Let’s Get Real – Timberdoodle’s 2012 Plans

Dear Friend,

For over twenty-six years Timberdoodle has valued the trust you have put in us.

As fellow home educators we know that sometimes homeschooling choices can be overwhelming, but through the years we have made your decisions easier by doing the research for you. From the must-have, but less flashy products that every homeschooling family needs, to those products that are crazy-smart and will breathe new life into what could be dreary subjects, every product we offer goes through a rigorous selection process. We love our job, and the opportunity to meet the needs of thousands of homeschooling families.

And we are genuinely excited to see what God has in store for 2012! Our review team has discovered some pretty amazing items that we will reveal in the months ahead. Our in-house studio is busy shooting catalog pictures and how-to videos. Our research team is lining up trade shows, meeting with vendors and chasing down even more new products so that our product line-up is always fresh and relevant to today’s home educator. And our conference team is hoping to see as many of you as possible as we take Timberdoodle on the road this spring and summer.

In view of that, we felt it important to let you know a couple of changes that we will need to implement this February. Our vendors here and abroad have been tackled by today’s volatile economy. To survive they have had to raise their prices to us, which forces us to follow suit. Plus, in an attempt to avoid price wars, other vendors are insisting on a uniform price for their products, which we must implement to continue to sell their products. So while we purpose to continue offering a good value, you can expect some price increases February 1.

In addition, as you know, shipping companies across the board have executed another round of rate increases. Last year we subsidized shipping costs to the tune of nearly $200,000.00, a practice we can no longer engage in and stay in business. Although we hope to occasionally offer shipping specials, (become our fan on Facebook to be the first to know), regrettably our rates must also increase February 1, 2012, to reflect more of our actual shipping costs.

When we hear of second-generation Timberdoodle enthusiasts, your children now homeschooling their own children, we are inspired to continue regardless of the tenuous economic climate. So from all of us, to all of you, thank you for more than two-and-a-half decades of support, we look forward to continuing to serve you.

The Deffinbaugh Family