Oh ok. I was wondering why I couldn’t see what everyone was taking abut!!
Not sure what this all means for the future of BB as well as its reborn community. It has been a very challenging few years with this pandemic and businesses. I hear a lot of ups and downs on both sides of this. But whats most important is that this community forum future hangs in the balance. (Strong opinions on both agreements) Yes companies struggled to remain open and dealt with poor manufacturing and customers being happy/unhappy. But Just like consumers want quality for the cost, and To have affordable deals since they might have reduced work hours, or no work at one point. We all had struggles along this journey. Im not really sure what BB intentions are, but as one of the low end forum members it sounds like I’ll be pushed out. Between BB changing how they operate and Amazon and other sites loaded with “cheap” reborns and its then there’s the very talented artist (that clearly have full confidence in there sales) People like me don’t have any other options, other than to leave. Its all just really sad. I’ve been on this forum more than anything else. There’s no other forum that I known of. All I’m saying is that everyone should be understanding of each other’s opinions and fears. Were all in this together. !! Just have to wait and see what happens. And if I have to sell my stuff, I’ll miss all of yah. !!!
Well I am not trying to be rude. I am not saying I don’t support the business. I always have and I go back to the days when they brought out one of their first kits. I have stuck with them through accusations, ups and downs etc. I am just saying that it feels hurtful to be told that I cannot ever take advantage of a sale price on anything again unless I get a resellers license/certificate. It is more than just getting the certificate. My whole point in all this is that I do not feel my sales are enough to go down that road with keeping up with all that is required for that. I am not boycotting BB or saying I will never shop here. I don’t just buy things here now that are on sale. However, I would say 75% of the time I try to wait for sales for things I stock up on like bodies, lashes, eyes, etc. I don’t stock up on their kits so that is not even an issue for me. I have 2 BB kits in my 4 tubs of kits right now. The rest are higher priced kits. I am just saying that when it comes time to buy something like bodies, lashes, or eyes I will be looking to get them on sale if I can and if that means I can never get a sale item here then I will be going to get them elsewhere. So on my end I feel a little pushed out because I am not in the reseller category. I think this has caused a quick response for many of us because it has come across as if some will be shoved out. After thinking it through though I realize I just need to watch and see how it all works out because I really do not know. So if I have offended BB or anyone else here with my talking through my initial feelings about this then I apologize. I am a very verbal person who just needs to talk things through. You will all be happy to know I am done now.
I agreed with your post and didn’t think you were being rude.
Bountiful Baby deserves to get full pay for their kits without some making them feel that they won’t have a business if they don’t cater to those that only buy with a sale/discount. These same people wouldn’t dare message Bonnie Brown or Laura Lee Eagles and demand them to give a discount because they can’t afford their kits or they only do this as a hobby. They will pay a little more for the other supplies/materials needed beyond the kit. Why do so many think it’s OK to be so rude to BB? It’s not only here, but on the FB pages, too. It’s a form of bullying and from grown people, too. Basically, what has been said is that they will no longer buy from BB, that this will force people to illegally buy fake kits, and a lot of other garbage in hopes that BB will rethink doing what is best for them financially. If you don’t think that is bullying, then what is? It’s turned into a mob-like behavior with all shouting, “Who’s with me?!” Most of what is in this post isn’t about innocent opinions and I’m not going to respect someone’s whiny rant.
I dont think voicing our opinions is rude. We hwve stuck by BB during the factory paint issue. During increases in over all prices. And so much more.
Why is it rude of us to be upset that we will now be excluded from coupons and sales if we are just hobby artists?
Thats a justified reason to be upset. Imo
Also stating the fact that this will push some people to buy knockoffs isnt an attadk on BB. Its just the truth. I would never buy a knockoff personally. But we all know im right that people absolutely will go that route for a cheaper BB kit.
Announcement could have been handled better…saying that only people with business license would have access to sales was a little bit of “rubbing your nose in it”…IMO.
I dont buy much from BB so it really doesnt affect me either way…but i know alot of people appreciate the sales as it gives them an opportunity to participate in an expensive art they otherwise couldn’t afford.
I still think bottom line is that they think its going to make it easier for them not to have to report sales taxes.
Thats exactly how i felt reading it. Rubbing my nose in it. And that makes me upset. Do they owe us sales? No. But without artists buying and new artists coming in. BB is nothing.
A little consideration for the people who purchased from them for many years like myself and so many orhers. Doesnt seem like too much to ask for.
And what is so terrible about alleviating some of the accounting aspect of a business? Didn’t one state they wouldn’t do Amazon because of the selling criteria?
No…i said we DO sell on amazon…THEY take care of all the taxes…they report all FBA sales tax for every state…I dont have to do anything for sales taxes on Amazon sales.
Which is WHY Im not wild about a website bc that responsibility would then be mine .
I dont like selling on Amazon bc their fees are horrible. They now take $7 out of a $10 sale.
I dont care if BB wants less responsibility as far as keeping track of sales taxes…that is their perogative…i think maybe they have gotten in over their head and now want their little mom n pop business back.
All the problems with China and their defects in kits havent helped any either.
I am a bit of an outsider here, as even their kits on sale are the same price as a sculpted one (with shipping, taxes and custom fees) so it’s not an incitative for me.
What I have seen lately was confusing to me from a business point of view (I have been in retail business for many years). Doing sales is good when : you have an overstock, you want to bring new customers in, or you need a fast cash flow. And usually, the last one, you keep it to yourself.
You only put some products on sale, on a rotation maybe, not all the store, except for some occasions like black Friday for exemple.
Doing sales all the time on almost all your products is not good. Customers get used to the sale price and expect it.
If you are in trouble financially, you will be selling a bit more but for less profit. Having only a few items on discount is often enough to bring customers in and often they will also buy your other stuff at regular price.
BB always have some kits on discount. But lately, it’s almost all their kits at 50, 60 %and more.
Now people are reluctant to get any kit at regular price because 1- the perception value is diminished, 2-they know they will get it on sale soon enough.
I am not a marketing genius but I think they have shoot themselves in the foot and did not choose the right strategy.
Now with that said, I will continue buying from them like usual, as I don’t buy kits often anyway, mostly fabric and joints.
And for all of the people complaining about the prices, you don’t know how lucky you are to get those supplies and kits for such a cheap price (even without discount) ! Your 70$ kit plus 10$ shipping cost me 140$ cad…
I am a very part-time hobbyist seller, with a special needs son that I homeschool/summer school and have limited time to paint, and I maybe sell a few dolls a year, if that. Been a year since I sold a completed doll. It’s enough that now I have to be an IRS-taxed business on what little I may bring in, but I’m sure not in need of a business license of any kind that I’m aware of. Seems things just keep going downhill for our hobby.
Fair points @cajuncuties. This has been a rough few years. Everyone is just doing what they feel they need to do.
It was me who quit selling on Amazon years ago. There were different tax rules depending on where you were located. My inventory was located in Amazon warehouses throughout the country. I had no control over which ones and didn’t even know what shipped to the customer from which warehouse… But I was supposed to figure out how much each state wanted, collect it, then fill out paperwork to submit the tax money to each state. Or something along these lines.
Smaller sellers were already getting squeezed by having to compete with Chinese factories. That combined with high Amazon fees and who could afford an accountant?
Maybe things have changed now, I’m not really sure.
