Aside from figures and games I have on pre-order, all my spending money has pivoted to just small creators as of last weekend. I think the only way we're going to collectively get through this as a society is for us to help each other, and if that means uncontrollably spending on art then 🎉
You will become stronger for having survived this if you just keep going, man. Keep fighting and pull through. I'm sure some of us will be able to support you more directly, but this bullshit is hitting us pretty hard, too.
There must have been a way to take on Temu without putting the global expnomy in a tailspin and threatening millions of small businesses. But they literally don’t care about anybody.
Like, we will likely eventually find a way to pivot after tariffs plateau.
But damn I’ve been pivoting and budgeting and looking for alternatives for months and this last week of 3 sudden increases has had me scrambling. I’m exhausted.
And angry. This is gonna hurt so many artists I love.
I was telling @secondlina.com over the weekend that we should be able to do this without raising our prices except on our pins and two books. But the plushes about to ship from China would be OK.
Guuhhh I’m so sorry y’all are going through that. My heart aches for everybody who is mid-production on crowdfunding or preorders. And with the timing of Pintopia, thats a LOT of folks.
I'm excited and horrified to learn of this pin club. I am on a pin hiatus but I am also sending myself an email to remind myself in a few months that This Thing I Desire Exists
i was reading up on this last night but the wording on the wh website was kind of confusing me 😭 but you’re making it really clear and understandable so thank you
Goodness. We're just dumbfounded by the high percentages and confusing words in the article. Thank you for summing it up. This is absolutely frustrating and heartbreaking that they would rely on a program to determine a ridiculous high percentage for tariffs. This will be affecting everyone here. 😿
I don't know the exact logistics of this, but as I understand it there is currently only a 10% tariff on New Zealand goods, and between 0-15% gst on goods from China to NZ.
Would it be possible to ship via nz to avoid some of these tariffs?
New Zealand is just the example I can think of because I live here and I know we ended up with low tariff rate and we have relatively easy trade with China.
I'm assuming single pallet,no more than 1m³, but shipping would be about 44 days (~14 China>NZ, ~30 NZ>USA)and cost 600 (around 100 China to NZ, and 500 NZ to US (not including the tariff))
Unfortunately any items from China will still be tariffed regardless of the country it’s being mailed from- the charge is based on the items “point of origin” as listed on customs 😔
Bummer. Looking that up it would seem that it would have to be "substantially transformed" here. Which in the context of plushies and pins I'm not sure what that would mean.
Yeah it would have been really nice otherwise LOL 😭 afaik it means the product has to be greatly added to or changed- so aluminum from china used as a material to make a totally different item would be transformed enough that it could be from the second country, if that makes sense!
That's all assuming this isn't breaking any laws or regulations. That, and the prices were approximates based on one company that says "prices may vary based on individual shipment needs"
though things may seem bleak, they will never knock us all to the ground. it is okay to rely on those still standing so that we may help each other when one threatens to fall. much love sent your way!
I am so, so sorry you're being hit like this. (I am too, but MUCH less, since as a hand-sewer my main "expense" is always labor, but good GODS what this is going to do to the price of all my supplies.) It's horribly unfair that the best people are suffering the most right now.
hey, maybe this is a "read the room" moment, but what does that look like? I've wanted to get into hand sewing for years, but was always told i couldn't get good results by machine sewers in my life, and every time I try to learn I get a bit paralyzed about where to start. ATM i mostly mend
Hand sewing is difficult to use if you're going to be making clothing, the stitches that get fabric to lay in particular ways for seams aren't easy or at least aren't fast, so you're sewing at a crawl compared to a machine. But for plushes a small, tight whip-stitch works great, and goes quick.
Oh, adding that if you do want to get into clothing specifically, I can't help much there, but your machine-sewing friends are being VERY silly. What do they think people did before the invention of the sewing machine? People got (still get!) great results hand sewing. Try the SCA for info?
We’re more insulated than others too. Our Patreon subscribers are wonderful, we got into 7 cons this year, and most of our merch in production beat the tariffs juuust in time.
But planning for the next batch has been very difficult and seeing my friends suffer makes my heart ache.
Honestly I'd join your patreon, but I'm still banned there after an...incident and I'm honestly not sure I'm willing to do what I'd have to do in order to get reinstated. :( But I have several of your pins and I want SO MANY MORE. <3
But oh boy, does it sting a lot and I'm already starting to throw spaghetti at the wall in terms of trying to figure out other things should I run into not being able to restock. 🫠
I cant do much suport exept send a wishes that tommorow gonna be better, virtual hand made coffie, and whole virual bowl of chips
I hope it can comefort you~ ✨
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There must have been a way to take on Temu without putting the global expnomy in a tailspin and threatening millions of small businesses. But they literally don’t care about anybody.
Hence some love. 😁
But damn I’ve been pivoting and budgeting and looking for alternatives for months and this last week of 3 sudden increases has had me scrambling. I’m exhausted.
And angry. This is gonna hurt so many artists I love.
But that was the weekend. Sigh.
https://www.patreon.com/c/GayBreakfast
We haven’t revealed this month’s pin yet, and our tier prices may go up a couple dollars this month, but here’s some recent pins.
Now it’s
125% on plush & most stuff
143% on all pin orders over $800
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-trump-tariffs-trade-war-04-09-25/card/trump-announces-90-day-pause-on-some-tariffs-but-china-tariffs-rise-to-125--JE2czqSHR6uCAUGVHNX5
but lowered most other countries to 10% for 90 days to allow time to “make a deal” on his “reciprocal tariffs.”
I’m sorry this is happening to folks but it is a silver lining to know that I might be helping anybody follow along. Thank you.
Would it be possible to ship via nz to avoid some of these tariffs?
Assuming a value 800 for tariffs that's an additional 80 via NZ and 872 direct.
Final costs (excluding product value) would be 680 via NZ, and 1172 direct. A saving of 492 at the cost of a bit of extra delay.
I hope my ramblings are helpful , and if they aren't, I hope they are not annoying.
have a silly picture of our pets for now!
But planning for the next batch has been very difficult and seeing my friends suffer makes my heart ache.
I hope it can comefort you~ ✨