SSS Stamptember!

I went to the SSS site today after seeing Nicole Spohr’s Halloween card video. Her cards were pretty cute, and I was so tempted to get the witch cauldron set. I had it in my cart, but the more I thought about it, and thought about all the stamps I already have, I ended up putting it back. The stamp set was cute, but not one that I need.

I felt that video was definitely worth watching, though, just for the inspiration. I posted the link on the stamping board.

Are there other STAMPtember card videos worth watching that you can recommend?

I really liked the one by Jennifer Mc Guire. She went over the Simon products but also showed card examples. I also liked the ones by Prairie Paper and Ink and Nina Marie Trapani.

It looks like there are more stamp and die sets than previously. It has gotta be something pretty special for me to pay full price plus shipping.

Lawn Fawn is a pass for me this year. I love animal stamps I general but sloths are a no.

I'm bummed that nothing has jumped out at me enough to want to spend multiple shipping costs. Hopefully they do a card kit that will wow me.

Nothing yet making me purchase. Still holding fast to my decision to try to make stamps (foam) and cut "dies" via the silhouette in similar shapes. Hoping to stick to it and ride out Stamptember Long way to go.

I apologize for those that read this post that I made in response to SSS in another thread. I’ve modified it a little, but the basic sentiment is the same. I know it may be an unpopular point of view, but I can’t help it—it’s how I feel after being through 6 years of Stamptembers.

Seriously, Stamptember pisses me off. It’s aggravating as hell that SSS allows their customers to be taken advantage of. They won’t combine shipping or hold orders to see if you want other items before shipping out despite running behind in fulfillment. It’s ridiculous and a terrible business practice for a collaboration company to try their hardest to make a super popular design that SSS will own the distribution rights to, and then SSS limits the number produced. That’s so ridiculously dumb and a crappy business model. Make plenty and sell them all month and then bring them back six months later for anyone who missed it. Then SSS turns a blind eye to people buying up 10-20 sets of the popular designs and then immediately turning around and listing them on eBay for up to 5x the original cost once they’re sold out. Last year, Gina K had the hottest item and it sold out within hours and was on eBay before the customers even received their package from SSS but was listed for $200+ and sold each time by people wanting to get their hands on it. Of course, the knock off manufacturers in China were quick to make it and it sold like crazy. So, SSS is actually contributing to people buying these knockoffs that hurt the industry due to their desire to keep it Limited Edition. What do they expect? They collaborate and introduce these highly coveted items and then don’t make very many. Is it any wonder that people are resorting to the knockoffs from Asia?

I’ve emailed 4 different companies asking them to please bring back a particular Stamptember product, and every single one has told me that they’d love to, but I’d have to convince SSS to do so. With as driven by money as SSS is, you’d think that they’d know that it’s a dumb idea to produce so few of a very popular design. I don’t mind only being able to buy a collab through them, but make enough to meet demand. Protect your friggin customers and don’t let them get price gouged. Protect the industry and try to do everything in your power from making people feel like they have to resort to the knockoffs in order to get the item they would hand you money to own.

There are actually a lot of people getting aggravated by this and some on FB and Instagram have said they’re planning to boycott Stamptember and the companies that collaborate until SSS starts putting customers first.

It infuriates me. I’m sorry for the rant and I know many will not agree with me and that’s okay. I’m just getting sick of being taken advantage of every year.

Oh, and FYI. The new collaboration release is revealed at approximately midnight EST. If you want to see it and possibly order it, go to their Facebook page by 12:10 and it’s usually there. If you wait until you wake up, you’ll likely miss it if it’s a popular collaboration.

I understand completely what you mean about never purchasing items that you intend to. I know that’s a problem, but it isn’t really for SSS because they’re notorious for discontinuing regular, everyday items while they’re still in demand. They’ve admitted to me that they like to do this so that it keeps people on their toes that everyday SSS items and the SSS+CZ Designs staples could be gone at any time despite their popularity.

I’m not saying that they should have the Stamptember items forever, but at least meet demand for the month that the items are introduced and maybe make a cutoff that any and all collaborations must be purchased by midnight on September 30th. They’re actually causing crafters to go to the Chinese websites to get these items and SSS doesn’t care about that because they’re big enough not to have to care. It’s the little mom and pop stamp and die companies that really get hurt by the copyright infringement from Asia.

If you notice, most small companies are obscuring their designs and/or adding a blurb over part of the design that reads “support design not crime” and SSS does not do either. They’re too big to be impacted by it. Hell, they even participate in Small Business Saturday and promote themselves as such when they no longer qualify as a small business and haven’t for several years.

All I’m—and others like me are—really looking for is for SSS to change their policy and let everyone get in on the fun of Stamptember. Have it last all month for all the collaborations, and even into October if something is back ordered. They won’t suffer from people not buying stuff that they meant to but never got around to it if they did that. People will still have FOMO. Heidi did an interview and she said that she felt that it made people more likely to buy the items if they were Limited Edition. While I agree to a point, people shouldn’t be forced to make a decision in a 15 minute window so that they don’t miss out entirely on the set and then have to spend $200+ on eBay for it. There’s a way where SSS could handle this and make Stamptember fun and exciting and not have people dread it like so many are starting to do. They’d also make a lot more money on people who try to buy the collabs but miss out. The critics are getting louder and I feel they’re going to have to at least address it at some point. Part of the unhappiness are the ridiculous prices that they charge on things. $60+ for a stamp and die set is excessive especially given that they are the behemoth in the industry and can and have negotiated low prices on the manufacturing of the stamps and dies that they put their name on—whether it’s their own or a collaboration set.

I much prefer Diecember.

[/quote] Part of the unhappiness are the ridiculous prices that they charge on things. $60+ for a stamp and die set is excessive especially given that they are the behemoth in the industry and can and have negotiated low prices on the manufacturing of the stamps and dies that they put their name on—whether it’s their own or a collaboration set.

I much prefer Diecember.[/quote]


They probably did negotiate better prices, so they can have a higher profit margin.

I placed an order for some of the things that released on September 1st, and it’s now the 8th…no shipping notice.

My jaw dropped when I saw the Gina K set was $55 today. Those are not intricate dies that cutout the snowflake detail. They are just the outline. Wow.
I’ve only bought a Stamptember limited edition a couple of times, and these prices make me want to bow out just like the AE DD prices are making me say no to all of her DD items.

SSS does this because they can, and it is frustrating to see and experience the customers who keep their business running being last in line for any bit of consideration.

I'm pretty sure that's typical... and makes it even more frustrating that they don't make bundling separate orders during the month possible.
I'm with you on the prices. I've pretty much told myself that I don't shop Stamptember (or DD) at this point. I'm not willing to reward this with my money.

I pretty much have the same sentiments as everyone that has posted previously about Stamptember. Their stamp and die bundles seem to be extremely over priced. Truly, none of their stamps so far have been anything I would get excited over. Then when you have to pay $6.99 shipping to purchase one stamp, that is definitely too expensive. If you wait to see if you can get two stamps in a row that you like, the first stamp might sell out. Anyway, I placed an order with A Cherry on Top and My Favorite Things for some cute stuff.

I have purchased a stamp or two from their Stamptember in previous years, but between the prices and the offerings, I am kind of disappointed in Stamptember this year.

I feel like these are the highest prices we have seen. I guess with 80+ influencers getting the sets for free, they have to upcharge. I’ve not been tempted by one of the limited edition releases so far this month. I am expecting to like Tim Holtz’s, but if it’s another rip-off of another of his sets, I’ll pass on that as well.