Who is closing their shop ?

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Sun Apr 26, 2009 4:07 pm

I'm just sad that it all came to this. It almost feels like a BF cheated on me or something. Just kinda ripped my heart out after I had devoted so much of myself to it.

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Sun Apr 26, 2009 4:08 pm

The Crew Designs wrote:: Yeah funny how you turn a blind eye to some problems for the greater good (hopefully) of earning a living selling your work.

Why does being an artist have to be so HARD

Cause we are a bunch of creative souls that put our hearts out there with each and every piece of work we do!

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Wed Apr 29, 2009 1:53 pm

Yep very true....

Posts : 3 Join date : 2009-04-23 Location : Michigan USA

The thing I hated most about CP is how painstaking it is to add products to your shop. When they came out with dark sweatshirts (or any new item that is actually decent) it takes several days to implement it in every section of the shop. Hours upon hours of repetitive pointing & clicking. UGGGHH!

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Thu Apr 30, 2009 8:36 am

That's how I'm feeling about moving shops!

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Thu Apr 30, 2009 4:42 pm

I've got 8 Premiums and 8 Basics on CP. . .I know many Shopkeepers have more than that, but for me. . .it is a lot of STUFF to consider moving somewhere else.

I am going to keep my Shops there for now, but will remove image tags.

Meanwhile, I have 2 Printfection shops and 6 or so Zazzle Shops that I am slowly populating. . .that is my MAIN push right now. . .uploading the designs I've chosen to "feature" - - - for my main dog breeds. . .being those that I have the most images of. . .my own pets. . .hundreds and hundreds of images. . .

My total stable: 70 breeds and 6,000+ images. . .it will be a WHILE before I am settled anywhere again.

But I'm paid until October, November, December on most of my CP shops. . .so. . .

Onward and upward.
Ann K.

Laughing

Posts : 38 Join date : 2009-04-26 Location : Ohio

The whole 10% commission is horrible period, but Ann i CANNOT Mad

imagine you earning $2 for one of your lovely paintings.

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Thu Apr 30, 2009 5:39 pm

Thank you !!

I am happy to donate my work to Dog Rescue groups here and there, when it is my choice and for a cause in which I have interest; but I really couldn't "let" someone commercially profit from my work while I do NOT profit. . .and I don't believe ANY of us should do that.

So, I will opt out of the Marketplace by removing my tags. When it was still hoped that Affiliates would promote my work, I had thought of leaving my "Maggie Ross" tags on each image, but now, from various posts over at CP, it looks as though Affiliates cannot promote any products that ARE NOT IN THE MARKETPLACE. . .

Plus, some posts are also saying that "changes" are coming to the Affiliate program. . .whether for good or ill, we'll just have to wait to find out.

So, right now, my images are pending the removal of tags. . .I will give it a teeny tiny window (say the month of May) before jumping in to do that. . .but I have the feeling that not too much positive change is in the offing.

Ann K.

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Fri May 01, 2009 4:15 am

Yeah MaxMuhlin I agree totally about people profiting from YOUR work. That's the way I see the whole Cafepress thing. They want nice designs and nice shops etc to push their company and market place but they want them for nothing. They DON'T care about US artists not making any profit. Just as long as people still come and buy their shirts they will be happy

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Fri May 01, 2009 7:41 am

I hear nasty rumors that CP is offering the 10% because they plan on jacking up the base prices big time. Now if that is true, that will be a bit better for the 10% (but not much), HOWEVER, this could really screw the SK's even more. Say a shirt was 19.99 and you had an 8.00 mark up on it, making the shirt cost 27.99. Well, if CP decides to mark up that same shirt to say 26.99, there is no way you can still keep an 8.00 mark up on it! That would make it cost 34.99!! Wow.

I hope it's a nasty rumor, but I have always found that where there is smoke there is fire as a rule.

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Fri May 01, 2009 8:24 am

That was always my fear, Bambi, but I didn't post about it over at CP, because I thought if I mentioned it, CP might decide:

"Hey. . .that's right, we could do THAT!"

So, let us just suppose they DID jack up the base price, right now say the base price for a short-sleeve shirt is $14.99. . .

and right now, in my Shops - I mark all of my short-sleeve shirts up to $29.99 (dark and light, for continuity!!)

Now, CP raises the base price to $24.99, tacks on a $5.00 markup for the Marketplace, and thus the shirt is still in the Marketplace for the $29.99 that it sells for in my Shop. . .and instead of paying out $15.00 markup on that shirt, CP pays out $2.99.

OK

So, here I am with my exclusive designs on a $29.99 shirt, looking at a $5.00 commission from a SHOP Sale - instead of $15.00.

Hummmm? Not good.

Yet if I added my "usual" $15.00 markup to that shirt, it would now sell for $39.99 in my Cafe Press Shop. . .and I would be selling that SAME short-sleeve shirt with that SAME design on Zazzle for about $29.85.

Oh, SO not good.

Guess in that case I would have to close my CP Shops for sure. It would "price me right out of the Marketplace" to use an oft-repeated phrase. . .that is SO APT in this situation!!!

Heck. . .

Ann K.

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Fri May 01, 2009 8:38 am

Yeah that's the thing with this 10% on the market place. When customers find your shop and see the price higher (your usual markup) they are rightly going to be thinking.... "What the...."

Even CP did not have an answer to that in the questions and answers on the new marketplace

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Fri May 01, 2009 9:14 am

Ann-
Yeah, I haven't said anything at CP either, but a little birdie whispered that in my ear from over there. They have heard rumors that this is what all this is about. It's a he said she said thing, but scared me enough that I'm sure getting my shops set up in other places. I'm sure they will give it a little time before they drop that bomb on the SK's that stay. Let the dust settle, so to say. It's sad. I really liked CP and felt like I was "home" there, but I can't trust them any more than I would trust a cheating BF.

I would have been there a year next month. Sadly I hadn't really had time to get my shops out there enough to survive without the MP yet, and it seemed that every time I did get a shop sale, it magically became a MP sale anyway. Happened 3 times last month. I have to move on.

John-
CP has been very quiet about far too many issues. For example, people are still able to make MP purchases even if your stuff is no longer in the marketplace. Anyone that places an order by phone automatically makes it an MP sale whether they are shopping from your shop or not...AND if they change size or color on any part of their order, the whole order becomes a MP sale. When questioned about this, again, they had no answer and ignored the question. It's like a cheating BF I tell you! They can't be trusted...at least IMHO.

Posts : 38 Join date : 2009-04-26 Location : Ohio

And people thought that the prices at CP was high now.....man oh man i hope that's a rumor. Then you have shipping costs to slap with the high prices, that just wouldn't work very well.

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Fri May 01, 2009 10:10 am

Junkshoptees wrote:: And people thought that the prices at CP was high now.....man oh man i hope that's a rumor. Then you have shipping costs to slap with the high prices, that just wouldn't work very well.

Well, I think it's more like if they raise the base price, then the SK's can't have as high of a markup if they ever want to sell anything and CP pockets the profits. It's simple business.

Posts : 38 Join date : 2009-04-26 Location : Ohio

Bambi's Designs wrote:

Junkshoptees wrote:: And people thought that the prices at CP was high now.....man oh man i hope that's a rumor. Then you have shipping costs to slap with the high prices, that just wouldn't work very well.

Well, I think it's more like if they raise the base price, then the SK's can't have as high of a markup if they ever want to sell anything and CP pockets the profits. It's simple business.

Ahhh i forgot about that part Crying or Very sad

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Fri May 01, 2009 11:40 am

I have always thought CP prices were way to high..... I had customers/friends asking me for designs then when they saw the price (and with me giving them mates rates and making hardly anything) they were still way higher than local shops.....

Lost loads of potential business because of that

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Fri May 01, 2009 11:44 am

Yeah, but these WEREN'T designs from local shops. They were all very unique and special. That's why they did sell.

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Fri May 01, 2009 11:49 am

Yeah I know that, but the designs I am referring to were just one off's for friends not something I had designed for the public but the base price priced that idea out for me. It was just to expensive for them when they could get the same thing elsewhere for half (or less) the price

Posts : 3 Join date : 2009-04-23 Location : Michigan USA

Of course CP will raise the base prices on everything. That's the only way this would make any sense from their perspective. The set selling prices may even be higher for the customer, and we SKs will make far less.

I currently make around 25% of the total selling price, and my markups are not unreasonable (around $4-$6 for a shirt). So my checks will be less than half of what they are now.

I can't imagine why any premium Top SK would remain in the marketplace. Even for those who depend on CP income, there isn't going to be much left for you from MP sales.

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Sat May 02, 2009 5:54 am

Oh well. Everyone has to do what is right for them. For me personally, there is nothing left for me at CP. It was a fun ride, and I learned a lot and I also made some great friends, but I can't work for/with a company I don't trust.

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Sat May 02, 2009 8:02 am

I have just closed one of my two shops at CP, closed my photo shop its now only on Zazzle.... Very Happy

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Sat May 02, 2009 8:47 am

The Crew Designs wrote:: I have just closed one of my two shops at CP, closed my photo shop its now only on Zazzle....

I'm holding out till the 31st. I'm going to get every penny I can from CP! Cool

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Sat May 02, 2009 10:00 am

Same here. . .I'm going to reap as much as I am able to during the next month. . .

There was an interesting post on CP today regarding the 10%. . .it basically said that CP's Marketplace can now be looked upon as an Affiliate.

We used to pay Affiliates 20% of our markup of any sale made by them on our behalf.

Now, we can look at any sale made through the CP Marketplace (our newest AFFILIATE) on our behalf as costing us a "fee" that comes out as everything EXCEPT 10% of the final price paid by the customer for that item.

The BIG difference being that Affiliates didn't set the price for the items they promoted.

Somewhat MORE than we used to pay Affiliates, yes, but an interesting theory. . .

I am getting dizzy. . .pondering all of the ramifications. . .actually I should be continuing with my upload to Zazzle. . .let me get on with that. . . Very Happy

. . .too much thinking is bad for my balance. . .

Ann K.

Subject: Re: Who is closing their shop ? Sat May 02, 2009 10:02 am

Yeah I am keeping my T-Shirt shop on CP until the last minute to get every penny from them