Is it all going to online events and subscriptions/clubs?

I can wax philosophically and somewhat self-centeredly about this (and I will ), but first I'm wondering...as opposed to what, exactly? In-person events? Just shopping for things? What direction is it that everyone is headed away from in your mind?

I don’t know if this is what we’ll see mostly going forward, but the in person conventions have shrunk dramatically ever since they started back up after the shutdowns. I went to the two conventions that have come to the DFW area this year so far, and both had between 32 to 36 vendors. That was it. I checked the list of vendors ahead of time, knew there were a few that I wanted to shop at, and I bought enough that it was totally worth it for me. I would have liked to have spent more time browsing, but due to circumstances, I could only stay about 2 hours at the one that was this weekend. I still found enough to feel that it was worth attending, especially since they used a venue that didn’t require you to pay for parking (first time I haven’t had to pay for parking).

I do shop a lot online, and I also make a lot of my own embellishments, but after 3 Disney trips in the last 6 years, only one of which is partially scrapbooked, I am willing to pay for Paper Wizard titles. They were one of the vendors that I wanted to visit at the Convention. I don’t need stamps. I do, however, still have a weakness for dies, even though I use my electronic cutters a lot.

I buy online. I never used to before COVID. Some of my favorite vendors that I discovered at a convention don’t seem to come to the conventions anymore. Even when I do go to convention, I don’t usually attend a class. The online events seem to be mostly classes, with a kit for the classes. I know a lot of people love it, and if I were interested in classes, I would be, too, but I used to design and teach classes at the LSS. It takes something really impressive for me to want to pay for a class.

Overall, though, if the conventions keep dwindling, I think that online will be all that is left.

Same. I can make new things in the comfort of my home with all the new goodies and my stuff around me. I can pick and choose which ones I want to make. I can stop and start the videos when I want. I've said it before - I'm not a card designer - I need help by being shown how to make these awesome things. Occasionally, I'll veer off from a designed card and do my own thing, but not often.

I have tried several subscriptions in the past, and find I drop them after a while when I get a kit that's a "dud" for me. I've got a whole box of Hero Arts My Monthly Hero kits that have never been opened from 2017-2019. Right now I'm subscribed to "Let's Stamp Together" from SCT, and so far it's been good. My subscription runs out at the end of the year, and I don't think I'll re-up, as I'm quickly running out of space for all the supplies I've accumulated in the last three years.

You'd think by now, I'd have a card for every little occasion that occurs in life! I keep signing up for events because I enjoy most aspects of them.

Same here.

I started scrapping about 20 years ago. I began with local scrapbook shops, of which there were several in my area. I started working for one store, was trained to teach EK Success classes there, and attended many CKU, Scrapbook Expo, and Queen and Co. events. I lived about 2 hours from Orlando, and there were plenty of events held there and many great scrapbook stores on the way there.

Even before covid things started to change. Events got smaller and stores started to close. There were no stores left local to me by the time covid came along. I did my first virtual event with Taylored Expressions in the spring of 2020. I was about 2 months away from retiring after 40 years of teaching. We were teaching virtually from home at that point and I wanted something fun to do. The end of that year we moved to North Carolina. There were no scrapbook stores in the area, although there was one craft store that did have a small amount of scrap items. I had no resources, I knew no one and virtual events pretty much helped me maintain my sanity through the first two years living here.

It's been three and a half years here and there's still no stores in my area. Nearest one is in Tennessee. A good bit of quilting and yarn stores, but that's not my thing. I'm finding that I don't need the big virtual events as much any more. I've pretty much dropped the card making ones because I've got enough card making stuff, and I'm going back to my scrap roots and doing more layouts again. Some of the virtual events I participated in have just gotten too big for me. I'm still doing other, smaller virtual events because the nearest live event is outside Atlanta. Too far for me to be comfortable driving.

As for kits, I did subscribe to a couple of different kits in the early years. I quit doing that when I found I wasn't using the stuff. In the past year I've tried a couple of kits and found, like the virtual events, smaller is better for me. I subscribed to a lovely kit for a few months, but cancelled when I realized that just like before, I wasn't using the items. Now I have two smaller subscriptions that really fit me. I do the Pink and Main foiling kit. I get one roll of foil and a variety of foilables. I recently added a Waffle Flower kit. It's a small kit (3 items, give or take) that are"sneak peeks" from their next month's new items. They tell you right in the description that this is for people who want to try new things, and you won't necessarily love everything. I get that. I like being pushed to try new things. I've gotten two kits so far, and I've liked, loved, and been sort of meh, about the items. Which is just what I expected.

I can only do online events because I 24/7 caretake an elderly relative, so having more options is great for me. I do miss going to real crops though. They were and always will be, the most fun.

I think companies are focusing a lot on these things because they're a GREAT moneymaker for them, especially because it's much harder for people to give up something they already have. You never know if the next kit will be the perfect one that you regret missing out on! It's steady money, and also predictable in terms of inventory management. The events are probably the same - you sign up well in advance so they know how many units to manufacture, less danger that they will order a bunch of product that never sells.

But most companies are also pushing out new regular product lines every month or second month aside from kits and events. Some offer bundles to make it easier for people who have more money than time to think and plan. But I think plenty of people are still shopping at big box craft stores and online, picking up random things that catch their eye. I follow quite a few low key makers who are just doing their own thing making simple cards with basic supplies.

I think the community aspect of following along with hashtags or joining events is really motivating for a lot of people. It gives you a deadline and a push to sit down.

I am very protective of my space (and budget) so I rarely sign up for anything that involves buying products sight-unseen, and I tell myself I don't want to make the same cards as everyone else anyway, so I only buy leftover kits here and there. If it sells out it was too popular for my tastes ;P And I also hate to follow instructions so I usually go my own way!

I look at event threads here but the only thing I join on a regular basis is the monthly Sheetload of Cards (which is just making a posting to a hashtag, totally free and easy).

Oh that's great, thank you! I'm going to go check it out right now. I love their Lovely Layers collection, I probably own 75% of them (don't add it up, please lol).

The other one is in Allen - Personal Scrapbook (it's East of 75). It is small but I have found some good stuff/new releases there (Honey Bee Stamps, Lawn Fawn). They have classes & crops as well. I've never done either of those with them. I discovered them before Scrapbook Expo this year. They sold discount admission tickets so I went there to get the 3 tickets for my group. I met the owner & she is super nice as well.