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Hi all,I just became an SU demonstrator during SAB and although I love all the new colors, I'm very fond of much of the old stuff. I took a hiatus from stamping and scrapping for about 5 years and so I still have some retired items and there are retired stamp sets and colors still on my wish list. On top of that, I'm a HUGE fan of the stampin spots and I don't want to make my own, I want to buy them already in sets. This especially helps me when I travel so I can take more stuff with me.
I've noticed that some of the more serious SU demos are kinda militant about only using the new non-retired colors/stamps and buying only from themselves because they can't sell retired or other products that aren't SU branded.
My question for anyone who is a demo for any company.... What do you do? Do you still use your old/retired much loved sets and colors, and mix them with the new stuff?? I've been looking for a discussion of this on the internet and couldn't find one so thought I'd start my own. Thanks for all input, especially from "hobby demos" like me who mostly joined for the discount.
I use whatever I want, whenever I want - for me, it's all about art that makes me happy. There are some things I'll never let go of. I just use what inspires me, I don't care where it comes from or how old or new it is
Rules & creativity just don't mix in my soul.
I just unearthed all my Winnie the Pooh stamps I've bought on Ebay over the year and I'm so ready to play with those.
Hi Lydia,Thanks for your response. Are you a hobby demo or do you do classes also? And if you do classes, what is your experience with customers and retired product? I'm curious if the thought process of using only non-retired with customers holds up...
As a SU hobby demo when I did workshops I would only use current products for the customers because if I used a retired product they would be disappointed if they couldn't buy it. I also broke the rules and did non-SU parties where I used whatever I wanted but I still used SU paper and inks. I would often use products they had bought that had retired so they could get new ideas.
For personal use I love way too many products so I could never be loyal to just one product line.
I was a consultant with Close to My Heart. Whenever I did workshops, I only used current product. I didn't want to be in the position of having a customer deciding that they liked the stamp I was using and then be upset that they couldn't buy it. I know I would be upset if the tables were turned and I wanted to buy something I used at a workshop and couldn't because its retired. I also didn't want to limit my sales, I wanted to encourage my customers to buy at the workshop.
I would use retired product for my own use, and bring it to crops. I also used "contraband" at crops for personal use, my closest customers would laugh at me when they would ask about something and I would inform them it was contraband.
Hi Lydia,Thanks for your response. Are you a hobby demo or do you do classes also? And if you do classes, what is your experience with customers and retired product? I'm curious if the thought process of using only non-retired with customers holds up...
I'm a hybrid. I consider myself a successful hobby demo .
I teach a LOT of classes and I only use current product in those. There wouldn't really be a point to using retired things that people can't buy - I think as a student that would be very frustrating. We all love to buy stuff.
In my personal crafting life I use anything and everything I love.
I was a consultant with Close to My Heart. Whenever I did workshops, I only used current product. I didn't want to be in the position of having a customer deciding that they liked the stamp I was using and then be upset that they couldn't buy it. I know I would be upset if the tables were turned and I wanted to buy something I used at a workshop and couldn't because its retired. I also didn't want to limit my sales, I wanted to encourage my customers to buy at the workshop.
I would use retired product for my own use, and bring it to crops. I also used "contraband" at crops for personal use, my closest customers would laugh at me when they would ask about something and I would inform them it was contraband.
I'm a hobby demo by choice; I am a terrible salesperson but I love to create beautiful things. What works for me is holding classes/workshops at my house for small groups of 5-8. They pay me a flat fee which helps offset some of my costs, we get to play for an afternoon and they bring home all their creations. Most of my group members are in their 50s - 60s and they don't want any more "stuff," so they don't care what is SU and what is contraband. This works for them as well as for me not having to lug all my supplies to a customer's home, and there's no pressure to sell or disappointment that no orders were placed!
Vicki, this is more like what I would be likely to do. I would prefer to charge a fee to do classes. I was just in Paper Source last night and hadn't been in one in years. They are charging $28 for a class to make 4 cards and a tag.
I'm a very new demo, so I can't offer any real advise, but I wanted to say thank you for asking the question! This is precisely what I'm struggling with at the moment.
In a couple of months, I will be taking over a weekly card class. I would love to be a full-fledged business-demo, but I have so much non-SU stuff. I will most likely follow these other wonderful crafters - use current SU stuff at the classes, in the hopes of inspiring purchases - but use whatever I want at home. Now, if I only had the money to buy ALL the new SU stuff, and the time to use EVERYTHING I already have, LOL.
__________________ ~ Kitty ~ "If you can dream it, you can do it." - Walt Disney
On a few blogs I've seen demos will a retired product but give a list of alternate stamp sets for those who may not have the set. And I've seen them it the opposite way-use a current set and give suggestions for retired sets. Same way with paper and ink colors.
I'm an SU demo for the discount too Some of my very favorite colors are retired and I just couldn't imagine creating some of my designs without them! Like Purely Pomegranate, Blue Bayou, and Cool Caribbean, I just love them! I do "stamp camps" every now and then where a bunch of women get together, have a glass of wine or two, some appetizers, and make 4 pre-designed cards of mine. They pay $12 each and I provide all of the supplies. I typically have 6-10 people at each stamp camp. Although I am a demo, I don't advertise that I sell supplies or anything. So I use all different kinds of brands of supplies- although I use Stampin Up ink and card-stock exclusively - but that's because I love them the most. I didn't join to sell, I joined to buy cute supplies to add to my stash, to meet other creative souls through my demo UpLine and at my Stamp Camps. So I use a whole array of retired and current products - as well as other brands. I want as many options as possible when inspiration strikes!
Last edited by Catherine773; 03-16-2017 at 08:45 PM..
I used to be a demo, but quit when we moved to another state. I had been my own best customer anyway. But when I was trying to build a business, even just enough to pay for my own purchases, I only used current product.
As the other ladies have said, what if someone wants to buy what you're using and can't because it's retired? For my personal crafting I would keep and use retired items if I really loved them.
For the last 10 years I have been going to classes and buying from a SU demo near me. She has built enough of a customer base that this is a business for her. She is always trying to expand her business so for the most part she will only use current product at classes.
Often she will feature colors or stamp sets that hit the retired list each year before they are gone and encourage people to buy a set if they have been "waffling" before it retires.
Many of her customers have been with her for years now and she will do a special class on request with retired supplies if the group asks for it. She of course charges for her time and any supplies of hers that will be used, but in those situations it's not about trying to make new sales it's about completing the project. She offers quite a few home decor projects throughout the year.
Being a Demonstrator and Using Retired Product
