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#1
09-09-2018, 08:53 AM
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expensive
I thought I'd say how much I love SSD kits, truly amazing. I just can't believe the prices. Sorry but I can't justify spending so much on new releases. Hoping for some good sales during the year and for now, I'll be working out of my stash. I use to be a faithful weekly shopper but now maybe 1-2 times a year. Sorry...
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#2
09-09-2018, 10:54 AM
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You should look into the monthly bingo challenges. You can earn coupons up to 40% off, plus it's just a really fun thing to do!
https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...ad.php?t=89484
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#3
09-09-2018, 11:43 AM
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Everyone has their own personal scrapping budget. But I don't see that much price difference in here or a few other shops.
I also believe that you get what you pay for....you could probably find some cheaper kits but they wouldn't be as amazing as SSD designers!!  Truthfully, I don't even NEED to buy another kit ever, I have a HUGE stash..... BUT those pretty kits just call out to me.....saying "buy me" "buy me"....ROFLMAOOOOOOOOO
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#4
09-09-2018, 11:44 AM
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I am so sorry you are not able to shop here despite wanting to. That's unfortunate. I do feel a bit of a response is needed, though, as I think the industry as a whole has been pressured to cheapen our product to the point that stores are closing and digi designers must semietire from designing to find work outside the home to make ends meet.
I do believe our prices. I 'believe' the prices for all art and artists, in general. It's not mass marketed, or mass produced. These are works of art, crafted weekly for our customers and sold to a relatively limited customer base. Take a look at Etsy and see the prices for almost anything handcrafted. These things take time! People should be paid fairly for their time and efforts. I am happy with the Sweet Shoppe and the way we price our kits and templates, even before I became a designer and was a customer here. I think when people are not paid fairly for the time they put into their work, it kills the digi scrapbooking industry. Their work begins to suffer. They can't sustain it, and quit. I like supporting my hobby so it can thrive. I also like knowing I am supporting small businesses and the women who work here (and their families behind them). I can also say that having been a paper scrapper before, I spent SO much money on significantly fewer supplies. I would walk out of Michael's or Hobby Lobby with $50 of products that I could only use once. And I subscribed to scrapbooking paper kits for $30 a month and got maybe 3 pages out of each kit before I ran out of elements. When I became a digi scrapper, I was thrilled! When you really consider the size of the kits we are selling and the variety and number of elements in the kits it really is a good value for what you get and allows you to reuse them an innumerable amount of times. An $8 kit for about $6 (at New Release pricing) can make you an entire album. One of our regular customers, Debbie, can attest to that!  We understand some people have budgets and SSD has regular sales throughout the year and a way to earn monthly discounts through our challenges. We also give, for free, many products away throughout the year in free-with-purchase goodies and in our Sweet Freebie section. I hope maybe we can change your opinion of us as a store, and that you will consider trusting us. We are not here to rob you! If you love us, you'll find value in what we create here! 
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#6
09-09-2018, 04:27 PM
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us Leah. Brook has shared some pretty great insight into keeping our business thriving for women who are able to work from home in the current environment where shops close all the time and SSD has stood the test of time.
I truly respect anyone who can't shop weekly because their family budget comes before their hobby, but we haven't raised base prices on our products since 2010, kits are bigger and better than ever, we offer deeper discounts during more frequent sales, and there is always a free gift with purchase offer going on to maximize the value of your purchases too! Our new release sale used to be for one day only and was only 20% off, and now it's all weekend long at 25% off. We also offer weekly Oldies But Goodies and Featured Designer sales with discounts between 40 and 50% off to make our products accessible to as many scrappers as possible, but like others have pointed out, we're really proud of the unique products our designers create with love week in and week out and believe our new releases are priced fairly too!
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#8
09-09-2018, 05:10 PM
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I am one that really look at what is included in kits to justify the money. I truly feel that when kits are "cheaper" there is not as much elements for me to use.
If there is a significant amount of elements/papers/etc I can justify spending the money for it. I am a scrapper that has a few designers I like at different sites. I admit that I normally buy most of my kits on "new release" day. Those kits normally run around the same price $7.50 - 8.00 as the new releases here. I admit I don't really have a scrapping budget but I also know what I can spend on my "hobby" and when there is something I "love" I buy while on new release. I also admit that I do the bingo challenge exactly for the reason of getting the % off coupon. The only other thing I will add is I look at kits like I look at clothing. If I buy a cheap pair of pants and they rip/wear after a few washings I wasted my money. If I buy a kit that I know I will use over/over and that has plenty of "element choices" it is a timeless item for my scrapping.
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#9
09-09-2018, 05:24 PM
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I don't think prices have changed recently. I still charge the same as I did 10 years ago, but now there's 2-3 times the amount of papers & ellies in kits for the same price.
Looking at older kits, I can't believe we got away with $8 for what was inside  Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
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#10
09-09-2018, 05:29 PM
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I personally find them a bargain even at full price given I can use them over and over and over. I spent way more when paper scrapping and didn’t love my pages as much as I do now.
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 Creating for River Rose, The Nifty Pixel, Meagan's Creations, Southern Serenity Designs, Meghan Mullens, and JoCee Designs
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#11
09-09-2018, 05:43 PM
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My family and I live on a very tight budget. And there are times when the money just isn't there to buy all these fantastic goodies here at SSD! That's when I will add the kits I'm in love with to my wishlist, to save until the funds are there for a fun shopping trip (birthday money, bonus checks, wonderful sales). I have been to other sites, and SSD prices are very comparable to other sites, and for much better quality than many others out there!
The Bingo challenges are great ways to get pages done, and to earn % off to use to buy products! If you feel your stash isn't quite big enough for the challenges, you can always download the freebies in the store-each designer has one here: https://www.sweetshoppedesigns.com/s...me.php?cat=796. You can combine many of these items or use them on their own or with items you already own to create wonderful pages, completing the challenges and earning the discount. You can also sign up for the designers newsletters or follow their Facebook pages to receive occassional freebies. Make sure you participate in other special challenges/games/sales throughout the year (insd, dsd, birthday sales etc). These can be great times to stock up, or enter for a chance to win/earn something new! While I may not have a huge scrapping budget, or even a little one at times...I still find ways to make my stash go farther, and look for ways to make my money go further too! Sometimes there are even sales on Wed (or other days during the week) where you can find great deals! Just like when you shop at a department store, you learn how to shop and look for the sales/discounts/deals or whatever to get what you want! Like anything, sometimes you do have to work for it...but it's worth it in the end! Hopefully you can find some encouragement from all our responses to make SSD work with your own budget!
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#12
09-09-2018, 05:48 PM
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As a funny illustration of pricing then/now...
THIS was $6.99 when I was still designing prior to 2010/11(OMG I'm so embarrassed to be pulling this one out of the vault) ... ...and THIS is just $7.49 today!  I gave up designing a long time ago, and I am soooo in awe of how talented and beautiful the products our designers create each week are. The kits really are bigger and better in every way than they ever have been!
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#14
09-09-2018, 10:42 PM
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Quote:
Your 40% coupon even works on most bundles as well, which really helps bring down the price!!! I often spend months putting things in wishlist and when I get the go ahead from the budget, I'll buy using my coupon (it's only good for a certain amount of days, but I use it during that time frame) Another thing is maybe try reaching out to one of your favorite designer that you scrap with often and ask for a guest spot. You never know if they are looking (last I checked Kristin Cronin-Barrow is having a guest ct call right now!!) and if they might accept you. And the quality that you get with Sweet Shoppe Designs is amazing!! I can't speak highly enough of the designer's quality here! So the price that you spend, you know you are getting a good product. You know you don't have to go through and fix jagged edges, stray pixels or even missing pixels! They all try so hard to keep their quality amazing, which is why I always shop and know my money is buying quality here at SSD! And like Robin said, the prices haven't changed in many years here. If you look around at other shops, you'll find that you are spending if not the same or close to the prices that you are paying here at SSD. The only difference in you might not be getting the same high-end quality like you are here and I've found there seems to be more in these products than when I've purchased elsewhere. Last edited by Neverland Scraps; 09-09-2018 at 10:49 PM.
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#15
09-09-2018, 11:02 PM
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I believe y'all have the best price vs quality AND the best "points" system. The BINGO coupon , new release and then there are the features and oldies sales. That means I get once a week discount on new release, once a month 40 percent (if I do my bingo) and a weekly oldies/fav option. I love it here and really appreciate what the designers put into their products.
I've gotten more bang for my buck here and I'm usual on a tight budget so I have calculated my spending very carefully. Last edited by AshleyMilfd; 09-09-2018 at 11:06 PM.
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#16
09-10-2018, 11:04 AM
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Quote:
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#17
09-10-2018, 11:12 AM
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I totally understand having a limited scrap budget. I was there for a number of years, it's hard, but keep adding to your wishlist and get kits/bundles/templates that you're ready to use when they are on sale. As others have said, if you participate in Bingo, you get an awesome coupon.
I was a paper scrapper and stamper for 15 years. Honestly, I spent a small fortune on supplies! When I switched over to digi, I got rid of most of it for pennies on the dollar (don't tell my hubby!!). I am SO glad I switched to digi where I can use supplies over & over & over! As many others have said, the quality and the number of items in the kits WAY surpass those at other stores. One store I can think of charges the same amount for kits half the size that you can get here at SSD. I hope you'll stick around and purchase when you can! I can honestly say, after shopping at many stores over the years, SSD is top-notch and your scrapbooks will show that quality!
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#18
09-10-2018, 04:40 PM
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When I first started at SSD all I scrapped with were the freebies for the bingo game. Then I earned my first coupon and I was able to buy one kit. Then I did it again the next month and slowly but surely you build your stash. And there is birthdays and awesome sales...
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#19
09-11-2018, 02:40 AM
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I usually wait for a good sale (DSD is coming up !!!) or try to get a BlackOut Bingo card which gives me a 40% off coupon. The Oldies sale is amazing too......50% off, can't beat that. I think SSD has amazing opportunities to get great designs for smaller prices. Just fill up your wishlist and wait for a good sale
 Plus the FWPs always make me feel like I am getting a good deal when I spend $10 or $20 and get that Free With Purchase kit
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#20
09-11-2018, 11:16 AM
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I completely agree that we definitely get our money's worth here. If the wonderful designers don't make money at this, it'll just be one more digi store closed up. I don't want to see that happen! Some stores resorted to selling items for $1, etc., and that's just not a reflection of the time they put into their products. There are definitely some wonderful sales here that pop up often enough to help with the budget. Like others mentioned, if I don't have the cash at the moment I add to my wish list (which is FULL FULL FULL right now LOL) and buy the items I need when I can.
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#21
09-12-2018, 05:19 AM
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Quote:
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#22
09-12-2018, 02:27 PM
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I think OP has a valid point.
as someone who was out of scrapbooking for a while, coming back prices are higher. however, you do get a lot for your money in a kit. What I appreciate now, however, is that designers often break up the kit into components. I've been spreading my dollars out further by focusing on themed elements and then assuring I have a good pile of essential items that I can use over again. If you look at what I got with the bingo coupon this month, it was mostly element packs that I can use with papers I already have. I have a HUGE collection of element packs, paints/splats, basic paper packs and then I change them up with themed elements. To me, this is the best of both worlds. Kit scrappers can get their kits/bundles for a good deal, and non-kit scrappers like me can pick out just the pieces we want most - and then buy lots of them! lol.
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#23
09-12-2018, 03:13 PM
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How long have you been away from digital scrapping, Beckie? I know I've never raised my prices since I started designing.
ETA: Just looked at your gallery and saw your last layouts were from 2011. That's right around when I became a shopper here at SSD! I bet you were around then! I thought you looked familiar  I looked at my account out of curiosity and my first purchase that I bought without a coupon, not on new release day, not on a sale day in the Shoppe was October of 2011, I bought Happy Fall Y'All by Dani Mogstad (I MISS HER! Her kits were so fun). It was listed $7.99 on my order details, which is the exact same pricing for a solo (one designer) kit that we use now. I know that back then, designers had a range where they'd price their kits depending on the size... like some were 6.99 and we do that much less now, because all of the kits are HUGE. I will say that as a customer, looking back, I do see lower prices (like $5 ish) on many of the kits I bought in 2011 in my account but I am chatty, so I tended to write noted when I purchased and so I know I got many at sale prices because I said "thanks for the coupon!" or "thanks for the leap day sale!". I did shop pretty much only during sales or with the coupons I'd earn from the challenges. Occasionally I'd miss new release sales and splurge on something full price, but not often. I totally understand having a budget! I had one too.
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Last edited by YepBrook; 09-12-2018 at 03:47 PM.
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#24
09-12-2018, 04:04 PM
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I was so glad to have found digital scrapping because it cost sooo much paper scrapping. I've paid $8 for one little Jolee's Boutique element sticker. Crazy when I think about that now. It's no wonder I never seemed to get paper pages scrapped. I guess perception changes by person, because to me digital kits are so cheap in comparison. But I can see if someone is on a limited budget ... but then when 40% off sales come, the kits are under $5.
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#25
09-12-2018, 04:45 PM
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I'm not a kit scrapper per-se, so if designers didn't also have the options to by the kits broken out a bit I'd probably find the "7.99 minimum" for a kit frustrating like OP. But I'm SO, super duper happy with picking up pieces and components each week as they come out. I can get more use out of what I buy than investing a whole lot into one highly themed kit that I might use only once or twice. And also: it's a business. there's the cost of this site, the servers and support, the designers deserve a profit for their hard work, Robin deserves a profit for running the site. It's how business works so I don't begrudge you guys charging what you need to. I want this to be a sustainable business model
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#26
01-09-2019, 05:16 PM
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I totally understand both sides of this! I have been in the position where I didn't have a scrap budget, and then I was bummed that the kits were "pricey." But, I totally agree with Brooke and everyone else about the value of art! When I didn't have $$ to spend, I went to some more budget scrap stores and bought some supposed value kits - $1 or $2 a kit. I found out that you definitely get what you pay for. I never wanted to scrap with those kits, they just weren't nearly the same quality, and my pages never looked as good. SSD kits are actually an awesome deal when you consider that you can literally scrap tons of pages from the same kit!
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#27
01-09-2019, 05:40 PM
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I know this conversation is old and so many of you have made (very polite and) wonderfully pointed comments in support of running this business like a business and treating the artists here like artists. But there is another side to this discussion...
Digital scrapbooking is a hobby and buying products is a privilege, not a necessity. There are innumerable ways in this day and age to be a memory keeper... no digiscrapping necessary. No one is forcing anyone to shop here or pay full price for kits. Yes, it totally sucks when you can't afford to do what you want to do when you want to do it, but we're not talking about a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread here. I don't mean to be snarky or rude, but I'm curious why someone who's been a member here for seven years would suddenly feel the need to specifically post that they won't be shopping here anymore. Let's not forget to check our privilege and perspective once in a while.
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#28
01-12-2019, 06:53 PM
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I seriously have no idea what I would do if this store or this hobby didn't exist! SSD better last forever! I've found if you participate in the forums and feel like you "know" the ladies who are designing then you don't mind supporting them with a purchase.
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#29
01-13-2019, 03:38 PM
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I have been around the digital scrapbooking industry for a long time. I would say that kit prices have stayed pretty consistent throughout the years with only slight increases. As Robin showed, kit prices have always been right about the same price point, give or take $1 a kit.
Not all stores price the same, but not all stores have the same quality products either. There have been a lot of stores through the years to open up and have a load of designers that sell kits really cheap without offering the quality that is offered at many of the other stores (including SSD). When I designed (for various stores) we always had quality control checkers to be sure we were putting a quality product in the store. I mean high resolution, no stray pixels, etc. Not all stores have this and sometimes you get a crappy product that you just can't use without doing a lot of work to it (and sometimes not then). I don't know if SSD has a quality control person or not, but I know that the designers here all take quality very seriously. I have worked with many of them over the years and they are the real deal, not just in it to make a quick buck with sloppy product. You CAN get a lot for a little. You have to know how to shop! Save things to your wishlist. Shop when there are storewide sales. Do the challenges to save even more. There are sometimes kits with special prices too, so stock up when you see that. SSD does not undervalue their product by offering it at rock bottom prices. However, they do seem to understand that many people are on budgets and as this is a hobby, budgets vary greatly. They offer new products at a discount and have sales at least quarterly (from what I have noticed as a shopper). Next month is a birthday celebration here at SSD and that usually brings some special pricing/sales. Check out the samplers, check designers' blogs, etc. Some of them participate in blog trains where they offer mini kits that coordinate with mini kits offered by others, some of them offer freebies or samplers that way too. My budget for hobbies is practically nonexistent. If I buy a kit, I have to be creative where that money comes from. I have to make my dollars stretch as far as possible if I am going to get more than one kit every few months. Despite this, I still end up with several new kits a year to scrap with.
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