Here We Go Again...

Remember my last post on people contacting me about my direct sales "business"?  Just got another one:

Good Morning!

Its Dumbarse* from Tampa, FL and I was looking into Creative Memories and I found your information. Is Creative Memories a good company? How is Creative Memories working for you?

Thanks,
Dumbarse

* Name changed to protect the stupid. 

Don't Go Away Mad...Just Go Away

An Open Letter to People Who Spam My Email Using this Site:

Yes, I have a gmail address on my main page for people to contact me.  It is used mainly by people who ask me questions about the site, and people who are sending in funny home party stories.  I do realize that this leaves me open to receiving all sorts of crazy shit.

However, I do NOT want to hear about your "Wonderful Business Flopportunity."  If you had actually READ any of my posts, or read my "About Me" page, you'd probably see that I am not involved in ANY direct sales business anymore. 

I do not want to join your company where you claim I will earn $10,000 a month.  I also do NOT want to buy tapes for your "business" that will ensure I make $10,000 a month on my direct sales business.

*sighhhh...*

For the record, the top 3 offenders have been:

Mary Kay (no surprise there)

BeautiControl

Melaleuca

So in closing: if you have a great "Flopportunity" for me: Don't go away mad...just go away! 

- Calamity Queen

Southern Living at Home is now Willow House

Hello, fellow Calamity followers.  I've had a very difficult few months and let the blog lapse.  However, I'm BACK and have several news stories to share with you. 

I'm still looking for funny/strange home party stories, so feel free to send those in! 

Has anyone heard about this news? The home party company Southern Living at Home has now been changed to Willow House. It was sold to Entertaining at Home.

Southern Living at Home sold to Entertaining at Home

Southern Living at Home lays off 30 employees

Southern Living at home was one of the home party businesses that I half-heartedly attempted for a couple of years. I loved their products, but up here in the Northeast, the Southern Living "brand" isn't as well known. Their catalog had beautiful things...I'd show it to people and for some reason, they'd say "Wow, what a beautiful catalog!" And then they'd invariably say "But none of this stuff would go in my house."

Anyone a Southern Living at Home/Willow House consultant? Any thoughts?  

I'm Back Into my Facebook Page

Some new posts coming real soon, I've made a list of things to talk about! I've run across some interesting direct sales news lately.

Back soon, Calamity Queen

Having Trouble with my Facebook Page

Hello everyone,

I'm having a lot of trouble logging on to my Consultant Calamities Facebook page. It's been aggravating, but I'm hoping to figure it out this week. I tried to reset the password, but I'm still having trouble getting into the page to make updates.

Thank you for your patience, especially if you find out about new posts via my Facebook page.

However, my Consultant Calamities Twitter page is working. You can sign up there for updates as well.

- The Calamity Queen

Avon Acquires Silpada Designs for $650 Million

Silpada Designs, a sterling silver jewelry Home Party company, has been purchased by Avon for $650 million.

Here's an article about the purchase. Nearly twenty years ago, friends Bonnie Kelly and Teresa Walsh started a small home business helping people put together outfits from their closets. They then started selling costume jewelry, and eventually moved to sterling silver jewelry.

Silpada Designs is one of the Home Parties that I worked for. I have to say, the parties were easy for a Consultant, and I made a surprising amount of money with the parties. Their jewelry is striking, and I still get comments when I wear some of the jewelry that I kept.

As a rule, I am not a fan of Home Party businesses. I don't think that it's a very good business model. However, I will admit that I had the most fun being a Consultant for Silpada Designs. It was fairly easy and profitable, compared to the two other businesses I tried (Creative Memories and Southern Living at Home).

Apparently, Avon plans to keep the Silpada line separate, and let it operate as usual. Silpada's jewlery costs from $12 to $279. Avon does sell costume jewlery, but at a much lower price point (mostly under $25).

Who knew that Avon was doing so well? Apparently, Avon has over $10 billion in annual revenue. I recently saw an Avon catalog. Their items have really changed over the years.

Do any of you work for Silpada or Avon? What do you think about this?

Those Pans Must be Made of Gold

I went to a Lifetime Cookware party. If you haven't heard of them, you go and they cook you supper. We had salmon, steak, chicken breast, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, and pineapple upside down cake. Very delicious. Then today, the wife of the couple that did the cooking came over to try and sell me these pans. I had talked to my husband and we had agreed upon getting two pans. He couldn't be here right away so I sat and listened to her spiel.

The highest set which included everything in the line was over $13,000 but I could get it for $10,000 something. The next line under was $6000 something, and the bottom was $4000. With any of the sets you could get four free items. Two were specials and two I could choose whatever I wanted. Very nice stuff. Each line had monthly payments you could make.

I knew hubby wasn't even going to let me have the bottom line for $4000. It would have been around $200 a month for 2 years. When we went to discuss it, he said "Either you can spend $4000 on pans, or you can take that money and we can finish the porch you've wanted and do the patio in the back yard. You decide."

I went back upstairs and told her I would take the electric skillet only. Which, by the way, was over $700. When I told her this, she looked at me and asked me what was going to change with my money between now and the time I had a party. I told her nothing, unless my husband just up and changed his mind. I told her what he said about the porch, and told her what my choice was. She looked at me and told me I would get nothing from my porch, but the pans would give me better health and pay for themselves, blah blah blah. I was floored. She definitely wasn't happy with me.

I had to have three parties to get cookware. The lady whose house she went to after mine is widowed and she has a very small income. There is no way she could afford anything at all. I almost felt like I should call her and warn her about the price.

I know these people are selling this stuff, but they really shouldn't act like the world is ending if you refuse to buy everything. Goodness, I just spent $800 on an electric skillet for crying out loud. Who in their right mind would do that? I have no idea, but I just did.

Well, I called the lady that had the party I went to, and asked her if she got anything if I had a party and she said no. I also told her I can buy the same pan on ebay for $150 so she is going to look there also. Hee Hee.

So, I called the sales lady back and told her I wanted to cancel my order and also the parties. I told her about ebay and of course she told me a pan from ebay will not have any warranty. I don't care. I also told her that I wanted to cancel my parties because I couldn't in good conscience let her go into other peoples’ homes and try to get them to buy these pans. She asked if I felt pressured, and I told her what she said about my porch. For some reason, after that the line went dead...

I feel so much better now. It feels like a load has been lifted off of me. And every time I go out and sit on my porch, I will totally enjoy myself without the guilt.

K.K., Illinois