scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,456 
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Post by scrapnnana on Mar 31, 2023 19:43:31 GMT
I once loved Close to My Heart and Stampin’ Up. I have bought very little from them in a long time, except from their Warehouse sale. I still like some of their stamps that I bought in the past, but CTMH changed to designs I don’t like as much, and SU did somewhat of the same, or just had too many designs like ones I already have.
I loved Heartfelt Creations and bought a lot from them. I still buy from them, but not nearly as often. The same is true of My Favorite Things. I still like them both, but I looked at my collection of MFT stamps recently and realized that almost all are by one particular designer, who no longer designs for them. Heartfelt Creations has their same designer, but I’m seeing designs that are either reruns of old, formerly discontinued ones, or are too similar to ones of the past, and I want new designs, but their new designs have had too much “flourish.” I want more than just fancy flourish designs all the time.
I still love Queen & Co. I rave about their Foundation dies often enough here, but I have only liked one or two designs in each of their recent sets released lately, so I haven’t been buying much from them in recent months.
The February Card Summit got me interested in Karen Burniston’s interactive dies again. I definitely have a wish list of additional ones that I may want to add to my arsenal of dies, but part of me also thinks, “No, I’m good.”
I know part of it is that I have more than enough (already discussed in another thread, so I don’t want to rehash that), but I also think that my tastes may be changing over time. Or they get new designers that I don’t like as much. Or something.
Do you get bored with a company over time? Do your tastes change as time goes by? I love most of what I have, but my favorite companies no longer seem as appealing these days, and I’m not sure why.
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lindas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,306
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Post by lindas on Mar 31, 2023 20:05:31 GMT
When everything they have starts to all look the same. Spellbinders immediately comes to mind. I love their flower dies, mainly because of all the etching, but they all look similar just in different sizes. I agree with you about Queen & Co, I haven’t bought a foundation set in quite awhile because I can’t justify the price when I only like one or two of the dies in the set.
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Post by scrapcat on Mar 31, 2023 20:31:18 GMT
Yes, I think tastes and interests change over time. I am actually at an impasse with stamps/stamping right now. Don't get me wrong, I have tons, but I just don't feel like getting them out and going thru the fuss sometimes. For cards yes, but I really prefer playing with paper and have been using stickers more. I think doing 2 card events with SCT, it's soooo much product, it was overwhelming, I still haven't catalogued it all and that was from 2021 & 2022.
It's funny because I never had Stampin Up or CTMH, I only purchased a couple CTMH from a crop event a long time ago. Then a couple years ago with an online event there was a deal, and I purchased 3 sets, and I use them so much in my blur book styles, love those stamps, they are worn out.
I feel like I went thru phases with Papertrey Ink, Spellbinders for dies, a very brief time with SSS, KP, EE. I tend to like new/different, that's what keeps me interested I guess? I move along pretty quickly now, don't spend too much time with 1 company.
It's the same with paper lines too...how EP and Photoplay - themes and color schemes get repeated, gets boring.
I agree, I still love a lot of what I have and use them, but tastes change.
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pinklady
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,076
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Post by pinklady on Mar 31, 2023 20:33:32 GMT
I was a loyal Stampin Up buyer but when I found clear stamps I moved on. Their designs just didn't advance like the other companies I found. I still have tons of their cardstock that I love and 15yr old ink pads that still ink as if they are brand new.
Papertrey Ink was the best and I dropped a TON of money there. They were innovative and their designs were top notch. But their horrible inexcusable business practices turned me off big time. A couple years ago, I spent my final stash of points and I won't ever shop there again.
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Post by coloradocropper on Mar 31, 2023 20:56:07 GMT
Lines that have people and animals with cutesie and exaggerated faces.
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Post by scrapperal on Mar 31, 2023 21:11:08 GMT
I can only take so much cute, looking at you Lawn Fawn! Though I have dropped a pretty penny there. I still buy from SU to support my friend. I feel like they've really expanded their various styles to appeal to more people.
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Post by 950nancy on Mar 31, 2023 21:27:01 GMT
I don't think I am loyal to any brand. I kind of feel like my scrapping needs change as the pictures I scrap change. My biggest frustration is when things all start to look alike. Echo Park did that for a while with many of their winter lines. Doodlebug also does that with many of their lines. I am willing to look around for what I want and pretty soon I am going to go from scrapping 2022 all the way back to 2002 pictures, so that will be a good change for me.
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craftymom101
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,798
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Post by craftymom101 on Mar 31, 2023 21:39:13 GMT
I bought HUNDREDS of stamp sets from PTI between 2010-2015. Hundreds and hundreds, plus dies, inks, papers, ribbon, buttons… I have it all. I have only made one purchase from them in the past 7 years. I switched back to scrapbooking full time after my divorce and pretty much dropped card making.
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Shakti
Pearl Clutcher
Troubled, complicated, and constant
Posts: 3,254
Oct 30, 2022 23:42:30 GMT
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Post by Shakti on Mar 31, 2023 23:00:15 GMT
I can only take so much cute, looking at you Lawn Fawn! Though I have dropped a pretty penny there. I still buy from SU to support my friend. I feel like they've really expanded their various styles to appeal to more people. I agree about SU -- they and HA are two companies I think have a variety of styles, from cute and cartoony to sophisticated and more arty, if you will, and an awful lot in between. |
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Post by ScrapbookMyLife on Mar 31, 2023 23:03:48 GMT
When their style changes.
When they become bandwagon jumpers. Doing and copying what the other companies are doing, instead of doing their own thing.
When all their lines have the same look, just different colors.
When they start downsizing and cramming everything on one sheet or in one packet. Hello sticker and embellishment sneeze!
If the business owner does or says something unkind in regards to a customer. Example: Donna Downey.
If a scrapbooker with a very public social media, scams and takes financial advantage of their followers. Example: Tracie Claiborne
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PaperAngel
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,016
Jun 27, 2014 23:04:06 GMT
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Post by PaperAngel on Apr 1, 2023 0:42:24 GMT
Acquisitions/associations/etc. (e.g. Bazzill by American Crafts, Bella Blvd by Doodlebug) changed the aesthetic, quality, products offered, &/or other identifiers of the original companies. Shrinkage from the industry's heyday left fewer manufacturers, which have become formulaic/repetitive/predictable/"copycats" resulting in the same tired sentiments/icons/colors for the same themes on a loop. IMHO nothing seems new &/or exciting (evidenced by relatively few purchases during the past five years).
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,456
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Post by scrapnnana on Apr 1, 2023 4:23:52 GMT
I bought HUNDREDS of stamp sets from PTI between 2010-2015. Hundreds and hundreds, plus dies, inks, papers, ribbon, buttons… I have it all. I have only made one purchase from them in the past 7 years. I switched back to scrapbooking full time after my divorce and pretty much dropped card making. Like you, I have a huge number of stamps, probably more than you do, but I was a card maker for ten years before I started scrapbooking, and I’ve been scrapbooking more than 25 years. My first layout was stamped, and I continue to use my stamps in scrapbooking when they work for the page, not just for card making. I don’t think it will ever be an either/or choice between scrapbooking and card making for me. I love both. However, your post helped me realize something. I have bought most of my stamps and dies mostly because I am also a card maker. I use stamps sometimes on my pages, but I bought few, if any, stamps with a scrapbook page in mind. There are a few exceptions, but if I were buying exclusively for scrapbooking, I’d have a very small number of stamps. Will this realization get me to stop buying stamps? Time will tell. |
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Post by karinec on Apr 1, 2023 4:35:45 GMT
Repetition is what does it for me, never changing styles or formulas (Lawn Fawn, Mama Elephant). Also, unfair/bad business practices (Papertrey Ink).
I’ve been card making for nearly 25 years, and have really enjoyed rediscovering stuff that I’ve had for a long time. Good design never goes bad, I guess.
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Chinagirl828
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Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 6,688
Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
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Post by Chinagirl828 on Apr 1, 2023 5:08:38 GMT
I kind of feel like my scrapping needs change as the pictures I scrap change. My biggest frustration is when things all start to look alike. I think this is probably the main reason for me. There are companies whose products are repetitive that I still count among my favourites, FJ and CV both recycle designs, but I still enjoy creating with both companies products and (at least until FJ closed) continued to buy them. There are other companies I have loved but no longer gravitate towards because I feel like I already have what they're offering or they or I have changed in ways that no longer suit the photos I'm scrapping. |
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Post by Night Owl on Apr 1, 2023 14:41:34 GMT
Using the same color scheme in every collection. I am really tired of the peachy pink color.
Close To My Heart seems to have lost their focus on 12x12 albums, I think theirs are some of the best so don't know why.
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Post by riversong1963 on Apr 1, 2023 15:00:09 GMT
I think that what affects my interest in a company's products are mostly my interests in general, and the stage of life that I'm in. My children are adults, and I don't scrapbook as much as I used to. I still make lots of cards, but that has slowed down too. I'm more into mixed media, so that is definitely influencing what brands I gravitate towards.
Another influence, as others have said, is repetition. If a company constantly repeats colors, designs, and motifs, I get bored and lose interest. I can't exclude "influencers" either. That can go both ways. If someone I'm inspired by uses a company's products, I am more likely to be interested in buying them. The reverse is also true.
If a company (or owner) really ticks me off, then I wouldn't buy their products if they were the last company on earth to make them. I would find a way to make my own.
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Post by janamke on Apr 1, 2023 16:09:23 GMT
Lots of things.
Politics/company decency. PTI and Sizzix come to mind.
Redundancy of lines - I haven’t bought anything from Echo Park, Simple Stories in years. Everything looks the same.
Change in taste, different stage of life. I’ve moved away from cutesy to more clean lines and sophisticated styles.
Product quality- I spent about a year buying a lot of CTMH. Turns out I hate their scrapbook products. The white core cardstock and paper that dents while looking at it…no thanks.
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,594
Location: PNW
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Post by breetheflea on Apr 1, 2023 16:29:21 GMT
Same old, same old. When you can't tell the difference between a companies fall line because they are the same exact colors, phrases, and icons as the past 10 years... I sort of get the "it mix and matches with our previous lines" but also, it's incredibly BORING.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 2, 2023 21:08:32 GMT
I would say that both too much change and not enough change might make me fall out of love with a company. A big change like losing a designer will do it, if I'm buying for that specific look or product type and then it's gone.
If things are too much the same year after year I might lose interest, although this is less a factor for me because I actually buy very little and use up collections quite quickly. I'm often happy to see my favorites back again with just a few changes the next year because I've missed them since I used them up. It depends on how much I love them and how usable they actually are for what I make.
In other cases my style moves in one direction while the company moves in another.
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Post by mcjunkin on Apr 2, 2023 21:54:55 GMT
Many of the reasons listed above also come into play for me.
Specific to Stamping Up-to me they have become too expensive. Yes, they are good quality, but I can find comparable things from other big name companies for less. The fact that they are a MLM made it harder for me to justify the higher price. I understand demonstrators demonstrate and sell to make money, but....I don't know.....
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Post by AussieMeg on Apr 2, 2023 22:44:24 GMT
When I first started digital scrapping, I bought most of my stuff from one particular store, and I had a couple of favourite designers. I haven't bought anything from that store or those designers for a very long time. The main reason is that they tend not to have stickers in their kits. The flowers are all dimensional and/or realistic looking. The digital world seemed to take a long time to jump on the sticker bandwagon. I'm not likely to buy a kit unless it has stickers in it.
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Post by artisticscrapper on Apr 3, 2023 0:59:25 GMT
I get that companies need to stay relevant and change thing up but what I don’t like is when they start having lines that are way different. I used to like Echo Park when they had collections like Victorian Gardens. Their current lines don’t do much for me. A lot of American Crafts’ lines don’t change enough. For example Dear Lizzy looks pretty much same every release. They just tweak them and change the colors. I guess that works for them.
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Post by ScrappyGlue on Apr 3, 2023 13:20:11 GMT
Sometimes it's the design team members. There's one person in particular - if she's on the design team, I won't purchase anything from that particular company. She, the design team member, is a nasty, horrible person. To no fault of the company, they don't know how she is, but I can't support any company she is doing design team work for.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,456
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Post by scrapnnana on Apr 3, 2023 13:56:33 GMT
I get that companies need to stay relevant and change thing up but what I don’t like is when they start having lines that are way different. I used to like Echo Park when they had collections like Victorian Gardens. Their current lines don’t do much for me. A lot of American Crafts’ lines don’t change enough. For example Dear Lizzy looks pretty much same every release. They just tweak them and change the colors. I guess that works for them. This is definitely one of my major reasons for leaving a company. I know it’s a fine line to walk, and companies are trying to stay viable, but this is how they often lose long time, previously loyal customers. |
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Post by mbanda on Apr 3, 2023 15:14:17 GMT
Like others have said, I tend to lose interest when paper lines tend to look the same year after year. I figure I already have something similar so why get the new line (unless I've previously used it all up).
For stamps/cardmaking I LOVE Lawn Fawn and would buy something each new release but their stamps tend to all look the same which on one hand is great because you can mix & match sets but also makes me not really want/need the new release stamps.
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Post by hoopsfn on Apr 3, 2023 15:37:15 GMT
Mainly because a company's products seem to change (like PaperAngel said) when they are "sucked up" by another company. It seems like what made the original company unique and desirable gets lost when the new parent company begins to homogenize everything. |
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kiavonne
Full Member
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Mar 10, 2021 3:23:12 GMT
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Post by kiavonne on Apr 3, 2023 20:11:20 GMT
Well, a lot has to do with my changing tastes. If a company is just rehashing and recycling their designs every two years, I start to get a bit bored. So, I look at other companies.
However, sometimes - like with color lines (inks) - if they keep changing them out it gets very expensive to keep up and that is a big put off (SU I'm looking at you). That happened big time this year, so SU is no longer going to see much of my spending power going forward. I love their paper and ink coordination, but I really cannot be expected to change it out every year. By the way, they are pulling their stamp platform, the Stamparatus, from their catalog and will not be restocking it, even though they do not go to court against MSP until December this year. So if you want a platform other than the pink one, now is the time until supply runs out.
Owner/company transparency, conduct, and reputation. In example, I personally will never buy an MSP product simply because of the way the owner has treated crafters and has pursued being a monopoly out of sheer greed. Can't do it, won't do it.
Other than that, I a shop around for what interests me, as being "brand loyal" isn't really a given these days.
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Shakti
Pearl Clutcher
Troubled, complicated, and constant
Posts: 3,254
Oct 30, 2022 23:42:30 GMT
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Post by Shakti on Apr 4, 2023 0:25:55 GMT
The Stamparatus supply had already run out by yesterday.
Can anybody spill the tea on PTI business practices?
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cbscrapper
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,482
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Post by cbscrapper on Apr 4, 2023 0:30:46 GMT
I would say that both too much change and not enough change might make me fall out of love with a company. A big change like losing a designer will do it, if I'm buying for that specific look or product type and then it's gone. If things are too much the same year after year I might lose interest, although this is less a factor for me because I actually buy very little and use up collections quite quickly. I'm often happy to see my favorites back again with just a few changes the next year because I've missed them since I used them up. It depends on how much I love them and how usable they actually are for what I make. In other cases my style moves in one direction while the company moves in another. Yes, this for me too. Simple Stories used to be one of my top companies. Now they just look like Crate Paper (which isn’t my thing.) |
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kiavonne
Full Member
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Mar 10, 2021 3:23:12 GMT
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Post by kiavonne on Apr 4, 2023 0:58:04 GMT
The Stamparatus supply had already run out by yesterday. Wow. That was fast. |
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