Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Okay, Ladies, Tell Me What to Do

Don't hate me because I have a craftroom, but I need your help. I just cannot make a decision about what to do with all the supplies and tools left over from my little scrapbook business. So, you get to offer up your opinion on what I do with all this stuff: dies, punches, rubber stamps, tons of 8-1/2x11 cardstock, and miscellaneous notions (eyelets, buttons, etc.). I know I want to sell it off on eBay, so I can buy a new camera (my dumb point-and-shoot doesn't focus very well anymore), but I'm not sure how much I should get rid of, or how I should group it all together for sale. I was thinking I could offer to die-cut/punch-out the paper I sell, but maybe I should just do the quick and easy thing, and just sell the paper all in one big bunch. Also, I was thinking I could get back into the whole card-making thing, if I could generate enough money to buy a camera, as well as get some fun new papers. I have permission to get wholesale from Bazzil cardstock and Chatterbox as well, so I'm thinking I should just get rid of everything, a total purge, and just start over with colors I really like. Nothing makes you want to use a space like getting it all cleaned out and starting fresh. Any opinions, suggestions?

Okay, on the left is my big, professional Accucut die-cutting machine, which I am keeping. It's too valuable to let go, and will be extremely useful for card-making. But I have Sizzix dies, some of which I would keep, but some of which I would sell off. Also, in the blue filing cabinet there are gobs of paper left, mostly 8-1/2 x 11. Also under the table are gobs of tags and paper shapes I punched out. Throw them away, or try to group them for sale? Also, on the far right is the edge of the shelves that hold all my old scrapbooking magazines: donate them to the library (I have the entire Creating Keepsakes magazine collection up through about 2005), try to sell them off in bunches, or just throw them in the garbage?

On the left there are my boxes of rubber stamps (save a few favorites and sell the rest or keep 'em all?), next is half a shelf of reams of cardstock (sell/keep?), and finally are the punches. That is a whole dilemma in and of itself. Should I just have a total purge, or should I at least keep the circles, squares, leaves, and flowers? In the light brown wood boxes are the cool punch sets that in each set have lots of sizes of each shape. And what about all my punch art kits? Just keep the digital picture files for sentimental reasons and get rid of it all (paper and coordinating punches used to make the kits), or keep all the punches used to make the kits? I was thinking I could offer some kind of die-cutting/stationery service with the Accucut dies I have, and maybe work in a few punch accents (kind of as a way of justifying the wholesale I can get from Bazzill and Chatterbox, and maybe just enough spare change every month to buy new stamps or paper), or should I just give up the whole selling thing for good? With the advent of Provo Craft's Cricket, I'm thinking I should just give up the concept of trying to sell diecuts on eBay, and just do my own thing for my own pleasure, but I'm not sure. Opinions?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful collection you have. There are some serious scrapbookers in your family over here, so if they want some of your stuff, and you need transportation, I could bring it back with me when I drive over for Emma's "coming out" party.

Love, Your Mom

Lori Gerten said...

Holy Moses! I have never seen that much craft stuff! I have ONE box!

Becky in Wyo said...

Yeah, I know, it's obnoxious. But it was for business purposes, I swear! I never, never, never just bought stuff for fun! Cough, cough...

The Donnells said...

Look at me! I am commenting! I know how you feel. I always say "oh I could use this some day" but really I don't. I would say just get rid of everything except things you would grab if you had 30 minutes before it all burned up.

Becky in Wyo said...

That is EXCELLENT advice, Chris! I think I may use that as one of my main criteria!

Lizzy Lou said...

My suggestion is as follows: #1. a new 16 ounce plastic bottle of Kinston fire starter and three cowboy Matches. #2. Start over.