You have to meet $35 if you don't have a Redcard for free shipping. Even before Target raised their free shipping minimum to $35, there were random items that had a handling free or had a shipping threshold that you had to meet. And right now, there's free shipping for everyone.
Amazon always has the other sellers on the right hand side. It isn't Amazon's fault that the OP didn't look. Amazon doesn't guarantee they will have the lowest price. It is up to the buyer to do the research.
The Crayola Cutter perforates, it doesn't actually cut through the paper. You have to pop out the object that you cut. It surely isn't something I would use for detailed crafts, but for the kids, it works just fine.