:: mine all mine ::

sometimes things happen. and sometimes they weren't the things that were supposed to happen. but sometimes, even then, you're so glad.

a few weeks ago, back in early august i guess, it was looking like i was about to get a pretty serious slew of wholesale orders for my 2012 illustrated desk calendar. and i was excited and nervous. i had shops around the country telling me they wanted to order.

and then none. of the orders. came in. not one single order. not even the one from kate's paperie, which i'll admit, i was pretty excited about. and i followed up with everyone, and everyone told me not right now (for various reasons).

but the really surprising thing was that i was kind of relieved. in fact, i was actually glad. because pricing those puppies for wholesale was soul-sucking. pricing them to cover their costs and my time making them, and then knowing that i'd have to sell them in my shop for TWICE that in order not to undercut the stores that would be doing the same? it sucked. i hated it. i didn't even include any profit for myself beyond paying me for my time.

worse, i did not like their price, but i knew that the only way to reduce the price would be to print them in some crappier way or to outsource the printing altogether or to stop using the ridiculously awesome stands i had made for them from honest-to-god reclaimed-from-the-actual-sign-shop-garbage polystyrene by an excellent woman in baltimore.

and i liked those ideas even LESS than the idea of pricing high, so i priced high.

and when none of those wholesale orders came in, i did a little internal rejoicing. i somehow feel a bit like the calendars are mine again. having them out in shops means i can't change them or their price. it feels like not really owning them.

i'm surprised to feel that way, and not surprised at the same time.

but the best news of all is my news for you: my illustrated desk calendars just got a lot more affordable (and more profitable for me all at the same time!) for just the same exact amount of awesomeness. so yay for that.