Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
I agree, that's what I like most about SU!, the sets of stamps are reasonably priced, even if you have to put them together yourself which I dislike, but I like the coordination and value enough to deal with the construction factor
I think the other really great thing is that they really keep their value well.
I have been able to sell my retired sets with no problem, and although it has not happened with any sets that I have, in some cases teh value really goes up.
__________________ I want people to be afraid of how much they love me-M. Scott
I always dread the, "Can't I buy just this ONE stamp?" question. Non-seasoned stampers don't realize the value of the SU! sets, as discussed in this thread.
So what's the nicest, most polite way of explaining this? :confused:
I LOOOOVE the fact that SU! sells stamps in sets (and reasonably priced at that!). I mean, when would you use just ONE stamp for something, when with SU! you have the option of an entire corresponding set?
So back to my question... how can we explain these to our non-experienced stampers who are just being introduced to SU! and ask the "JUST one stamp?" question? Suggestions? ;)
When I went to my first SU workshop & the demonstrator talked about why it was great to buy stamps in sets, why SU stamps were a good value and that it was a good thing to mount your own stamps, I simply didn't get it!!
She said that sets allow more creativity - well, at the time I thought it was just a sales pitch. It was only when I tried to use that single $8 stamp from Michael's that I realized how limiting a single stamp could be. And then I figured out that some of those small stamps that came in the SU sets (that I ignored at first; I thought they were just "filler") could be used so creatively!
I wasn't sure I believed what she said about value either - after all, if I only wanted one stamp from the set, why buy the others? $20 for a set of stamps sounded pretty high to me, and after all, that $8 stamp from Michael's was so cute! But then I realized that you just can't do a whole lot with an $8 stamp by itself, and you'd end up buying a bunch more $8 (or even more expensive) stamps just to get some use out of the first one.
And it took a while longer before I realized what she meant about mounting your own stamps being a good thing. I was SURE that was just a pitch, but once I really got into stamping & wanted to separate phrases from the image, and figured out that it was easier for me to use two-step stamps if they WEREN'T mounted in the middle of the block, I was a true believer!!
The thing that sold me on my very first set of stamps was the demo had a set sampler of at least a dozen cards made with the set that were all different and beautiful. It was a two-step stamping set (Flashy Florals- now retired) and it was so easy and fast to make something so nice.
Now, I love being able to mount them where I want on the block (I never mount it in the center. I prefer bottom left, that way I can peek at the rubber and know where I'm stamping.) I nearly always cut off the sentiment and put it on side. Mounting an average set takes only a few minutes (one of these times I should time myself) and is well worth the money saved on the set.
I just bought a single stamp from local stamp store, which by the way has reasonable prices and sells stamps for the same price or less than I see them on the internet. It was $6.00 for a 1 by 2 3/4 inch stamp. Two of those would be $12,4 would $24.00. I just looked in the SU catty and 4 comparable size stamps is $11.95! Let's see for $24.95 you can buy Spring Garden (9 stamps), Fresh Flowers (9 stamps), Terrific Tulips (9 stamps), In Full Bloom (9 stamps)....And those 9 all coordinate with each other! Even factoring in shipping and tax, you'd pay $29.85 for a set of 9 or you could buy 4 stamps (smaller and not coordinating) for $26.11. There will always be a few other brand stamps that are must haves but SU really is the best value.
Apelnar, when people at our workshops ask this the demo tries to see if people want to split a set so that they can get just the stamps they want. This has worked very well in the past. In fact, sometimes 3-4 of us split a set. You might suggest that to your customers. The other thing I have done is buy a set, take out what I want and use the rest for gifts for sell partial sets on the internet.
Don't suggest breaking up a set! The idea behind SU! stamp sets is you get more bang for your buck. The sets have so much potential ..... as sets. That's what sets (sorry for the pun) us, SU!, apart from buying at the craft store. If a client thinks she will have no use for the other stamps in the set, show her the possibilities. That's another thing that sets us apart. I highly doubt the clerk in aisle 7 can show your client how to incorporate the additional stamps to create original art work.
I have a customer who has yet to mount her stamp sets she purchased in March. She is coming over for some one on one time with me to play/experiment with her new sets. Do I count this as work? Heck no. I would have been stampin' anyway!!!!!!
A reminder about SU! value
Good Point!
and....
