Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Maria
Garnet is such a lovely colour, my bears will be a multicolour/style, but mostly paler bears so hence the midnight blue, HOW much?? The price when I went in August was a huge range from £25 all the way up to £300 for some retired steiffs, the artist one seem to go to £100-£125, so I suppose I will somewhere in the middle. I had thought of sweeties, I have a cracking Chocolate fudge recipe, homemade and small

Donna
Priceless as only a 4 year old can be :hug:

Kathy and Gail
I wish you all the luck in the world and it's nice to know I am not alone

Can we post photos on here, there does seem to be a lack of UK shows seen, so thought it would be good promo for shows in the UK???

RUTH
-you are so much more organised than me, you have bags already wow. I had wanted to do the TBAE but as I am so new, thought I would just end up hiding/crying in a corner, I checked the fair I am doing out in August and felt that I could go in and not feel uncomfortable

MARIA
-crushed velvet, you star, what colour though??? Midnight Blue???

PATSY
-Hat boxes, we have a shop near here and they do hat shaped boxes that go from really tiny to very big, at reasonable prices so I can cover and stack and stack some more

LAURIE
-I nearly went to that show, in Norwich, as a visitor but 2 shows in about 3 weeks was a bit too much for hubby :crackup: . I decided on the NOTTINGHAM BEAR FAIR, its quite small and it seemed very nice. I don't know if there are any TT'rs, Maria who runs it is very nice and hardly charges anything. :hug:

YVONNE
-Flyers and cards, great one, will have to start on those know. Give me a calculator any day Are there any logos that I can put on my flyers, was thinking TT and Bid4Bears, are you allowed

CLARE
-Thank you for putting it into perspective, you are going to be soooooooooooooo busy, hope your due date is not at the same time, punishment or what, you have my admiration

PAULA
-  :crackup:  :crackup:  :crackup: I know were the loo's are, checked the out terrain back in August, as well as loo's, the competition, the layout, idea of prices, style of bears, who was selling the most.............oh dear that sounds so mercenary....................not meant that way, just did not want to turn up and end up with egg on my face, cos I was not good enough....on quality. Table cloth :crackup: your bears would look good on sack cloth and ashes :hug:

I think its just worrying about it all in one go, pricing has me a bit stumped, I don't want to make them too high and not sell anything but on the other hand I don't want to be too cheap either. Any ideas, the bears will be 8 inches to about 20 (He has no head yet so can't quite tell how big he will be -the headless FenBear-bless)

Hi guys, I spent this last weekend in a panic
I have just signed up for my first bear fair on Easter Monday, and any advice would be really welcome at this point
I am a bit slow and it's only 7 weeks away, I seem to cut and sew quite quickly but tend to dither over the finishing, I think it's because I am still very unsure of myself. I get so worried about ruining the bear at this point
Not to mention all the other non-beary things to think of......................table presentation, bags for the bears etc
Any hints will be warmly welcome :hug:
PS pricing, how many to take

I use freewebs, I have never done this before and found it quite straight forward, it costs nothing, so give it a try :dance:

This ones for Chloe, you are right in thinking students are treated differently, I think you should call the Inland Revenue to check with them. Normally if you are an employee and a student you just sign a form to declare this.

The tax year in the UK runs from 6th April 2007 to 5th April 2008, so any income in that period should be declared and expenses incurred deducted in this time also, taking into account stock left at the end of the year

PS HUGE congrats on the your sale, I watch with fingers crossed, way to go G-Town Girl

Nancy & Marion       Just joined, now have to finish a bear to list.
I am going to look at linking next week, not too hot on the website thing yet and it does takes me ages
Plus I have just signed for my first bear fair, at Easter I make about 1/2 bear a week so double  

Nancy, you are so right. :hug:
My promise to you, is to read up on how to list etc join, and list regular. I will also add info about B4B on my website.
I am only new and my bears do not have mass appeal (YET!!!) but like you said if more of us listed??? who knows.
Please don't shout at me, I know that lots of you do list, but I am sure there are many like me who don't or have not got round to it yet :redface:  :redface:  :redface:
Many Hugs Nancy

Saw it on the news last night, this is just wonderful :clap:  :clap:

Sorry everyone I have to agree with Jenny, my feedback is 100%, it is something that worries me everytime I buy or sell, Is this going to be the one time I encounter a bad seller or buyer and they leave me bad feedback.
There have been times when I have wanted to leave negative but haven't for fear of reprisal so I leave positive but choose my wording carefully, the star rating system (ie postage costs, time taken, accuracy etc)I do like and find very useful
From a seller point though could they not devise a similar system to allow sellers to rate the buyer (anonomously)on a scale of say 1 to 10, then at least other sellers would know that that buyer was not the best etc
Just my little thoughts

OMG, get in touch with them, a couple in the UK lost their ticket and did not know that if they told the lottery the date, place and time of purchase they could claim, they left it too late by a few days and lost the lot.
             
GOOD LUCK, will be rooting for ya

Hi Kim, car boots are a bit hit and miss, you need to check your prices first. I had a loads that I sold at car boots and the moral is seller beware, the dealers will pick up the older or more exclusive ones at rock bottom prices.
I decided to hold on to mine (the bears anyway), I have alot of pre-1998 ish ones and I think they will eventually improve in value, this was prior to ty selling the company, the new company then flooded the market which I think in turn made the bottom drop out of it.
check outwww.cheshirebears.co.ukthis will give you an idea of the value, I am not saying you will get this on ebay or at a carboot but it will give you some idea of ranking. i.e. britannia (sewn flag) is worth twice the patch britannia etc

PS I gave up car boots last year partly due to headaches but also the type of customers that went to the one we went to expected most things fo pennies and became insulting when you did not comply

I collect them, the older ones are worth more, although the market is really depressed with them and has been for some years. Some of the more desirable ones would be worth getting authenticate by
www.pbbags.co.uk
as that does increase the amount they sell for.
By the looks of the photo I think I have most, but I will keep an eye on ebay for any that I don't have, thanks for the tip :hug:

:hug: to you, I have been large all my life and found that it is not only the young that can be very rude, ignorant people come in all shapes and sizes.

Years ago I wanted to do a degree, I approached the local careers advice centre with 2 yrs old in tow, after telling her what I was interested in , she took several minutes extolling the virtues of my age of 26, due to the fact that I could gain entry to uni via mature student root, I was assured that the fact I had no qualifications did not matter as I was over 25. I kept quiet, I am used to this type of treatment and thanked her for the info, she then had to fill in a form for her superior stating the advice she had given. the second question was at what age did you leave school......................"19" I replied, followed by ........."Go on ask me, I dare you", very red faced she then asked if I had any qualifications?
I am sure she never made that mistake in her life again.

As for your own children, I am sure they will be fine, cos they have a mom that cares, I too worried that our daughter would get involved with the wrong crowd, she hasn't.

Anyway, the next time, or if it happens agian, just smile in the knowledge that you are a very talented lady (I so love your bears )You have more talent in your little finger than all of them put together :hug:

:crackup:  :crackup: Probably cos I am doing it all wrong :crackup:  :crackup: I was hitting the quotes on my own blank post???!!!!duh??, thanks alot :hug:

Laura, I laughed so much I nearly fell off my chair :crackup: I had this vision of a bottom in the air, deep in a cupboard :crackup:

PS HOW do you do quotes, it keeps telling me off :whistle:

PPS Michelle, your piccies are loads better than my indoor ones hope she does well :hug:

Hi guys, I always think I am sad to relist again and sometimes again, but after about a day, with no listings, I feel a bit fed up and really miss checking my listings (is this addictive as well???)

I have checked my ones that did not sell and I have felt that my piccies were a bit off, so I have tried to improve them, I also have a hard time setting prices. I am paranoid that my bears are not as good as others on ebay Your bears look great, I think maybe it's just the time of year.
Ebay can be very hit and miss from what I have read, I think it will be down to personal choice...............I must admit, I don't know how many times I have had something in my watching that I know I really need/want but am just a few pounds short, the listing then ends and I have prayed that the lister will relist the item in a few days when I know that I will have a few extra pounds

Use away Karen, I thought, for me, it was the simplest, although changing the piccie on the book margin was a bit of a prob, it was all to do with size. I think they have update this feature just before xmas
 

Hi, Karen I use freewebs and found it ok, although I have not done anything fancy, like uploading logo's etc, the only real prob I have is when I upload a photo, I have to close freewebs and open it again before the piccie appears?? :hug:

Hi Gemma, I think a while back, there is a post, I know Jenny and a few other had a prob, the clever things did sort it though.
I list via auctivia and didn't have a zip code prob, although my last listing via .UK, took ages to appear on US, not sure why though.
Good luck

Thank you Paula for the compliment, you are too kind :hug:

You are also the bearer of very sound advice yourself :hug: , I do my accounts just like you but on a spreadsheet, I do have an expensive sage-like package I could use but, at the moment, my business is too small. The tax tracker certainly sounds great.

I also agree, the taxman will find out, they are notorious for it, but they do tend to be kinder to those that come forward and confess, so to speak, or so I am led to believe.
Here's another little tip

Unusual expenses- credit card interest

The dreaded credit card, a must some will say. If you are an angel and pay your balance every month then this is not for you. If not the read on.

If like me you muddle along, occasionally you have to use the dreaded credit card. Just recently I found that there was a mohair sale right before xmas. I couldn't afford it right this minute but did not want to miss out, so I decide to use my visa. Now if I do not pay the balance, I will be charged interest. Is this claimable as an expens? Yes, but it is can be really difficult to calculate which portion of interest just belongs to the mohair, so for me the best way was to assign one small credit card to my bear making :crackup: , I decided not to put anything householdy or beautywise on that card, so all the interest incurred can be claimed, as it all be for bear making (NB payment protection is not tax deductable), as long as, only the interest on the bear making/ tools/equipment etc is claimed, then I am ok (that is why I decided to have a separate card just for bear making)
Please do not think that I am encouraging credit card use but we have all been at a fair and seen those gorgeous stands, with their seductive alpaca's and we have all reached for the visa. By keeping a card just for bear making, it keeps it separate, simple and easy, controlable. Hope that makes sense lunch time you know

:pray: Please, I do hope I am not teaching grannies to suck eggs, if I am, I am truely sorry

Daphne, I didn't want to push the accountant thingy, but well done you, if anything a good accountant will give you a good nights sleep :hug: Most will explain what you need to do to keep their bill down, ie how to keep your records,  if they don't then maybe they are not right for you, that doesn't mean that accountants will be funny if you just turn up with a tesco/wallmart carrier bag (those clients are my speciality) but you will pay more

Judi, I'm not sure about the US but in the UK, claiming for electric etc is a very grey area, certainly if you have a workroom that is solely for bear making then a small proprtion can be claimed, I would stop short of claiming any thing like proportions of council tax etc, if you just have a corner of a room and make bears watching the tv, as I do, I don't claim electric, this is because, the room would be lit, heated etc wether I was making bears or not, hope that makes sense

Marilyn........Don't panic, if you have 5 years worth of details, I really do think an accountant would be the best, you don't say wether it is your only job, if it is then your personal allowance each year probably will have been enough to cover any profit made, in cases like this I really do think an accountant would be best to advise you on what to do with the past years, you probably will have to submit tax returns for those past years. If you would like I can PM you a copy of my spread which will show you how to put expenses into catagories etc, as for starting 6th April 2007 is the start of the current tax year to 5th April 2008

Choosing an Accountant, can be very tricky, like builders there are dodgy ones about, and often you don't know they are not good enough till the taxman comes knocking. So here are a few tips
1 Ask around, whose happy with whom, different people get on with different accountants
2 Make a short list of 3, like builders getting 3 quotes is essential, then make appointmants with all of them
3 Take a years worth of receipts with you, that way an accountant can see how much work is invovled
4 Don't be put off if they can only give you an estimate, it is very difficult to guess how much it is going to cost
5 Ask how you can help yourself, if they are helpful, then they have your best interests at heart
6 GUT INSTINCT, the most important, do you feel comfortable, are they making you feel at ease

Hope some of this helps :hug:

Oh Paula what a timely post
Like Claire, I am a book-keeper/account assistant, hope you don't mind I thought your comment to help with this aspect was spot on, so here are my little dittys, so to speak

The best phrase for accounts is "wholey and solely", if you can say something is wholey and solely for bear making then it is an expense, i.e. material, threads, stuffing, packaging, website fees, etc. If your answer is no it is for general use as well then a proportion of it can be put down a a business expense.
For example, I need a new camera, I have one already but it is not good enough, so for me the camera is being bought, wholey and solely for the business. Now if my computor broke and I was buying a new one, it would not be wholey and soley for the bears, hubby would surf ebay for motorbikes etc daughter would bebo her friends when she could get me off it and I would use it for bears, shopping, surfing, household finances etc, the percentage of time the computor was in use would be :hubby 5%, daughter 10%, ME 85% of which shopping 30% surfing 15%, household finances 5% and the rest 35% bears. Total of 100% but only 35% to bears so 35%of the cost of the new computor could be a bear business expense. Hope that makes sense :dance:

As for keeping records, the simpler the better, I keep mine on a simple spreadsheet, with a sales page, purchases page, stock page and finally made bears section, the more accurate records are the easier and cheaper it is, most small businesses incur bigger accountancy bills because the addition is wrong, it may the simplest thing to do but it is also the hardest to get right.

If anyone wants any help with spreadsheets etc I would be willing, but I don't want to step on toes

One final thing, if you have a paid paye job (ie you are an employee), don't forget to enter that onto your tax return, if you make a loss this can be offset against tax paid in your 9to5 day jobs (a £700 loss is about a £100 tax rebate..............yummy, legitamite mohair buying )

Hope this helps Sue x

Spent today with artist pad and pencil...............................I will make a really old style head :dance:

No, I still not sure what has happened, prior to christmas if I listed on ebay UK with separete postage  for US then it would appear on ebay.com

So who knows, just wondered if anyone had the same problem :hug:

Have I missed an announcement, I have checked my listings on .com this morning and they are missing. Only the one listed on .com is there, those listed in UK with specified postage to US are not on .com. They all appear on UK ebay and even the one listed in the US is on UK ebay but not the other way round.

Confused......very :hug: