ElBee update - the good, the bad and the UGLY!

[calebsmama03]

Laura just updated her mailing list on the status of things at ElBee baby..

The Good: She's taking custom slots for baker's dozens, her instock store will be open in a few weeks with "regular" (every 2 week) stockings

The Bad: THe wait is at least 8 months for new numbers issued, the instock store is on Hyenacart, so even tougher for the non "professional stalkers" to get anything

The UGLY: She has raised her prices by $10 per dipe (CDN)!!!!! That's $35 CDN for a reg dipe and $40 for sidewalls. I think the doubler price also increased. The Bakers Dozen price for reg dipes when I got my number was about $310 CDN, now it's $420.

Yikes! I thought I'd put in for another number just in case, but not at those prices!! What's scary is that there are people who are still lining up at those prices, but $30+ USD for a dipe is just way too much for me, even if it IS an ElBee :(
Lynne
Mommy to Caleb 3/3/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif[/img][/url]
And the stubborn "purple" baby due 5/25/05

[jec2]

Holy Cow! Glad I just got my order in too. I'd reconsider if I had to pay that much :(

[brigmaman]

Yikes! I did email her, but I didn't realize the prices had gone up. I guess if they were *that* wonderful I might still consider it for Cadie's first birthday. It'll probably be time to size up by then anyway.
It seems that more and more wahms are going toward the el bee type styling. Hopefully a few more attainable/affordable options will pop up within the next year.

[mudder17]

Holy Moly! I thought the original price was already on the pricey side (but probably worth it if all the reviews were accurate), but I definitely can not afford $35 per dipe! Juliet, thank you soooo much for offering me a couple slots on your order last month!


Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya, www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya
http://www.babysfirstsite.org/newtickers/ticker/16994.birthday.png

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif Breastfed 1 Year -- Woohoo!

[Momof3Labs]

Ridiculous!! These dipes are nice, but not that nice - there are plenty of dipes that I like just as well or better than El Bees.

[MomToCaroline]

Wow! I just signed up for a baker's dozen but didn't check prices first. :-(

Are they really THAT good?

[calebsmama03]

IMO, they ARE good (if they fit your babe the right way, of course) because they are very trim and really are well made, but they were *barely* worth the $25ish USD they cost before. They are NOT worth $35 each! It's just a name thing now, and unfortunately there are people who will continue to pay ridiculous prices so there's no incentive to bring the cost down.

To put it in perspective, unless there's a typo on her site, her wool covers cost the same as her dipes!! That is nuts. I guess I should say "good for her" if she's developed a product that people are willing to pay twice what it's worth, huh?
Lynne
Mommy to Caleb 3/3/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif[/img][/url]
And the stubborn "purple" baby due 5/25/05

[kthomp]

Wow! That is quite the increase.

I can't believe how many people on MDC said they were still going to pay those prices. El Bees are really a hot commodity. I bet their sales won't go down at all, people are willing to pay that price for ONE diaper. I don't really know what to think about it, but I guess if the WAHM can profit a little more from her dipes being so coveted, I guess she should. I just know I wouldn't be buying any more if I got the chance.

[holliam]

Actually, I think it's really awesome that she has finally raised her prices.

Her USED diapers go on eBay for more than even her new prices for new diapers will be.

I think it is wonderful that she will finally be getting more of the money directly than all the second market people reselling.

Yes, it may limit people who can buy them, but let's face it, she is not hurting for business. I am sure it stresses her out to have a waiting list that long.

Plus, it's going to be much much more than 8 months. I've had a number for 9 months now and she is still 70 numbers away from mine. She is also pregnant, has a child with a broken leg, and apparently her dog is dying.

I am good friends with several diaper WAHMs, and they have all told me that her design is a lot of work and they would never do it. The binding and stitching is a lot more time intensive than serging.

Also, she doesn't charge different prices no matter what type of fabric you choose. Organic velour especially is extremely expensive and very popular right now.

I honestly have no idea if these diapers will even fit Mari so I don't even know if I'm a fan of them for our purposes. But I am very pleased to see a valued WAHM finally value herself.

Holli

[MomToCaroline]

Holli-

You bring up a good point, one I never thought of. It's nothing to spend $30+ on an outfit for DD, and the profits go to some corporate monster. But to see a WAHM mom ACTUALLY get paid for what she's worth is a great thing!

Thanks for sharing your opinion!

[kitmama]

ITA, Holli! In fact I'm surprised to see such a negative response to the price increase- sure, *I* won't be willing to pay so much for an elbee, but there are plenty of people who are! With so many orders backed up already, and so many people lined up for more (not to mention the personal events going on in her life!), I would be feeling pretty darn overwhelmed. If I were in her place I would raise the price, too.

[ALLEYCAT]

========== "Her USED diapers go on eBay for more than even her new prices for new diapers will be.
I think it is wonderful that she will finally be getting more of the money directly than all the second market people reselling." =========

I don't have any elbees so I can't comment on their "value" but I agree it is a shame they sell used for more than what she was charging. We all want the best for our children at the least amount of money, but not at the expense of others.
Our little networking community has really made the business for several WAHMs. It also has the abilty to ruin WHAMs. I for one don't want any part of ruining a small business.
Thank you for opening my eyes.

[Momof3Labs]

See, I don't think that they are THAT well made. They are a lot of work, more than most diapers, but they are also the first to fall apart on me, often after only a few washes. I had a batch way back that had the awful bindings that are shredded, even though the diapers are still usable in theory. And the dipes that I bought last year - one developed holes within a few washes and the other was the bad batch of organic velour, which developed bald spots in the first wash.

I don't deny a WAHM the right to charge what the market will bear, but I'll be using my money to buy dipes that hold up at least as long as Colin can wear them!

[calebsmama03]

I don't think the small amount of negative feedback will in any way ruin ElBee ;) She has made quite a name for herself and she IS a very nice lady to work with and she has great CS in spite of the wait. ElBee's are really well made, time intensive, very nice dipes. I love the fit on C and *wish* I could afford an entire stash of them. But there are some real disadvantages to them, as well. As Lori said, the old bindings were really bad and got holes within months. She has since changed bindings and hopefully the new ones will hold up better.

Anyway, I think it's important to have feedback - both positive and negative - about WAHM dipes. Especially since you can't just run down to the local boutique and see one IRL. I, for one, would be pretty peeved if I spent $35 on a dipe that got holes in 3 months, but if I CHOOSE to spend that money knowing up front that's a possibility (because I've read honest reviews) I cannot be upset, KWIM? Not sure if I'm getting my point across well - pg brain mush! I'm happy that Laura is doing so well, it just makes me sad that they are now well out of my price range :(
Lynne
Mommy to Caleb 3/3/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif[/img][/url]
And the stubborn "purple" baby due 5/25/05

[holliam]

I know what you're saying, but it's not really Laura who has made them out of your price range. The market has really driven these prices. I can only imagine how frustrating it would be to be a WAHM selling something at a certain price and to routinely see people reselling brand new or used ones for 2-3 times more than what you charge!

I also think if you break down her costs, she is still not getting rich off these. I think at most she is now going to be making a living wage closer to reasonable for her time.

Again, I still don't know if I'm going to even like these diapers at all or not! I really hope I don't because they are too difficult to get! You're the reason I am getting to experiment at all in my immediate lifetime! LOL Plus, I like my funky fabrics too much. :)

Even if a few vocal people don't like them and think the quality is poor, there are 100s more who think these diapers are IT, for whatever reason!

Holli

[egoldber]

ITA. It shocks me what WAHMs sell things for. Being someone who sews, I KNOW that they are NOT making much if ANY money at these ventures. Certainly not when you factor in their time. Even at $35 a diaper, if it takes her one hour (heck, even half an hour) to make a diaper, after materials and her capital investment, how much can she possibly be making per hour? None of these WAHMs are getting rich off what they make.

[C99]

I know that WAHMs do not make much money selling their wares, and I'm glad that the market is supporting Laura and that she's seeing a good degree of commercial success.

But WOW! I just can't see paying $32/dipe for a fitted. It just wouldn't work for *my budget*. I have 3 that I use for nighttime use and while I like them and the way they fit, I would have a hard time justifying nearly $400 in fitteds. I really like her wool covers though, and should probably get a number just for those.

[cvharris]

I am also glad she is raising her prices - she deserves it. I think her diapers are wonderful! The ones we have with her newer bindings are about eight months old and they look new and have held up better than any of my other diapers! There is obviously a huge demand for her products and she should price them accordingly - her used diapers are going for $30 or more on eBay so her selling them for that much in new condition is completely understandable. I might be wrong but I think she and her husband are working full time on this business. I hope the new pricing makes it worth their while.

Carolee and Ben (6/14/03)

[turtledove]

I know I'm chiming in late, but I wanted to point something out. Elbees bakers dozen are $420 CAD which roughly converts to $336.75 USD. So the price per diape is slightly over $25.90 USD. Individually purchased they are $35 CDN which is roughly $28.06 USD. Now that doesn't take into account shipping which can increase the price per diape (I looked on her site and didn't see the shipping rates). So unless you get the sidewalls, she is still getting less that $30 per diape.

[jec2]

shipping is actually included in her price...or at least it has been in the past.

[Momof3Labs]

That must be a change - when we ordered the BD last year, shipping was additional.

[papal]

I agree. I think they are yummy, soft dipes but for the money i paid for one, i would think it would have lasted longer. The bindings started getting frayed after using it maybe 2 dozen times. Of course, if I won the lottery, I would run and get more Elbees but at that price, i really feel the quality should be better.
Beth, you bought my Elbee, what are your thoughts?

[egoldber]

Well, not having used it on an infant yet, my thoughts are purely hypothetical. :)

It does have frayed bindings, but it seems to be a materials problem, not a workmanship issue. I can't imagine it will impact performance (or else I wouldn't have bought it :) ).

[calebsmama03]

I just got an order and the shipping for a BD plus was around $20.

As to the conversion, you need to figure it on paypal conversion rates since that's how you have to pay and they charge a not so great rate plus a fee - hence how I came up with my USD numbers - plugged em right into the paypal currency convertor. On the bright side, perhaps by the time any of the new numbers get called we'll have new leadership in DC and the dollar will be back up (hence a better USD price) LOL ;)
OK, no more flames please ;) I am done with the controversial issues for now! I didn't intend a heated discussion off of this thread, really!!
Lynne
Mommy to Caleb 3/3/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif[/img][/url]
And the stubborn "purple" baby due 5/25/05

[holliam]

LOL I didn't think this was a heated discussion at all. I thought it was just thought provoking!

Holli

[papal]

Definitely does not affect performance (or I wouldn't have sold it ;) ) but the fraying (materials or workmanship) did bug me considering i almost had to get a second mortgage on my hypothetical house to buy it. heehee

[calebsmama03]

True - just wanted to make sure I didn't offend ;) Was trying to keep it lighthearted :)
Lynne
Mommy to Caleb 3/3/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif[/img][/url]
And the stubborn "purple" baby due 5/25/05