Late Summer News 2022

 Greetings!  I have not blogged in awhile.  Most of us endured a very hot Summer.  A lot of the country is impacted by drought conditions. We have been dealing with a lot of upsetting news from the Supreme Court.  I hope that all of you will help to get the vote out this November!

Now on to the news.

I am currently deciding on whether to continue to sell on Etsy or not.  Etsy recently deleted one of my kippah listings (not because it is a licensed team)--the Milwaukee Bucks.  They claim that the term "Bucks" and the picture of a Buck on the fabric aka kippah, goes against their policies.

Well, frankly, this sent me to the moon!  My etsy shop is currenly on vacation mode.  My web site, tuffbags.com is wide open!  I have had a web site long before Etsy was even a thought.

Etsy has instituted many controversial policies as of late that are very bad for sellers.

Etsy has forced my shop (any many others) into an advertisement program.  Whenever you click on an Esty ad (Google, Bing, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram) you are adding more fees to that Esty shop owner.

The Esty ads are paid for by the shop owner 12 to 18 %. We have no choice of what is advertised. Etsy decides this...we have no say.

So in a nutshell: a buyer clicks on an ad and comes to a seller's etsy shop. Whatever that buyer purchases in that shop in the next 30 days is now charged that fee to the shop owner.  This kills our earnings.

In order to been seen in a search a shop has to offer free shipping in the USA for sales to one address of $ 35 or more.  This is another earnings killer.

Additionally, Etsy raised its fees on the sales percentage of the product from 5% to 6.5%.  It charges fees of 3% on shipping AND on the entire cost INCLUDING sales tax.  Note that most of the 50 states have mandated that large selling platforms are required to collect sales taxes on items sold.  This includes Amazon, Ebay, Etsy, Mercari and other similar sites.

Here is an example.

After you have reviewed this I sure hope that you will consider shopping directly from me on my website.  I pay a flat fee monthly to Shopify, and simple lower transaction fee to Shopify.  There are no fees on shipping, sales tax or anything else!

Additionally, I do not have to charge sales tax except to orders in the state of North Carolina.  Once my sales per state are 200 transactions or $ 200,000 per year to each state (most states use this) then I have to charge sales tax.  I am not there yet!

Thank you for reading and the next blog will feature more about what is new and upcoming.

You can always check the "what's new" page as I usually update this weekly.

Enjoy your Labor Day weekend.!

Kate

Summer News from TuffBags -- composting, new items and a sale!

Happy Summer from TuffBags!  July is my favorite month of the year as it is so wonderfully warm, has so many fun events and frankly, it is my birthday month as well as my younger son's (we share the same birthday!).

Summer is a great time to start composting so enjoy my article on composting.

Composting – it is easier than you think!  

By Kate Rachel Lozier

Composting….sounds messing and difficult, right? Wrong!  Composting is one of the most natural and easy things to do, whether you live in an apartment or in a house.

“Composting is the aerobic decomposition of biodegradable organic matter, producing compost”…”also known as brown manure, {which} is the aerobically decomposed remnants of organic matter.” [Wikipedia]

Composting promotes the circle of life as nature intended.  Placing these materials into a  plastic bag and/or a garbage can inhibits this natural process.

Why compost?

1. very inexpensive to do
2. provides you with free soil amendments and mulch for your gardens
3. saves you money as you throw less garbage away and reduces landfills.
4. recycles natural materials as they should be

 What can you compost?

1. all vegetables and fruits including nuts
2. dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
3. eggshells
4. shredded newspaper, paper and cardboard produced with soy based inks
5. manure and waste from healthy herbivores (pet waste from rabbits, guinea pigs and other vegans) including their bedding
6. saw dust, wood chips
7. weeds, dead plants from your garden, dead indoor plants and flowers, lawn clippings, leaves, straw, hay, grass, peat moss, shredded stems and twigs
8. fireplace ashes (no coal ashes)
9. coffee grounds and filters
10. cardboard rolls from toilet paper and paper towels

What should you NOT to compost?

1. chemically treated yard waste or plants
2. meat and dairy products
3. diseased items

 

Where can you compost?

1. your yard in a sunny spot
2. small container in your house
3. your town’s location (many townships have community composting)
4. join your friends and neighbors to make one compost
5. in a commercially produced activator or container in your yard
6. place the compost heap or container in a convenient location (our pile is just below a window from the house so it is very easy to feed the pile).

 

When can you compost?

All year around…yes, even in the Winter.  During the cooler months you will not be able to turn your compost heap, but you can accumulate the materials.

What do you need to compost?

1. separate space or container
2. bowl or container to hold items from the house before it goes to the heap
3. cooperation from family members
4. tool to turn the compost
5. a small amount of time and energy

 

What do I have to do with my compost pile or container?

1. the smaller the items that go into your compost pile the faster the decomposition time.
2. turn your pile at least once weekly
3. add a lot of items to your pile less frequently as opposed to adding small amounts frequently...volume is better than frequency
4. you can add worms to your compost to speed up the process

Where can I find more information on composting?

1. http://www.composting101.com/
2. http://vegweb.com/composting/
3. http://www.compostguide.com/index.html
4. http://www.ehow.com/how_3541_begin-compost-pile.html
5. google or yahoo search engines

New products from TuffBags!

 

Minions kippah or yarmulke

Marvel Comics superheros: Thor, Hulk, Captain America, Spiderman, Iron Man all on one yarmulke

inhaler pouch carriers holders with medical alert label

 

 Tapestry sling cross body waist mini purse with a mini wallet inside

 main dimensions: 8.5" horizontal width x 7" vertical height x 1.5" thickness/depth = 73.5 cubic inches (all dimensions are approximate)

This Just the Essentials tapestry zippered purse is just perfect for going out, shopping, going to a sports event, dancing, wear under your clothing or coat, and more---carry the basics or the essentials such as your phone, car key, a couple of bucks, tissues, lipstick, inhaler, credit cards, shopping cards and other identification cards......hands free! All of the tapestries used are stain resistant and the bags are completely lined with a coordinating cotton. I use a lighter color lining to make it easier for you to see what is inside your bag.

features:


Adjustable 1/4" deluxe high end braided cord to fit most sizes and allows comfort when tucking bag under garments (maximum cording length is 58" long). You can adjust the length for a shoulder bag, waist bag, or sling across your body. The cord is a matched to the fabric and I warrant the cord...so no worries on just how strong this cord is!

Top closing YKK zipper with easy one zipper access to your phone

The inner credit card slots (3) will hold at least 2 credit / shopping cards per slot. There is a bonus pocket behind these for stashing your cash.

The opposite pocket is for your phone (dimensions of pocket 3.75" wide x 6" long).  

 

special coupon for blog readers only (not posted on the web site!):

SUMBLOG2015

10% OFF order of $ 30 or more (before shipping)

expires 07/31/2015

See all TuffBags coupons and policies here

Specials in our Etsy Shop!! 

♥♥♥ SALE!! ♥♥♥ FREE 1st class USA SHIPPING on: ♥♥♥ ALL JEWELRY, all small tapestry bags and tapestry cases, challah covers, select home decor, regular kippahs and lace kippahs NOW through July 31st, 2015 (nice discounts on international shipping) NO COUPON NEEDED ♥♥♥ 

Enjoy the wonderful Summer and have fun!

L'Shalom,

Kate Rachel Lozier

owner/designer TuffBags