FAQs
What happens if I am away from my home base during the swap?
If you are traveling or otherwise unable to keep your shop open, you can close for a short period of time (a week or so). Please be sure to message your swap organizer so that everyone is in the loop.
Can I close my shop early and leave the swap?
Unless there are extenuating circumstances, then no. When you join the swap, you should plan on having your shop open for the duration of the swap except for short periods of times when you are away from your home base. Please be sure to message your swap organizer so that everyone is in the loop.
Can I offer custom items in my shop?
Custom items can be offered, but they must be finished and sent in a timely manner (so keep this in mind and only offer custom items that you can finish quickly). When completed, custom items should be posted and reserved on hold for the person you made them for. The person can then submit a formal claim for the custom item.
Putting custom items on hold (for a short duration) in your shop is at your discretion. Only items that are currently listed in your shop can be customized and put on hold. Example: you listed blue hats in your shop and a custom request came in for a red hat. You agree and make the red hat. You can then list the red hat in your shop on hold for the requester. The requester then can submit a formal claim for the red hat. Regarding the short duration: this is a reasonable amount of time for the requester to make the formal claim. If after a reasonable amount of time passes without a formal claim being submitted, then please remove the item off of hold and allow it to be open for claiming to other swappers.
Can I offer items that are not crafted by me?
A small amount of handcrafted items from other people may be offered in your shop, but the majority of the items should be made by you. Please be mindful of the potential of hurt feelings when selling items made for you in other swaps. Crafted items from others must be credited with the name of the creator or you will be requested to remove that item.
How do I price my items?
Charge what you think is fair for your crafted item! It might be worthwhile to take into consideration factors such as time invested, supply cost, popularity, etc.
How do I generate sales?
There are no guarantees that claims will be made from your shop. To make a sale you may need to adjust your prices, restock your shop with new crafted items/supplies, or run special promotions such as flash sales or weekend specials.
What should I offer in my shop?
Use the discussion thread for brainstorming any new items to offer in your shop! Or talk about what you can make to gauge interest from your fellow STSers. And if youāre in the market for something youād like, go ahead and post your request in the discussion thread. Someone may be able to make it happen!
Can I put an item on hold if requested to do so?
Please do not ask people via private message to hold items for you until you can submit a proper claim; this is not an acceptable way around the āfirst properly formatted claim wins the itemā rule. If a shop is closed and you are itching to claim something, please message the shop owner and ask that they let you know when they reopen so you can claim. Please see FAQ about custom items for custom item holds.
My points/claims donāt match what I think they should.
Is something wrong?
If it has been awhile since you made the claim, or if the organizer admits to having been sloshed/sick/tired/attending to life in the real world since the points tally and/or claims list was last updated, go ahead and send her a message. If your claim is a few days old and has not shown up on the claims list, please send her a message to inquire about it. No worries, weāll sort things out.
Do I have to list my claims (bought and sold items) in my shop?
Arenāt you keeping track of my points?
Yes! I am keeping track of your points, and in any disagreement, mine is the list that counts (just kidding, or am Iā¦). Seriously though, it makes it easier to resolve any discrepancies if I can compare your list to what I have in my records. I do go through the shops on occasion to add up points and make sure weāre all on the same page.