2024 Ameraucana Handbook

[Russ Blair]

Greetings fellow Alliance Members, I am pleased to announce that the board of directors has approved my proposed prices for this new Handbook. Unfortunately the cost of printing and shipping has gone up, but we are going to still sell them at cost to members. So the price will be $6 for members and $12 for non members on our website. I also proposed we sell them at our National Meets for $3 to members and $10 to non members. This discounted price is for just our National Meets and is a heck of a deal for any member wanting one.

It will also be an added perk to get new people to join. With us selling them to non members at the same price as a 1 year membership, which gives them a free Ameraucana handbook, I am hoping people will choose the membership. Unfortunately I received a call from the printer yesterday at 6pm letting me know there binding machine was down most the day and they couldn’t ship them yesterday. So I am doubtful I will have them in time to bring to the Wisconsin National Meet.

The discounted price is just for our National Meets, we want to keep the Handbook an added bonus for anyone joining our Alliance. With the articles and information contained within it, some that was written just for our Ameraucana Handbook, I think it will be valuable to any Ameraucana breeder. I truly hope everyone enjoys it, I think it turned out great.

[John W Blehm]

So the price will be $6 for members and $12 for non members on our website.

Too bad this board is raising these prices by $2 each over what we've been selling handbooks for. Knowing the ads in the handbook covered the cost of project I see and hear of no reason for the price increases, especially to our dues paying members.

[Russ Blair]

John it cost us $3.10 to have them printed, and the last handbook that was shipped cost $2.30 not including the Manila envelope ($.20) for a total cost of $5.60 to print and ship to our members. If we kept them at the $4 price, shipped to our members, we would lose $1.60 per handbook that we shipped to members who order them from our website at $4.00. That is just for one, if they ordered two the weight of them would increase the shipping requirement even more. I am hoping the $.40 cushion that is currently figured will mean we don’t have to raise the cost for the duration we offer them, which will be 5-6 years according to the 2018 Handbook. I truly wanted to give them to our members at cost which prompted me to propose the $3 price to members at our National Meets, this price is only for our National Meet/s.

The cost of printing and shipping has gone up to the point that all our mailed newsletters cost more to print and ship than a 1 year membership is. I believe the last figure was around $20 to print and ship 4 newsletters for one member. It was costing our Ameraucana Alliance in such a way there was actually discussions about needing to raise our membership dues. Don’t forget every new member receives a complimentary Ameraucana Handbook with each paid membership. So if they choose printed newsletters membership for $17 and it cost $20 to ship the newsletters and then $5.60 for the handbook our club is going in the negative for $8.60. Personally I prefer to raise the cost of the handbook in hopes to keep our membership dues where we currently are.

[John W Blehm]

My math is different, if the ads that were purchased in the handbook covered the cost of printing as was the intention. In that case the club only has donated time invested. As long as the cost of an envelope and postage is under $4 I see no reason to charge members more than the current price for a handbook. If that cost is much under $3 then maybe consider lowering that price to an even $3.
The Alliance shouldn't try to make money off it's members. If funds are short an increase in dues should be considered, but I know that isn't the case. The advertisers want their ads seen and the sooner these 500 handbooks get into the hands of people the better. Higher prices don't help.

[Mike Gilbert]

John, the Board of Directors also approved selling the Handbooks at our National Meets (only - not all our meets) for $3 to members and $10 for non-members.   I think that keeping the regular price at $6 and $12, it provides an added incentive to attend the national meets.   Perhaps even an incentive join AA at the national meets if more than one handbook is desired.  This issue can always be revisited in January after the installation of a new Board of Directors.

[Russ Blair]

John correct me if I am wrong, 2018 was a while ago, but I remember the cost of printing each of the 2018 Handbook was around $2 a piece and the shipping was under $2 as well. Which is how we came up with the $4 amount for the 2018 Handbook to members on our website. I can not speak about the 2016 Handbook as I was not on the board at that time.

I also believe we should not make money, or as I stated in an email to board members “fleece our members”, which is why I proposed we still sell them at cost like we did in 2018 (cost of printing + cost of shipping) Like I stated the current shipping cost for 1 handbook is now $2.50 and I know shipping was much cheaper back in 2018. We didn’t profit from them then and we surely are not profiting from them at these prices as well.

[Barbara Campbell]

Are the new handbooks available now? Who do I order 1 from?

[Russ Blair]

Barbara I believe Rebecca Howie has a couple of the 2018 Ameraucana Handbooks to get rid of before the 2024 Handbooks will be available. I will check with her and share what I come up with.

[Russ Blair]

Barbara, Rebecca has confirmed she has sent out all the 2018 handbooks and the 2024 Ameraucana Handbook is now available for purchase. She is going to update the website with the correct price. Unfortunately between the cost of printing and shipping we increased the price to $6 per handbook for members and $12 per handbook for nonmembers.

[Barbara Campbell]

Ok Russ, thanks for the info