sb.com and thestampmarket - anyone heard about this?

Oh sorry artsyk! I just made a similar post, when I checked the board a bit ago there wasn't one. I must have been composing mine when you posted! I'll repost what I wrote in my thread and change the title to redirect here.

Nope-won't affect my view of SB. com. Maybe perhaps a little bit my opinion of TSM. IMO they both took the idea from Jennifer McGuire. 

Vertical tabbed dividers in bins for stamp storage are associated with Jennifer McGuire for me as well, Kerri W. I feel like TSM are blowing this a bit out of proportion. Rainbow-coloured doesn't change much as I've seen those in recipe card organisation boxes before.



Now, why SB. com ran with the concept and copied the dividers pretty perfectly right down to the colour scheme is a mystery. Maybe they happened upon the same manufacturer? I just don't see this being worth negative publicity over or particularly groundbreaking. The bins they're offering would also absolutely *not* be what I'd go for for stamp storage with those curved edges but whatever. It looks like a meh attempt at bringing successful stuff to "the" international scrapbook store of choice simply because the dividers don't seem to be something to fawn over to begin with. Silly on behalf of SB.com but no big drama in my book. Taking a lead on the album front and offering 9x12 = genius. This, not so much and just unnecessary in my opinion. 

ok maybe I'm a dick but they're LAMINATED DIVIDERS. I have some of these in my craft storage that I made myself. That's kind of what a free market is...Now if they were stealing stamp designs, I would feel differently.

Just more drama in the world of paper crafting.   Yes, the colors do look similar but unless they are both using the same manufacturer they’re not exactly alike.  Personally I wouldn’t spend my money on some laminated dividers that I can make myself.  

Nothing about this product - clear plastic storage bin, laminated tabbed dividers, coordinating lined labels, & a rainbow sorbet color scheme - is unique to TSM. Check out the kitchen/bath organization & back to school/office supplies aisles at retail stores. The post on its company website (as shown upthread) reveals the owner(s) lack of business acumen.

I saw TSM's product at SB.com and thought it was pretty crappy of them to do. But like Kerri said, Jennifer McGuire really did come up with it first. However, the matching labels for the dividers are a blatant copy of TSM's.

I've also noticed that SB.com has kind of copied stamps from other companies. SB's alpha looks a lot like Kerri Bradford's Thick and thin KB set I know a font is a font, but it came out quickly after KB debuted her. And here is one by Elle's studio Months and here is SB.com's SB months

I try to support small businesses whenever I can. And I don't like the unfairness but I think TSM is overreacting a bit.

I have a set of stamps like that that are from a different manufacturer. I don't have the original packaging. I don't see them as a unique design.

I wonder if maybe the company that the stamp market used was a company that maybe sb.com had a relationship with and the idea was pitched by the manufacturer to up sales since they already had the plastic and the die to produce it? The Deflecto brand came out with stuff that was under the Michael's branding after it was discontinued (you could still find it on clearance at M's at the time) by Michael's. Deflecto then added to their branding but the initial crossover stood out to me. I get that they look identical, but rainbow stuff is sort of already in sb.com's wheelhouse (they have their own version of the Iris photo cases...so does Michael's).

I use Dollar Tree cutting mats and make dividers for my own stamp storage much the same way (except I don't tab them) so I could easily apply TSM's argument to my own use of plastic to make a divider declaring that they both 'stole' my idea given that I've posted about the way I organize my stamps on Instagram...it's a post I STILL get likes on well over a year after the fact and it is easily my most 'liked' post on my whole account.

I understand being upset about a direct copy, but I find them trying to argue that it was a unique idea to be laughable. Much like the MISTI is using an existing idea and/or product for a new purpose, this isn't unique at all.

Ive been thinking about this. The fact that TSM went public with this and the way they have handled this just makes me irritated.

Not wanting to share videos now because someone MIGHT run to SB.com to buy their version of it? Please. People will shop wherever they can get the best price. But dont stomp your foot and refuse to support your current custoomers/potential customers is just childish.

Same. Similar color schemes-I don’t think that’s a copyrightable thing.

Precisely. I’m not overly impressed with the post and turn off comments either. It does seem childish.

I agree with you. In fact, I recently learned about a similar phenomenon in the fashion world. Apparently there are many smaller, independent lingerie retailers who come up with innovative designs and/or colors. Managers/executives at large companies (like Victoria's Secret) have been exposed for placing orders with the smaller retailers for the specific purpose of copying the designs. The Instagram account Diet Prada made a few posts about this. I'll link them below instead of embedding them, since they're NSFW (they're not scandalous, just normal lingerie model shots, but I figured I'd give a warning in case anyone is in a public place or wouldn't want to see the photos).

Instance 1

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It's actually surprising to me how many Peas don't think this is a big deal. I'm not criticizing the different viewpoint, it just seemed (to me) to be a very clearcut case of copying, but again, I'm a big fan of TSM and saw these dividers when they first came out.

When I was looking at the SB.com product page this morning, I noticed that under "questions" a few customers had posted asking why SB.com was calling these an exclusive when they were TSM's original concept. Interestingly, those questions are now gone. Obviously SB.com has a right to edit the content on their site, but deleting those comments instead of answering them seems like something a guilty party would do. (I know other Peas will disagree with this, but that's my take on their reaction.)

I realize not everyone shares my viewpoint, but to reiterate, taking everything into account (SB.com's original interest in the product, the use of TSM's signature colors and the matching line details on the labels), there's no way this similarity is accidental, so to me it comes down to the ethical expectations I have of a company. In that regard, SB.com has disappointed me.