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?
Alright, I have decided to take the plunge and sign up as a demo. What have I got to lose? I think that I can probably find all that money buried in my craft room anyways!
I am going through my craft room selling off odds and ends (all non SU, no worries), and I am trying to decide what to keep.
I have a bunch of nonSU pastels. I am thinking those should go as I am getting all of the new ones. They aren't metallics or anything.
I am thinking all non-loved non SU stamps should go.
What about my heat gun? Do I need the SU one to demo it?
First of all, I use my non-SU heat gun when I demonstrate. No one has ever even asked about it. I have had a couple of customers purchase the SU one. I don't think that too many people really think about it too much. I would keep the one that you have.
I pretty much got rid of everything else that was non-SU. Not because I thought that I had to, but I just wanted to go with the quality SU products instead. As far as the pastels go I would get the SU pastels. I love having the coordinating color for all 48 colors.
Welcome to the SU demo club. It is a great place to be. I hope that all goes well in your new business.
I agree. I've been a demo for about 3 years(?) now and I've always demo'd with the heat gun I bought with my 40 % off Mkdfjl's coupon. The SU one is really expensive and I'd rather spend that money on workshop supplies like papers/inks stuff that I "use up"
If you have kids, and they bother you like mine do to me, set some of them aside with some of the nonSU stamp pads and pastels that you might have so that they can stamp along side of you with thier own "special" stamp supplies.
I didn't have many stamps when I started as a demo, but the one's that I did have, I rarely use. Most everything that I make I would like to be able to show as examples (not necessarily demo), and you if they arn't something that you can sell...then you are going to send your customers elsewhere.
As for all the other products that you already own and that SU also carries...I had this issue, I talked to my Upline and she stated that, while it's not advised that you use those products when you demo, that I should wait to replace them. Im having this issue with the new punch set that SU carries. I have a different one, so I am hesitant to use it at demo's. But I find that people do not really mind, just explain that you had these items prior to becoming a demonstrator and how you can't wait for it to 'give out' so you can purchase the one's that SU offers, then hit the highlights on the one that SU offers (ie., the templates etc) that arn't with your products. Great upsale tool too!!
Congratz on taking the "plunge"!! I do this part time and only wish I could do it full time!!
Happy stamping, and hope it helps...Oh yeah, you can always use the supplies that you have to make your personal cards and send them to friends and family, just because your a demo now, doesn't mean that you can't scrap and card your non SU products!!
Okay-$ is $. I don't demo but I have plenty of non-SU stamps that I love and would never part with. Why not just use them for your own personal projects? Just don't demo with them. I have attended stamp camps where the demo had SU pastels but to keep people working had "other" pastels so that work could continue. I have never noticed any particular brand of eyelet setter or heat gun or glitter tray at a camp. I just use whats there and enjoy. So, think twice before selling them off is what I would do. My 2 cents.
Annette-
You are totally right. I was just wondering what other people do. The pastels come as part of the kit already so I am already getting those. I am just cleaning out in general to make room for my new goodies. :lol:
She woudl rahter us be good stewards of our money and buy our heat guns at Michael's with our coupons and then have "extra" money left to buy QUALITY paper, stamps and Inks. HER own heat gun is from Michaels and she sadi - and I quote
"Why buy and SU Cadillac when a Michael's Chevette will get you where you need to go - just use better gas!"
SO that being said - KEEP you HEAT tool!
As for the non SU stuff - purge the un loved and keep the loved and having the non su stuff for your kids is a great idea! I am not a demo but this is what I did when I switched over - and my kids don't know the difference!
IMO if you sign a contract, you need to fulfill your part of that contract by following through on everything you agreed to do - even those teeny-tiny seemingly nuisance-like kind of things. I'm not say that you should replace all non-SU! products like your heat gun right when you sign up but I do think that as soon as you get to the point where you're using a product regularly in your stamping events, then it should be the one from the catty. Again, this is my opinion which, for the record, in no way represents the opinions of the owners and/or managers of this site or any other site or any other owners or managers.
It never ceases to amaze me how people (including myself) can bend the rules of certain things in their favor and then complain that someone else is doing something wrong. Example - I saw a post on a discussion website (not SCS) in which someone complained about a supposed demo selling current products on ebay but that same person, in another thread, proudly states that she saves money by buying card stock at paper zone! I repeat - this example is not from SCS!!! If there happens to be any posts even remotely resembling the ones I mentioned in my example, I was unaware of such and consider it is purely coincidental as it is not my intent to point fingers in anyway at anyone. Why, that's an even lovelier disclaimer then the one above, if I do say so myself!
Actually keeping the non SU stuff for the kids is what I did too. My daughter loves the fact that she now "owns" her own rubber stamps and I like the fact that I don't have to be as cautious with what happens to them as most of them are just foam mounted anyway.
I do agree to spend your money on the things that really matter like the cardstock and other items that make a difference to the cards you make.
If at some point you are able to afford purchasing the SU heat gun or anything else (which isn't that much more than ones of similar quality at Michaels' without the coupon), by all means, make it SU. That is what I am trying to do, just slowly trying to replace my things with SU brand items.
My daughter also has her own little space full of old SU pads or non/discontinued SU stamps. She's only 3 1/2 and proudly uses and takes care of her stamps.
As for products, I have customers that come to me because I am honest in telling them where to get mono/heat guns at lower prices so that they may spend money on our exclusive SU stamp sets and paper that they cannot purchase anywhere else. They regularly thank me for this. I know other people feel differently but that has been my experience.
My daughter also has her own little space full of old SU pads or non/discontinued SU stamps. She's only 3 1/2 and proudly uses and takes care of her stamps.
As for products, I have customers that come to me because I am honest in telling them where to get mono/heat guns at lower prices so that they may spend money on our exclusive SU stamp sets and paper that they cannot purchase anywhere else. They regularly thank me for this. I know other people feel differently but that has been my experience.
Good luck and welcome to the team!
Stacey, That is my experience also. I have only been a demo since the end of July, but people genuinely appreciate when you tell them that yes, they can find some things less expensively at "other stores". I know that peoples paychecks matter to them as much as mine do to me and I want to be honest with my customers and therefore hopefully earn a loyal customer base because of it.
My daughter just turned 4 and she knows when she uses her stamps that she has to use the stampin scrub because the ink will ruin the stamps if left there.
As for products, I have customers that come to me because I am honest in telling them where to get mono/heat guns at lower prices so that they may spend money on our exclusive SU stamp sets and paper that they cannot purchase anywhere else.
As a customer I appreciated when my demonstrator told me to get basics like paper cutter and heat gun at Michael's or Beverly's with the 40% off coupon. I thanked her buy spending my saved money on even more SU supplies and being a loyal customer for over a year now.
When I signed up I'd already been stamping 7 years, so I had a lot of stuff. My upline told me that on the bigger ticket items, waiting to replace it with SU! stuff was okay and to use what I had.
I had a PSX heat tool that was the same brand as the SU! (Milwaukee Heat Tool), so I used that until SU! came out with the model with the covered tip, then I bought that one. It comes in handy to have two heat tools if you have a large amount of students at your class, so I have kept them both.
I will say that the Powder Pals are one of the items I'm glad I replaced my pink Tidy Tray with. The Tidy Tray does not have a plug (if it ever did I lost it, but I don't think it does) and doesn't come with anything. I have sold lots of Powder Pals once I bought them and started demonstrating with them.
When it comes to punches, I'd recommend replacing what you have with SU!'s. The old style button punches are just SO hard on your hands and I really love the new lever style we have now. I've sold a ton of the square punch that was debuted last year and my customers really love all the new ones.
As far as the advisability of buying some things at Michael's, I can only say this: last year I missed getting the $20K award by not very much. If I had bought all my mono refills, brayers, paper cutter, cutter refills, punches, etc. from MYSELF, I probably would have hit that award. And this year, when I'm shootin' for the cruise, every thing that I can buy from myself will be money that shootin' me towards my goal.
And this year, when I'm shootin' for the cruise, every thing that I can buy from myself will be money that shootin' me towards my goal.
Hey, Jan - if you're close to the cruise, I'll place an order with you! Of course, there's a catch to that offer and I'm sure you know exactly what it is, too! No, not the crown - I want to go on the cruise, too! :lol:
Cleaning out my craft mess...WWYD?
