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Ok ladies, without dissing the other companies, I'd REALLY like to know what the differences are between SU, TAC and CTMH....and any others that I may be missing.
I'd like to know if there are any major product differences....
I'd loke to know what the differences are for demos....like what are the minimum quarterly orders, etc.
And maybe just general opinions/preferences.
I really don't want this to turn into an arugument. thanks.
The biggest difference is the way the stamps are mounted.
SU has deeply etched rubber that is permanently mounted to a wooden block- although they sell them with the mounting not yet done, to reduce prices (I assume) so I guess you don't have to mount them.
TAC has deeply etched rubber, that comes unmounted with a sheet of vinyl cling. You have the option of attaching the vinyl cling (or using another method if you prefer). Then you temporarily mount them onto acrylic blocks (or pretty much anything- I like ink pad lids) while you stamp them. The major benefit of this is the price of stamps is generally lower, IMO you get a "better" idea of where the stamp is going, and the storage space is greatly reduced.
CTMH sells clear acrylic stamps which are sticky and temporarily mount to acrylic blocks. The benefits of this are space saving, and you can see exactly where you stamp.
Each also has its downsides. SU stamps take up a lot of room, TAC stamps are sometimes close on the rubber- which can cause anxiety to trim for some, CTHM stamps can't be used with solvent inks without getting gummy- to name some.
They also each have different papers and accessories- really, all of the companies are great. My personal preference is TAC for stamps and SU for paper. I use both their inks. CTHM has my vote for best acrylic blocks, although I have more from TAC because they are less expensive.
-To stay active you have to sell $100 every 4 months (before taxes and s&h) -You will get 25% commission on personal net sales -You will also get 30% Demonstrator Discount (these orders don’t count towards your $100 volume)
;)
To start out, I won't be fighting over anything like this. I am an equal opportunity stamper! I don't know anything about CTMH. I long for a demo close to me that I can use to feed my need for many kinds of product.
I am a TAC demo. I signed up with TAC because I spend a ton of money on inks and such. TAC has more different kinds of ink - Brilliance, Opalites, Hybrid Inkpads. SU has great paper and I own almost all the inks from SU now. Both companies have beautiful stamps, in my opinion. TAC is unmounted with acrylic blocks and SU is wood mounted. I use both, no problems with either. Some people really hate one or the other. Neither causes me any problems. I sometimes have to use my SAMJ with the wood mounted. I don't have to do that as often with my unmounted stamps, but there are times that I do.
An SU demo can fill you in on their minimums. TAC has a $100 per quarter minimum. I can spend that in my sleep, so it was such a non-issue. Of course, I don't think SU's minimums are much higher. A co-worker became an SU demo a month before I became a TAC demo. If she hadn't, I very well might have ended up an SU demo. TAC is a great company to deal with, though, and I am thrilled that it worked out the way it did. I love their products, their service is great, and I have had nothing but good experiences with them. I'm sure you'll hear the same thing from the SU demos here, that SU is great to deal with. I would like to hear from CTMH. I know very little about them.
CTMH minimums is $300 a quarter, commission is 22%, but there is an additional over ride commission as well. $150 for the kit to become a consultant and we do have a junior consultant status you can drop to if you don't make your minimum, so you don't get "kicked out" if you don't make them one quarter
That's about the basics
Well I love SU! Our quarterly minimums are $300.00 and our demo discount is 20%. Our demo purchases DO count for our quarterly minimums and we can purchase a month ahead of customers. I love how our CS, inks, crayons, pencils, markers, brads, eyelets and ribbons all coordinate. And our stamp sets coordinate with our brass templates and designer papers and Simply Scrappin' Kits. We earn points quarterly for sales, redeemable for Visa Gift Cards or free merchandise, besides a rebate on our volume for the month. I love that our stamps are shown full size in our full color catalogs and how many ideas are in our Idea Book & Catalog. The support from SU! is wonderful as is their customer service. We even get gifts from the owner! Su! also donates to various charities. The quality of SU!'s products is exceptional, from the originality of our rubber stamp designs to the weight of our CS! I'm glad to be associated with such a top notch company!
TAC has deeply etched rubber, that comes unmounted with a sheet of vinyl cling.
I just wanted to clarify because when I hear the term 'vinyl cling' I think of the thin, coloured plastic that Grafix sells to make window ornaments out of. TAC stamps come with a sheet of EZ Mount, which is foam like SU's foam except on one side it is permanently sticky to mount the rubber onto, and the other side produces temporary, tack-free cling to attach temporarily to whatever stamping handle you use.
I am a former SU demo who is now with TAC. I like TAC for the low quarterly minimums and smaller company feel. I didn't know anything about CTMH, until I contacted a demo via their website. She sent me their catalogs. They have some adorable stuff! I especially like the scrappin' kits - seemed very reasonable to me for what was included. If you're thinking of demo'ing for any company, I would advise you get your hands on all of the merchandise and play as much as possible. You can't "sell" something you don't stand behind. With the smaller minimums, I can still place random SU orders every now and then to keep myself up-to-date with their products (which I love) and I've found a great friend in the process that I can give my business to. Have fun researching!
__________________
*Shari*
�Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.� ― W.B. Yeats
�I think you learn more if you're laughing at the same time.� ― Mary Ann Shaffer
I really like that TAC only has a 100.00 quarterly minimum. I'm not too pushy of a sales person so that would help if I were to ever decide to become a demo. Plus I have a 14month old boy at home. And I sell Avon, so I'm not sure if I want to add another log to the fire so to speak.
I really like that TAC only has a 100.00 quarterly minimum. I'm not too pushy of a sales person so that would help if I were to ever decide to become a demo. Plus I have a 14month old boy at home. And I sell Avon, so I'm not sure if I want to add another log to the fire so to speak.
I'm far from pushy (at least in the sales.....hehe). I could easily do 1 workshop a quarter for SU and make my minimums.
__________________ Jeanne S - Inky Paws SCS Moderator
If you're thinking of demo'ing for any company, I would advise you get your hands on all of the merchandise and play as much as possible. You can't "sell" something you don't stand behind. Have fun researching!
What GREAT advice!
I have a friend that is involved with a direct sales company and she has told me about 10 times that if she were not so invested in this other direct sales company she would sign up with TAC on my team. She is so torn between making the switch or sticking with what she started. She wishes she had info about TAC before she signed up for the other direct seller. Take your time, there is no hurry. Find someone that can answer all your questions from each company. Get catalogs and maybe samples OR place small orders. Talk to your demo and make sure that she will make an acceptable upline. Find someone that will support you and help you define and reach your goals.
Good Luck with your decission!
Inky Hugs.
Risa
Do any of you guys think there is a difference in the quality? IS there any gallery of just TAC or non-SU cards/scrapbook pages out there?
I have a lot of SU sets and now a lot of TAC stamp sets. Personally, I don't think there is any difference in quality. To see a gallery of TAC stuff, please visit http://www.ashadeofblue.net.
Kimberly
__________________ "There is a very fine line between hobby and mental illness." -- Dave Barry
I'd really research your possible uplines, too--go to an event with each of them and check out their styles, their products, and their projects. Your upline is more important than you'll ever dream before you sign up. You want one who really fits you and your personality, is honest and reliable, returns your calls, and is really working her business, yet is not pushy.
I'd really go with the company you like the best. EVERYTHING ELSE will change over time, but you want to be just as crazy about the company as when you started. For me, that's SU. I've been exposed to a huge variety of other companies, and there's nothing else that even came anywhere near the quality and classy style of SU. I've had zero trouble making the minimums, and four recruits have literally dropped in my lap. I've gotten more free stuff than I can count and my stamps have quadrupled in number. I love the discount, I love getting hostess benefits for myself--even on pre-orders and specials--and I don't think there's a better hostess program on the planet.
But I'm biased So do your research and then close your eyes and go with your heart.
Oh, one more thing. Sometimes threads about this subject can get a little heated. Don't take it personally and try not to be turned off by it. It's just that we're all so crazy about stamps and we love our companies, that sometimes we can get a bit emotional. We're only human. Best of luck making your decision!
__________________ Lyssa Griffin Zwolanek, Gold EliteSong of My Heart Stampers14-time incentive trip earner
Oh my gosh, I think I could be online all day looking at cards and scrapbook pages.....there is soooo much my eyes are about to pop out! I only wish I had an endless supply of $$$$$!!!!!
There is a gallery for TAC, A shade of Blue http://www.ashadeofblue.net/Boards/p...4d946a24a2baca
It is a great place, but not as big as SplitCoast. There are people you post TAC in the splitcoast galleries. If you do a search, for TAC, I'm sure you will fine quite a few samples.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is TACs Angel Policy. It is great and a True Angel policy. You have many more options in selling your handstamped items than many companies. For SU, I believe it has to be a nonpermanent place, i.e., craft show would work but not a gift shop. I think CTMH is very similar, but I think that there is some odd rule about mixing companies when using CTMH... I could be wrong.
One thing about TACs minimum is that you can choose to order your personal stuff as a demo at 30% or as a customer at 25%. Either way, it is a better savings than other companies.
SU is my first love - but I live in a small town and out of 10 people in my stamp club... 3 of them are SU demonstrators! I went with TAC for the Angel policy, low requirements, and great products. I love the variety of inks we carry. I have most of SU's inks, but I love the Versamagic ones for different reasons!
You need to look at a catalog and see what suits you! The one that has your favs. is probably the one you would do be selling!
I think you need to buy some stuff from each company yourself! Do some market research. Do you like the way the stamp takes inks? Storage? Crisp image? Whose stamps and paper and stuff do you reach for first? You got to LOVE what you sell!
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
For scrapbooking, I think CTMH is best. Love their kits for quick and easy layouts. Also love the alphabets because they are clear and you can line up your whole word on the block at once. No more trying to get all of the stamps even!
For stamps, I think it's very much a personal preference. I own some from all of those companies (CTMH, TAC, and SU). I buy what I like and mix and match.
For a consultant point of view...I used to sell CTMH and liked that they had a Jr. Consultant status so you weren't dropped if you didn't meet the minimum. TAC has a low minimum so I doubt that would be an issue. I know that was my main fear (being able to reach minimum without having to buy it all myself). At some point I decided I'd rather be a customer than the consultant. I like being able to use all companies and I felt limited to ONLY using CTMH products when I was a consultant with them (because you can only demo your own stuff).
If you're thinking about demoing...I'd contact each company and find a consultant near you. Having someone close by to learn from is the best. If you met with each you could also see their catalog (if you haven't already) and ask them to bring a few items for you to "quality" check. Make a list of questions so you don't forget to ask anything.
I agree with everything everyone has said here. I've been an SU! demo for seven years. I don't think TAC was around then, but CTMH, (then DOTS) was. I looked at them and thought their scrapbooking stuff was ahead of SU!, and their minimums and bennies were better at that time. I chose SU! because it was more elegant and sophisticated. CTMH had only one artist at the time, and everything looked the same and it was all cutsie. My point is not to bash CTMH, I haven't seen one of their cattys for seven years, but to remind you to go with the company whose style fits yours the best. If you don't like TAC's stamps the best, the low minimum doesn't matter. Don't worry about that! With SU!, I had ONE workshop in seven years that was under $300. I don't do a lot, maybe 10 or 11 ws's a year, but I never had trouble meeting my minimum, ever!!
TAC's minimum is not $100/quarter--it's $100 every 4 months (a quarter is 3 months).
TAC is young, but was around when the above poster went with SU. It just wasn't well-known yet. This is TAC's 10th anniversary.
TAC has lots of great embellishments and tools, but ours are not all in our name like SU's are (don't know about CTMH). They still have the brand name of the original company. However, Stewart Superior DOES put a TAC label on the backs of the Palette ink pads. In some ways it's good that the orig. brand is there in case you have to go track some down in a pinch. In some ways it's bad if you're in a city where these are easily accessible to people. It depends on where you are and whether your customers are the kind who get out and shop or just want to do it one-stop with you.
If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.. .
;-)
__________________ Diane H.
TAC Demonstrator #1484/Manager, Smilin' Stampers My TAC SiteMy BLOG
I agree with everything everyone has said here. I've been an SU! demo for seven years. I don't think TAC was around then, but CTMH, (then DOTS) was. I looked at them and thought their scrapbooking stuff was ahead of SU!, and their minimums and bennies were better at that time. I chose SU! because it was more elegant and sophisticated. CTMH had only one artist at the time, and everything looked the same and it was all cutsie. My point is not to bash CTMH, I haven't seen one of their cattys for seven years, but to remind you to go with the company whose style fits yours the best. If you don't like TAC's stamps the best, the low minimum doesn't matter. Don't worry about that! With SU!, I had ONE workshop in seven years that was under $300. I don't do a lot, maybe 10 or 11 ws's a year, but I never had trouble meeting my minimum, ever!!
Oh, and to clarify myself: When I said, "If you don't like TAC's stamps...", I was just using that as a for instance. You can insert ANY company name where I put TAC.I did not mean to dis TAC in any way. I have their catty and they have some very cute things.
I've been considering being a TAC demo but it's too scary yet.
Carol Lee and Miss Lyssa
I was afraid before I decided to dive in with TAC! I understand! It is a big decission! Just keep asking questions and do your research. Find a demo for the companies you are interested in and make friends! Get the product in your hands. If you truely love the product and love what you are doing it will come easier and more natural! Have your demo tell you about her experiences. Ask her how she makes her business work, then ask yourself can I do that? If you are not satisfied with her help and information, or if you don't connect with her, don't sign up under her. Communicate honestly and kindly with her, but look out for your best interest and for your success. Your upline can make it easier and less scary for you. You and your upline will become a team...so choose wisely. I wish I did. I just rolled up because my upline went inactive.
Whatever you decide, I wish you much success and HAPPINESS!
Inky Hugs
Risa
I agree that you will not be as scared if you love the product. It will be natural for you to want to share that with people and to want to buy it for yourself! ;-) I checked CTMH, SU and TAC out *very* carefully first. I checked out potential demos/uplines before even buying from one so I wouldn't feel guilty saying no to them later. I had bought stuff off ebay up to that point or borrowed from friends.
I've been with TAC for nearly 3 years now and it was a great decision for me.
__________________ Diane H.
TAC Demonstrator #1484/Manager, Smilin' Stampers My TAC SiteMy BLOG
Do any of you guys think there is a difference in the quality?
I think stamps from SU and TAC are comparable in quality (although I prefer unmounteds). I don't like how my older CTMH stamps have gotten gummy and yellow, but I like the "see through" ability.
As far as paper goes, I'm a Bazzill fan (I like the textures) which TAC sells, but I do prefer the quality of SU's neutrals like whisper white, kraft, and ivory for actual stamping.
I LOVE all the different type inks that TAC offers, but wish they would make all the color choices that SU has, because I think the quality of SU's inkpads are horrible.:( (but do like the colors). I like the quality of CTMH pads better, but only have a few of their older style pads.
All in all, each company has it's own pros and cons as far as the customer is concerned, so focus on what YOU like to use, how much commitment you are willing to make and decided based on a "demo" standpoint.;)
Thats the thing....I have so much stuff from SU, CM, Michaels, etc., that if I become a demo, its almost like I'll be limited because you can only use their products. So its kind of a catch 22 in some instances.
if I become a demo, its almost like I'll be limited because you can only use their products.
ARE YOU SERIOUS????? I had no idea. What a crock. How can they tell you you can ONLY use their products if you are a demo? That just doesn't seem right. Am I understanding your statement correctly?:confused: :confused:
ARE YOU SERIOUS????? I had no idea. What a crock. How can they tell you you can ONLY use their products if you are a demo? That just doesn't seem right. Am I understanding your statement correctly?:confused: :confused:
I use whatever products I want. I have never been told as a CTMH consultant that I can only use CTMH products.
They mean that you can only demonstrate their products. I can't hold a SU! workshop and use CTMH stamps as part of the demonstration. It makes perfect sense to me. At home, or at non-SU! events, I can use whatever I want!
Location: Somewhere in the middle...closer to there, nearer to here...
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This has been a very helpful thread. I have also been on the fence for awhile trying to figure out if I wanted to become a SU demonstrator. I only recently learned about TAC and CTMH from this site. Hmmm. My problem is that I have a full-time challenging job, three kids, and a husband and I worry that if I become a demonstrator...I will drop the ball in some other part of my life. I do love the products and could see myself selling them. But...
By the way Melissa where is Nowhereville, OK? I'm originally from OKC way back when.
Ah...where the winds come sweeping down the plains....
I really like that TAC only has a 100.00 quarterly minimum. I'm not too pushy of a sales person so that would help if I were to ever decide to become a demo. Plus I have a 14month old boy at home. And I sell Avon, so I'm not sure if I want to add another log to the fire so to speak.
Also being a TAC demo you may purchase a Website from The Angel company for a small fee. Annual is only $99.95 and a one time set up fee of $24.95 or choose 6 months for only $59.95 and a one time set up fee of $24.95 I've been with TAC since 2004 and I love how they treat us Demo's! Low Pressure to sell, Earn 25% in commission. If you have downlines and have sales of $300.00 or more amonth you will earn 2% from your downlines. Get a 30% discount on your personal sales, No commission given. TAC sends out commission checks twice a month.
Create with TAC stamps and sell pretty much where ever you wish! Like other's have stated TAC stamps are Deeply Etched Rubber Stamps. And they Come with and use Creative Cling Foam (formly known as Ez-mount foam) Our Rubber stamp use an acyrlic Block instead of wood block. Saves Space and Money.
SU has wonderful Stamps too. Deeply Etched Rubber stamps.
CTMH stamps I really don't know that much about them. I know they can save your space and they have nice images. This is my .02 worth!
I am not familiar enough about TAC or CTMH to offer a just opinion. I just wanted to add that SU has an excellent Demonstrator Support team and an awsome Stamp and Start program that helps you get your business off the ground. I have been a Demo for SU since August 2005 and do between 1 and 3 workshops a month. I have never had a WS under $300 and often get individual orders around $150 from people who want hostess benifits but no hassel of a party. I have never had diffculty meeting my minimums. Good luck with your research.
__________________ SU! Demo and Lovin' it!! My Web Site
ARE YOU SERIOUS????? I had no idea. What a crock. How can they tell you you can ONLY use their products if you are a demo? That just doesn't seem right. Am I understanding your statement correctly?:confused: :confused:
It's not a Crock! When you sign up for any Company that Demo's their product, You have stated that you will only use their products for Home parties, Fun shops. Stamp camps.
Also you can only Demo Current Stamps and supplies at these parties.
But now if I wanted to get together with some of my friends and Stamp or scrap then I would be able to use Whatever I wanted to.
And you will find that most of the time when I make a card to share on SCS I use what I have in my house to create with.
Example on Home parties: If you were using something that you purchased from Hobby Lobby and someone at the party wanted to purchase it.
You would have to tell them that TAC doesn't sell it. So then you have lost a sale and their goes your Commission down the drain!!
As a demo you earn commission on what you sell.
In Retail Sales.
SU! also provides a web site for $7.95 a month if you choose to have it. You don't need to.
And you earn 20% instant income and up to 20% more based on your sales for commissions. In addition if you sell $300 a month or more there is a graduated scale where you can earn between 3% and 6% of your first level down lines sales. You can also earn percentages of sales of up to 5 generations of your downline. Great income potential. Now I just need the downline.
__________________ SU! Demo and Lovin' it!! My Web Site
What's the difference?!?!?!!?
