A Copic Coincidence

Copic Markers
Originally uploaded by Buckeye.

I spent the beginning of the week in Wisconsin. I had to visit some schools there as I'm still catching up from my "break" in March. They have an excellent stamp store in the area, that I always look forward to visiting. This is the store that introduced me to Copic markers this past fall.

I visited the store briefly on Tuesday, just to get in my head what purchases I might make on Wednesday when I would have longer time to look and think. I knew there was a possibility I would be adding to my Copic marker collection, as having bought Set B in the fall from them, it would make great sense to buy Set A from them this trip. Copic markers are *very expensive*, almost unjustifiably so. They allowed me to take some photos of some card samples, as I just adore the work they have displayed. I told them that I would be back the next day, as I didn't want them to think I wasn't going to buy anything, after they had granted me photo permission. They remembered me being there in the fall, as I had shared with them that I was from Ohio, and that I was really enjoying the Copic markers I had purchased.

So, Tuesday night I had a decision to make. Buy some stamps, or buy the Copic markers. My bank account, along with the impending "Adventures in Stamping" this weekend, would not allow for both. So, after talking with M that night on the phone, I was all prepared to purchase the Copic makers from the store after the "support the small business guy and don't you want them to still be in business the next time you are there" talk from M. Yes, I was prepared to pay them about $20 more than what I can get the set from Dick Blick online.

Imagine my surprise, shock, disappointment to see that "suddenly" a very inflated pricetag appeared on sets of Copic markers. This was after no pricetags were on the sets on my previous visit, less than 24 hours prior. Coincidence? They knew I wanted those markers and they probably thought they had a live one on their hands that was probably going to buy the Copic markers. They had marked the price up $40 from what the Dick Blick price is.

So, I bought some rubberstamps, thus still supporting the store in general, but didn't give them a $40 profit. I paid only $20 above in the fall. They screwed themselves out of a Copic marker sale with the somewhat greedy act.