Paper Pad vs Single Sheets

I generally don't buy paper pads anymore because I don't always like all the papers. I feel that the single sheet double sided papers are a bit heavier weight than the paper pads but I could be wrong.

You're not wrong about the weight. And the colors are sometimes a bit more vibrant on the single sheets as well.

I only buy pads for things like making a lot of cards at Christmas since all the patterns coordinate. I did buy Shimelle’s Sparkle City project pad twice because I use those papers exclusively for my dog’s album. I figure I’ll never find it again in stores since it’s old now. I have enough to go pretty far when paired with basic patterns and solid cardstock in colors that coordinate.

I buy and use both and I agree that the quality is different. I like single sheets for the better quality and I like paper pads for quantity. I hesitate so much less when I have a paper pad because there’s so much to choose from. I don’t worry about making mistakes or feel like I have to be careful with cutting because I only have one sheet.

Like previous posters, my experience is that individual papers (both sold by the sheet & included in most unbound collection/paper packs) are typically better quality & (bound) paper pads are a better value (ie less cost per sheet). Individual papers are usually double-sided, heavier, & textured with more saturated colors compared to single-sided, smooth, thinner, & less vibrant papers in pads. 

Budget, availability, scrapping style, personal preferences, etc. often influence the choice. For me, I detest the gummy binding on paper pads, cannot remove a sheet from the pad cleanly or cut it exactly at 12," rarely like or would use an entire collection (ie. each sheet of double-sided patterned paper in often cut in strips, blocks, etc & used on multiple layouts), & prefer heavier/textured/saturated/double-sided (because it's 2 patterns for the price of 1 with my style) papers, so I do not buy bound cardstock/patterned/specialty paper pads. 

Check out Tuesday Morning, if available in your area, for Paige Evans, Shimelle, Echo Park, Carta Bella, Simple Stories, Authentique, & more designer paper packs & pads. Note the quality of the individual papers included in packs sold there depends on whether it's overstock (higher quality) or reprints (usually the same as bound pads). HTH, & happy shopping!

I don't like the full page Graphic 45, because anything you put on it destroys the reason you bought it in the first place. I do buy their small pads to use for cards & ATC's.
The pads with 50 sheets or more are paper, the ones with 20 to 30 sheets are generally 2 sided and sturdier though not usually "card stock".
The best way for me to buy paper for my crafting is by the sheet because I generally have a project in mind; such as explosion pages, waterfalls, pop-ups, and a lot of interactive devices. I have to pay attention to weft & warp, and the durability as some pages either do not have a sleeve or have parts of the sleeve removed for the interactive device to work.

Specifically for the AC paper pads (like Shimelle) the pads don’t include all of the patterns in the collection. They often do include some solids. As others have said, the paper in the pads is thinner and single-sided. If you decide to get the pads (which are usually a good deal at TM or on sale at J’s), be sure it has any patterns you specifically want.

I love the quality of the single sheets! So, so much better than paper pads.

That being said... I buy pads more often than single sheets because it's hard to justify $1 a sheet.

When I do buy single sheets, I tend to buy from a clearance section.

I don't think the Shimelle ones are single sided. Neither are the Vicki Boutin ones. I do think the colors aren't as vibrant but I use both kinds of paper interchangeably.

I have the Shimelle Sparkle City project pad and some of the papers in it have holographic parts, which I like, and that isn't usually my thing. The project pads are different than the regular pads, though- they have solids and specialty papers. I have the Box of Crayons project pad, too, and I really like it.

I have both pads and single sheets of the last 4 lines of Shimelle, a few lines of Amy Tan, and most of Vicki Boutin's lines. I only have single sheets of Paige Evans, though, so I don't know what those pads are like.

One of the things I dislike about paper pads is that they sometimes have 3 sheets of each design. I know myself well enough to be sure I won’t use all three since I’ll be tired of the design. I agree with the above posters about the quality of the individual sheets being better. I stopped buying the packs a while back since it was a waste of money for me. Now I just buy the ones I want.