(no subject)

[pat]

I had heard that the owners of Michael's crafts stores were conservative Republicans. I didn't realize they were completely slimy political operators (being, among other things, the charter financial support for the Swift Boat Veterans who attacked John Kerry's war record). Thanks to jmhm, now I do.

Guess I to have to find alternate sources for school project supplies, which is a shame, because there really isn't a good one that's convenient. Sigh. I can overlook support for conservative causes to some degree, but not this.

If you have crafters on your list, you might pass this information along.

Comments

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

http://www.discountschoolsupplies.com

I don't know what their political activity is like, sadly, but I know that they're where I've been going for cheap and good supplies for a long time, a couple of decades with their paper catalog.

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. I don't think I wanted to know this. *sigh*

[kightp.livejournal.com]

The one Michael's I ever visited struck me as mostly filled with crap. And for the items I wanted, their prices weren't all that good.

Craft stores in general price things way above what you'd pay for them elsewhere. You can find things cheaper at:

* Commercial printers - for paper in various weights, colors, etc., cardboard, foam board, etc. The bigger the printer, the more likely they'll give you good prices on, say, cases of paper.
* Frame shops - Small ones, especially, often keep boxes and boxes of mat board scraps that have been cut from the center of bigger sheets when they're framing artwork. I've been able to score big stacks of the stuff, in all colors, for $5 a box, just by asking.
* Office supply stores - paper goods, adhesives, scissors, inks, markers, odd items like brass paper fasteners and even (in the big box stores) sections of actual craft supplies
* Hardware stores - My favorite craft adhesive, E6000, is the exact same product as what's sold in hardware stores as GOOP. Made by the same manufacturer, even. And GOOP is about half the price of the craft market version. Craft tools, from needle-nosed pliers to Dremels, are cheaper from hardware stores, too.

For artists' materials, I like Dick Blick (http://www.dickblick.com). They've got everything, and their prices are pretty good.

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

Well, there goes that resource.

[si-anenome.livejournal.com]

Well, crap.

I'd be inclined to write them a letter about why I'll no longer be frequenting their stores.

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the heads-up. While I usually go to bead-specific stores, there's the occasional odd thing that I've bought there. Will refrain in future.