It’s been one year since we started selling our D&D 5e Character Folios and Tomes! Our very first sale was on May 11, 2019. Can you believe it? Time flies by so fast, we almost forgot about our own birthday!((The quarantine might have something to do about that, too!))
Last year, we went up to Baguio with the rest of the Greasy Snitches to run Snitchfest: Valleypoint. We had a couple of terrain coasters, folios, and tomes. (Fun fact: these character notebooks are differently-sized than our current A5 notebooks–they’re 8.5″ x 5.5″! Do you have one of our very first editions?)
Take a look at that early logo!
It was a whirlwind weekend–selling our merch during registration, and helping out with the event. (It was Angela’s first Snitchfest!) We had a lot of fun, and it was the start of more wonderful experiences with everyone at gaming events and online! <3
State of the meeple
We learned many things this year. Neither of us come from a business background, so it was almost a deep end of the ocean situation for us. There were many things that we wanted to do last year. However, we didn’t have the time, the resources, or the know-how to start or get going.
And then COVID-19 happened.
We’d been planning to push our online shop more due to the event cancellations that kept coming in. Angela worked on the Sari-sari TRPG Market patterned after a few online marketplaces that were popping up because of event cancellations across the globe.
And then the Enhanced Community Quarantine came into effect. We put Hey Meepling on a fulfillment hiatus to reduce unnecessary delivery and shipping efforts((we’re only small fry, but we knew every little bit counts at such a crucial time)). We knew we were doing the right thing, but it was also scary having zero income for our small business. Daniel had full-time work, but Angela needed Hey Meepling income((she’s accepting writing gigs in the meantime! Check out her portfolio!)).
It’s been a challenging six weeks. We’re lucky and blessed that we haven’t been more impacted by the pandemic, and this time is all about small wins.
What’s next
Time will tell how we’ll all get through this challenging time in our lives. The important thing is to focus on moving forward as we all adjust to this new normal.
One thing we can say with certainty is that we’re going to lean further into expanding our reach. Right now, we’re focusing on returning delivery service coverage to the Philippines. Metro Manila is easy, but provincial deliveries are still a challenge((and we’re interested if you know of any solutions–hit us up!)).
But that’s not all. We’re working on extending our reach beyond our country’s borders, too. Yes, we’ll be opening for international orders soon! We’re looking forward to opening an international shop, but we may have to do it in a more limited fashion. Everything depends on how the next few weeks and months pan out!
We’re also looking into a couple new projects this coming year. We can’t share too much right now but, we’re excited and we hope you like the things we’re working on. We might ask for some beta testers of a couple new things further down the line; if this is interesting to you, do sign up for our newsletter where we’ll do a call for testers!
For now, we’re focusing on the next steps, taking things one day (or week) at a time.
Come celebrate with us
Regardless of what we’re going through right now, we’ve very grateful you’ve helped us this far. We’ve got a couple of things here, so buckle up!
The shop is open!
We’ve heard you loud and clear–so we’re opening up shop again!
You can once again browse our online shop and check out if you are in Metro Manila! We’ve done a little bit of spring cleaning; check out all the good things you can use to pimp your tabletop adventures. ;) We’ll update as soon as we are able to do provincial addresses.
Of course, not everything can go back to the way it was, not yet. Our new normal is making sure that we minimize unnecessary contact–so we’re doing a once-weekly shipping run. We’ll ship all confirmed orders every Wednesday afternoon, and have Tuesday evenings as cutoff for that week’s shipping run.
We’ve got limited stocks and supplies are low, so we’re working with our suppliers to see what we can do. In-stock items won’t have any delays — but our processing time for custom or made-to-order Character Tomes are affected. Made-to-order tomes are currently taking up to 10-20 business days to craft from our previous 3-5 days. We can still take orders, but it will take a while to get them made for you.
A mug for all those crits
There is something new brewing (heh) in our drinkware line: D&D Combat Mugs! Keep track of your health and death saves while giving your DM (across from you) easy access to check your initiative, AC, and passive perception and insight stats!
You can write directly on the glossy ceramic mugs with a dry-erase marker and wipe it clean after the game. How’s that for some classy sips while you’re gaming without resorting to disposable cups?
We’re targeting fulfillment for these mugs in July, but we’re taking pre orders now to help us plan demand. Get 20% off these combat mugs when you pre order, too!
Spring cleaning, anyone?
We’ve put up a clearance sale for version one of both in-stock Folios and Tomes! Get up to 40% off for items on clearance — and once they’re gone, they’re gone!
You’ll see the sale price right on the product page–no surprises here! Grab one of the few remaining first-version folios at ₱120; the tomes go at ₱300 for the hardcovers and ₱400 for the faux leather ones. That’s a steal!
Hurry up for an extra freebie
If you’re quick, you might also score an extra freebie. Our A6 notebooks are also on clearance, but we’ve set aside some as gifts! Get a free A6-sized notebook if you’re one of the first five confirmed purchases. You’ll get the extra swag automatically if you purchase at least ₱250, so hurry!
Another gift from us to you
Last, but most definitely not the least–what’s a birthday when there’s no giveaway? Get a chance to win one of our new D&D 5e Character Tomes! This brave blue tome is ready to accompany you to adventures in Faerûn and beyond. No need to wait for processing times–it’s ready to go home to you!
Up your chances to win by liking/sharing/tweeting/commenting on our social media posts about our birthday below–more details on each post. (Yes, doing it on all three platforms get you three chances!)
Check our Facebook post, Twitter tweet, and Instagram post to check out the giveaway and participate!
Thanks again for all the love and friendship you’ve all extended to us in our first year. Here’s to many more!