My Luddite Software

The software system - Merchant Miva - leaves a bit to be desired.  Slowly it keeps taking away things, if I had them in the first place.  In my low budget, semi-Luddite manner, I'm trying to work around it since I don't have the capital or interest to invest in a more refined system.  My latest way of working around the system in my Luddite, Quaker manner. (see my phone number policy comments here) I hope is working.

So, little Miva has taken away the ability for customers to select First Class as a shipping option (the method most often used for my lightweight products) and the third party software developers recently stopped providing a fix.

So, now:

 If you chose Priority Mail, I ship Priority Mail.  If you choose Parcel Post, I ship First Class and refund you the difference.

Orders over $50.00 are shipped free - US, Canada and Britain only.

These aren't quite discounts, but..I hope these help make up with a kind of personal interest and service for what technology isn't offering. 


My Miva software is a much older version- I think I've had it for nearly 10 years, having updated only once since I started this business in 2000. And though I realize it would probably increase business to invest in a better system, I don't have a lot of money or time to invest in a better system.  This is a tiny home based business, I'm not (at 64) hoping to grow this puppy into something huge and profitable.

That can't sound good to my customers.

(read also the post on how my system works with giving customers their discount)

What is a bookplate and why would I buy one?

People ask me when I tell them I sell bookplates, "What's a bookplate?" It sounds like some technical piece of equipment used in the making of books, doesn't it?

It's actually just a simple piece of paper with a design on it used to signify who owns a book. These days they usually come with a self-adhesive backing.

That's the short description. People also want to know why they'd want to stick a label inside a book. Sometimes they want to know what bookplate to buy for someone.

There is a little more explanation about what a bookplate is - what they are for, why people use them, how to select a bookplate, to personalize or not and what to do with a bookplate if you get one - so that's what I'm hoping to do here!

 Why give bookplates? Here are ten reasons...I'm sure there are more...

• Bookplates encourage reading - children love stickers with their names on them - give a bookplate along with a new book!
• Bookplates are an inexpensive gift
• Bookplates are thoughtful gifts, especially if you select well
• Bookplates will last for a long time - everytime someone sees the bookplate, they'll remember you!
• Bookplates can be very personal - if you have them personalized
• Bookplates remind borrowers to return books - so you're helping someone loan books, and helping them get them back!
• Bookplates identify ownership - so you may be helping roommates avoid arguments or pack up with ease.
• Bookplates identify ownership - so you may be helping a new couple with new names identify ownership of new books they buy together!
• Bookplates leave memories - donate a book to a library, a book in honor of a teacher, a book in memory of a loved one -- leave memories!
• Bookplates make a nice thank you - give a bookplate as a thank you for something nice someone has done - better yet, put it inside a book and give it to the person. 

Antioch Bookplate Company is finally gone

Yes, it is.. and it makes me feel very sad.   Although there are places on-line where you can still buy the bookplates, Ernest Morgan's little company is long gone.  Well, it's been long gone for a long long time. Many of the former workers - employees still hang out one way or the other - live and face to face, or on facebook - and get together for reunions.

Ernest's idea of a community based workplace run by the employees was a good idea, although it never really became quite what he dreamed. Still, a lot of us value the friendships or just the people we met there.  Though we might not all agree politically, socially, religiously on a lot of things, we managed to find ways to work together - we got a lot done.  Everyone took pride in the work they did, as they should have - we designed, produced, manufactured, sold, shipped some fine stuff.  The work ethic was excellent - I worked there for nearly 20 years, if you count my years in the field (I do) and even the couple of years I left and then returned.  Two of my sons worked there, one only as a temp but still...

The Antioch Publishing section is long gone, sold a few years ago.  The Creative Memories manufacturing that went on in the building remained until April of this year, but now its gone, along with some 40 jobs.  At the moment the building is still standing.  But it will probably be sold soon.

There are a few pictures from the lobby - rebuilt after I left in 2000, so I don't have any kind of sentimental attachment to it.  But the timeline and the words of Ernest Morgan bring out some feelings -- I suppose the bittersweet recognition that everything must pass.

On strike today

A Friendly Spirit went on strike today in protest against censorship and against SOPA and PITA bills. 

The House's 's bill is called Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). In the Senate the bill is called the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA). SOPA has gotten more attention than PIPA because it was moving faster in the legislative process. But PIPA is just as dangerous, and now it is moving faster.

PIPA would give the government new powers to block Americans' access websites that corporations don't like. The bill lets corporations and the US government censor entire websites and cut sites off from advertising, payments and donations.

This legislation will stifle free speech and innovation, and even threaten popular web services like Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.

The bill is scheduled for a test vote in the Senate on Jan. 24th: We need to act now to let our lawmakers know just how terrible it is.

Read more and go here to write your representatives. 

http://sopastrike.com/strike

Happy Holidays !!!

  We will be closed from December 20th- January 4th so we can enjoy the holidays and do our year end inventory.  Any orders placed from now on will not be shipped until we reopen.  (Order Numbers 8137 and earlier  are either shipped or will be shipped by Wednesday, December 21st), unless we are waiting on a mock-up OK.