I am with all of you. Although I love watching the shows & pushing myself into new frontiers, it is the on-line chats I enjoy the most. I have picked up so many tidbits of valuable information & advice from folks around the world.

The whole ARJJ team deserves a huge collective hug & thank you.

As a charter member, it is obvious to me that Alex and Ricky's passion for quilting is what has fueled this community from the beginning, and that they have been diligent about continuing to invest in the endeavor to grow it and improve it in ways most of us could not imagine. I am glad that Alex chimed in with her perspective, and I totally agree with Ann and her sisters....TQS is priceless, in my mind, and I feel so fortunate to have found this online community. Nancy

I'm chiming in too. I've been here since the 19th day after start up and never regretted signing on. Waited from Jan to April? for the first show and then usually had to wait til the next day to watch cause all of us trying to watch at once didn't seem to work really well. This site gets better and better as time goes on. I certainly hope ARJJ get to benefit soon. They certainly deserve more than minimum wage. Anyway, I'm here forever.

To Ann and Mary---I second that AMEN SISTERS!!!

To Ann -- AMEN sister!!!

I have been a star member since the beginning and think I have gotten thousands of times worth my membership fees in return. As a famous poet once said "how do I love thee, let me count the ways"

1. fellowship and friends
2. information - I have been introduced to more fantastic quilters through the shows, the blogs, the gallery etc. than I could expect to meet in about four lifetimes. Now I know so much more than I did a few years ago and can expand my own horizons.
3. value- I copied the first BOM even though I did not do all of the blocks. Thinking one day these will be available to me for the cost of my membership. I saw these blocks on sale as patterns last fall in Friendswood, TX for way more than I could afford to pay for each months worth pattern. ( so glad Sue can sell them and reap the bounty) I didn't copy the 09 BOM because its style didn't fit me but am copying the Hugs and Kisses and figure I have more than my memberships worth of value in that one quilt.
4. answers to my questions- no matter what I wonder about and sometimes things I haven't even thought to wonder about get answered if you (or someone else) posts the question.
5. go back to #1 fellowship and friends. I have so many new close friends that I would never have had the chance to meet -either on the internet or in person- without TQS and in the end that more than repays me for every penny I have invested in this endevour so THANK YOU ALEX RICKY JUSTIN AND JOHN for your dedication and committment and may you soon reap from what you have sown in real monetary value. (If you should ever become millionaires through this venture - from my lips to God - then you have earned every penny and I will be forever grateful. A loyal, faithful and loving member and fan, Ann

I was at the Bernina Club at my dealer's today & the Quilt Show was mentioned. I told them that I had been a member since season one & how great it was. 2 of our members were going right home to sign up.

For some reason our dealer (Canada) had not heard about it. She was keen as it could only help her too. She is savy on the internet & could see the advantages right away (especially with the education). She knows that I am on the Bernina USA site at least once a week & am up to date using their education arm.

Alex & Ricky, you are doing a terrific job. Thankyou.

Alex, I'm glad you chimed in. Having people tell us that you all are raking in zillions is a little weird as most of us are here for the community, and do not worry about our membership fee. There are many quilt guilds in the world, and I'm sure most of your members belong to one or two in their hometowns. (yet I wonder how many of them pray together as we do at TQS?) But there are some of us who might be too ill to get out, or caring for elderly parents or spouses, and TQS is our touch to the quilt world. I followed you in, and in turn now feel like a follower of Ricky and the many others you have introduced us to. Knowing that you all are just breaking even is a good reason for all of us to tell our friends about TQS so it won't close down!
Thank you for everything!
Joan

Time to chime in - In the first two years it has been only a labor of love. Our goal this next year is to make minimum wage (I'm not kidding) - We have poured the money back into the shows and the website. We LOVE this community and feel extremely fortunate to continue to "spread the gospel of quilting and quilters" in such an organic way. We have survived because of our sponsors (please send them a letter today) and the star memberships (thank you). This has been a glorious adventure with so many blessings along the way and we have great stuff coming your way in 2010. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for your continued support.

I agree, Jo Jo, I joined TQS because I heard Simply Quilts was going off the air and I thought I would just follow Alex! I have learned quite a bit, and enjoy the shows, and looking through the gallery, and talking to quilters from all over the world. I learned about Quilt University from a TQS member and have taken classes online and enjoy that too. I hope TQS doesn't get so big they become 'big business' and forget about the little people while they are making their "big bucks' As long as I keep learning and meeting great people and have a place to post my quilts, I will be sticking with TQS!
Joan

"It's easy to see how this site could be generating well over a million dollars in revenue per year.
Just thinking out loud..."

Maybe you are right on the overall income But then it is time to subtract : staffs pay check, taxes, equipment (software, cameras, computers. etc), electricity, rent, travelling, adverticing..and on and on.....
The investment setting up a site like this, and all things needed to make these shows started out at at least 300 000$ I would bet. If you ask the pro's they would tell you it will take between 3-5 years before you actually starts to make money :shock: .

If someone do not have the money, or dont want to spend their money on this site, it is all fine by me. Over here I pay 20$ for 1 american/australian quilting magazine...on here I get 24 shows for 40some dollars, a greate deal if you ask me

ladyquilter wrote:
Thank you for the compliment on Conversations #1... So far all the comments I've received were on Holy $#!+ (which, IMHO isn't my best or most provocative work).

BTW- I enjoy crunching theorhetical numbers; kind of an obsession of mine. My stance on the revenue generated by this site is quite neutral (though I am far too poor to afford a membership myself).

Miles661ca wrote: I'm overlapping here a bit from another thread, I don't know if I'm supposed to do that - but I do know its hard to be really good at anything whether its craft, art, or statistics and probability.

When sample characteristics are projected too far away from the sample, very unreliable things can happen. The paying ratio of those members joining recently could be very different than those that joined last year or several years ago... I think dfrank27's conclusions are more reasonable (I'm relying TQS's member search here).

And I'm throwing my hat in the "I love TQS and think it's a good deal" pot. I'm happy to contribute my small portion, I'm glad the advertising helps keep my portion small, and I'm also really glad that people can make a living doing what they really love!

BTW - I love Miles661ca's quilts! Just looking at them answers the question of whether quilts can be art.

I love TQS and have been a paying member since before there were even shows available. I went on faith knowing Alex when she was on TV. I must admit to not really knowing Ricky at the time, but he has really opened my eyes on great techiques and also loosened me up as a quilter. I love both their styles and consider them like salt and pepper -- good by itself but great when put together.

And I also want to thank TQS to introducing me to some wonderful teachers from all over the world, whom I would have never known if TQS were not in existence.

As for how much money TQS might be making -- well I hope they are making barrel fulls, and I'm happy to contribute my small portion so that TQS grows to an even higher level than what we now enjoy.

JoJo