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Posts: 2,203I am feeling the samething as a collector. I have to budget. I have a reborn doll kit for beginners that I am saving for just to try my hand. Tried making bears and just don't have the natural talent.
Canna Bear PaintInteresting conversation. Couple of thoughts to add...
I volunteer at a local food pantry. They are breaking every record they had right now for the number of people who need their services. And by the way, these are MIDDLE CLASS people in many cases, but they can't afford to feed their families on top of everything else in their lives right now. They don't have to tell me their stories; I don't interview them, I just help them get their food. But some of them want to talk, so I listen. I've heard some very sad stories. It's a cruel world out there for a lot of people right now.
Regarding bear prices... It was two years ago that I saw, for the first time, collectors start to shift towards making their final decisions based on price tags at shows. (How do I know that? In some cases, they told me! Other times, it was very obvious what was going on.) Over those two years it has become much more common. We've learned a very important business lesson in that time. Be aware of other artists' prices! You don't want to be the cheapest or the most expensive artist in the room. I can guarantee that artist's prices ARE fluctuating as sales fluctuate. Artists whose prices have stayed consistent for YEARS have been shifting lately. We try to keep in the middle for the most part, though have learned to bring some higher priced (larger / more elaborate / showcase / whatever) pieces as well. Being aware of your competitor's prices is wise in every business environment, artist bears are no exception.
That having been said, my experience is with shows... I think it must be a nightmare to gauge prices based on eBay successes and failures! Prices at shows are far more consistent. On eBay, the highs are too high, the lows are too low, and you can be picked up and dropped in an instant. I guess the rule there may be closer to "do the best you can when you can, and don't count on it lasting".
Doom and gloom? No. Reality, unfortunately.
Best wishes,
Kelly
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)OH PLEASE NO!! HAVE I BEEN MISINTERPRETED??? I meant it in such an off-hand, joking manner!
I have an ex-pat BIL: my sister & he have dual citizenships here and there. I was taking the word out-of-context.
Just a "flippant" remark on my part, a bit of levity in this very serious subject.
Oh please, I don't wish any TT friends to feel I was insulting anyone. I just re-read my post "from the other side of the table", as it were, and it sounds so callous. I was just making the usual comparisons on our differences between Brit & Yank usages.
Please IGNORE that entirely. I SOOO Apologize if I was interpreted as bad taste.
Bobbie
PaOkay, it's not a solution but, after watching our investments disappear, our cash guzzled up in the gas tank and no one getting huge raises in the old paycheck department, things are pretty depressing.... go have a look see at all the adorable bears in the bears and friends gallery, it won't cost you a thing and I can almost guarantee you will find something to make you smile! That's what I did, I hope it will lift your spirits and encourage you in your bear making!
Kathleen
Wazza Bears AustraliaThe price of everything keeps going up.... and people HAVE to pay the higher prices if they want gas in their car so they can get to work, and higher prices if they want to eat. But they don't and obviously won't pay high prices for luxury items right now. So.... I'd rather sell my work for a bit less than usual than not sell any at all thus am going to lower my prices on my bears and see if it helps. I want collectors to be able to continue collecting or else they'll stop and we'll likely loose them for good! And I feel that folks should be able to enjoy and take home a little bit of handmade unconditional love and comfort in these trying times.
Daphne, I done this at my last show in August. I thought i would rather sell more than just 1-2 bears. I only dropped the price $20 - $30 and I sold 12 bears. I knew if I sold them at my normal price I would only sell 1-3. But I came away from that show joyed and it was worth doing.
FenBeary FolkThis is a very interesting subject
I for one have not felt "the credit crunch" yet nor have the people around me, yes my food, fuel and heating prices have increased but as they have increased I have become more economical with them. I will spent just the same this year at christmas as last and hopefully in the sales like last year I will trot down to my fav local bear shop and buy that fella I have my eye on.
I think someone above said "if you expect doom and gloom, you will get it" that is so true, that said I do not have any savings to speak off nor am I in a position to have shares or pensions
The little guy may well survive this better than the fat cats
As for bears I adore making them and too be brutely honest I have not been able to muster sales on a regular basis anyway, this may be due to the credit crunch or it maybe due to me being new, lowering my prices aren't really an option as they are low, so what will I do........................................................just enjoy creating, be optimistic and tell myself that my bears are nice, its not me they don't like but are just keeping a tighter hold on the purse....................just like me 
I do remember from the days when hubby and I were in dire straights a long long time ago, any luxury even the smallest one was treasured forever by myself, so its ok, I will see it as an honour, if I sell any bears, at this time like this :hug: :hug:
Oh Bobbie, please don't worry, the Yank/Brit language divide didn't even occur to me when I suggested the possibility of loyalty schemes. As Melanie Jayne says, here in the UK they are widely used in many retail outlets and we love 'em! In fact, saving 'Boots' loyalty points is a great way to treat yourself to a new bottle of perfume once in a while! 
I found Kelly's post about pricing very perceptive and as someone who has tended to price as realistically as possible for my business, I have always worked on the premise of offering a consistent pricing structure for collectors and haven't yet offered a loyalty scheme as such .. I was simply offering the idea as food for future thought as we enter more difficult times.
My pricing policy has always been to price fairly, with the aim of reaching as broad a collecting audience as possible and that entails pricing with both the experienced collector in mind and also for the newcomer who is still nervous about the investment cost of artist bears. This principle means that I have to work pretty hard to make sure I am able to offer bears for sale both regularly and frequently. I could of course opt to price higher and sell less often to a smaller customer base, but in terms of running a business, I can't see how that can sustain. I accept however, that my policy could mean that potentially I run a risk of having my work questioned by a minority of collectors who possibly make the mistake of believing the more they spend, the better the product ... but in my experience, most collectors are more savvy than that.
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Thank you Paula.
I was thinking that your Loyalty Scheme was something like ..perhaps.... a card punch... after a 10th full price purchase, the 11th bear was free, or... after 5 purchases, 50% the next purchase of like value - something like that.
I thought perhaps something that we hadn't all already thought of. Thx so much for your response—as usual, right on target!
hgs - B
Karen , just seen your delightful cat "begging" I for sure will throw a few pennies into the hat.
I am preparing for the shows in the East, and I have turned my hand at other things to take with and not to rely purely on bear sales. It is getting my brain moving and my friend and myself had a good day, making flower brooches, shall see if they sell or not. Each one we finished we said" well that will pay for breakfast" and so on.
So if no sales we will come back slimmer.
Lynette
Well I just got back from helping my husband who has a property maintenance business, I cleaned a student flat from top to bottom...Hmmm Three O'clock Cleaning Services....it could be a winner. When the going gets tough...the tough get going! Made a change anyway!
Newcastle, OntarioLike Jenny and Sue, I have learned to be positive about things, Sometimes you have to have faith that things will turn out okay. You can never predict what will happen in the future.
We moved to the Toronto area two years ago, and bought a house almost twice the cost of our house in Ottawa, so we could be close to our daughter and grandson,. We were afraid if we waited until Neil retired, we wouldn't be able to afford it. I dearly wanted the move but was afraid we were committing economic suicide.
Neil has always been extremely positive and believes things happen for a reason. Since we moved here, we have been audited by income tax and ended up with a $5000.00 refund we didn't expect last Christmas (moving expensed I didn't know I could claim).. Neil has had two promotions with a 35% salary increase, that would not have been possible had we stayed in Ottawa. His yearly bonus potential has doubled and an added quarterly bonus system is now in place for an extra quota bonus equal to his annual pay. He manages a large grocery store that is switching to a Superstore format with much lower food prices next month and for the first time his company has issued discount cards for employees. Finally, the heat, hydro and water expenses here are much lower than we paid in Ottawa, maybe because of the larger population base. Soooo, the move I thought was going to sink us into debt has turned out to be the best decision we ever made.
I think it was John Lennon that said "life is what happens, while we are making other plans". I read as little news as possible!
hugs,
Brenda
Canna Bear PaintNot to beat on the obvious here, but while we're all online neighbors, we live in many different countries. I'm very happy to hear that there are folks in Canada and the UK not experiencing as much (or any) financial problems at this time. I have many relatives in Canada, and know that this is indeed the case. However, I'm noting that none of the Americans have posted similar "problem? What problem?" posts. Regardless of where you live and how you personally are doing right now, if you have a sales base in the US, you need to realize that people here are... to put it lightly... having financial problems right now.
For those of you running a small international company, it may be a good idea to cast an eye towards how big international companies are reacting to the US economy right now. Not half an hour ago I was watching a report from the BBC, and they had a list of companies who are "cutting back exports to the US for 2009" as they do not expect strong sales here for a long while yet. I don't remember all the names, but BMW and Nokia were two of them.
I don't consider myself to be a pessimist, but rather a realist. I expect things to get worse before they get better, but they will certainly get better. However, international artists who counted on strong sales from the US in the past, might be better advised to look within their own countries for sales, if your country is doing better than we are (and it probably is... unless you're in Iceland). Oh sure, there are people here still buying items, even luxury non-necessity items like artist bears. And there will always be people who don't have to worry about their money in any economy. But people in my country have either already been affected by this personally, know someone who has, or are scared to death they'll be next. People don't spend much money when they're scared to death. It's not just a rumor, people really are busy hiding their cash under their mattress right now.
On another note... we have implemented two "customer appreciation" promotions this year. One is a modest multiple bear discount for bears purchased at the same time. (I think it's Sarah that does this? I seem to remember her mentioning it before, and thought it was a lovely idea.) Our other introduction was a 5% gift certificate given with each bear purchased, good towards your next purchase of a bear with us. I have a 2-year expiration date on those, as so many of our collectors we only see once a year at shows. Those were really our way of passing along our multiple bear discount to our repeat customers who only buy one bear at a time, but will come back and buy another bear at a later date. The reaction to both of these promotions has been very positive. We have had quite a few people use the multiple bear discount already. We've yet to see a gift certificate come back, though as I said... most of our collectors, we only see occasionally. I expect to see those redeemed in force in 2009. (And for anyone who is curious, we don't combine our discounts... you get one or the other.)
Best wishes,
Kelly
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Thx Kelly,
I sent out Certificates 2 years ago, at Thanksgiving time, done up like scrolls, to my mailing list, not just my client list, for a 15% discount to be used at any time during the following year.
Offers like these are especially appreciated, and it lets our clients know that we treat them like friends.
Even Free Shipping to all on a mailing List makes one feel honored and special.
(Though I do hate eBay's 'Free Shipping' option to us Sellers: if we offer it, which costs us several dollars up to dozens, depending on the item's size & weight, you'll get the 50¢ subtitle free. Wow. .. .)
But giving something directly from our studio to our customers id making a real connection, person-to-person.
Jellybelly Bears(I think it's Sarah that does this? I seem to remember her mentioning it before, and thought it was a lovely idea.) Our other introduction was a 5% gift certificate given with each bear purchased, good towards your next purchase of a bear with us. I have a 2-year expiration date on those, as so many of our collectors we only see once a year at shows.
Best wishes,
Kelly
If I'm the Sarah you're talking about 
yup, I do that, and its nice to be remembered 
When people adopt from me the first bear is full price, second 5% discount and third or more 10%. Its the strangest thing, but collectors seem to buy more when they know that if they buy 3 they are going to get a percentage off, you know the whole, "its not what you spend, its what you save" theory, which I believe in myself hehe 
I often get 4 bears going at once which is nice, saves time for me packaging and when you're getting a larger total sum, the discount doesn't even register in my mind, and you're so chuffed at the sale, that you're happy to give them the discount anyway.
I'm also really leanient with payments...yes, I'm a smaller business and don't make the quantity of bears that most of you do, so it may be easier for me with less paperwork etc, but, if someone needs a year to pay in dribs and drabs...I'm all for it....some people can only afford $20 a month...it seems forever I know, but at least they get a bear that they really want, and you have a returning customer...prehaps they will be rich one day Its all a good way to get through this time, and still sell bears, without reducing prices too much.
And hey, at the end of the day, I have more time to make Christmas presents for everyone in my family...you know, the bears that you're usually always too busy to make hehe
FenBeary FolkKelly
I think the eyes of the world are on America at the moment and we all know that what happens to you guys comes to us at some point in the next year, its not a case of "what problem" :hug:
We all in UK have just found out that our local authorities, police and other similar government type institutions have millions and millions invested in Iceland, the effect on us all here may indeed be catastrophic
I think I was trying to say, that from my point, it is about creating but I realise as I work full-time my bear income does not put food on the table..............................if it did I would be a slim size 0 by :crackup: now
The fact that a collector has chosen to buy my bear in this economical climate makes that purchase even more special to me and to the collector
I too am happy to accept payment by small amounts, as I myself cannot just go out and buy expensive items in just 1 payment, that is not related to this present time but has always been the case, at least as Sarah says "they end up with the bear that they really want"
Lets all pray for a speedy recovery :hug:
There are two ways to deal with this situation. One way is to roll over and be convinced that only gloom and doom is around the corner...or the other way is to be positive and to find a way through it. If people don't want to buy my bears right now..and I am prepared for that..I can do other things. I won't give up making bears...or get sucked into leaving behind my goal of making bears that people want to buy to a standard that I aspire to or go off at a tangent selling my work for less than I think it's worth ...just because the economic climate is panicking me into it.
We are in a world wide market..I am just as likely to sell a bear to Russia as I am to someone up the road..I only make one or two bears a week..I am not a multinational company as what I do is a cottage industry and I do think whatever happens there will be a market for good, well made collectibles somewhere . But if there isn't I have a brain and a pair of hands and can use both. Some people see this type of situation as a business opportunity...when the big guys can't cope the small people can plug the holes in the market and can get good businesses going. I won't be crest-fallen, fearful, or negative because that is one certain way to NOT get through this.
FenBeary FolkHere Here Jenny :clap:
I love your attitude, I too in the past have turned hands to anything, shop work, waitress and ironing are but a few
I can't clean though, like I tell hubby there is no cure for a toilet and bathroom cleaning phobia :crackup: :crackup:
well, I'm not all gloom and doom, I was just a little shocked to find out that the world had fallen apart while I wan't paying attention :crackup: I don't own any stocks, I don't have a retirement plan, a mortgage, or for that matter, any savings, so most of this hasn't affected me at all - shoot, I don't even keep a car, so gas prices haven't hurt me much either. sales are a little slower everywhere, it's obvious, but like Jenny said, all you can do is be the best you can be, and move forward.
'let them eat cake' I always say, since cake-baking is one of my sidelines and people always do have to eat. . .
I really like Jenny's standards, they're what I aspire to also. . .
now if I could only get Jenny to give me a haircut like the one on the bear in her avitar. . . ;-)
p.s. and I'm feeling pretty good about ebay right now, at least this week :dance:
Canna Bear PaintI like what you're saying too, Jenny. But let me ask you something... isn't it possible to acknowledge that people are in a bad place right now WHILE moving ahead and finding a way through it? You seem to be indicating that people must do one or the other. I feel that I am working hard to do both.
I can only judge things from my own experience. But as I mentioned before, we've introduced some well-received customer appreciation incentives this year. In a time when we are noticing price-driven decisions on the part of some collectors, we are careful to keep our pricing in the middle of our competitors. We have certainly NOT dropped the bottom out of our pricing; what we're charging now is not much different from where we were in the first place, but small shifts to keep us centered in the pack. We too allow payments to be made over time... but the difference is that this year when we mention layaway, people say "Oh no, I don't even want to think about it! I can't take on any more debt!". I've spent the entire year investing time and money into an artistic field that overlaps the bears, and have had some tremendous success in my early offerings of this bear-themed work. We're doing more shows this year than we did last year. We're signing up for 2009 shows and looking forward to them.
If people are looking at everything I've written here, and reading into it only negativity, or think that I'm advising everyone to abandon your business and go hide in a closet, that couldn't be further from the truth. But if you are thinking those things after everything I've said, I really don't know what else I can say? If everybody thinks that though, it may be a sign that I need to work on my delivery skills.
Best wishes,
Kelly
Posts: 1,836
Thank you Kelly for your points!!
I take cr*p all the time for my pollyanna outlook but even I'm aware that thinking positively just ain't gonna make it ok for so many people right now. If you're blessed enough to have not been affected then God bless you I truly hope that continues! But we need to acknowledge that what is happening is INDEED a reality and not just people walking around with a case of the doom n glooms. It's like telling a critically ill person that positive thinking alone will cure them....will it improve their chances, assist in their recovery, and make that difficult journey more bearable YES...BUT positive thinking alone, without an actually plan, ain't gonna help big guys or little guys survive this financial crisis. Once others feel it personally they'll get it...sucks that you have to have it on your front door to acknowledge it in a compassionate and serious way. There's a saying out there that when America sneezes the world gets a cold. America's got the flu and from what I've seen online and on TV our leaders (G7 for one) agree it's a shared illness. It's so far beyond an "industry" slump...this is a world economy slump further affecting our one little itty bitty global industry.
Doing what you have to do in order to continue with your business, hobby and passion is all you can do. If it's your reality to offer a discount then go for it (the top luxury shops do it for "preferred customers" ...you can too! 
). If it's your reality to offer free shipping then work it baby! If it's your reality to keep things as is and hope for the best then that's great too.
I remeber when I first starte out I looked to the seasoned folks for advice and "how to's". I found it to be a mixed bag overall and had to learn to do it my way in the end. The smaller sellers, newbies, and hobbyist who are selling can not compare themselves to those who are seasoned top sellers with a following. Overall what works for "you" in your little piece of this industry is what you have to be focused on, no matter the industry/world ups or downs.
FenBeary FolkCather Woods says : If you're blessed enough to have not been affected then God bless you I truly hope that continues! But we need to acknowledge that what is happening is INDEED a reality and not just people walking around with a case of the doom n glooms. It's like telling a critically ill person that positive thinking alone will cure them....will it improve their chances, assist in their recovery, and make that difficult journey more bearable YES...BUT positive thinking alone, without an actually plan, ain't gonna help big guys or little guys survive this financial crisis. Once others feel it personally they'll get it...sucks that you have to have it on your front door to acknowledge it in a compassionate and serious way.
Acknowledge YES, Realise this is a reality YES, but cry in my teacup NO
I honestly do not need to feel it, to have compassion for others that are suffering as I've been there, done that, worn the t-shirt and survived, the indignity, the worry, the fear and shame are etched on my brain forever.
I think that it certainly is a serious matter and I did not intend to make it a laughing matter, I am just living proof you can go to hell and back and still be optimistic, have a sense of humour and see the best in life even when all around is falling apart
The smaller sellers, newbies, and hobbyist who are selling can not compare themselves to those who are seasoned top sellers with a following.
Well I think that puts me in my place, just spare one tiny piece of sympathy for those like myself, who are NEW and sell very few bears, don't have a customer base and are unsure of ourselves. We struggle to gain confidence at the best of times, this will harm us newbies just as much but in a different way
A dying man will die faster without hope
Posts: 1,836Cather Woods says : If you're blessed enough to have not been affected then God bless you I truly hope that continues! But we need to acknowledge that what is happening is INDEED a reality and not just people walking around with a case of the doom n glooms. It's like telling a critically ill person that positive thinking alone will cure them....will it improve their chances, assist in their recovery, and make that difficult journey more bearable YES...BUT positive thinking alone, without an actually plan, ain't gonna help big guys or little guys survive this financial crisis. Once others feel it personally they'll get it...sucks that you have to have it on your front door to acknowledge it in a compassionate and serious way.
Acknowledge YES, Realise this is a reality YES, but cry in my teacup NO
I honestly do not need to feel it, to have compassion for others that are suffering as I've been there, done that, worn the t-shirt and survived, the indignity, the worry, the fear and shame are etched on my brain forever.
I think that it certainly is a serious matter and I did not intend to make it a laughing matter, I am just living proof you can go to hell and back and still be optimistic, have a sense of humour and see the best in life even when all around is falling apart
The smaller sellers, newbies, and hobbyist who are selling can not compare themselves to those who are seasoned top sellers with a following.
Well I think that puts me in my place, just spare one tiny piece of sympathy for those like myself, who are NEW and sell very few bears, don't have a customer base and are unsure of ourselves. We struggle to gain confidence at the best of times, this will harm us newbies just as much but in a different way
A dying man will die faster without hope
Um...totally confused at how you got that I was putting anyone in their place. Actually chuckling to myself becuase I AM essentially a new seller (just 2 years now) with a very small mailing list and was pretty much giving props to other like me saying you/we/me can't judge ourselves based on what others who've been around longer or who've hit it off wonderfully right from the get go. That we need to cut ourselves a break and just do what works FOR US, not necessarily compare ourselves all the time to those who list and quickly sell. Good grief, you cut out one phrase and left out the whole point in the sentence before and after. If you read it as I wrote it I'm still remaining positive and only saying what I've always said out here... we can't make or break ourselve on what the next guy does in his/her biz. I would have given up a year ago if I did it any way other than my own. (sheesh)
Next part: If we all can't have compassion because we've already been there then you're right, I don't get that idea....not at all. If going through cr*p makes us tell others to essentially suck it up then I want off that bus. Don't offer support, don't be compassionate, it's very much you're right.....but don't de-value our very real concerns either.
:hug:
~Chrissi
FenBeary FolkNext part: If we all can't have compassion because we've already been there then you're right, I don't get that idea....not at all. If going through cr*p makes us tell others to essentially suck it up then I want off that bus. Don't offer support, don't be compassionate, it's very much you're right.....but don't de-value our very real concerns either.
Sorry I don't understand, I would never ever de-value anyones concerns and my point was that I understood and have very real sympathies for anyone who is suffering financially, in this crisis or in the future
Newcastle, OntarioHi Chrissi,
I think the subtle differences between the way we speak are leading to a bit of confusion. Sue isn't saying she doesn't have compassion for others "because she's already been there', she's saying "she doesn't have to personally feel hardship at this time to HAVE compassion for others, because she knows what that feels like from past experience. In other words, she does feel compassion, even though she hasn't felt the cruch, because she has had similar experiences in her past. Am I making any sense. I had to re-read her statement a few times to understand what she meant, but my sluggish brain finally got it LOL!
I also didn't mean to come across as saying "everything is rosie in Canada" by my last post either. Just that sometimes we do have to have faith, because the future is an unknown. We have been fortunate here so far, but I am aware it can turn in an instant. Our government announced yesterday that it is buying 25 BILLION dollars in mortgages from the banks, to shore up the country's banking system. It will address the current scarcity of private sector lending by providing secure, reliable funding to the Canadian financial sector. It's not a true "bail out", as the government has the opportunity to actually make money on it. The reason we are doing better is that we watch the U.S. closely and have been fortunate enough to learn from their financial mistakes, but there are definitely no guarantees. Our dollar had the biggest one day drop yesterday, in 38 years. I've probably learned more about how government finance works in the last few weeks than I ever have - never took much notice before.
So, I guess we all have to make our own decisions about our businesses, and never mind what everyone else is doing. If it works for us, then it's a good idea. I hope things start to turn around soon, but on another note, I certainly hope my kids learn to be a lot more frugal. I abhore how free they are with their money and this could be a lesson for a whole generation of young people, who have had been handed more in their young lives than any of us ever had. Our 4 year old grandson has more toys than all 4 of us did in our entire childhood! It sort of makes me ill. I grew up in a family that had been through WWII in Britain, and like a lot of us, we had lots of love but not much money, and we survived. I am certainly not proposing we all go back to that, but learning to live with a little less would be okay.
hugs,
Brenda
Pumpkin & Pickle BearsI'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause an argument in this post.... :redface:
I am going to just take things easy for a while with the bears....I have 2 custom orders to complete but after that I may just busy myself with some Christmas craft instead then start afresh with the bears in the new year.
I have given my mailing list customers a 15% discount on any of the bears available for immediate adoption through my website - one of them has reserved a bear. I have my rabbit on ebay at the moment and may put another bear on there after the rabbit finishes.
The only probelm I face is that if I don't NEED to be making the bears at the moment because things are slow, my husband (and my mum!) will insist that I have PLENTLY of time to do the housework now.....and that's just no fun :doh:
