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I think the papercraft world (aside from Cricut for some crazy reason) is shrinking and all of us still making cards are looking for more variety and niche items than Michaels can reasonably stock. From a business standpoint, it makes more sense for them to sell a beginner macrame kit for $50 which has a big markup to a beginner crafter who doesn't know about other craft options than a very specific die that maybe only 1% of their customers will want for $15, that is if it isn't stolen before it gets sold. Plus any beginner kit appeals to more customers, everyone is a beginner at something. Few are experienced papercrafters.
Thanks so much for responding, lindsaymay (the frugal crafter). As someone who works in the crafting business, I trust your take on the subject.
And I do hope that annie* is right about 2020 and 2021 not being normal years. Re: your example of Michael's going from no dies to pages of them, as I mentioned earlier, Joann's online went from having a handful of Distress reinkers to 40+ of them -- and it's also possible that some of this has to do with supply chains being replenished.
I've started buying digital patterned paper on etsy instead of physical stacks -- I have a pile that's over a foot high and I don't need any more. I'm enjoying the luxury of printing out what I need and not having to store the rest (and feel guilty for buying more when I already have so much).
Last edited by MelanHelen; 08-04-2021 at 10:56 AM..
Reason: typo corrrection
When I worked for Michaels back in 2011-2013 management would ask the employees what customers were asking for. Being a crafter back then I suggested to bring in more stamps as the stamps at that time were years old and told them they need to bring in new stamps and possibly bring in from the smaller stamp companies that people were ordering from SCS.
I was told that Michaels would only order from companies that can supply stock of any kind that can be bought on a major scale to go into all Michaels stores. Anything they order and sell in the stores has to be available to all stores.
So if a certain manufacture could not supply quantity required to fill all Michaels stores , that manufacture is not on Michaels "Purchasing List".
__________________ The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable. Practice safe eating always use condiments
I forgot to mention, Michaels has been sold, that is maybe why the store is going in another direction.
__________________ The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable. Practice safe eating always use condiments
My friend showed me a China site company that had fake Anna Griffith dies, copied from her site, so the design was completely stolen. She showed me one from the site and we compared to the original. The China one was a thinner die with no instructions, but the exact design as Anna Griffith. So sad that companies do that. I won’t buy from a copycat company.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fl_beachbum
My plea to you... Please don't purchase from companies who steal designs. Purchase elsewhere with legit companies so that designers are compensated and this industry stays in business.
IMO the "BIG BOX" craft stores are for dabblers
once you're a connoisseur, they don't suit you any more.
also what Leslie said about the bulk needed to stock Micheals, I just googled and they had 1274 stores in the US & Canada in 2019. even if they only got 5 each item for each store that is 6370 they would need. I can see how that would prohibit them from acquiring supplies from the smaller companies that we know and love.
and they do seem to change it up, in my 15+ years paper crafting my local Joann's/Michaels/HL ( and once ACMoore would have a lot, then not so much, then a lot again.
we complain when it's not fresh and that's how they seem to roll, they take it away and when they bring it back it's fresh again.
Copying is a complicated subject. This is therefore long and feel free to skip it. Just imho. No expert.
1) the artist-Mo Manning who has a distinct style I can generally spot a mile away (and love) -she is like Shultz and Peanuts. She has been railing against rip offs for a long time. Sadly she seems to have moved to digital now mostly as I dont do digi. Maybe she feels it is less painful if they steal that format? Although I doubt it. I would expect it is the same for all creators. Just imagine it-you work on stuff and then see someone else profiting from it. Horrible.
My mom was a creator which I have mentioned in the past in detail so will skip here-and to see her face when she saw her stuff ripped off was really heartbreaking and in the end she just gave up. Worked office jobs. Seeing a creative stifled like that was very sad.
2) the cost-ok...think about it. US companies pay much higher wages than overseas. We all want to get paid a livable wage. The $15/hr movement-while a significant bump to many blue collar workers-that does not make anyone rich. That is $30k/year. In tandem with physical plant costs like rent or property taxes, property insurance, etc etc....it aint cheap to run a business in the US even if you are not a brick and mortar and just a warehouse with an office.
Some people argue that by buying overseas we support systems that pay next to nothing (in our minds-might be ok in their economy) and may have child labor. China is notorious as a huge polluter, using materials that may be toxic etc in their mfg overall. So some people may have issues supporting them in a any way.
There is a movement to buy American for a while now. Support the jobs of our fellow citizens. The mfg industry in general in the US is sickly. I personally like the idea of Tariffs like older more experienced countries do but no one agrees with me so I guess I am wrong.
Good points have been made here about the cost ratio evaluations for product in a brick and mortar like Michaels...the same thing is true for mfgs.
Hybrids: In order to keep costs down some US companies are using Chinese plants. But they may have a better quality of product vs the knock offs esp in dies. People are unhappy bc this "cheaper product" is still getting billed at US prices. I don't know....I see some companies whose dies are more expensive...Scrappy Tails, a new one that just launched Meraki, Birch Press, etc. That could be a function of production size or production location. Who knows? I have seen some dies come down in price too.
3) the legal-as has been pointed out it is costly to enforce copyright. Even for the big guys given how much there is. Someone mentioned something interesting. That Chinese factories WILL fight it and that is why some US companies do produce there.
Here is a link discussing the Ellison sizzix case. It includes a link to the die specifics. The interesting bit to me is that it mentioned a stage to happen in Sept 2020. Did it with covid or was it resolved beforehand? I did not hear anything last fall. Did anyone?
4) Original- I am sure there are original designs on Ali or whatever mixed in there.
The comment above that US companies are using foreign designs is new to me. I am not saying it is not true at all, but I would like to see examples just out of curiosity. It makes sense...China has designers of their own.
I get it is expensive to buy new stuff. Why I am always behind the curve bc I live in the clearance bins. :lolo: I freely admit that. Or wait for sales of 20% or more. I suspect those bins would not be as good pickings if they did not have them made in China or were not the mfg. Middle men like SSS buy at wholesale.
Here is another thing: Trends. We all see trends....hedgehogs or gnomes or whatever. They may look different but it is the same concept. One thing I have liked about Art Impressions is they come out with real niche characters like meerkats. So the concept front could be a little gray.
Same way a lot of solid CS comes from a limited source so companies can have the same color with a different name. There is going to be overlap with product.
Can a person really claim rights on a holly branch? Maybe if it is very stylized like the drafting look from Holtz. Some of Penny Black is pretty obvious too. But a lot of stickish berry branch dies pretty much look all the same to me.
__________________ Margot
I am a proud fan club member
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The comment above that US companies are using foreign designs is new to me. I am not saying it is not true at all, but I would like to see examples just out of curiosity. It makes sense...China has designers of their own.
Here is another thing: Trends. We all see trends....hedgehogs or gnomes or whatever. They may look different but it is the same concept. One thing I have liked about Art Impressions is they come out with real niche characters like meerkats. So the concept front could be a little gray.
Same way a lot of solid CS comes from a limited source so companies can have the same color with a different name. There is going to be overlap with product.
I am not getting into copyright laws. I have won a copyright case that was landmark for protecting copyrights in a digital era. That was many years ago but copyright debates are not something I will debate.
WaveJumper- I have seen US companies using foreign designs too. I had a busy week so I am super tired but I do have some resources of this I will try my hardest to post them. Not trying to start debates. The reason I know about this because like you I am a clearance bin or sales girl. When I do buy full price I tend to buy from other countries. My art style is ethnic and I can find supplies I will actually love and use. Not something I had to settle for. When I have run into American companies that have items that are similar to other crafting companies in other parts of the world I check to make sure they are actually supporting that company buy selling their products. as a reseller. I do this for any company no matter what it is from gaming to stamping. This has nothing to do with copyrights. I am frugal and this is just part of my frugality toolbox to be a smart and informed consumer.
WaveJumper you brought up Trends. This is a very good point why crafting is going in a new direction. This is one of those things that I feel is killing the paper crafting industry.
Like you wrote we have trends of Gnomes. Then you see several stamping companies that release gnomes. That is great. I understand it. They are trying to keep up with trend demand. I am not any way slamming the stamp companies. I don't want my post to be taken that way. I do understand they are trying to survive. The problem is the stamp companies now have 10,000 gnomes. Consumer's have to wield through all that gnome information. That is just too much overload. Your brain does truly start shutting off. This kind of overload just makes consumers go to sites like Ali & type in Gnomes. Then they get their simple listings of gnomes, put their choice in the cart & hit pay. Most of these consumers don't realize they just bought a knock-off. Probably because the gnomes look the same from every other gnome that is on market right now.
Have you all noticed that Hobby Lobby's Paper Studio truck paper line looks similar to some of the other paper craft companies? That is a good example of similarity overload in this industry
What I am trying to say is that stamping companies need to acknowledge that this is part of the problem. How many times have so many of you said over here you can't take all the owls, gnomes, and hedgehogs that are being listed on a daily basis? That you looked forward to new weekly releases but now you dread it? Overload! Many of you have mentioned that your stamps look the same from one company to the other. It is an issue that has been talked about a lot.
I appreciate companies like Art Impressions who produce stamps that are meerkats. They get my money. I know if I went and looked at their catalog I would probably find gnomes. I know their images are unique. I can find a variety of things I love. I know I have wrote many times I turn off the industry. This is the reason why. Mine was Owl Overload! I love owls. It became way too many owls. I recently was using my owl stamps like a month ago. I thought to myself that so many of the owls had the same style but were from different companies.
I compare this to WalMart. You go to WalMart buy a cute top. Go to WalMart next week and see three people wearing the same top. If stamp companies could go back to niche I think it would change the landscape.
I tend to buy digital now too because I know I can get unique and not mass manufactured.
You brought up cardstock. Same concept. I won't buy cardstock from individual companies. I find out who their source is and buy it straight from the source. I don't want several different companies gray cardstock that is the same hue and different price ranges. I can go to the source company and buy one large bulk set of gray cardstock. Easy, no overload.
You also brought up $15 minimum wage. My family is working class. I just bought groceries and medicine for the week. I am very frugal. My grocery bill was over $100 for two people and the four legged family members. DH & I, even though we are lower income working class, we have a good lifestyle. We live under our means so we can afford luxuries. We buy those luxuries frugal too. After bills & paying for groceries most families don't have $50 for a new die set. The woman or man of the household loves die cutting but at one time it was for an elite group of crafters who were upper income or on design teams. Now, you can buy dies more affordably. I know dies can be expensive to make. A set of squares on Ali is $6. Working class family member is not going to spend $50 on a die set than they can get for $6! I won't even do that, even if I like the company and the people who have the $50 die set. I know I am not the only one because a lot of you have wrote that you bought a ScannCut so you wouldn't have to buy the expensive die set that matches your stamps.
What I am trying to say is that stamp companies need to change if they want to win this consumer war and change the landscape back to it's popularity again.
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As long as the items you want are in stock at your Michaels you can order for FREE pick up. I have done this 3 times since Michaels started to offer this service.
Now if the items you want are not in stock they will ship to you, this is were the shipping cost occurs.
If the products are in stock are your Michaels, why would you need to order and get FREE pick up. I tried to order something that the store carried but didn't have it in stock and they wanted to charge me for ordering it online and picking it up at the store. This was an item they usually carry but was out of stock at my store. They said they couldn't even call another store and if they had it, have it sent to my store.
I am not getting into copyright laws. I have won a copyright case that was landmark for protecting copyrights in a digital era. That was many years ago but copyright debates are not something I will debate.
WaveJumper- I have seen US companies using foreign designs too. I had a busy week so I am super tired but I do have some resources of this I will try my hardest to post them. Not trying to start debates. The reason I know about this because like you I am a clearance bin or sales girl. When I do buy full price I tend to buy from other countries. My art style is ethnic and I can find supplies I will actually love and use. Not something I had to settle for. When I have run into American companies that have items that are similar to other crafting companies in other parts of the world I check to make sure they are actually supporting that company buy selling their products. as a reseller. I do this for any company no matter what it is from gaming to stamping. This has nothing to do with copyrights. I am frugal and this is just part of my frugality toolbox to be a smart and informed consumer.
WaveJumper you brought up Trends. This is a very good point why crafting is going in a new direction. This is one of those things that I feel is killing the paper crafting industry.
Like you wrote we have trends of Gnomes. Then you see several stamping companies that release gnomes. That is great. I understand it. They are trying to keep up with trend demand. I am not any way slamming the stamp companies. I don't want my post to be taken that way. I do understand they are trying to survive. The problem is the stamp companies now have 10,000 gnomes. Consumer's have to wield through all that gnome information. That is just too much overload. Your brain does truly start shutting off. This kind of overload just makes consumers go to sites like Ali & type in Gnomes. Then they get their simple listings of gnomes, put their choice in the cart & hit pay. Most of these consumers don't realize they just bought a knock-off. Probably because the gnomes look the same from every other gnome that is on market right now.
Have you all noticed that Hobby Lobby's Paper Studio truck paper line looks similar to some of the other paper craft companies? That is a good example of similarity overload in this industry
What I am trying to say is that stamping companies need to acknowledge that this is part of the problem. How many times have so many of you said over here you can't take all the owls, gnomes, and hedgehogs that are being listed on a daily basis? That you looked forward to new weekly releases but now you dread it? Overload! Many of you have mentioned that your stamps look the same from one company to the other. It is an issue that has been talked about a lot.
I appreciate companies like Art Impressions who produce stamps that are meerkats. They get my money. I know if I went and looked at their catalog I would probably find gnomes. I know their images are unique. I can find a variety of things I love. I know I have wrote many times I turn off the industry. This is the reason why. Mine was Owl Overload! I love owls. It became way too many owls. I recently was using my owl stamps like a month ago. I thought to myself that so many of the owls had the same style but were from different companies.
I compare this to WalMart. You go to WalMart buy a cute top. Go to WalMart next week and see three people wearing the same top. If stamp companies could go back to niche I think it would change the landscape.
I tend to buy digital now too because I know I can get unique and not mass manufactured.
You brought up cardstock. Same concept. I won't buy cardstock from individual companies. I find out who their source is and buy it straight from the source. I don't want several different companies gray cardstock that is the same hue and different price ranges. I can go to the source company and buy one large bulk set of gray cardstock. Easy, no overload.
You also brought up $15 minimum wage. My family is working class. I just bought groceries and medicine for the week. I am very frugal. My grocery bill was over $100 for two people and the four legged family members. DH & I, even though we are lower income working class, we have a good lifestyle. We live under our means so we can afford luxuries. We buy those luxuries frugal too. After bills & paying for groceries most families don't have $50 for a new die set. The woman or man of the household loves die cutting but at one time it was for an elite group of crafters who were upper income or on design teams. Now, you can buy dies more affordably. I know dies can be expensive to make. A set of squares on Ali is $6. Working class family member is not going to spend $50 on a die set than they can get for $6! I won't even do that, even if I like the company and the people who have the $50 die set. I know I am not the only one because a lot of you have wrote that you bought a ScannCut so you wouldn't have to buy the expensive die set that matches your stamps.
What I am trying to say is that stamp companies need to change if they want to win this consumer war and change the landscape back to it's popularity again.
I agree with you on the $6 vs $50. Yes, the quality is not as good but for something standard like square or circle dies I can't afford to pay company prices when I can get it for $6. I am struggling since I retired to keep stamping because the costs have gone up so much and so have the shipping fees. I try to get the best deal out there so I can keep stamping.
I forgot to mention, Michaels has been sold, that is maybe why the store is going in another direction.
Ohhhhh. I didn't know this. No wonder their emails have flooded us with yarns and kid crafts. I unsubscribed last week. I've shopped online for stamping supplies for the majority of everything in my crafty zone. The chain stores only help me out in paper crafting with very generic, quick needs.
The thing about trends is it true across all the retail boards. Hot color of the year? All the clothing companies will have it in some format. So will fabric mills and wall paint colors and so on. I guess that is why people pay attention to that.
We all saw what happened with MISTI and the stamp platforms.
(shrug) so we get a lot of something for a year or two (since they have to place the orders with the factories in advance). I love gnomes. I always will and I will always use them-like fairies and dragons. But I am being super choosy about them. Unless I get silly-I saw a gnome family yesterday with baby in a cute hat...I love all babies in hats, but you don't see gnome babies every day. I almost got it. I may yet. I am getting pretty immune. I just looked at 1-2-3 stitch's clearance section-some 1250 items and only put 2 in my cart and I have not pulled the trigger yet. (some good deals on dies btw)
What I really wanted to mention today was to look at Walmart. They are carrying a lot of stamping stuff these days. Get a box of tomatoes, a shirt and an ink pad. LOL.
Michaels et al cant really compete with the mfg sites no that they are selling direct. They are not going to carry whole releases-nor could they as pointed out above. That was always a problem for any store.
__________________ Margot
I am a proud fan club member
My plea to you... Please don't purchase from companies who steal designs. Purchase elsewhere with legit companies so that designers are compensated and this industry stays in business.
I totally agree with you! I've mentioned this on other boards as well...don't buy those cheap & tempting dies on Amazon...ever. They are stolen & knockoffs from China. Support our US craft companies!
I totally agree with you! I've mentioned this on other boards as well...don't buy those cheap & tempting dies on Amazon...ever. They are stolen & knockoffs from China. Support our US craft companies!
…except that the US companies are manufacturing their items in………wait for it……CHINA.
And they’re not all top quality either…..I’ve purchased several sets of the distINKtive stamps that don’t stamp very distinctively, and die sets that don’t cut as cleanly.
Some US companies do continue to manufacture in China unfortunately, but at least it's their designs, etc. I do try to avoid this scenario when possible too... But many are upfront and telling you their stamps are made in the US! As consumers, we can only vote with our $$.
Please don't support ********** -- they steal designs from American and European companies and the quality of their dies is iffy. And if you look at the packaging, virtually all companies have their dies made in China, although they control the quality better than **********. It's just not cost-effective to have dies made in the U.S., sadly.
I was at my LSS last week and bought some dies. So I just checked them out. All were made in China except for a couple I got from Frantic Stamper Inc.And they are made in the USA. But you are right the companies will choose the cheapest method of manufacture.
I have never heard of LSS... where is one? I live in Central Texas. Do they sell online? I'll have to Google that one...
LSS refers to "local scrapbook store." Waxahachie has a great one! Crafty Scrapper is quite large with a good selection and classes, etc. worth the drive.
…except that the US companies are manufacturing their items in………wait for it……CHINA.
And they’re not all top quality either…..I’ve purchased several sets of the distINKtive stamps that don’t stamp very distinctively, and die sets that don’t cut as cleanly.
All SU stamps are made in the US. A couple of things can cause a distINKtive stamp to stamp less than stellar:
Too much ink on the pad
Not enough support underneath the card stock
Design/molding flaw
I personally get much better results by daubing ink onto the distINKtive stamps rather than tapping the stamps on the inkpad.
SU does make their stamps in the US but their dies are all 100% made in China. I don't know about the embossing folders.
I was very sad when I learned this.
All SU stamps are made in the US. A couple of things can cause a distINKtive stamp to stamp less than stellar:
Too much ink on the pad
Not enough support underneath the card stock
Design/molding flaw
I personally get much better results by daubing ink onto the distINKtive stamps rather than tapping the stamps on the inkpad.
I’ve been stamping for 20+ years, and I’ve used all kinds of stamps and ink pads, and used all the tricks.
Some are just bad stamps.
I’ve been stamping for 20+ years, and I’ve used all kinds of stamps and ink pads, and used all the tricks.
Some are just bad stamps.
Me too, and every time I've had an issue with any SU stamp set I've reached out to them and they have always either sent me a replacement or a refund.
Your original comment made it sound like you think that some of the distINKtive stamps were poor quality because they were made in China and I was just pointing out that they weren't. And that sometimes issues can be because of poor design, or maybe the materials didn't fill the mold properly, etc....and it doesn't really matter where what country something was made in.
That being said I wish more US stamp companies could find US manufacturers for more of the products we use for paper crafting.
If the products are in stock are your Michaels, why would you need to order and get FREE pick up. I tried to order something that the store carried but didn't have it in stock and they wanted to charge me for ordering it online and picking it up at the store. This was an item they usually carry but was out of stock at my store. They said they couldn't even call another store and if they had it, have it sent to my store.
I did FREE pickup at Michaels because they were the only craft store in my area open during the covid shut down.(oh and when I worked at Michaels back in 2011-2013 if we did not have an item in stock we would call stores to have item shipped to us and there was at least at that time no charge to the customer, guess things have changed).
I did and do FREE pick up at Michaels because I am in a knee brace and don't have to walk around the store limping.
I have also done Free Pick up at Ulta and walmart for groceries. Now Military Commissaires are offering Click and Go, order your groceries on line and pick up in store.
Why do people Walmart Grocery shopping and get pick up?? Or any other Grocery shopping Pick Up?? Covid, Mask mandates, over crowding in the store, not to stand in line, not to self check out. Just think about it and more reasons will pop up for store pick up. Namely Convince, and I take full use of this FREE Pick up at any store that offers it. so I don't have to limp around the store looking for what I need.
__________________ The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable. Practice safe eating always use condiments
I generally use Michaels for supplies since the coupons still make things like the tape runner I like very affordable. I also found new, beautiful paper packs. They're expensive! I'll wait for a coupon & maybe find a friend to share a pack. I bought a multi color pack with 2-3 shades of each included color for my layered die cuts & it was perfect for my last project. The number of emails is super irritating, though!
The irritating emails are true of just about any company I’ve ever bought anything from. I spend more time deleting old emails than I spend shopping.
Last edited by lynnewithane; 08-11-2021 at 04:46 AM..
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I have never heard of LSS... where is one? I live in Central Texas. Do they sell online? I'll have to Google that one...
It’s a generic term for a local scrapbooking store. It isn’t a chain of stores.
It refers to a store owned by one person (maybe 2 or 3). I guess independently owned is what I mean.
According to Michael's press release Dec 2020 they announced the top 5 crafty trends
which may explain why they've changed their in-store inventory. https://www.michaelspressroom.com/ne...trends-of-2020Michaels 2020 Top 5 Trends in Making
Jewelry – Jewelry making is a fan favorite every year, but in 2020 the big winner was resin, resin, resin for making earrings, bracelets and more, to keep you fun and fresh for yet another Zoom.
Technology – The role of technology in making has continued to increase in recent years. In 2020, we saw a huge shift in consumers buying machines to help them create personalized items and gifts, like the stainless-steel tumbler for coffee and cocktails. Did we mention cocktails?
Kids Arts and Education – With kids both learning and playing at home this year, laptop trays for home school and tie dye kits for everything from t-shirts to canvas bags were popular trends.
Yarn – Big yarn was a popular trend this year given that people spent A LOT of time cozying up on the couch.
Fine Art – Canvases for painting and paint pouring really popped this year. People poured paint to put their minds at ease while also beautifying their space.
This is interesting. The Michael’s near me recently started selling fabric. There was a pretty big ad campaign for it. I don’t sew, so it is not of interest to me.
I seem to remember when they first opened, they were basically a silk flower warehouse. Does anyone else remember that? I guess that they keep evolving, which keeps them in business.
This is interesting. The Michael’s near me recently started selling fabric. There was a pretty big ad campaign for it. I don’t sew, so it is not of interest to me.
I seem to remember when they first opened, they were basically a silk flower warehouse. Does anyone else remember that? I guess that they keep evolving, which keeps them in business.
I do remember the florals! Back in 1995 they replaced a local bulk crafting and floral store in an area near my then-workplace, and I recall taking my lunchtime to walk through that 'new' store. It seemed to cater to a more general type of crafter/DIY-er, plus back then there were more local scrapbook stores for papercrafters and scrapbookers.
So funny that I remember the Black Friday sales where Cricut cartridges at Michaels were on sale for 27.99/39.99. We would stand in line to get that specific cartridge that typically cost 59.99/79.99. Now we see how Cricut has evolved, too…
Reading this thread made me go to Michael’s today. I got a bunch of steps on my Fitbit checking out the whole store.
There are indeed a lot of kids crafts I’ve not seen before. They were on a side wall, but I noticed a lot of clearance stickers in the kids aisle. Mostly beads and jewels, I think.
There were quite a few baskets of clearance items, much of which was not what I consider to be clearance. Things like originally $4.99, marked down to $4.00. I did find some Diamond Dotz grid canvas. It didn’t have a sticker, so I was skeptical, but the price checker said that it was $14.99, on clearance for $1.49. Yes please! 90% off! I got two of them, which was all I saw.
Then, Michael’s had emailed a 40% off coupon. I went to their paper aisle. A lot of it is expensive, but I found a pack of mixed foil paper for $5.99 to use my coupon on. I was happy!
Definitely no dies or stamps, but there were lots of glitters and inks, I think. Also, the Recollections paper aisle was full of great papers! I did not see the Hot Buy papers anywhere.
Last edited by lynnewithane; 08-11-2021 at 05:58 PM..
Reading this thread sent me down the rabbit hole! I was up late last night looking at Amazon. For some reason, it never occurred to me to look for dies on Amazon.
Let me start by saying I am a SU demonstrator. I just sent in a $400 order last week. But I only "sell" to myself and a few friends and we all share the discount. One bundle on that order is back-ordered. I see it on Amazon for 35% of the SU price. and free shipping too! Another bundle that is in the order is on Amazon from the same company at 38% of the SU price. and free shipping too!
I know SU makes their stamps in the US but their dies are all made in China. How do I know their dies are not made in the same factory that the Amazon ones are made in? Only the top execs at SU really know and they aren't telling.
Even with 25% off, SU prices can't compare with these prices on Amazon. The shipping charges are way too high from SU also.
I am not going to listen to any "ethics of copying" talk. Crafting is expensive and these prices are hard to resist. I just ordered a bundle from this company on Amazon. I am excited to see it and I will be sure to post about it.
I still like SU paper and ink and will continue to buy those products.
You all enabled me!
I have also done Free Pick up at Ulta and walmart for groceries. Now Military Commissaires are offering Click and Go, order your groceries on line and pick up in store.
Why do people Walmart Grocery shopping and get pick up?? Or any other Grocery shopping Pick Up?? Covid, Mask mandates, over crowding in the store, not to stand in line, not to self check out. Just think about it and more reasons will pop up for store pick up. Namely Convince, and I take full use of this FREE Pick up at any store that offers it. so I don't have to limp around the store looking for what I need.
Ulta does pickup???? This is the best news ever. Thank you for sharing. I would do pick up at Michael's but it is too far away for things like card stock. Cant justify the price but if I needed a large item would definitely be worth it. I live near a new Ulta, lol.
I have WalMart deliver my groceries. It is so heavenly. My DH loves it too.
I am sorry about your knee. I hope you feel better soon. I understand about walking around WalMart. I tore the muscles in my thigh. I had to go in WalMart tonight. I haven't stepped foot in a WalMart in six months. I was hobbling by the time I left.
This is interesting. The Michael’s near me recently started selling fabric. There was a pretty big ad campaign for it. I don’t sew, so it is not of interest to me.
I seem to remember when they first opened, they were basically a silk flower warehouse. Does anyone else remember that? I guess that they keep evolving, which keeps them in business.
I remember a few years ago they bought Hancock's. I wondered when they would get into fabric. I do remember them as a flower warehouse. The hours my Mom would spend in there.
Do any of you remember Helen's craft store? Wasn't that Sam Walton's wife and Michael's was one of his sons? That is how Michael's got it's store name. I could be very confused about this since I would have been a teenager then and no social media. That would have been word of mouth I heard that from. I do remember meeting Sam Walton's wife and I thought her name was Helen.
Reading this thread sent me down the rabbit hole! I was up late last night looking at Amazon. For some reason, it never occurred to me to look for dies on Amazon.
Let me start by saying I am a SU demonstrator. I just sent in a $400 order last week. But I only "sell" to myself and a few friends and we all share the discount. One bundle on that order is back-ordered. I see it on Amazon for 35% of the SU price. and free shipping too! Another bundle that is in the order is on Amazon from the same company at 38% of the SU price. and free shipping too!
I know SU makes their stamps in the US but their dies are all made in China. How do I know their dies are not made in the same factory that the Amazon ones are made in? Only the top execs at SU really know and they aren't telling.
Even with 25% off, SU prices can't compare with these prices on Amazon. The shipping charges are way too high from SU also.
I am not going to listen to any "ethics of copying" talk. Crafting is expensive and these prices are hard to resist. I just ordered a bundle from this company on Amazon. I am excited to see it and I will be sure to post about it.
I still like SU paper and ink and will continue to buy those products.
You all enabled me!
I knew this existed on AE. I had no idea it was on Amazon as well. Does the set have the same name, or do they call it something different?
I knew this existed on AE. I had no idea it was on Amazon as well. Does the set have the same name, or do they call it something different?
Copyright infringement saddens me to no end, so after reading the original post I went on Amazon and found the bundle or similar to the one that the OP referenced. Of course it is not under the same bundle name that SU uses, and since the products are inferior (silicone gel stamps, not the photopolymer that SU uses) and the designs are stolen (artist not getting paid, no copyright costs, no licensing fees, presumably cheap labor, no benefits to workers, etc. etc.) the prices are much lower. Please think twice before purchasing counterfeit products. A quick search on “silicone gel versus photopolymer stamps” will show you why the silicone gel copycat stamps on amazon are so much cheaper than photopolymer stamps manufactured by the legit stamp companies, aside from the reasons above. By the way, I am not a demonstrator so I’m not biased toward any company.
It's sad when people don't want to hear or see the harm that copyright infringement causes. It hurts not only the artist, but also the entire industry.
Ulta does pickup???? This is the best news ever. Thank you for sharing. I would do pick up at Michael's but it is too far away for things like card stock. Cant justify the price but if I needed a large item would definitely be worth it. I live near a new Ulta, lol.
I have WalMart deliver my groceries. It is so heavenly. My DH loves it too.
I am sorry about your knee. I hope you feel better soon. I understand about walking around WalMart. I tore the muscles in my thigh. I had to go in WalMart tonight. I haven't stepped foot in a WalMart in six months. I was hobbling by the time I left.
Been living here for 11 years and just found out Walmart has a drive through pick up. I have been using this service since covid started. I also did Pick up at Best Buy 3 times during covid lockdown.
And with the fitting rooms closed at stores I have done pick up at Kohls, JCP and Macys.
With Kohls, JCP and Macys even if the item is not available in store I have been able to order enough to get free shipping to store,
Ever since I hurt my knee I always said "if I can only order and pick up at the store". Well because of covid companies have made this possible.
Even ordered and pick up food from restaurant's, that was real nice!
__________________ The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable. Practice safe eating always use condiments
Copyright infringement saddens me to no end, so after reading the original post I went on Amazon and found the bundle or similar to the one that the OP referenced. Of course it is not under the same bundle name that SU uses, and since the products are inferior (silicone gel stamps, not the photopolymer that SU uses) and the designs are stolen (artist not getting paid, no copyright costs, no licensing fees, presumably cheap labor, no benefits to workers, etc. etc.) the prices are much lower. Please think twice before purchasing counterfeit products. A quick search on “silicone gel versus photopolymer stamps” will show you why the silicone gel copycat stamps on amazon are so much cheaper than photopolymer stamps manufactured by the legit stamp companies, aside from the reasons above. By the way, I am not a demonstrator so I’m not biased toward any company.
I wasn’t going to buy it. I was just curious to see it. I’m not even sure what stamp set it is referring to.
I wasn’t going to buy it. I was just curious to see it. I’m not even sure what stamp set it is referring to.
That’s great! I apologize if it seemed my comment was directed at you. I was appealing to crafters in general. I don’t know which set it was, either, but since the new bundles are fresh in my mind I recognized one of them right away. It looked like the seller I found is an equal opportunity copycat, because stamp sets from other companies were on that site as well. Sigh.
Stampin Up has an email address for reporting counterfeits of their products. The following is taken from their site (may only be visible to demos but I'm sure they're happy to receive reports from anybody who cares about this issue):
You can help us combat counterfeiting by sending an email to [email protected] with the following information:
A link to the webpage where counterfeit products are shown or listed (direct links are preferred over screenshots)
Name of the stamp set/product (if known)
Any other relevant details
The following 2 users liked this post by Stampnnatter:
Been living here for 11 years and just found out Walmart has a drive through pick up. I have been using this service since covid started. I also did Pick up at Best Buy 3 times during covid lockdown.
And with the fitting rooms closed at stores I have done pick up at Kohls, JCP and Macys.
With Kohls, JCP and Macys even if the item is not available in store I have been able to order enough to get free shipping to store,
Ever since I hurt my knee I always said "if I can only order and pick up at the store". Well because of covid companies have made this possible.
Even ordered and pick up food from restaurant's, that was real nice!
JoAnn is doing pick up too. I haven't done it because I don't live close to them. I do love they have curbside pickup. Amazon has the lockers you can pick up at stores. I love curbside pickup and delivery. It is so luxurious, lol. I had to go in WalMart last night and I forgot how to shop in a store since I have been ordering online for everything. I forgot how to use self checkout, lol.
Reading this thread sent me down the rabbit hole! I was up late last night looking at Amazon. For some reason, it never occurred to me to look for dies on Amazon.
Let me start by saying I am a SU demonstrator. I just sent in a $400 order last week. But I only "sell" to myself and a few friends and we all share the discount. One bundle on that order is back-ordered. I see it on Amazon for 35% of the SU price. and free shipping too! Another bundle that is in the order is on Amazon from the same company at 38% of the SU price. and free shipping too!
I know SU makes their stamps in the US but their dies are all made in China. How do I know their dies are not made in the same factory that the Amazon ones are made in? Only the top execs at SU really know and they aren't telling.
Even with 25% off, SU prices can't compare with these prices on Amazon. The shipping charges are way too high from SU also.
I am not going to listen to any "ethics of copying" talk. Crafting is expensive and these prices are hard to resist. I just ordered a bundle from this company on Amazon. I am excited to see it and I will be sure to post about it.
I still like SU paper and ink and will continue to buy those products.
You all enabled me!
I have a hard time reading your comment about "not listening to any ethics of copying talk".... Seriously? How can anyone condone the Chinese behavior of stealing and thereby undercutting a designer's right to profit? I absolutely will not buy anything from any of those knockoff companies that are blatantly stealing from our crafters....just to save a couple of dollars. They should be banned from Amazon in my opinion.
I did not say I was opposed to or in favor of this. I merely said I had never thought to look for dies on Amazon. And I ordered one set. You don't have to order if you are opposed to it.
This reminds me of the Creative Memories days when their consultants were all up in arms about the Westrim albums that were sold online, at Michaels, at JoAnns, etc. Oh Creative Memories was going after them. Oh there were lawsuits. None of that happened. In fact, Creative Memories went under. I guess they have a new owner now. I am not sure.
I am not interested in debating whether this is ethical. We all have our own ideas of what is ethical. I am only stating that most crafters are on a budget and those prices are hard to resist. Especially when one invests in a stamp and die set for $50+ and it retires in six months.
To each their own.
