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I am thinking of becoming a partner with my lss and having a stamping section inside the store. Does anyone have any good links? Ideas?? Must haves? Don't gets???
My first "down to earth" thought is would you be able to provide a selection for a price that is competative to the internet prices? (my inner stamping child was saying woohoo! for you BTW)
Good thought. right now, no. the store marks everything up the usual mark up. Stampin Up and CTMH sell like hotcakes around here tho...so I'm thinking people will spend??
Maybe think about the trends right now. Or other ways to incorporate stamping into crafting aside from cardmaking & scrapping. Fabric stamping is fun and easy to do. Palette inks are hard to find. None of my local stores carry them, so that might be an idea.
I know in my area 2 more LSS's are closing. Both catered to stampers. The main reason is that selling single stamps is hard because you can get a much better deal from SU & CTMH by buying them in sets & they all match. SU is huge around here also. I know when I go to the one stamp shop that is still open here, I usually do not buy stamps there very often as they are costly for 1 stamp. Now the owner is actually going to be trying to sell some in groups as a set to see if that will work.
I hope you can make it work. It is hard but you maybe you can sell products that stampers "must have". It is so sad when the smaller shops can't survive.
I am thinking of becoming a partner with my lss and having a stamping section inside the store. Does anyone have any good links? Ideas?? Must haves? Don't gets???
I would LOVE any and all feedback! Thanks!
Where in WI?
__________________ Judi (mom of Jackson-19 and Hunter-15) Mom's busy stampin'.......go ask Dad.
WOW! I would love to be in your situation. Think of stamps that scrappers would love -- travel, kids, holidays, weddings, alphabets. Lots of colors of inks, too. Look through the LSS with a eye out for what seems to sell. Vintage? Retro? Modern? Shabby Chic? Boho/wester? Then stamps may come to mind.
Have fun!
Mary Beth
If you do it, maybe offer sets from newer companies like MFT, KSS, PTI to name a few! I order from these companies on line but would be willing to pay a little mark up if I were in a store and they were right in front of me!!! It's nice to look at something in person before buying it, even though I LOVE internet shopping!
If you do it, maybe offer sets from newer companies like MFT, KSS, PTI to name a few! I order from these companies on line but would be willing to pay a little mark up if I were in a store and they were right in front of me!!! It's nice to look at something in person before buying it, even though I LOVE internet shopping!
I feel the exact same way!! sometimes that instant gratification helps alot!! I also love internet shopping...getting that box in the mail!
I think something that would help sell the stamps would be to have lots of great card samples. Kind of like when you see something great in the gallery here and then just HAVE to have those stamps.
If you do it, maybe offer sets from newer companies like MFT, KSS, PTI to name a few! I order from these companies on line but would be willing to pay a little mark up if I were in a store and they were right in front of me!!! It's nice to look at something in person before buying it, even though I LOVE internet shopping!
My Favorite Things sell like hotcakes here in the store that I manage! Kitchen Sink Stamps (I assume that's what the OP was referring to in her post) and Papertrey do not sell wholesale. Anytime you wanna' chat Natalie, give me a shout! I've been doing this for 8 months now, and you could learn big time from my numerous mistakes! LOL
I think something that would help sell the stamps would be to have lots of great card samples. Kind of like when you see something great in the gallery here and then just HAVE to have those stamps.
I agree - my sister used to frequent this little shop in Brown County (Nashville, IN) and would buy stamps and markers to create something she'd seen in the shop - and she wasn't even a stamper!
Even better if you have step-by-step instructions to show how easy something is.
A LSS has to have something that can't be offerred comparably over the internet - like classes. I think if you have the supplies used to make the projects in the classes and have good teachers who really have something to offer you'll make it. Just my 2 cents worth. Best of luck!
I'm all about the sets! Hero Arts and Inkadinkado came out with some awesome clear sets that retail for $9.99. To me that's a great deal! Now, be aware that Joann's is carrying the Inkadinkado but only in-store, so if you are close to a Joann's I might skip those. Others to check out that I haven't seen EVERYWHERE are the new ones from Luxe Designs, Pink Paislee, and Gel-a-Tins (although they are a little pricey). I also think Lizzie Anne Designs would be a good one to carry. This is one that if I found it I would buy it immediately because the only place I can get them is online and I HATE paying shipping. And don't forget The Cat's Pajamas and Amuse.
Yes, by all means offer classes on different techniques. Theres a great LSS here, Sir Stamps-A-Lot, that is such a joy to visit everytime I go. They've been in business a long time. It is way across town, about 45 min. drive, so I can't go nearly as often as I'd like. Their secrets: they don't carry anything that M's or Hobby Lobby carries and they carry the hard to find stuff on the internet. Their inventory is very up-to-date which is one thing customers are hungry for. Their store is jammed packed with goodies. I can't just do a run-in!! ;) They're very, very sweet and so helpful and could yak about anything stampin' all day. HTH!
I wish you all the luck!! May God bless, Sandi
__________________ StormyElf'd '07Humble Ink Smears If at first you don't succeed, talk to God! Then, go put on your big girl panties!
Last edited by SouthernStorm; 04-15-2008 at 06:01 PM..
Reason: addin' stuff
My Favorite Things sell like hotcakes here in the store that I manage! Kitchen Sink Stamps (I assume that's what the OP was referring to in her post) and Papertrey do not sell wholesale. Anytime you wanna' chat Natalie, give me a shout! I've been doing this for 8 months now, and you could learn big time from my numerous mistakes! LOL
Hey Tammy! (Tammy carries Gina K. Designs in her store. YAY!)
I have a retail store in WI too. But not near you, Dougnat, near Madison. People really enjoy purchasing the stamps they see online that are not in every store around. Plus, many of the smaller companies have blogs and design teams that really suppot their products with lots of samples and education so it's easy for your customers to find more ideas on the net once they puchase the items in your store. I wish you the best of luck in your new endeavor!
Hugs,
Gina K.
__________________ Be polite to those who are rude to you. Not because they are nice, but because you are.
Owner- Gina K. Designs
I owned a stamp store for 3 years and also ran the stamp section at my LSS for 3 years also. The best thing I can tell you is to teach classes using stamps, nothing sells them like having someone use them in a class! Also put up lots of examples of cards and scrapbook pages for ideas, they really help sell them. Have a good selection of both clear and rubber stamps. And I *highly* recommend carrying Hero Arts stamps, they sell better than any other company I've ever bought from
Hey Tammy! (Tammy carries Gina K. Designs in her store. YAY!)
I have a retail store in WI too. But not near you, Dougnat, near Madison. People really enjoy purchasing the stamps they see online that are not in every store around. Plus, many of the smaller companies have blogs and design teams that really suppot their products with lots of samples and education so it's easy for your customers to find more ideas on the net once they puchase the items in your store. I wish you the best of luck in your new endeavor!
Hugs,
Gina K.
*waving* Hi Gina! Yes, Tammy does carry Gina K, too!
I think that it is critical to cater to your style of stamping AND cater to what your customer's want. You need to be able to like what you are doing while still drawing the customers in to shop.
I used to go to one particular LSS but she changed her product line more towards what I call the "artsy" style. I like this style, but its not my preferred style. Two new LSS opened in the last couple of years and their style is more towards what I like so now I frequent their stores more often instead of the original store.
Another consideration is having a least one night a week were you stay open a little later. All our stores close by 6 and it is really hard to make it after work. One of the stores closes on Monday so on a Monday holiday, when you could have the time to shop, she is closed. Another store closes on Tuesdays so we can shop on our Monday holidays.
I hope you do well as I would love to be in the position to open a store.
I agree whole-heartedly with Vee that the *most* important thing for you to start with is a legal contract. As a stamp company, we have seen several industrious and talented women (one was a lawyer!!) get into situations like this that turned sour after 12-18 months.
If you are successful, the store will see how much money there is in selling stamps. They will know exactly which product lines make money and which ones don't. They will also then start to think "hey, why am I giving this gal all sorts of $$ when we can do it ourselves?" Then, it gets ugly. They contact all your vendors (while you are still in there - yes, it's true!) and try to set up a new account. They give you notice and you have to scramble to get your stuff out... not even enough time to liquidate it.
Even with a good legal contract, it can get ugly and fast!
I would encourage you to investigate all of your options first before going this route. Perhaps you want to open your own small retail store? Our retail store is only 440 square feet. The busiest stamp store in all of Seattle is only 550 square feet. Just some food for thought.
I think something that would help sell the stamps would be to have lots of great card samples. Kind of like when you see something great in the gallery here and then just HAVE to have those stamps.
Oooh, I SO totally agree!! We had one LSS in our town for about 5 yrs, the 1st couple years they sold stamps (I should say, they had a section devoted to stamps, they didn't sell very well). They closed out all stamps, and eventually closed shop 2 yrs ago. But another lady opened an LSS across town at about the same time they closed, and she has a nice mix of stamps, not HUGE, but what she does have, she cannot keep in stock!! She ALWAYS has really nicely made cards in the display, and uses al the "extras"...pop-dots and stickles, and those stamps FLY off her shelves. She previously owned a primarily-stamping store in a nearby town, and she says, she does better doing themes (like some adorable Denami Christmas Penquins she had the whole line at Christmas and could have sold more). I am positive it was because of the fantastic cards she made and displayed.
She also had card making classes too, and that's a plus (i.e, 10% off all 'Whatsit' brand stamps when you pay for the class and use their stamps to make the cards).
I think "lone" stamps (except sentiments maybe) would not be as appealing; it is so nice to see the finished product, and think, "here's everything I need, I can do this". I think that's where SU and CTMH do well on sets.
Just my 2 cents, as a consumer, not a businessperson!
Terri A.
I was just at the Stamp shop here in Wausau yesterday as I had the day off. I can never get there any other time due to their 6 pm closing. I usually work until 5:30. But I did take a look around as I was in there and she is now selling many different brands of stamps. The GINAK stamps are just about all gone, she did say she is going to be getting more in again, Can't wait for that! and she also has a huge rack for all of the Northwoods & Stampscapes. Living in Wisconsin these are very popular lines. She did say she sells so many of these 2 lines. I am so glad she has them as I am a big buyer of them. The the other 2 walls & center tables are FULL of stamps. It is so hard to pick what you want as there is such a variety. She also has the LizzieAnne stamps and she now sells open stock of Copics! Those have also been selling as many slots were empty and she is waiting for her shipment again to restock.
I truly think the key is to sell a variety and things that other stores in your area do not sell and great quality products. There are people that do not liek to shop on-line and would rather be able to walk into a store than to wait for it to come in the mail. Good luck and I hope everything goes great for you.
I was just at the Stamp shop here in Wausau yesterday as I had the day off. I can never get there any other time due to their 6 pm closing. I usually work until 5:30. But I did take a look around as I was in there and she is now selling many different brands of stamps. The GINAK stamps are just about all gone, she did say she is going to be getting more in again, Can't wait for that! and she also has a huge rack for all of the Northwoods & Stampscapes. Living in Wisconsin these are very popular lines. She did say she sells so many of these 2 lines. I am so glad she has them as I am a big buyer of them. The the other 2 walls & center tables are FULL of stamps. It is so hard to pick what you want as there is such a variety. She also has the LizzieAnne stamps and she now sells open stock of Copics! Those have also been selling as many slots were empty and she is waiting for her shipment again to restock.
I truly think the key is to sell a variety and things that other stores in your area do not sell and great quality products. There are people that do not liek to shop on-line and would rather be able to walk into a store than to wait for it to come in the mail. Good luck and I hope everything goes great for you.
I agree whole-heartedly with Vee that the *most* important thing for you to start with is a legal contract. As a stamp company, we have seen several industrious and talented women (one was a lawyer!!) get into situations like this that turned sour after 12-18 months.
If you are successful, the store will see how much money there is in selling stamps. They will know exactly which product lines make money and which ones don't. They will also then start to think "hey, why am I giving this gal all sorts of $$ when we can do it ourselves?" Then, it gets ugly. They contact all your vendors (while you are still in there - yes, it's true!) and try to set up a new account. They give you notice and you have to scramble to get your stuff out... not even enough time to liquidate it.
Even with a good legal contract, it can get ugly and fast!
I would encourage you to investigate all of your options first before going this route. Perhaps you want to open your own small retail store? Our retail store is only 440 square feet. The busiest stamp store in all of Seattle is only 550 square feet. Just some food for thought.
Best of luck with your decision!
Linda
A Muse Artstamps
Thank You Linda...this it truly something to think about...
ps...I want your stamps in my 'store'
My local scrapbooking store closed a couple weks ago and said the poor economy just did them in. They felt like they had the classes and expertise, but people went to Michaels or Joanns and used the coupons. So, I think you have to sell unique stamps and products.
Does this scrapbook store need you to buy into it and offer stamping in order to keep its doors open? Or is business great and theyw ant toe xpand into stamping? I'd want a financial picture before you invest much money.
Business is good for them. They have customer's wanting stamps, however, they just moved into a new location and right now money for stamps is taking away money to buy more scrappy stuff. One minimum stamp order could buy quite a bit of paper or embellishments. That's where they are coming from.
Even those of us who live close enough to Michaels and JoAnns and use the coupons need LSS's because Michaels and JoAnn's just have the SAME OLD STUFF Year after year and I was at JoAnn's yesterday with my 40%off coupon and left empty-handed because they have nothing NEW !!!!!!!
One of my "someday" dreams. There is nothing like walking in to a well run stamp store. The "creative karma" is everywhere. I love independent stamp and scrap stores. I so wish there were more of them.
I really want to wish you luck with it. I think if you are careful and thoughtful you can make a go of it. The store already having a customer base is a great start.
Based on my experiences though, it really is worth the time to create a business plan. I know it seems like a lame waste of time, but its so easy to get distracted and spread too thin. A plan helps you keep your focus. There is so much cool stuff out there! Knowing what you want your business to be and having goals helps sort through it.
Also - you probably want to do a basic approximate calculation. What are your expenses (rent, insurance, employees, inventory, packaging etc.). What is your profit per stamp. How many stamps do you need to sell a month to meet your expenses. How many per day?
Then I would probably camp out at this store for a day. How many customers come in? How much are they buying? Can you meet your expenses with that customer base? Is there room for growth? Will you be able to make a profit?
I definitely agree with getting current, new , cute stuff. Our LSS is hard to shop in. It always seems like the same stamps everytime. I would love to see A Muse or the Rachell Anne Miller/ Sarah Kay stamps in a store around here. Also, GinaK and Bellas and Elzybells. Sometimes you do need just that one cute stamp. I would also say, have a nice variety of sentiments. Most people tend to be able to use a simple phrase, more than a long or ornately written phrase (IMHO). Oooh, you are a lucky duck! And how fun would classes be with any of these awesome stamp companies??? Sometimes Ohio is so boring...
God bless!
Owning a stamp store Questions...
