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Post by katieanna on Feb 15, 2022 17:23:59 GMT
OK, so I retired a little over a year ago. I was SO excited because I thought I'd have a lot more time to craft. Although I don't scrapbook as much as I used to ("special" mini books), I still do a lot of paper crafting - card making, Memorydex, and that sort of thing. I also crochet, paint, and enjoy working with miniatures. Needless to say, I've accumulated all kinds of crafting supplies over the years. Some of the supplies work interchangeably with the various crafts, so that's a plus. I have to admit, though, that I need to go through ALL my supplies, pare it down, and organize everything. Believe it or not, that has proven much more difficult to do than cleaning out my kitchen cupboards and closets had been. I have a Sizzix Big Kick and Side Kick, along with a good collection of dies, consisting of metal dies and the red, blue, and yellow dies that Sizzix had years ago. On one of my shelves in my supply room, covered with a sheet of plastic, is an old Xyron Wishblade (pink machine). I say "old" because this machine has to be, at least, 10-15 years old. Years ago, I thought it would be a good replacement for Big Red since all the "cutting dies" were digital and would be much cheaper to use in the long run. I remember having cut some letters with the Wishblade but that was all; so as far as I know, it has only been used once and should have a lot of life left. I know it cuts svg(?) files and I've seen that type of file available in various places. I still have my old laptop computer that still has Windows XP and the Wishblade software on it. I'm in a quandary as to whether to keep it and use it, or to put it out at a yard sale or sell it on eBay. I know the machine initially cost several hundred dollars and it would be nice to get something out of it. Does anyone else still use this machine? Is it worth the time to learn to use it? Any suggestions are appreciated!
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Post by don on Feb 15, 2022 18:14:21 GMT
I too bought a Wishblade, I used it a few times, and found it difficult to operate and extremely noisy. It cost in the $500 range at CKC in Bellevue, WA. I donated it to one of the service organizations and claimed it on my income tax return. I only wish it was the only bad purchase I have made in papercrafting hobby.
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jediannie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,081
Jun 30, 2014 3:19:06 GMT
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Post by jediannie on Feb 15, 2022 18:35:20 GMT
I remember hearing about the Wishblade but never saw it in person. You could always try and sell it on eBay, it can't hurt. I usually look up what I want to sell and see if it's worth my time to try and sell it. I just did a quick search and see that there are a few for sale and they range from $30 +shipping to $100 +$10 shipping. I have a feeling people aren't going to want an outdated machine when there are so many new ones available. I personally would probably just recycle it, cut your losses and try not to beat yourself up for buying a machine you didn't buy as much as you hoped you would.
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nylene
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,766 
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Post by nylene on Feb 15, 2022 20:22:33 GMT
My husband bought me a Wishblade years ago. Almost immediately my computer had to be updated and it wouldn't work with the update. It became an expensive doorstop. My DD heard that it could be used with the Design Studio software which is free. By this time I had gone through 2 Cricuts and bought a Silhouette. I sent it home with DD and she and her DD use it to cut all kinds of things from the Design Studio. There are also a lot of free SVG's out there that will cut on it too.
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Post by katieanna on Feb 15, 2022 20:52:32 GMT
All I can remember is that there had been a big learning curve with it. I'll probably try working with it again before I make that final decision. Thank you all for your suggestions.
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amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,441
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Post by amom23 on Feb 18, 2022 15:43:02 GMT
Just remember it's ok to let something go. It doesn't matter if it was a gift or cost a lot of money.
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Post by justjac on Feb 18, 2022 16:17:46 GMT
grammadee had a Wishblade that she used quite a bit. I think the problem was with computer updates etc the software didn't work anymore.
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Post by Skellinton on Feb 18, 2022 16:27:57 GMT
I thought Wishblade became Silhouette? I don't have mine anymore, but I could have sworn I used it with the Silhouette software?
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Post by joblackford on Feb 18, 2022 18:18:42 GMT
All I can remember is that there had been a big learning curve with it. I'll probably try working with it again before I make that final decision. Thank you all for your suggestions. TBH that sounds like a way to delay the decision and also a big task with lots of headaches. Do you have the time and energy for that right now? If you choose to sell it you get a different kind of headache - shipping, people offering too little, etc etc. If you choose to donate it you might feel bad for a while until it's out of your house and then... you'll almost certainly be too busy doing crafts you really enjoy and dealing with other supplies and decluttering decisions that you won't think about it ever again. The money is gone, it's gone whether you use the machine or not. Is it something you think you should use because you have it or a tool you've been really wishing you had? Would you consider buying and learning a new cutting machine right now? (if money wasn't an issue). If not I would say you shouldn't keep an old one that will give you major hassles and may or may not end up working. |
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Post by grammadee on Feb 19, 2022 2:46:42 GMT
I thought Wishblade became Silhouette? I don't have mine anymore, but I could have sworn I used it with the Silhouette software? Like justjac said, my Wishblade did not work with the Windows when I had to get a replacement computer. I had heard there was a fix for it but took more tech savvy than I have to do it. Ended up getting a Silhouette when I realized how much like the WB it was. |
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,446
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Post by scrapnnana on Feb 19, 2022 4:04:23 GMT
I had a Wishblade and used it a lot. I’m one of the few who got my money’s worth out of it, but when new machines came out that could cut up to 12/24 inches, I upgraded.
I heard awhile back that the Wishblade works with Silhouette software, but I don’t know if that is still true. If I were trying to use a Wishblade I’d probably try one of the older versions of the Silhouette software. Yes, it has a bit of a learning curve, but it was a great little machine, and I felt that it was worth the time it took to learn to use it.
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