If you live near an Archiver’s store, then you likely know that the national scrapbooking chain is going out of business very soon. Where I live we are fortunate to have other scrapbooking stores where you can pick up supplies, but I still am sorry about the 12 friendly people who will lose their jobs and the store’s loss itself. On the other hand, this is a very good time, if you are a scrapbooker or paper crafter, to pick up products and fixtures at reduced prices.
John and I have visited the local Archiver’s store several times in the last couple of weeks, each time with a specific goal in mind. Honestly, I do have a lot of paper already on hand, as well as quite a few paper crafting tools, so you might wonder what else I need. But the nature of paper crafting is such that it takes up as much space as you allow. I feel as if I am forever organizing and re-organizing my supplies. As John walked through the store a couple of days ago, he pointed out that it would be a lot easier to store my paper in open acrylic trays than in the lidded boxes I currently use. The lidded boxes can then be used to store finished products, or for supplies and tools that have not yet found a home. Good idea, I thought, so here are the acrylic trays he purchased for me, stacked in the living room at the moment because I have to move things from Point A to Point B in my studio (spare bedroom) before I can fill them up. They were two-thirds the price of the same ones you can purchase online at Scrapbook.com, without the disadvantage of also paying for shipping. The price I got matches the one offered by the manufacturer, Display Dynamics, but without a minimum order requirement or added shipping costs.
Today I visited Archiver’s to see what I could find in the way of envelopes. I like to use them to make books, so really just about any size works for me. As I was passing a table filled with used items, I looked beneath it and saw a cardboard box brimming with envelopes. The envelopes weren’t marked with any prices, so I asked what the cost would be for the entire box. Five dollars was the welcome answer I got, and you can bet I snapped up that bargain. Apparently these were envelopes that were supposed to accompany sample cards put up for display in the store. Whatever they were originally intended for, they will become book pages in the future! I was really pleased with this bargain.
One of my goals this year is to shop more carefully for paper crafting supplies. It is convenient, of course, to use local retail stores, but not always the most economical way to shop. What is one of the best bargains you’ve discovered for your crafting business?
© 2014 Judy Nolan. All rights reserved.
Great bargains!! Those acrylic trays will be SO useful– everything organized and still visible and accessible.
One of my best bargains for my Etsy shop has been buying InsulBright heat-resistant batting (used in my oven mitts) by the bolt from Create for Less. If I buy 2 bolts, I not only get the wholesale price, but free shipping (which is a HUGE savings on such bulky items). It’s a 40 to 60% savings over buying it a local big box craft stores or quilt shops—and the quality is much better than the big box store product. (Quilt shops carry the higher quality item.)
Wow, great buys! Those shelves will be SO nice. And great bargain on all those envelopes! I wish we had an Archiver’s closer! Sad to hear they are closing though.
The clear trays were a great find! I love to be able to see everything at a glance instead of rummaging through closed boxes! Good for hubby to find them for you! And congrats on the super envelope buy!