seriously. what do i do?

[arimacias]

so this the deal.

steph pretty much nailed my thoughts here:

steph's stuff: Paper vs. Digi Scrapping

i am tempted to chuck all the paper stuff and start over with digital. i really need to make my mind up because hybrid is just not for me. there has to be a line for me somewhere. ugh.

sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

[DesignerDigitals]

If you search the forum this comes up all the time. Short answer: garage sale on your paper supplies.

[twirlerzmom]

I was never satisfied with my paper layouts thats why I love digi now. I can redo to my hearts content (which I do waaaaaay too much of)! I have TONS of paper supplies-I actually owned an online scrapbook store and have all my inventory left when I closed it......all sitting in my basement

[arimacias]

Originally Posted by Randy Pertiet

If you search the forum this comes up all the time. Short answer: garage sale on your paper supplies.

LOL randy!!!! i am seriously thinking about it

[Steph]

Originally Posted by arimacias

so this the deal.

steph pretty much nailed my thoughts here:

steph's stuff: Paper vs. Digi Scrapping

i am tempted to chuck all the paper stuff and start over with digital. i really need to make my mind up because hybrid is just not for me. there has to be a line for me somewhere. ugh.

sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

LOL! I know EXACTLY how you feel!!!

Randy is right.

Here's what I did.

I used to design for several manufacturers in the paper industry, as well as an adhesive manufacturer. Plus, I was also a regular contributor to several of the scrapping mags and worked on lots of idea books. I got partially paid for all of those gigs in product. The amount of paper product I had was staggering!!!!!

Two years ago, I had a scrapping only garage sale - spent $55 advertising it in the paper - and put up about half of my product for sale. I made $700 and sold out in 4 hours.

This past summer/fall, I gave up my last job in the paper industry. I had another garage sale. This time I only kept my trimmers; white, black, kraft & red cardstock; 7 of my punches; pen; 10 stamp sets; about 2 inches of patterned paper; and three drawers of embellishments. I sold everything else. I made another $600.

So, the only supplies I have left are what's listed above. And I'm happy with that. It still gives me way more than enough supplies to scrap with again if I feel like it (you read my blog so you can see that it's not very often ) but it's not too much that I feel guilty or pressured for not using it.

I have another blog post coming tomorrow on this subject, too - explaining more about my decision.

And then I spend all my spare time at DD and scrap my heart out with DD products.

[Steph]

Oh, and in the alternative, if you don't have enough for a garage sale or can't get rid of it, take most of it to your local childrens' hospital - it will be doing a good deed and you'll feel great about it.

[echogirl]

Originally Posted by Randy Pertiet

If you search the forum this comes up all the time. Short answer: garage sale on your paper supplies.

OMG Randy so funny and true!

Good luck with your decision. I adore paper but I adore adore adore digiscrapping even more!

[arimacias]

steph...thanxs for the reply and everyone else
i am thinking that a good idea will be to keep the things i know i will use. i have a cricut with scal software so i think i will get rid of my stash of letter stickers and chipboard. i have a box of rub-ons i never use...that will go too.
my sizzix machine and all the dies are going also, along with the punches i never use. i gave a close friend a bag full of supplies that included most of my little thingies in ziplocs. i LOVED letting go of that stuff.
my oval and circle cutters will be going too
i am well on my way for my goal to minimize this year...but i have to finalize before i move on. it is exciting to have new goals.

[DonnaNJ]

I had the same problem when I started in October.. I never really liked paper so when I found digital I instantly fell in love.. I sold a lot of my supplies, albums, tools on Ebay.. wound up with enough money to buy myself a Mac :-) You can even sell paper... I put them up in lots.. like 'two inch thick stack of red 12x12 paper' everything sold !!

[DonnaNJ]

Oh almost forgot the best part... once I got rid of everything I absolutely loved my nice clean organized office/craft area :-)

[rj77]

When my son was born (9years ago), I didn't scrapbook forever because it took me SO long to get pages done, then I was always frustrated with the finished product and wanted to switch something. So I started making cards. That became my creative outlet. Totally frivolous for me, because I don't really send cards ever. My mom does, so she gets most of them. Then I found digital scrapbooking and fell in love. Seriously, I love everything about it. And I was laughing last night telling my husband if I'd never started making cards, I would never buy cardstock again. Just digital supplies. I still love cards, too, and 3-D projects. So I do those. But my scrapping is all digital, and I love it that way!

[whatnext]

there's no comparison to my productivity, paper vs. digi. i can do things that i used to ony be able to see in my head. (i call it "painting with Anna Aspnes hand...") and doing a page doesn't require getting stuff out and putting stuff away (...or not.) digi scrapping is an amazement. just as long as you remember to print out your pages and back everything up!

[tdickerson]

I sold most of my stuff at a yard sale but didn't get very much out of it. I am currently selling my Quickutz supplies on ebay now and could literally get NEVER go back. It is so much more convenient! Especially with multiple children it just makes sense to go digital. Clean it all out...you won't regret it!

[ValerieP]

I didnt even have to have a garage sale! I told a couple of people and I was 400 richer with a whole lot less clutter!

[Crystal]

I have never in my life done paper scrapping, but I know so many who used to and now looove just being digital. I know lots that have sold their old supplies on ebay as well.

[kaleidoscope]

I read this and thought.... you're asking on a digital board, what do you think the opinions will be? LOL

I finally sat down and worked on my paper scrapping yesterday. Digi scrapping just isn't convenient for me because I don't have my own computer and it's been really frustrating that dh has been needing it so much lately.

[angie wags]

I definitely want to make time to clean out my paper supplies this spring. I love Steph's idea of a scrapping only garage sale. Can any of you give me ideas on how to price my stuff?

[Shannamay]

All my pages are digital - but I love to get all gluey sometimes - so I keep enough stuff to do little mini albums for gifts. I need to get a better printer before I can have a go at some hybrid - it looks like fun too!

[maureenreynolds]

Donna, thanks for posting. I remembered that one person bought a Mac with her profits but couldn't recall who it was. Then I wondered if I had been dreaming about it?!?!?

For those with small supplies, or who don't want to bother with a sale, Steph was right about hospitals and Boys and Girls clubs. With so many of our schools facing cuts, I'm sure that there are art teachers and classroom teachers who'd love free art supplies. Look at what 2nd graders in LA do with donated supplies 2nd Grade VISUAL JOURNALS And for you? a tax deduction in addition to knowing you helped ecourage children to dream and hope through creativity.

[anxela]

I gave most of my stuff to the kindergarten my daughter was in last year. Didn't really have much either. I wasn't doing paper long enough. I loved the thought of paper scrapping, but digital turned out to be more convenient. Less mess, less expensive, and productivity about quadrupled... I still have a silhouette though, and I'm debating whether to keep it (for my kids' school projects one day) or not. I'm leaning towards selling it on ebay.

[DonnaNJ]

Originally Posted by maureenreynolds

Donna, thanks for posting. I remembered that one person bought a Mac with her profits but couldn't recall who it was. Then I wondered if I had been dreaming about it?!?!?

For those with small supplies, or who don't want to bother with a sale, Steph was right about hospitals and Boys and Girls clubs. With so many of our schools facing cuts, I'm sure that there are art teachers and classroom teachers who'd love free art supplies. Look at what 2nd graders in LA do with donated supplies 2nd Grade VISUAL JOURNALS And for you? a tax deduction in addition to knowing you helped ecourage children to dream and hope through creativity.

You are very welcome Maureen :-) I should clarify that I was at one time a Creative Memories consultant and before I left there I bought a bunch of stuff for my personal supply. When I started getting rid of the stuff, I had about two dozen brand new unopened 12 x 12 albums, etc. which garnered a pretty penny on ebay. I sold all unopened stuff on ebay and some stacks of paper, etc... the odds and ends I had left over went to a local nursery school. So I imagine most people won't make quite as much as I did but if you have enough stuff you can make at least a few hundred dollars.. and just think how many digi supplies that will pay for at the next quarterly sale
:-)

[Jen D]

I made a grip of money selling my paper supplies... and bought new camera equipment! Never had a second thought!!!

[Steph]

Originally Posted by angie wags

I definitely want to make time to clean out my paper supplies this spring. I love Steph's idea of a scrapping only garage sale. Can any of you give me ideas on how to price my stuff?

Angie - here's some of my prices from the sale where I sold out in 4 hours. The second one I had took two days to make the same amount of money and I think it's because I got greedy and raised the prices a bit. If I had to do it again, I would go back to this general pricing scheme.

Cardstock = 10 cents/sheet
Patterned paper = 10 cents/sheet
Acrylic stamp sets = $5 - $12 depending on size and condition
Rubber stamps = $1 - $2/each
Unopened embellishments = $1/package
Unopened alphas = $1/sheet
Trimmers = $5/each
Adhesive = $1/box
Ribbon = $1/roll or package
Magazines = 50 cents/mag
Idea Books = $1/book

I also made up my own kits - putting ribbons in baggies based on color, making kits that included cardstock, patterned paper, alphas, & embellies either based on theme or color. I put loose embellishments, brads, buttons, etc... into baggies, too, based on color or theme.

Ribbon = $1/baggie (stuffed full)
Kit = $5-$7 depending on how much in it
Opened embellishments = 50 cents/package
Partially used alphas = 50 cents/sheet
Buttons = $1/baggie (half-full)
Brads = $1/baggie (quarter-full)

[iUma]

Having spent the weekend completely rearranging my "playroom" I am so ready for this idea. Steph, one question about your all scrap sale....where did you actually have it? In a garage? I'm trying to work through setting it all up and giving people access while still controlling things! I don't really HAVE such a garage space so maybe I'll wait till spring. I have a fair collection of Sizzix stuff so will probably go to ebay for that. I wish I had a reasonable explanation (like working for somebody) for why I have so much stuff.

[arimacias]

i am lucky that i found one person to buy my stuff and i can roll it to her house i am in the process right now.
what i kept:
1 wire file of pattern paper. if i need anything else i can find it @ m's or whatever
1 box of cardstock because it is basic.
i also bought a pack of iris shoeboxes @costco yesterday.
whatever does not fit in those it OUT!
one box with ink.
one box with punches
one box with supplies to scrap like adhesives, tools etc.
one box with stamps (only keeping the ones i LOVE)
one box with pictures i am scanning.
i also made a clean sweep of the girls art supplies last night. ACK!
i am selling ALL my letter stickers (i have a cricut with scal)
sizzix with ALL dies( i have a cricut with scal)
a cropper hopper box full of scissors, cutting things, oval cutter etc.
and a crapload of stamps.
i am sooooo tired

[Steph]

I had my garage sale in my garage. I put the tables in a row straight across the middle of the garage so no one had access to the rest of my garage or the entrance into my house. I then sat at a table right beside the garage so I could be very close to the products and could keep an eye on things. Everyone had to walk past me to get in and out of the garage.

[iUma]

Thanks. Can I come to your garage?!? Just kidding. Will look to do this in the spring. Thank you for sharing all this great information.

[Steph]

Originally Posted by iUma

Thanks. Can I come to your garage?!? Just kidding. Will look to do this in the spring. Thank you for sharing all this great information.

Better yet - let's meet up this summer and have a margarita on the beach!!!!

[angie wags]

Thanks for the info, Steph!