here in the Midwest they are big, big, big. The local convention
center/hotel even advertises that they carry them on their outside
board. They are available at most airport gift shops. Webkinz also
are not a Toys R Us toy, but one, like Beanie Babies, that tends to be
found in independent shops.

Linda

On 8/18/08 10:02 AM, in article
, "lewmew"
wrote:

On Aug 18, 8:10*am, Cheryl Isaak wrote:
On 8/18/08 8:55 AM, in article ,

"Ericka Kammerer" wrote:
Karen C in California wrote:

He points out that there has been
absolutely NO advertising for them on TV or in the newspapers/magazines
the two of us read,

Ganz doesn't advertise them because they're selling out
on word of mouth alone.

Best wishes,
Ericka

I think there are ads in some of the "kids" magazines. Or was that the
latest clone???

Hey Erika, what magazines would you recommend for a 9-12 year old girl that
isn't loaded with teen idols/celebrities. She loves her USA Hockey, but is
bored with Nat Geo Kids.

Cheryl

Cheryl -

American Girl magazine - really! Also there is an even better one -
Discovery Girls. My dd got it from about 9-11 and loved it. One of
the cool things is they show real girls who do real things - not just
cheerleader types, but also hockey, swimming, piano players and more.
My dd found it very much related to her life.

Linda



Will grab one of each and let her decide...
Cheryl

Karen C in California wrote:



Plus, the original question was specifically about Barbie clothes, which
we can produce at no cost just to fill out a corner of the table so it
looks like we have a little more stock.


LOL! If you're going to insist that people stick to answering only the
exact question you ask, you really need to find another place to post
your questions. This is Usenet: "you posts in public, you takes your
chances."

Elizabeth
--
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~living well is the best revenge~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The most important thing one woman can do for another is to illuminate
and expand her sense of actual possibilities. --Adrienne Rich
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

On 8/18/08 11:13 AM, in article ,
"Jangchub" wrote:

On Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:17:13 -0400, Cheryl Isaak
wrote:

On 8/18/08 7:59 AM, in article ,
"Dr. Brat" wrote:

Cheryl Isaak wrote:

On 8/17/08 9:00 PM, in article , "Karen C
in California" wrote:


Jangchub wrote:

That's why I asked if this was the same version. Maybe I'm getting to
GOWly, but I really can't stand to see young women with those thongs
out the back with that tatoo on the small of the back which my husband
calls a slut brand like they brand cattle.

Tramp stamp


Means "this side down"

Nah. It means "this side up."

Elizabeth (as in "on top")

I've heard that too...
Cheryl
(who doesn't want to think about the mother of one of DS's buddies having
one - and showing it off.)

Oy. It must be so hard to raise children in this period of time. I
commend every person for being brave enough to have children. It's
the hardest job in the world.


DS isn't interesting tattoos or piercings or the like. BUT DD, the adrenal
junkie, is way too intrigued.


Brave isn't bringing them into the world. Brave is releasing them into the
world.

Cheryl

On 8/18/08 11:47 AM, in article
, "lewmew"
wrote:

Another one I have heard is very good but did not subscribe to is New
Moon. One I DON'T recommend is "Girl's Life" - it is not appropriate
for the under 13 crowd.

Linda

We've seen New Moon. Not her bag at all.

Cheryl