Retired Items in Kit

[SusanSellsOrigamiOwl]

Originally Posted by Ktlynne4

Since they are retiring the hummingbird - I guess they are not getting more in! So if anyone has one I would love to buy it off you!!

They have a new colorful hummingbird. No worries!!!! I like it better.

[peaseinapod]

I'm looking for a Origami Owl Hummingbird (retired) do any designers have them?
If you have retired items it may end up being a great thing because many will be in demand.

[TammyTX]

I noticed most of the charms they are retiring ...are actually included in the new charms with a slight variation. There is a new hummingbird charm to replace the one they are retiring.

[littleshamrock]

It's already been said, but the retiring charms are sometimes the most requested! I personally like the all-silver palm tree and hummingbird better, but I do like the new ones. Your retired charms can be sold as cash and carry items, if you'd like. Also, use your catalogs as your "giveaway" books. I do A LOT of vendor shows, and although I usually have the most up to date book to hand out, I've noticed many other vendors only give away their older books. Like someone else said, attitude is everything. I have a girl on my team who was down to her last book, had already sold stuff from her smaller kit (so she was down to bare-bones) and sold $500+ at a show. Could she have sold more with more stock? Maybe. BUT, I think that she made do with what she had, and her enthusiasm sold everything for her. Keep your head up!

[AudreyAZO2]

I have quite a few old catalogs left too and definitely will not be throwing them out. I will use them at vendor events and to hand out to the people that I run into at restaurants, stores, etc. that ask me about the necklaces I'm wearing. Other than the kid charms, there are only 27 retired charms of over 130. I have just put a pink mark through the retired charms and added a note in the front that these are retired and available on a very limited basis and to contact me immediately if they're interested in one of these before they are gone forever. When they contact me about one that is no longer available, such as the hummingbird, I talk up the replacement, etc.

I love the suggestion of putting a sticker on the front that says "Ask me about our new Spring/Summer Catalog. Call me..., email me...etc.". I've also put together a double sided single page document with the new items and slipped inside my old catalogs.

I couldn't agree more on the retired charms as well. I've had a couple people contact me already about charms they've heard are retiring and ask if they can get them before they are gone. Charms I have left over that are retired - I will use them as hostess gifts and promote as "special" - a retired, no longer available charm - just for her. Especially nice if you can tie it to your hostess's special interest - ie, a pink running shoe for a runner or fitness fanatic, or a red key heart...tie it to something like the hostess is the key to our business and we love our hostesses. Something like that - just get creative.

Things like this can happen even when you plan ahead. I ordered 50 catalogs in March just before the announcement (even though I'd heard the rumor of a new one) for an event that was supposed to have 500+ attendees. I should have gone through all of my catalogs, but due to weather then turn out was less than half and I had a lot of catalogs left over. It's one of those downsides of being in business for yourself. Unforeseen things happen.

It's all about attitude and how you turn a setback into a success. I don't think the company intended to "scam" anyone. I would suggest calling Designer Care (maybe in a week or two) and discussing this with them - maybe there is a chance they'll replace some of the old one you just got in your kit with new catalogs? You don't know if you don't ask - right?

Just my two-cents worth and some suggestions that might help.