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Post by wendifful on Sept 15, 2020 1:46:29 GMT
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. Totally agree. My gut reaction to the post was a negative opinion about Stamp Market. It’s dividers not stamps and they “stole” the idea of pretty colored dividers from JM. To split hairs however, you can't copyright an idea. For example, there are many stories about a vampire and a human falling in love. Just because Stephanie Meyers wrote Twilight doesn't mean that no other author can ever write a vampire novel again. Instead, it's her specific implementation of the concept that is copyrighted, so if I wrote a novel that copied the main plot points, it would possibly violate her copyright, depending on how similar it was. Jennifer McGuire does use "pretty colored dividers" but she specifically uses dividers all in one color (per category, stamps vs. dies) and doesn't have tabs on them. (See IG post below.) TSM's main selling point of their dividers was the ease of not having to make their own, the professional finish of the dividers and offering the dividers in the style/color they did. As crafters, I think most of us are sensitive to color when it comes to tools/storage. I can't count how many times I've read comments on this board that complain about another punch/tool only being available in pink or waiting until a Cricut/Cameo is available in a color the Pea wants, so to me, I think disregarding the importance of the color palette is a bit specious. As I've said in other comments, if SB.com had stuck to the white dividers and/or used different colors for the dividers (perhaps all shades of blue to match their branding?), I would not agree with TSM's outrage. Instead, SB.com cloned TSM's product. SB.com even could have still used a rainbow color scheme, but made the rainbow out of primary colors or jewel tones, not the bright/fresh colors of TSM. I just keep coming back to the "why." There's no way the copying was accidental, so why didn't SB.com even try to put their own unique spin on the product? https://www.instagram.com/p/BShSMX4FueT |
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Post by paperamy on Sept 15, 2020 2:21:05 GMT
Looks like Stamp Market removed the posts and Instagram story.
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Post by paperamy on Sept 15, 2020 2:24:56 GMT
 Found this in the comments on sb.com Instagram. |
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Post by bingaling on Sept 15, 2020 2:29:26 GMT
I was chatting with scrappy friends about this earlier when I saw and screenshot the instagram story to share with them. I agree with a lot of the responses above. When I saw it I was annoyed because they were asking for support on this "theft" yet I couldn't get a single response from any of their socials or contact us form on their site after I placed an order with them in June. The order finally made it way to me a week after it was labeled delivered so I didn't need help anymore. But a response would have been nice from them. Nope nothing. That being my one and only order through them, I'm questioning whether it's worth it to continue ordering from them in the future. I do like some of their products, but so far I'm not a fan of customer support from TSM.
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Post by aj2hall on Sept 15, 2020 2:36:04 GMT
I agree with others that a different color scheme for the dividers, even rainbow with red or different shades of blue would be OK. However, using the exact same colors seems a little unfair to the little guy. The storage and dividers are not a new concept or unique, but still not a cool move by sb.com.
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Post by scrapaddict702 on Sept 15, 2020 3:08:17 GMT
Found this in the comments on sb.com Instagram. Looks like they've only removed the colorful ones. The white ones are at least currently still there. |
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pinklady
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,053 
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Post by pinklady on Sept 15, 2020 3:08:52 GMT
Found this in the comments on sb.com Instagram. So instead of talking to them first, TSM threw a tantrum on Instagram? |
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Post by mom on Sept 15, 2020 3:27:40 GMT
Found this in the comments on sb.com Instagram. So instead of talking to them first, TSM threw a tantrum on Instagram? Seems that way. 🤷♀️ I can see where using the same colors as a bit much. But the rest? Nah. And then posting publicly about it? Nope. If you want to be treated like a professional business, act like one. And bingaling , I had a similar issue with not being able to get help. It definitely has made me rethink purchasing from them again. |
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Post by aj2hall on Sept 15, 2020 4:06:49 GMT
Found this in the comments on sb.com Instagram. So instead of talking to them first, TSM threw a tantrum on Instagram? Maybe they tried talking to them first, but didn’t get anywhere? |
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Post by scrappinheather on Sept 15, 2020 4:59:20 GMT
I’m a huge fan of the stamp market and I think they were absolutely correct about being upset that scrapbook.com copied the entire pallet. I also use the stamp storage pockets which are awesome because you take plastic off the back of your stamps and just adhere directly to the pocket and then it’s tabbed so you can label it. The storage Plastic pockets to put those in are thick and nice and come in 2 sizes. I love their storage. All of my stamps have switched to it. Plus for the next 3 days they have buy one get one free which is awesome.
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Post by sam9 on Sept 15, 2020 5:44:30 GMT
I personally think most of the stamps and dies that TSM make are spin offs of existing products. All the companies do it. One comes out with a lemon stamp and the next month every other company has one too. And I honestly couldn’t identify one company’s cute critters from another’s if my life depended on it.
Crying over somebody using your favourite colours is just so unprofessional and desperate sounding.
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Post by sleepingbooty on Sept 15, 2020 13:25:47 GMT
SB.com even could have still used a rainbow color scheme, but made the rainbow out of primary colors or jewel tones, not the bright/fresh colors of TSM. I just keep coming back to the "why." There's no way the copying was accidental, so why didn't SB.com even try to put their own unique spin on the product? Several people have already brought up the hypothesis of using the same manufacturer in this thread. TSM likely picked the standard bright and girly rainbow pattern colour scheme from the manufacturer's catalogue instead of ordering custom colours (far more expensive) and so did SB.com. Black, white and the most sold colour scheme(s) are usually the cheapest. Once you go for fancier, trendier palettes, price goes up. No mystery or need to "keep coming back to the 'why'" here. |
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Post by peachiceteas on Sept 15, 2020 14:29:24 GMT
SB.com even could have still used a rainbow color scheme, but made the rainbow out of primary colors or jewel tones, not the bright/fresh colors of TSM. I just keep coming back to the "why." There's no way the copying was accidental, so why didn't SB.com even try to put their own unique spin on the product? Several people have already brought up the hypothesis of using the same manufacturer in this thread. TSM likely picked the standard bright and girly rainbow pattern colour scheme from the manufacturer's catalogue instead of ordering custom colours (far more expensive) and so did SB.com. Black, white and the most sold colour scheme(s) are usually the cheapest. Once you go for fancier, trendier palettes, price goes up. No mystery or need to "keep coming back to the 'why'" here. Exactly. It’s really not that deep. |
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Post by scrapcat on Sept 15, 2020 16:22:04 GMT
I feel like sb.com brand, Michael's Recollections and Joann's Park Lane are all doing this. I've seen Recollections recreate some of the storage solutions from WRMK and Artbin.
Also sb.com has the blending products, that were much like Ranger products.
Unless there is a legal copyright or trademark, it's a matter of ethics. I try to support the smaller companies when possible. Usually shipping costs are what prevents me from sometimes following thru on that.
I've seen wooden storage options out there that I've had my Dad recreate for me. I was inspired by Jennifer McGuire's stamp storage to do my own (years ago), which I used Dollar tree plastic project folders cut down to make my tabbed dividers for categories.
I guess it kinda stinks for them, but I don't know about the whole social media posts and if that helps or not. Although, I digress, there was situation years ago regarding yoga leggings in which the small company was able to shame the larger company into ceasing to manufacture a similar product.
I do think there is a level of cheapness though when you move to some of the in-house brands. Sometimes I decide that's ok, and other things I prefer to have the more quality version.
I think the storage/divider concept has just been around in various forms, in all sorts of household organization, for so long, it's hard to see a clear violation, except for the anecdote on the interaction at the Creativation.
I just went to check out the prices of these things and I couldn't find any color dividers at sb.com, so I followed the link in this thread and it says "item discontinued and out of stock", so maybe they are not carrying it??
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Post by joblackford on Sept 15, 2020 16:39:23 GMT
I just went to check out the prices of these things and I couldn't find any color dividers at sb.com, so I followed the link in this thread and it says "item discontinued and out of stock", so maybe they are not carrying it?? It seems from a comment above that sb.com has pulled the colored ones in response to this complaint. |
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Post by freeatlast on Sept 15, 2020 16:55:03 GMT
I thought at one time that The Stamp Market used to wholesale their products and then stopped that a year or so ago. Am I remembering correctly?
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Post by twillerbee on Sept 15, 2020 18:34:59 GMT
I bought some of the stamp market product from sss when they sold it for 75% off. I think that's when TSM stopped doing wholesale. But I see some of her products at scrapbook.com Here is the link. I had a bad experience with TSM customer service and would probably never order again from her. |
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Post by hop2 on Sept 15, 2020 19:21:04 GMT
Ok, I read this yesterday and thought about it overnight before responding.
IMHO the stamp market didn’t create anything new that hadn’t already been out there. If they had gotten a patent thru some odd loophole I’d feel like I do about sizzix suing companies that had thin metal dies LONG before sizzix did. Sizzix was still making their sizzlet dies all encased in plastic when thin metal dies burst on the scene from everywhere.
I feel slightly bad for the stamp market but a bin + dividers is not something they thought up all on their own. Should JM be all in TSM face over selling ‘her’ idea? ( she probably isn’t because it’s been around and who knows where she saw it )
The color palette is pretty close to Original Care Bears rainbow colors from the early 80’s, so, also not new. A pastel rainbow is not brand new earth shaking intellectual property.
I feel somewhat bad for the person from TSM but also not, since they also got the idea elsewhere.
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Post by marg on Sept 19, 2020 16:13:08 GMT
I'm really torn about this one.
I love The Stamp Market. What really drew me in initially was their colour palette. I went through all of their Instagram posts one day to see what I wanted to order (a lot!) and saw that they based their colour palette off of Stampin' Up! colours, which is where the owner used to work (she helped choose the new foam ink pad design for Stampin' Up!). So, before she sold her own inks and card stock she used SU's. I don't have a problem with that at all, and it worked really great for me because I already owned all of those SU colours (one of her early instagram posts showed the range of SU markers that she used).
So, while I sympathize about Scrapbook.com using her color palette, she also used SU's. I did buy The Stamp Market's card stocks and am planning to match them up to SU inks to see if she tweaked the colours at all, I just haven't gotten around to it yet.
I also purchased her XL Dividers a few months ago in her signature palette and I just love them - I use them for my 6x8 stamps bin and they just make everything look so pretty.
So, I get her being upset but at the same time, that's just one of those things. She has to be more professional and that will help her business much more - answering emails and having great customer service is more important, in my opinion. I say this as someone who has been involved in small businesses my entire life, including my own.
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Post by peachiceteas on Sept 19, 2020 16:36:11 GMT
I just find it all a bit petty, and a bit of a shame. From my view, it's another small business owner that feels a sense of entitlement and ownership when a clear container with coloured dividers is not something new. It's a basic office organisation technique.
Yeah, it absolutely sucks for them that a bigger retailer has come out with something very similar to them, but then they should be working on how to make their offering more appealing to the customer to ensure they are the brand people shop with for the item. It's how business works. Lots of brands and retailers sell the same products and it's up to them to ensure they're doing marketing that appeals to their target audience.
The small businesses seem to see it as business being taken away from them but in reality, I'd probably never purchase from the Stamp Market. They'd never have my business. Their website doesn't work well for me, and their international shipping rates don't appeal to me. I am much more likely to buy a similar product from Scrapbook.com because their offering appeals to me more as an international customer.
Brands don't need to show themselves up and spout off on social media. They just simply up their game to make their offering the most appealing.
Of course, if you are a brand and have a genuine, brand new product development that you have designed and patented and someone has copied or ripped you off, I think you have a right to be upset and take it further. But a plastic box with some dividers - it's not grounds for calling someone out and kicking up a fuss, in my opinion.
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jediannie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,083
Jun 30, 2014 3:19:06 GMT
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Post by jediannie on Sept 21, 2020 15:51:52 GMT
I wonder if they did reach out at weren't contacted back from scrapbook.com? We only see what was said on social media, but who knows. I've never purchased from the stamp market and probably won't as it's not really my style but it won't stop me from buying from scrapbook.com.
And I completely agree that scrapbook.com is a small business too, just not as small as the stamp market.
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Post by twillerbee on Sept 21, 2020 17:22:33 GMT
Stamp market was totally playing small business entitlement card for this situation like peachiceteas mentioned. I am still surprised that scrapbook.com agreed to pull it back. That is nice of them in my opinion.They created no drama on social media and handled the situation pretty well. I would never buy anything from stamp market and scrapbook.com will always have my business. I still can not believe that stamp market wants to claim rainbow color scheme and organizational dividers as a new invention by them. Those things have been around for a long time. And I just placed an order on scrapbook.com and noticed that all of the stamp market products are 50% off on their site. |
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azcrafty
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,953
Jun 28, 2019 20:24:21 GMT
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Post by azcrafty on Sept 21, 2020 20:00:27 GMT
I wonder if The Stamp Market did this so scrapbook.com doesn't still their style of stamp storage system.
Still I don't like how they handled this.
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