The Economics of Digi-Scrapping

I’ve wondered, off and on, about the financial aspect of digital scrapbooking and a post the other day at Digital Disturbances (now defunct, long story) reminded me that I have more to say on the subject.

From a customer standpoint, there’s no denying that scrapping digitally with the right tools can be supremely affordable.  Though some will say otherwise, there are high-quality freebies available all over the place and the well-thought-out purchase of a few kits can supply a talented scrapper with all they need to complete several albums.  The additional benefit of the reusability of supplies is often touted as the best reason to scrap digitally.

While digital scrapbooking can be very inexpensive, I know that many who participate in this hobby spend as much on digital supplies as they would on traditional paper supplies.  They’ve only shifted their budget from paper to pixels. 

So there’s a great deal of money being spent on digital supplies and it can only increase as more people become computer-literate, computers get even faster and more flexible, programs continue to improve and enhance usability and traditional scrapbookers discover the benefits of using digital techniques and elements to enhance their pages.

And it’s not only the customers benefiting from this shift.  Digital designers are in a unique position that puts them into direct interaction with their customers in a way that traditional designers rarely experience.  There’s not much of a barrier between customer and designer.  Typically that barrier is represented by middle-men who all take a piece of the pie that is the final product - the manufacturer, the distributor and the retailer.  After everyone takes their piece, there’s not a whole lot left for the designer.  All that’s changed now. 

Now, we have designers breaking into an industry that is notoriously over-priced, pulling in customers who are used to paying high prices for their supplies.  I admit, most digital supplies are steeply discounted over their paper cousins, but some manufacturers are trading on their brand-name identities to bring in larger sums. (::cough::Karen Foster::cough::Rhonna Farrer::cough::) The rest of the community can either follow suit or stick to their guns to force a change in pricing.

I vote for keeping prices low.  A couple of reasons.  First, the cost of production is significantly less for digital supplies and the reach is unlimited.  There are no hassles with paper suppliers, printers, shipping companies, distributors and retailers.  An entire store filled with every supply and tool a scrapper could require could feasibly be managed from a lap desk in the master bedroom. (I’m not suggesting that this is how digi-stores are operated, it’s just a speculative observation.)  And second, keeping prices lower will eventually improve the overall quality of products available.  At low prices, it takes a significant number of sales to generate a livable income.  Poor designers will find that there’s little reward in continuing while those with strong skills and an artistic touch will thrive.  Because there’s no real cost in maintaining production of a particular line of products, sales of a popular product can continue to add income for a year or more. It’s a win-win when prices are low.

Well, I’m going to step down from my soapbox now and tell you to keep an eye on my blog this coming week to see all the great things in store.  I’m the latest Roadside Attraction at World Scrapping Tour, so I’ll be adding a few more goodies than usual this week.  I’ve also designed a set of quickpages for Sue Cummings of oScraps and those will be going into the shop in a few days.  Wow!  Pretty exciting, huh?

Tschüss!

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