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 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.
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 you’re in the market for something you’d 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?
Putting 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 put on hold. Holds should only be accepted when your shop is open. 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 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 “first properly formatted claim wins the item” rule.
My points/claims don’t 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, we’ll sort things out.
Do I have to list my claims (bought and sold items) in my shop?
Aren’t 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 I…). 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 we’re all on the same page.