Card sales going well...first commission!

[JanTInk]

My basket has been at my DH's school for a little over two weeks now. So far I have made $21!!!

AND I had a teacher contact me about making some specific cards. She only told me what occasions they were for and that she preferred contemporary/traditional. She wanted 2 baby cards, 1 wedding card, one birthday card for her mom and one for her grandmother. I made 4 cards yesterday and already had one of the baby cards on hand. Emailed her with pictures before I sent them to school to get approval and she loved them! Another $18.50 for me! Yay! She told me she will definitely be ordering from me again and will be showing the cards off at school when she gets them.

[Stampin SandyH]

Jan, thank is fantastic. So far I haven't charged for any of my cards, but people keep asking if they can buy them. I don't know what kind of a price to put on them. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Sandy

[Stacy Hollingsworth]

Wow, Jan! I am so excited for you! You are inspiring me to find somewhere I can display my cards! Spend the money you made on something special - you deserve it!

[qcbetty]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stampin SandyH

Jan, thank is fantastic. So far I haven't charged for any of my cards, but people keep asking if they can buy them. I don't know what kind of a price to put on them. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Sandy

Morning, Sandy!! I have no qualms about selling my cards! I sell them for $5 Cdn each. An average "hallmark" type card sells for a little over $4 with taxes and are mass produced. Go to a card store and pick a "cute" card and see what the price is.....go from there!

I wouldn't say I have made enough to retire, but I've sold over a dozen in the past 6 months. I mean, you certainly don't cover your "time" in the cost, but it's a great feeling to know you're "out there"!!

Good luck!

[MICHELLE WOODERSON]

Great Jantink! I too sell my cards by sending them with my mother in law and now I have "regulars" who replenish their supply every couple months. Usually they just pick from my stash but occasionally I'll have special orders. I charge $2-$2.50 for my cards depending on the detail. I recently did 65 50th wedding anniversary invites and charged $2.75 per invite. I have found that general greeting cards that can be used for get well, thinking of you, hello, etc go over the best and thank you's come in a close second. And sympathy and get well next.

A funny note....I'm usually sending hello cards, how ya doing?, thank you's, baby cards, etc.....my mom usually sends get well and sympathy cards.....she said just wait, your day will come, dear!

[JanTInk]

This is my general pricing guide and it seems to be working fine for me:

$2.50 - Very plain card; simple stamping with two layers, no embellishments.
$3 - Basic card with two or three layers, no embellisments, no special techniques, but more stamping or coloring in than the first category.
$3.50 - Card with two or three layers, plus a special technique or embellishment.
$4.00 - Card with at least three layers, sometimes four, plus a special technique or embellishment.
$4.50 - Card with at least three layers, special technique AND embellishment.
$5.00 - Wowsa card...anything way over the top cool. I haven't priced anything like this yet!

Hey, these cards are hand-made! They would pay as much for a crummy Hallmark card and more if they bought at a chi chi boutique. So I feel justified in charging what I do!

[StarLitStudio]

Jan this is fabulous - very inspiring indeed!

[Stampin SandyH]

Thank you Debbi and Jan. That gives me a general idea now on what to charge. I know a lady I work with has asked me to make a couple of cards for her and she wants to pay me, so now all I have to do put the price tag on them.

Sandy

[stampinmarni]

wow - maybe i am not charging enough. my sil asked me to do mass bday/tday/xmas cards for her clients 60-125 at a time and i am charging less than 1.50 each. perhaps i need to up the ante for her next order. still trying to give a good deal to her, but it is so hard to get a good starting price. i didn't want to be too greedy, but maybe i am not really even breaking even.

[marymoilanen]

How do you package them?

[stampinmarni]

i just package them in a box as there are so many at a time. nothing fancy - for this it is not about presentation as they are getting mailed out by her assistant... if it were small sales in an office or something, maybe cellophane bags with a ribbon would look nice.

[Felie68]

I have a question about selling your cards. I know with the Angel policy, as long as we stamp the back with the registered trademark, and don't sell them in a retail location, we are fine. But can we take orders for mass production of cards? Wouldn't this be like starting your own business out of your house? I thought that would go against SU!'s contract? Maybe none of you are demonstrators, so it's OK. I have someone who is interested in signing up as a demo, but she wants to be able to do it as a side business selling cards or other stamped items like you all are doing as well. Is it OK as long as she doesn't set up a tax ID number, or give her "business" a name?

Thanks for your help!

[alasku2stamp]

You go girl! My hairdresser wants me to make some cards for her clients as well. Now I have a place to start.

[stampinmarni]

since i am doing mine for my sil, and i specifically bought the angel stamp for the back, i thought i was okay. (i'm not demo.) am i breaking a rule or law? yikes! i am such a rule follower that that makes me nervous...

[StarLitStudio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felie68

But can we take orders for mass production of cards? Wouldn't this be like starting your own business out of your house?

Yes and yes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felie68

I thought that would go against SU!'s contract?

As long as there is only one person doing the work (you) and not an assembly line of workers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felie68

I have someone who is interested in signing up as a demo, but she wants to be able to do it as a side business selling cards or other stamped items like you all are doing as well. Is it OK as long as she doesn't set up a tax ID number, or give her "business" a name?

I have a tax id #, a business, and it is not in conflict with SU's demo agreement, according to my attorney. If your potential recruit is concerned with legal issues the least expensive means of info (although I would send a letter) is to call demo support. I'd recommend contacting a local attorney in her area that deals with small businesses.

If she is earning cash and not reporting it, well, you all know how that goes. But if earnings are substantial getting a tax id # and paying sales tax is easy. I did this from my pc and never left the house. I pay sales tax quarterly, and don't have to worry about uncle sam should I get audited, either personally or via my business.

[iluvstamping]

I am not a demo but I have like 20 SU sets. I love to make cards!! I think the whole thing about not being able to sell them in shops is crazy! I didn't even know you couldn't untill i started reading this discussion. How does this work with non demos? It seems it would be good for business for SU if you could sell them in a shop. It seems it would promote SU. Shoot I wish SU had a store so we wouldn't have to wait on orders to come in. I am too impatient! I have sold my cards at a craft show for 1.50-3.00.

[Felie68]

Thanks Cindy! Great info to go back to my possible recruit with. I was going to call Demo support, but I thought I would check with you wonderful people first.

[JanTInk]

Making multiples of cards would require a lower price, I would think; I haven't been confronted with this yet, but I probably will slightly discount per card when large quantities are added. It actually takes less time to make 12 cards that are exactly the same than it does to create 12 individual cards, so there should be a discount.

As far as packaging, I put my cards into the large flat cello bags, which I trim down so that I can fold them to the back. I put an envelope in with the card and a slip showing the sentiment that is inside the card, so they don't have to open them to see what it is. I seal the bag with tape. It looks very nice.

Then I was checking out our clear envelopes and found that it costs about the same to buy a clear envelope as it does to buy the cello bags, so I bought some of those for the next batch.

As long as you have stamped the angel policy stamp on the back of your card and are not selling in a fixed retail location, you can sell your cards. Fixed retail location means anyplace that sells things that does not move, so a hairdresser would be considered a fixed retail location, since they sell shampoo as well as hair cuts. Selling out of your home is not considered a fixed retail location.

[marymoilanen]

Janine, Are all your cards original designs? Or have you CASEd some?

Just curious because my sister has asked me to sell some cards at an upcoming craft show. I'd like to, but I've seen so many cute cards that I would like to CASE them, but don't know how to give appropriate credit. I have the SU copyright personalized stamp. Any suggesstions?

[StarLitStudio]

Gosh guys, I case cards all the time & sell them. Most are tweaked slightly, some directly cased.

If anyone asks, "Is this your idea?" I always give SCS or the publication that I got the idea from credit, unless it is my own. I doubt I could name the username without looking it up, unless it' is Beate's creations, because hers are always, well, Beate's look, and they just proudly distinguish themselves! Love your stuff, Beate!!

If they don't ask, well, then I guess I look pretty smart for a dumb blonde.

I usually spell out SCS's website if necessary because of the vast resources/ideas here. It is important to get this wonderful resource out there to those new to the stamping realm as it is so very helpful to every level of stamper.

Selling cards that are cased is one thing. Entering them in contests is a big, big no-no.