Housekeeping: VTS Price Changes (stupid weak dollar, grumble, rumble, etc.)

Beginning September 15th I will be switching my online store’s currency from U.S. Dollars to Euros. This is an administrative move spurred on by a few factors, not the least of which are…

• Living in a foreign country where I need to convert my US currency into local Brazilian currency for daily living
• Seeing my purchasing power eroded at an alarming pace due to the overall weakness of the dollar in the last few years (The dollar has lost of over 20% of value against the Brazilian Real in the last 18 months alone, not a minor rate of value erosion)
• The likelihood that this weakening trend will continue for a while.
• Most of my customers are already in non-dollar economies (Europe, Asia, etc.)

So with those factors in mind I’ve decided it’s time for me to make the switch to a broader currency that is not as exposed to such volatile value erosions. After September 15, 2007, the new prices in Euros for these services will be…

• VTS Subscriptions will cost €13.50 per month (vs. $14.95 currently). This will only apply to new subscribers who sign up after September 15th. Current subscribers (or those who subscribe before Sept. 15th) will still pay only $14.95 per month as long as their subscription is active. Pre-paid subscribers are well, pre-paid. So they will see no change either.
• VTS back issue videos for subscribers will also be €13.50 (vs. $14.95 currently)
• VTS back issues for the general public will be €16.25 (vs. $17.95 currently)
• The new APT price is not yet determined. I will know more as we draw closer to a decision about exactly when the next session will be. (hint: it most likely won’t be until after January 2008).

I realize that these prices in Euros represent a price increase over the dollar amounts. This is really just an adjustment for the inflationary pressures that have weakened the dollar (and thus the value of the training in the VTS) since the start of the VTS program over two and a half years ago. Still, even with these changes the VTS is one of the best animation training values available today.What does this mean for you? If you’re already a subscriber- not much. You’re still going to be paying $14.95 per month like you always have. But if you’re not a subscriber and you’ve been thinking about joining the VTS (or getting back into it after being out a while) then now is the time to lock in the older, lower dollar based prices. After September 15th the currency will switch and the price will go up a bit.

Thanks for your support, patience and understanding. I don’t like to call attention to it (because I don’t think it’s the right way to go about things) but the VTS is the vital resource that allows my wife and I to continue doing the ministry work we’re doing with regard to bringing clean drinking water to the rural poor here in Brazil. Thanks to your support and the good Lord’s blessing hand we have been able to make a real, vital impact in the lives of hundreds of families in the past year - and we are in position to expand this work to help literally thousands of families in the next two years. Suffice to say I am humbled and deeply appreciative of every one of my VTS subscribers. You guys are “paying it forward” by helping us help others.