Scrap & Share: Hosting a Product Swap

Kelly White with Heartland Paper Co. explains how to host a product swap.


Hosting a product swap is a fun way to freshen up your scrapbooking supplies, get new ideas and get rid of product that is collecting dust. The basic idea behind any swap is that if you bring 10 unwanted items you leave with 10 different or wanted items.

General Swap tips:

1. Be selective in the participants you invite.

It is important that swap attendees are all on the same basic scrapping style and level. (Beginners have one sort of product, experts have another)

2. Advertise your event well.

Make sure attendees are aware of crop details in advance so that they have time to gather supplies and organize kits. Send out a reminder email or note so that participants remember to come to the swap.

3. Lay out specific rules.

Think ahead to possible problems and concerns you might have and set rules to avoid problems.


• Be specific about what products can be swapped.

• Use a ticket or value system so that no one feels cheated.

There are 3 different kinds of product swaps that can be done at a physical party, or by mail.

1. Garage Sale Products Swap

There is no limit to the type, size or style of items swappers bring. Swappers bring all sorts of supplies they no longer want or use and exchange them with other swappers.

Hints:

• Have swappers arrange items into theme kits, such as dog, cat, etc. Bag the items by kit so that you don’t have a lot of loose paper, stickers wondering around. *you may want to set general guidelines for kits (retail value, scrap size, etc)

• To ensure that swapping is fair, gives swappers tickets for each “kit” they bring to the swap. More expensive kits, may earn multiple tickets. Then let them purchase or bid for new kits with their tickets.

• The more the merrier with this swap. The more participants you have, the more product variety and excitement you will get.

*NOTE: This is the most complex swap to host or attend.

2. Theme Swap

At these swaps, a specific item or theme is exchanged between participants. You might choose to attend a pattern paper swap, a ribbon swap or an eyelet swap.

Hints:

• This type of swap is much easier to manage because there is less differential in product value.

• The more the merrier with this swap. The more participants you have, the more product variety and excitement you will get.

3. Project Swap

This swap is designed to generate finished projects rather than raw product. It is a fun way to get variations in style and theme. This type of swap can be done with cards or layouts. Each participant designs one project and them makes multiples of the same project (equal to the number of participants.) Participants then exchange projects so that everyone gets one of everyone’s designs.

Hints:

• This type of swap is often done on a monthly or quarterly club basis where the hostess rotates from month to month.

• Broad, general themes are helpful with this type of swap. One month you might focus on Birthday cards or Baby layouts.

• Similar skill level among participants is very important in this type of swap. You want everyone to come to the swap with the same level of project so that no one feels cheated.

• A medium number of participants is better with this kind of swap. 10-12 is ideal. When you get too many participants, making the projects gets overwhelming.

If you are interested in joining or starting a crop, friends are the easiest place to start. Think about inviting four friends and asking each of them to bring a friend. This is a great way to meet new people and broaden your scrapping group.

If your friends aren’t scrappers or don’t have similar skill levels, try searching for swap groups online. There are several groups that operate through the mail, there is more risk with this type of swap, but it could be a fun adventure.


Heartland Paper has two locations for your scrapbook shopping needs:

Bountiful

616 W. 2600 So.

(801) 294-7166

Hours:

Monday: 10 A.M. to 6 P.M.

Tuesday – Saturday: 10 A.M. to 8 P.M.

Closed Sunday

Taylorsville

5794 So. Redwood Road

(801) 963-6101

Hours:

Monday: 10 A.M. to 6 P.M.

Tuesday – Thursday: 10 A.M. to 8 P.M.

Friday: 10 A.M. to 9 P.M.

Saturday: 9 A.M. to 9 P.M.

Closed Sunday

You can also visit them at www.heartlandpaper.com

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