This topic contains 10 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by 
offcuts 10 years, 8 months ago.
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I’m hoping those with more experience might be able to help me out. Today I was in the grocery store and one of the ladies who works there saw my own bags (which were already filled) and was complimenting them and asking me where I got them. To make a long story short, I said I’d bring her some and she kept offering to pay and I kept saying that I couldn’t accept a payment. As there were customers waiting behind me, I tried explaining quickly that I’d be happy with any fabric donations and she seemed unsure what I was talking about so I said, how about a spool of thread? I will give you bags for a spool of thread. She said okay but the look in her eye told me she’s going to try offering me money again. How does anyone here handle this type of situation? Should I not have asked for the thread? I never thought giving things away would be so difficult!
Hi JC, the simple answer is we are not allowed to take a financial donation that is directly linked to the bag. However it is fine to direct people to the donate button in the shop on this website. I also think thread or fabric is fine because that means you can make more morsbags. I wouldn’t encourage anyone to buy any though. Most people have a pair of old curtains that they don’t want anymore. Another good thing is to say “we just want you to use it instead of plastic bags. Or ‘we are raising awareness not raising funds’ Basically we want people to question, be surprised, and spread the word.
Thank you for the advice, Offcuts! I had shown her the bag label and told her about the website but she told me she doesn’t use computers (she’s in her mid 70s, I’d guess, and must never have learned) and she doesn’t sew (I’d said there was a great set of instructions she could follow to make her own if she didn’t feel right accepting a free bag). I must have told her 3 times that I could not accept money, that I was making the bags for the purpose of giving them to folks who would use them instead of plastic. I will try your suggestion about raising awareness when I drop the bags with her (I hope I can get her to accept more than one), that is a great idea!
I am sure it will be fine once she has thought about it. We did a christmas fair and there was a lady who came up to each of us saying ‘Its just not right!’ ‘Whats not right?’ I asked her. ‘That your bags are free!’ Unfortunately I got the giggles!
Hi JC, it can be difficult when someone just doesn’t get it!
I explain that we’re not allowed to accept money for the bags we make, that if we did it would be a different transaction and we buy and sell things every day. This is different, and we do it to make people think more about their use of plastic, particularly plastic bags – after all, it certainly got HER attention, didn’t it! 😀
Then I tell them that by giving the bag and not selling it, I’m putting them under an obligation to use it, as I didn’t put all that time and effort into making it for it to sit at home, or in the car, or wherever, unused! 😉
Good luck with your new “baggee” – I’m sure that once she’s got the idea, she’ll do super publicity for you. How useful that she works in the store and would be in a position to tell lots of people about how wonderful morsbags are! 😀
And she will tell everyone! There are a lot of people who don’t get it but then really get it when they think about it.! Much more in fact than the people who just nod and agree.
Try telling her that its a gift. It’s not just a gift to her, but a gift to the whales and turtles that suffer when plastic bags are thrown away. The only thing we really want in exchange is for her to use it (fabric and threads are a happy bonus!)
I had a brilliant discussion with a rather well-to-do gentleman once who thought it was “ridiculous” that we all did it all for free. (Remember Kelmarsh Hall Offcuts) He pointed out that we use are own electricity etc so it was costing us to make the bags and we should at least claim expenses. I told him that I thought of morsbags as my hobby and asked him what his hobbies were. He told me he liked going to the cinema and photography. I pointed out to him that his hobbies were costing far more than mine and no-one else was benefitting from his hobbies!! He admitted I had a very good point, understood where we were coming from a bit more and happily took a bag and promised to use it.
I think people just aren’t used to getting something for free! But that’s what makes them extra special.Yaay Butterfly!
Thank you all for your advice! Yesterday, I took 4 bags in with me when I went to see her and as I’d suspected she did offer me money again but we agreed the thread was a fine payment and she decided on 2 bags. I gave her two handouts and asked her to read them once she got home. She mentioned she’d been waiting for me since she’d gotten to work so she must have been excited as I’d made it clear that I’d show up at the end of her shift. I also asked her to spread the word, so I’ll make sure to take some extra bags with me when I go again.
Butterfly, I had a similar situation when I was doing the handout at the beginning of the month. Someone said, “You’re giving these away? You could be selling them!” I gave her a handout to read and after reading it she said, “But, really, you should sell these.” I just bit my tongue and asked her if she’d like one or not. She took 2.I have a lot of that stuff too JC. What I now say is “Just smile at me and be happy, and say it is a splendid idea. When you get home read the leaflet”.
😀
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