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Post by lasteve1 on Sept 28, 2017 18:20:02 GMT
Has it been mentioned that Ali's classes are 25% off until Sunday? I saw that but there hasn't been anything new, unfortunately. I'd probably buy a class (I love classes for some reason) if there was something new. I'm still working my way through Hello Story which I bought in one of her previous super kit sales... it's been like a year seriously, but with the story kit + one little word content every month I rarely have extra time for any additional classes. |
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Post by lasteve1 on Sept 28, 2017 18:21:24 GMT
woodysbetty This is the one I have. I got it on sale, Zulily maybe?, and justified it. It doesn't hold a ton... maybe 6-8 months but was worth it for the cuteness factor. I did washi tape my actylic words under the lid to make extra space  . I have some open upper shelves in my craft area with things in fun, decorative containers so this was perfect for me. I actually use it to hold up a small collection of mini books on one shelf. So it was a win-win solution for me. That is super cute! Were you able to change the label from "recipes" to something else? Or is that permanently stuck in there? |
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AmandaA
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by AmandaA on Sept 28, 2017 18:31:09 GMT
woodysbetty This is the one I have. I got it on sale, Zulily maybe?, and justified it. It doesn't hold a ton... maybe 6-8 months but was worth it for the cuteness factor. I did washi tape my actylic words under the lid to make extra space . I have some open upper shelves in my craft area with things in fun, decorative containers so this was perfect for me. I actually use it to hold up a small collection of mini books on one shelf. So it was a win-win solution for me. That is super cute! Were you able to change the label from "recipes" to something else? Or is that permanently stuck in there? It is just a piece of a paper in there. I turned it around and it is blank now. I had planned to stamp on it or something cute, you you know how that goes. Kinda like the other four fabric covered bins I have on those shelves with similar bookplate labels that are all blank. 🙄 And FYI, I just flipped around the divider cards inside to divide up the kits. They may or may not be labeled, hahaha! |
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katiejaeger
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Sept 19, 2016 22:50:37 GMT
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Post by katiejaeger on Sept 28, 2017 18:35:59 GMT
I agree with you about this. I am looking into a solution to make this right. I'm kind of surprised — when Ali did the kit video, the notepad looked pretty full. Did the finished product not end up that way? The product was designed correctly--but it was priced incorrectly. Looking into solutions  |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2017 18:46:41 GMT
I saw that but there hasn't been anything new, unfortunately. I'd probably buy a class (I love classes for some reason) if there was something new. I'm still working my way through Hello Story which I bought in one of her previous super kit sales... it's been like a year seriously, but with the story kit + one little word content every month I rarely have extra time for any additional classes. Oh, I understand! I haven't finished all the classes I bought either. But I really wanted to take the Hybrid class and I thought it was better to buy it now than 15$ later.  |
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Post by QueSeraSera on Sept 28, 2017 18:51:58 GMT
The bit that I didn't get was why they weren't able to say how many pages were in the pad. Is it that hard to flip through the pages and estimate whether there are about 10 or 30 or 50? Or whether it's 1/4" thick or 1/2" thick? But then I've always been frustrated about SC&co not giving basic details about the products they're charging so much money for. Like when I buy an album, tell me the measurement of the spine width. When I can't get a basic detail like that I feel like I'm being had. Tell me all the specs and features. If they had said how many pages I wouldn't have ordered them How uncharacteristic of Inked Brands to do a bait and switch.  |
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Post by gigi333 on Sept 28, 2017 19:01:03 GMT
Well I got my story kit and add ons and if I wasn't stuck subscribing til next February I'm so mad I would cancel right now My sister told me not to buy the time notepad, but I've gotten notepads from ali before and have always liked them and used them. I plan to do a day in the life the day she has her baby as I will have her sons There are so few pages in this $8 notepad that I am just disgusted. I feel like a complete idiot I agree with you about this. I am looking into a solution to make this right. Thank you Katie |
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Post by gigi333 on Sept 28, 2017 19:01:50 GMT
I agree with you about this. I am looking into a solution to make this right. I'm kind of surprised — when Ali did the kit video, the notepad looked pretty full. Did the finished product not end up that way? Mine was very small |
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Post by gigi333 on Sept 28, 2017 19:02:55 GMT
Has it been mentioned that Ali's classes are 25% off until Sunday? I love any classes I've taken with Ali |
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Post by woodysbetty on Sept 28, 2017 19:32:19 GMT
That is super cute! Were you able to change the label from "recipes" to something else? Or is that permanently stuck in there? It is just a piece of a paper in there. I turned it around and it is blank now. I had planned to stamp on it or something cute, you you know how that goes. Kinda like the other four fabric covered bins I have on those shelves with similar bookplate labels that are all blank. 🙄 And FYI, I just flipped around the divider cards inside to divide up the kits. They may or may not be labeled, hahaha! I love the container it is really adorable.....I have about 12 kits though.... |
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Post by sleepingbooty on Sept 28, 2017 20:15:47 GMT
I don't know how to add a photo but I just counted the pages and their are 25 I think that's very few for $8 I have Ali's 6x8 pad from I think olw and there are loads and loads of pages and better quality paper too I'm very disappointed and I'm annoyed with myself for buying it Yikes. That's a lot of money for just a few pages indeed. Don't feel annoyed with yourself for buying it. You didn't know or you clearly wouldn't have purchased it. It was a bad surprise (quelle surprise). Typical Inked, I want to say... I hope you' manage to get a decent refund for it! Keep us up to date with how CS manages the situation? How uncharacteristic of Inked Brands to do a bait and switch. ![:wink:]()  |
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Post by teacherlisa on Sept 29, 2017 2:21:45 GMT
I have subscribed since the beginning. I kept my stamps in one container ( ala Jennifer Mcguire storage style) and I kept my kits in their envelopes in those cheap photo storage boxes from Michael's) That was going well at first. I never used anything though, because it was all packed separately from everything else in my stash. Then I was about to have to buy a third photo box and I was still not using anything. i was afraid to use the product in case the most awesome story ever came along and only one certain special product would do. It sounds totally nuts now, but that's what I was doing. I decided to change that.
So what I did was this-
1) I use Evernote, so I made a notebook for story kits, and a note for each monthly theme.
2) I went through the videos, the gallery/forum and gathered the ideas for each theme.
3) I got a big binder with page protectors in it. I then went through each kit ( I actually did this while watching any videos I wanted to watch or re watch) and looked everything over. If a product "spoke" to me, as in "this is the perfect product for X story", then I dropped just that product into a sheet protector, with a sketch or a story idea or whatever prompted me to feel like this was "it".
4) The rest of the products went into my stash. So many silk screens/stencils and brads and random little things I had been hoarding in those envelopes lol. I had been on a spending freeze (well sorta) and it was like I had gone on a shopping spree.
5) I now have several "kits" ready to go. All I need is the paper and photos and I can tell the story, which I have already thought of/written at least some words about.
This is working SO much better for me!
For others who were sad about the 3x8 pad...I picked it too so I am right along side of you ;(
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Post by ghislaine on Sept 29, 2017 13:04:33 GMT
Well I got my story kit and add ons and if I wasn't stuck subscribing til next February I'm so mad I would cancel right now My sister told me not to buy the time notepad, but I've gotten notepads from ali before and have always liked them and used them. I plan to do a day in the life the day she has her baby as I will have her sons There are so few pages in this $8 notepad that I am just disgusted. I feel like a complete idiot Ugh, sorry  . The prices she's charging lately make me really disgusted too. Not sure if this would work- what happens if you change the credit card number on file with them to a visa gift card that has a zero balance? I've done this after getting a $5 kit with a month to month sub from SC. Just in case something funny happened and my sub didn't get cancelled the next month for some reason. Their system let me do it, even though it's not a real credit card. Would they send a bill in the mail for the balance of a 12 month sub, or just cancel it? Might be a way to get out of the 12 month commitment if a person really wants to quit. (I wouldn't feel guilty about it at all, considering the shrinking kits, poor quality and skyrocketing prices of the past year  ) Most credit card companies have a way of generating a temporary credit card number with a limited amount on it for a limited time. I do this for any online purchase where I am not too sure of the vendor. |
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Post by gigi333 on Sept 29, 2017 13:18:07 GMT
I don't really want to cancel my ali sub I was just really mad when I opened my parcel
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Post by maryboys on Sept 29, 2017 13:57:07 GMT
i really appreciate these things about ali:
her style
her minimalism
the consistency of her style
her sincere enthusiasm about capturing memories, telling stories
her handwriting - i love the acrylic words especially
the amount of content, teaching she offers free on her blog
her response to feedback
the big drawback: being in business with Inked. however, since i've always had quick and professional CS from ali's staff/CS on any concern - i won't stop buying her products until i see that change.
ETA: when i first learned that ali was going into business with SC, i wrote her a detailed email expressing my concerns and reservations, to which she replied. clearly, ali knows what she is dealing with there. i think she has done a good job of giving good products and service while working within those perameters...i don't know how she has done it.
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Post by QueSeraSera on Sept 30, 2017 0:42:19 GMT
i really appreciate these things about ali: her style her minimalism the consistency of her style her sincere enthusiasm about capturing memories, telling stories her handwriting - i love the acrylic words especially the amount of content, teaching she offers free on her blog her response to feedback the big drawback: being in business with Inked. however, since i've always had quick and professional CS from ali's staff/CS on any concern - i won't stop buying her products until i see that change. ETA: when i first learned that ali was going into business with SC, i wrote her a detailed email expressing my concerns and reservations, to which she personally replied. clearly, ali knows what she is dealing with there. i think she has done a good job of giving good products and service while working within those perameters...i don't know how she has done it. I agree and am a former big time fan girl. The stench of Inked Brands is starting to rub off on her for many of us. It is also undeniably having a negative impact on the quality of products. Which is really too bad because you won't find a bigger Ali fan than I used to be. She's had a lot of us reach out to her and she smiles, nods, and climbs back in bed with them. For those reasons, Ali you're chopped. |
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Post by maryboys on Sept 30, 2017 14:43:14 GMT
I agree and am a former big time fan girl. The stench of Inked Brands is starting to rub off on her for many of us. It is also undeniably having a negative impact on the quality of products. Which is really too bad because you won't find a bigger Ali fan than I used to be. She's had a lot of us reach out to her and she smiles, nods, and climbs back in bed with them. For those reasons, Ali you're chopped. i hear this, QueSeraSera . there's a piece of info that ali posted on one of her IG accounts that has given me more faith in her, though. she shared that she is an Enneagram 1; and as an avid student of the Enneagram for over 20 years, i have a small insight into her motivations and values, and feel more optimistic that she'll come through for her customers. things like improving the quality of her story kit cards; responding to quality issues (like she is right now about the Time story kit paper pad); etc. here's a copy and paste about the Enneagram 1: Type One in Brief
Ones are conscientious and ethical, with a strong sense of right and wrong. They are teachers, crusaders, and advocates for change: always striving to improve things, but afraid of making a mistake. Well-organized, orderly, and fastidious, they try to maintain high standards, but can slip into being critical and perfectionistic. They typically have problems with resentment and impatience. At their Best: wise, discerning, realistic, and noble. Can be morally heroic.
Basic Fear: Of being corrupt/evil, defective
Basic Desire: To be good, to have integrity, to be balanced
Enneagram One with a Nine-Wing: "The Idealist"
Enneagram One with a Two-Wing: "The Advocate"
Key Motivations: Want to be right, to strive higher and improve everything, to be consistent with their ideals, to justify themselves, to be beyond criticism so as not to be condemned by anyone. |
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Post by loveslabradors on Sept 30, 2017 19:05:53 GMT
i really appreciate these things about ali: her style her minimalism the consistency of her style her sincere enthusiasm about capturing memories, telling stories her handwriting - i love the acrylic words especially the amount of content, teaching she offers free on her blog her response to feedback the big drawback: being in business with Inked. however, since i've always had quick and professional CS from ali's staff/CS on any concern - i won't stop buying her products until i see that change. ETA: when i first learned that ali was going into business with SC, i wrote her a detailed email expressing my concerns and reservations, to which she personally replied. clearly, ali knows what she is dealing with there. i think she has done a good job of giving good products and service while working within those perameters...i don't know how she has done it. I agree and am a former big time fan girl. The stench of Inked Brands is starting to rub off on her for many of us. It is also undeniably having a negative impact on the quality of products. Which is really too bad because you won't find a bigger Ali fan than I used to be. She's had a lot of us reach out to her and she smiles, nods, and climbs back in bed with them. For those reasons, Ali you're chopped. This, exactly. Ali talks a good game, but at the end of the day she's happy to be an Inked brand. And honestly her prices are much crazier than SC's. At least SC has good sales, and we've been picking up those $5 kits for months and months now. But Ali's prices are bonkers. I almost feel bad for the people getting suckered in by the "your story matters" stuff, and how Ali makes them feel. There's definitely a "self-help" element to her work that I think is very appealing to some people. Scrapbooking as therapy, almost. A lot of us need that. I do think she cares about her customers and wants to do right by them, but the greed is SUCH a turnoff for me. She knows she's "in" right now and she's really milking it. Fun exercise: go get out 5 of your story kit chipboards, line them up, and ask yourself if you'd be willing to fork over $25 for them. I was sorting through mine this morning looking for the right piece and did just that. Guess what my answer was  . Ok, I won't bring up the chipboard again, I swear. lol |
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Post by sleepingbooty on Sept 30, 2017 19:49:44 GMT
There's definitely a "self-help" element to her work that I think is very appealing to some people. Scrapbooking as therapy, almost. A lot of us need that. I think you're onto something with the self-help/life coach observation, loveslabradors. The self-improvement industry represents $10 billion yearly in the US alone. People are drawn to it and willing to spend money (disproportionately so) to find the magic key to understand life and experience it better. Ali's expansion into the lifestyle products also aligns with this view. |
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Deleted
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Nov 21, 2024 20:22:16 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2017 20:05:00 GMT
This, exactly. Ali talks a good game, but at the end of the day she's happy to be an Inked brand. And honestly her prices are much crazier than SC's. At least SC has good sales, and we've been picking up those $5 kits for months and months now. But Ali's prices are bonkers. I almost feel bad for the people getting suckered in by the "your story matters" stuff, and how Ali makes them feel. There's definitely a "self-help" element to her work that I think is very appealing to some people. Scrapbooking as therapy, almost. A lot of us need that. I do think she cares about her customers and wants to do right by them, but the greed is SUCH a turnoff for me. She knows she's "in" right now and she's really milking it.Fun exercise: go get out 5 of your story kit chipboards, line them up, and ask yourself if you'd be willing to fork over $25 for them. I was sorting through mine this morning looking for the right piece and did just that. Guess what my answer was . Ok, I won't bring up the chipboard again, I swear. lol I have to strongly disagree with the part that I bolded. I think SC/AF are the greedy ones riding on the coat tails of AE. They are the ones who are milking it, not Ali. Ali has worked her ass off for many, many years. She has been consistent with her message and her memory keeping. That's how she got her following. Inked kept her in their back pocket and gave her an offer she couldn't refuse. And now she is able to keep offering her brand while still staying true to her style. We might not like who she is partnering with, but she is successful despite the fact. I will always respect Ali because she has integrity, transparency and she truly does care about her message. |
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Post by Citygirl on Sept 30, 2017 20:20:21 GMT
It's hard for me to side with an argument for diminishing or poor value unless you actually assign a value to the class content. Just saying "I understand you're paying for class content" isn't really enough. I can only assume she spends hours and hours creating this content, and wants to be compensated for her time. Looking at the cheapest self paced class she offers (which may or may not be comparable) the price is regularly $9.99. If you assign that to a story kit it's about half of the value of the kit if you are a 12 month subscriber. Are the contents of the kits not worth $9.99? Has the class content diminished?
With that being said is the free digital kit enough if you are a subscriber to both? Since you are paying for the education twice. Would it be better if you got a discount?
What do you think?
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Post by loveslabradors on Sept 30, 2017 21:09:40 GMT
I agree for sure that she's been very consistent with her message and she's worked hard to get where she is. I remember her from 2peas circa 2003. Simon and my son are the same age and both on the spectrum, so her work always stood out to me.
I really did have a lot of respect for her until her prices got so high and she started with the silly "lifestyle" stuff. Of course I don't know how their agreement works, but I'm guessing Ali has the final say on pricing, or at least a lot of input. After all it's her name and brand. If she didn't want to be selling tiny $8 notepads, she wouldn't be. Unfortunately I don't think we can blame April Foster for that.
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Post by gigi333 on Sept 30, 2017 21:20:46 GMT
After several messages back and forth I was given the option of another 'notebook' or a refund
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Post by mom on Sept 30, 2017 21:25:15 GMT
After several messages back and forth I was given the option of another 'notebook' or a refund get the refund.
Edited: this just irritates me. They KNOW they screwed people with how they priced it. They have acknowledged that publicly. But instead of owning up to the mistake you had to have several messages back and forth to get it fixed? Nope. Dollars to donuts, unless others complain then they won't ever fix the issue (issue #1 was not including the page count to begin with and 2) incorrect pricing.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2017 21:25:41 GMT
After several messages back and forth I was given the option of another 'notebook' or a refund I don't know what I was expecting, but that seems ridiculous. They made it seem like it was a mistake on their part to price it at $8 and that they all should have been at a lower price. It certainly should not have taken several messages back and forth for them to offer you a refund. Eta: when Katie popped in here she made some comment about how she was looking into it and she agreed. I would have assumed that that meant an easy fix. I'm a little dismayed that it took them so long to come to the conclusion that you should have been refunded. |
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Post by loveslabradors on Sept 30, 2017 21:37:04 GMT
It's hard for me to side with an argument for diminishing or poor value unless you actually assign a value to the class content. Just saying "I understand you're paying for class content" isn't really enough. I can only assume she spends hours and hours creating this content, and wants to be compensated for her time. Looking at the cheapest self paced class she offers (which may or may not be comparable) the price is regularly $9.99. If you assign that to a story kit it's about half of the value of the kit if you are a 12 month subscriber. Are the contents of the kits not worth $9.99? Has the class content diminished? With that being said is the free digital kit enough if you are a subscriber to both? Since you are paying for the education twice. Would it be better if you got a discount? What do you think? I subbed for 13 months and didn't assign a ton of value to the class content, honestly. I always used her layouts and her design team's projects for inspiration, but a lot of times never even watched the videos. Most (all?) sb companies have a design team, so I'm not sure that's something I was willing to pay extra for with AE. I know some people do think the AE videos are worth more though. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2017 21:41:38 GMT
I agree for sure that she's been very consistent with her message and she's worked hard to get where she is. I remember her from 2peas circa 2003. Simon and my son are the same age and both on the spectrum, so her work always stood out to me. I really did have a lot of respect for her until her prices got so high and she started with the silly "lifestyle" stuff. Of course I don't know how their agreement works, but I'm guessing Ali has the final say on pricing, or at least a lot of input. After all it's her name and brand. If she didn't want to be selling tiny $8 notepads, she wouldn't be. Unfortunately I don't think we can blame April Foster for that. Maybe scrapbooking isn't so lucrative and she's had to take these other offers to sell stuff to stay afloat? I think all the AE, Stephanie Howells, Amy Tans are doing these things because our hobby isn't flourishing anymore. Companies and kit clubs are closing left and right. I don't know, just seems that the industry is really struggling right now. And I do think that AF has a significant bearing on how AE's pricing structure is. Just like how AF flaunts her numbers to her investors, she must do that with her affiliate brands. She comes across as a successful know it all, so why wouldn't AE follow her business advice? Again, just thinking out loud. |
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Post by lisacharlotte on Sept 30, 2017 21:43:43 GMT
I like Ali's minimal style and the look of her product, but at some point it gets too repetitive and looks too much like Ali. I feel that way about any designer's line. At some point i get burned out and need a change of pace and for things to look like mine.
The storytelling part is just not me. It's too angsty and emotion driven. I'm a basic who what where when. i do tell some stories, but they are pretty much fact based and I lean toward funny instead of sappy. That's just me, i don't begrudge others telling their stories that way.
I do appreciate her December Daily product and even purchased a kit in 2015.
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Post by loveslabradors on Sept 30, 2017 21:43:56 GMT
After several messages back and forth I was given the option of another 'notebook' or a refund I don't know what I was expecting, but that seems ridiculous. They made it seem like it was a mistake on their part to price it at $8 and that they all should have been at a lower price. It certainly should not have taken several messages back and forth for them to offer you a refund. Eta: when Katie popped in here she made some comment about how she was looking into it and she agreed. I would have assumed that that meant an easy fix. I'm a little dismayed that it took them so long to come to the conclusion that you should have been refunded. Yup. And I'm really curious if they'll offer that option to everyone who bought it. I'm guessing not. |
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Post by maryboys on Sept 30, 2017 21:44:25 GMT
i like this discussion and hearing everyone's viewpoints. i want to say that i have no subs through ali, nor have i purchased anything from her from 10/28/16 until this month - for December Daily. i don't consider myself a fan girl, as i'm just too practical to be a fan girl of anyone, lol!
and in fact, the things that she offers that are over priced, i simply bypass. no DD chipboard set, none of her t-shirts, etc. i'm not in need of therapy or self-help through my scrapping, although i do agree that there is a subset of people who likely fit that category.
thanks for a lively discussion, ladies.
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. I have some open upper shelves in my craft area with things in fun, decorative containers so this was perfect for me. I actually use it to hold up a small collection of mini books on one shelf. So it was a win-win solution for me. 
. The prices she's charging lately make me really disgusted too. 
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