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I voted for wood blocks. Not because I like the higher price or because I am against "saving money, storage space & natural resources; & seeing better where the image goes."
I've been stamping for so long with wood that placement is not a problem. Use a stamp-a-ma-jig and even better. I like that I can pick up a stamp and stamp. I have a few unmounted stamps, using the ez mount system for the red rubber, they are ok, but I do not use them more than the wood mounted.
Sure it would be nice if they offered the sets with blocks or without. Options are always nice. I would not like it if they went clear/acrylic. Red rubber is just so much better. I have stamps that i purchased more than 20 years ago and am still using them and they work great.
I have a question..as regaurds to mounted vs unmounted i buy mostly SU and from LSS and yes they are wood mounted but and heres the ? cant you just trim the rubber from SU and not mount on the wood blocks or do you want it to be see through? not sure what the difference is i guess because i am a wood woman(lol).Do they have to be mounted on the blocks?
Although I do have some unmounted stamps, I MUCH prefer the wood mounted ones. I do like that the unmounted take up less space and are more portable, but I like the feel of stamping while holding the wood (and do not mind at all using the stamp-a-magig for positioning!)
As a SU customer I would love to buy them unmounted. It would not lower the sales for the demos as cheaper set prices would allow me to buy more sets and still spend the same amount that I do now.
Exactly what I was thinking! When I've gone to SU parties, I have a set $$ that I plan to spend, not a # of stamp sets to buy.
Kimberly
__________________ "There is a very fine line between hobby and mental illness." -- Dave Barry
I have bought unmounted stamps from other companies, the only thing I would like for the companies that sell unmounted that they would at least put the sticky ez-foam on them. It may cost a lil more but not as much as if mounted to the wood.
The only down side to having the EZ Mount already on is that it would be virtually impossible to index on the cling side. (See my gallery for an example.) And I would think that if a company did this for me, then it would cost that much more for the stamp.
Kimberly
__________________ "There is a very fine line between hobby and mental illness." -- Dave Barry
If not for any other reason, how about SAVING OUR ENVIRONMENT?? I love wood blocks, but I can easily do without them to save thousands of trees!! Kind of like ivory...love the feel and it sure is beautiful, but don't go killing the elephants for it!
Sorry, I'm a bit of an Earth-lover...;)
Just curious..... what do you stamp on then?? Paper is made from trees, too.
As of now...48% of us want the OPTION of being able to buy unmounted. That should give a wake-up call to SU to start thinking this over! I would definitely prefer that option, too.
As of now...48% of us want the OPTION of being able to buy unmounted. That should give a wake-up call to SU to start thinking this over! I would definitely prefer that option, too.
Yes, but that is only 48% of the people who answered this poll. SCS does have a lot of SU customers but they sell millions of dollars in stamps a year and not all of their business comes from here. We would think it did, though. ;)
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Originally Posted by parrothead
Just MY opinion....don't want any flames thrown my way.....I HATE unmounted and the acrylic stamps.....I love the wood and real rubbah! And frankly I don't like the "gummy" feel......ok...cuss me all you want.....i can take it.....
no flames here! i agree with you!!!
the un mounted stamps that i have bought have been promptly mounted on wood blocks!
i don't want to have to mount and unmount all the time!
MY OPINION!!!
People are emailing it around. Maybe you could get someone to send it to you. After I looked at it I deleted it knowing it was not something I would be ordering from.
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Originally Posted by ikimom
Most of the vendors I buy UM stamps from also offer wood mounted and the UM is usually close to half the price. For example: Cornish Heritage Farms, UM $7.99 vs. $14.99 mounted for the background stamps. A Country Welcome, and Creative Images Stamps - UM $6 vs. $12 for background stamp.
As with most decisions in business, the bottom line is the big factor. They have to analyze the effect of their higher prices driving more customers to other companies or buying less vs. the cost of space to stock UM stamps. I see other companies offering a choice, so it can't be that difficult. I just think it helps to let SU know there is a desire and a market for this option.
~ Kathy
so then what is the cost of the easy/foam mount (i'm not sure what it is called) and the CD cases?
I do agree that there is something nice about wood, but if I have a choice I'd rather just get more stamps ya know? So I'd for sure buy more if there was a choice, but I wouldn't spend more, just get more for my $$.
TAC used to have the choice, is anyone a TAC demo from then? When I signed up they changed to all UM like the next month so I don't know what the thinking was. Maybe not too many people were buying mounted and it didn't seem cost effective for them to have twice the pick line or whatever it's called. I'm sure there are increased costs with the options. Would you still choose unmounted if it was only 25% cheaper instead of 50% cheaper?
I'll use stamps the way they come, so I mount my SU (Only have like 15 sets anyhow), use the cling mount on TAC, and the ones that I buy as bare rubber I don't use any clingy stuff on, I just use wacky tack or double sided tape.
anyhow I love SU and will buy them with my X amount of dollars no matter what they decide to do. And I'll buy TAC, and Cornish Heritage, and Papertrey, and Stamping Bella, and C.C.Deisgns, and Missy B, and oh well, you get the picture! ;)
__________________ My BlogMy GalleryAll dog's feet smell like Fritos. I know you don't believe me, go check... See, I told you so.
I have a question..as regaurds to mounted vs unmounted i buy mostly SU and from LSS and yes they are wood mounted but and heres the ? cant you just trim the rubber from SU and not mount on the wood blocks or do you want it to be see through? not sure what the difference is i guess because i am a wood woman(lol).Do they have to be mounted on the blocks?
No they don't have to be mounted on the wood blocks but you still have to pay for the wood even if you are not using it. Kind of a waste of money.
I know it�s a good point for the unmounted stamps when it comes to saving money, more space and, and...
But for me, most of my stamps are SU! And I love the wood mounted version. It is just a feeling, I guess being addicted to those nice little objects. :-) I also have some unmounted like my new Bellas for example. It is okay when they are made of rubber. What I don�t like so much (but is still okay) are the CTMH (just an example) stamps. I think the stamped image is not as perfect as when you use rubber.
I voted for wood blocks. Not because I like the higher price or because I am against "saving money, storage space & natural resources; & seeing better where the image goes."
I agree. I felt "bad" for voting that I perfer wood blocks with rubber images:( .
I guess I just haven't found the right unmounted images/system. I also haven't found very many images that appeal to me. I've tried a few, but the mounting and unmounting of each image causes too much frustration and I do not enjoy the stamping process because of it. I consider stamping therapy as well as a craft. I would LOVE to save storage space, natural resources and money. But for now, the rubber images mounted on wood blocks appeal to me more. And within that market, SU sets seem to be the better value, even with the recent price increases.
__________________ Laura Lynn
mother of two stampers: Breana (1 and Nicolas (15) my gallery
Just curious..... what do you stamp on then?? Paper is made from trees, too.
I'm still struggling with my moral absolutist tendencies, too. My approach is "don't let the perfect become the enemy of the good", meaning that just because I can't instantly obtain the most perfect, environmentally friendly lifestyle all in one go, doesn't mean I should throw in the towel altogether. Why should I stop buying wood-mounted stamps to try and save a few trees when I stamp on paper that is made from trees? That's kind of similar to folks wondering why they should give up driving their Sherman tanks that get half a mile per gallon and switch to a vehicle that gets only 10 miles per gallon -- after all both vehicles have terrible fuel economies and both run on fossil fuels so what's the point? The point is that thinking about our environmental footprints and making decisions based on trying to minimise them is a Good Thing imho, and over time can lead us closer to where Perfect is. In the meantime, tho, open discourse and learning how to think about our decisions are both going to help us get where we want to be wrt the environment.
Similarly, we can't assume that other folks who aren't doing what we think might be 'perfect' (like stopping with the wood blocks on stamps aleady ;)) aren't doing anything at all, or aren't concerned about the effects of consumerism on our ecosystem. It is kind of discouraging to see how easy it is for suggestions to try and reduce our environmental footprints can polarise groups of individuals, and start an "us vs them" approach where everyone is either a hypocrite (treehuggers who do papercrafts) or irresponsible (folks who like wood-mounted stamps). We're neither -- all of us are stamping folk who make the choices we have to make to be able to sleep at night.
Back to the OP: I of course voted for SU to offer both unmounted and wood mounted stamps. From the posts to this thread, it looks to me like everyone's made a really strong case for SU to offer both options! With all the die-hard wood stampers and all the die-hard unmounted users here who like SU's images, SU would definitely have a strong market for both mounting options.
Not going to read through all the pages of chat, but I have used both types of stamps over the years and always come back to my good old red rubber and wood blocks. I have stamps I bought in 1986 that still work like new and I have given all of the acrylic stamps to my toddlers to play with since I didn't have one I really liked to use. Remember ladies- this is a personal opinion poll- we are each entitled to our own
I feel compelled to add that I wasn't flaming Robyn; Robyn, you raised a provocative and interesting question, and I was responding to it and the concept you raised. Since January, I've put a *huge* amount of thought into this issue and how I think I should deal with it in my own life choices, so it is something that I talk about and like to hear other folks' perspectives and philosophies when the opportunity arises. Just wanted to clarify that.
If I had a HUGE warehouse, I'd probably not be so 'unmounted' orientated. It is fast to grab the wood mounted stamp, ink, stamp and clean it. Takes a little longer with unmounted (not much). But I am buying more and more unmounted and if SU! gave the choice, I would be stamping unmounted all the way.
I personally prefer Mounted sets. But, yes they do take up a lot of room. I think you missed an option on your poll for "both". I am a demo too and I would love to offer the option to people who like UM better and the folks who don't like UM can continue buying the stamps the way they are now. I didn't vote because I personally like mounted but think it is a good idea to offer both options.
__________________ Julia Gluten free on 9/15/2008. I am a Celiac. 1 in 133 Americans is a Celiac and 97% of those who have Celiac Disease are still undiagnosed. Are you one?
You know, since SU has the trees grown specifically for the wood blocks (and, I'm pretty sure, the paper, too), it really doesn't impact our natural resources. ;) They're not out chopping down rainforests or redwoods, they're harvesting trees specifically planted to use as wood blocks for stamping. So one could even argue that the wood blocks SU sells with the stamp sets are helping the environment (trees "breathe" in carbon dioxide and out oxygen) since without needing the wood for the blocks, those particular trees wouldn't have been planted. Yes?
Just MY opinion....don't want any flames thrown my way.....I HATE unmounted and the acrylic stamps.....I love the wood and real rubbah! And frankly I don't like the "gummy" feel......ok...cuss me all you want.....i can take it.....
No flames from me :mrgreen: but I just wanted to say that there are two ways to go unmounted...
TAC stamps are actually the same real rubber as SU but they come with the cling and so you get that same layered thickness. You can buy these UMs all over the place - Purple Onion Designs, CHF, etc... and you use them on an acrylic block.
The clear stamps are the acrylic stamps...and you use them on an acrylic block as well.
PS. I was with TAC when we had the option and they discontinued the wood because people wanted to save money, and that's how they bought. Now they have come to appreciate the space savings as well. :rolleyes:
so then what is the cost of the easy/foam mount (i'm not sure what it is called) and the CD cases?
EZ-mount comes in a sheet, about 9 x 11 inches at $4 to $5 per sheet. I can mount several sets of images from one sheet. The CD cases are in the range of 40 cents each. So, it doesn't add that much to the cost of the set to do this. The space savings is huge to me. I had to consider not buying as many new sets or getting rid of some old but dear sets if I was going to keep them mounted. Or, consider spending money on more storage solutions - but that would come out of money I could spend on stamp sets.
~ Kathy
__________________ I love talking about nothing. It's the only thing I know anything about. ~ Oscar Wilde
If not for any other reason, how about SAVING OUR ENVIRONMENT?? I love wood blocks, but I can easily do without them to save thousands of trees!! Kind of like ivory...love the feel and it sure is beautiful, but don't go killing the elephants for it!
Sorry, I'm a bit of an Earth-lover...;)
Acrylic is made from petroleum...just sayin'!
Trees are renewable resource as is rubber...petroleum is not.
Do I have some acrylic sets? Yes, I do. Do I reach for them very often...nope. I hate having to find the correct size of block, then placing the thing just so while trying not to tear it, then having to clean it, pull it off (trying not to tear it again) and put it away before moving on to the next thing. And I have to say, I'd have the same issue with unmounted with acrylic blocks.
I also found that they were pretty much just as expensive as the rubber w/wood mounts. I feel it's easier to save space by constantly purging the stamps I don't use anymore to make room for the newer ones I want. I can sell my SU! sets and get a good price for them; I've never seen acrylic sets or unmounted rubber going for anything more than pennies on Ebay. In fact, some SU! sets appreciate in value...some I sold for more than I paid for them. Can't beat that! ;)
They're not out chopping down rainforests or redwoods, they're harvesting trees specifically planted to use as wood blocks for stamping. So one could even argue that the wood blocks SU sells with the stamp sets are helping the environment (trees "breathe" in carbon dioxide and out oxygen) since without needing the wood for the blocks, those particular trees wouldn't have been planted. Yes?
That is very cool and something I wasn't aware of; thanks for sharing that! Carbon cycling is a little complicated, though, and while over time forests do act as a net carbon sink once they reach maturity, disturbances like harvesting and subsequent regrowth can cause the carbon in the soil to be released into the air and during that phase are a net carbon source. Another example that is totally unrelated to stamping but does help illustrate how one grown tree does not necessarily equal a tree's worth of carbon removed from the atmosphere is peat bogs. With concerns about carbon emissions etc. beginning to come up a decade ago, some policy makers wondered if we created more peat bogs, would that solve our problems because peat bogs are viewed as very substantial carbon sinks. So, the thinking was if we flood specific areas to form bogs or replace ones that have been harvested, that would be a cheap, easy way to get carbon out of the atmosphere. However, with all the processes that occur as part of peat bog formation, it actually takes over a hundred years for the bogs to become net carbon sinks. Up until they reach stable maturity, they are net sources of carbon to the air.
I think SU is awesome to have put some thought into where it gets its wood blocks! I just won't be relying on a big stash of wood-mounted stamps to reduce my carbon footprint.
Would you still choose unmounted if it was only 25% cheaper instead of 50% cheaper?
Yes, it is the space savings that motivates me the most, but saving money on something I'm not going to use allows me to use that money for something I do want.
~ Kathy
__________________ I love talking about nothing. It's the only thing I know anything about. ~ Oscar Wilde
I personally prefer Mounted sets. But, yes they do take up a lot of room. I think you missed an option on your poll for "both". I am a demo too and I would love to offer the option to people who like UM better and the folks who don't like UM can continue buying the stamps the way they are now. I didn't vote because I personally like mounted but think it is a good idea to offer both options.
The yes vote in the poll is a vote for "both" mounted and unmounted. The poll question is "Would you like the option to buy SU sets unmounted?". Sorry if that wasn't clear.
~ Kathy
__________________ I love talking about nothing. It's the only thing I know anything about. ~ Oscar Wilde
I hope they don't offer unmounted, this is my job and I work on commission, so the less something costs, the less I make.
Actually, I think you would make more money. I also think very very hard before buying mounted SU stamps. If I see a similar image that is unmounted elsewhere, there IS no uncertainty on my part - I buy the image elsewhere, unmounted. If SU offers both unmounted AND mounted, I wouldn't see a problem with that.
Thank you for contacting us with your inquiry regarding the future availability of unmounted stamps. At Stampin' Up!, we strive to provide the highest quality products we can to our demonstrators and customers. We are aware of trends in the rubber stamp industry, and have investigated such options as acrylic stamps and blocks.
There are pros and cons to any new trend, and we recognize there may be some perceived advantages to acrylic blocks and stamps. However, as a company, we have determined that the advantages do not outweigh the disadvantages of acrylic at this time.
Because we want our demonstrators and customers to have the best experience possible in creating your stamped projects, we want to provide the best stamps possible. Traditional rubber still provides the best quality in your stamped images. Our wood blocks are supplied by a responsible grower, and wood is always a biodegradable and renewable resource. Because we know that we can provide you with high-quality stamps with this time-tested method, we study many factors before considering any product of this nature that would so significantly impact our demonstrators, your businesses, and your customers.
We will continue to investigate and study new trends in the stamping industry, and will continue to provide you with the highest quality products that you've come to expect from Stampin' Up!
Thank you again for your e-mail. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance. Have a great day!
Sincerely,
Stampin' Up!�
Demonstrator Support
Tim Lewis
Here is the letter I sent back:
Thank you for your reply, but please note that I did not mention acrylic stamps. SU stamps already come to us unmounted, all you need to do is offer them in packages without the blocks. It does not in any way affect the quality of your product. It is a huge waste of my money to pay for something I don't want and have to get rid of. Looking at the cost of some of the sets in the new preview, I think SU is on the way to pricing themselves out of many people's budgets.
~ Kathleen
I got the feeling it was a canned response. The letter they sent talked about acrylic stamps, which I never suggested. Urrgggh, just a personal pet peeve that they misconstrue what I said. Maybe I should try sending a letter directly to Shelly.
~ Kathy
__________________ I love talking about nothing. It's the only thing I know anything about. ~ Oscar Wilde
I voted yes. I would like the OPTION of buying unmounted or mounted. Give us a choice. I can't see as it would be that big a deal on their end. I realize there are those that won't give up the wood, and that's absolutely okay. On the other hand, I don't mount my rubber on wood, and would like to have the option of saving a buck or 2, not to mention packaging and space on ordering just the rubber. Then they could also sell the EZMount for us too (and maybe even CD cases or other similar storage system..)!
If not for any other reason, how about SAVING OUR ENVIRONMENT?? I love wood blocks, but I can easily do without them to save thousands of trees!! Kind of like ivory...love the feel and it sure is beautiful, but don't go killing the elephants for it!
Sorry, I'm a bit of an Earth-lover...;)
Umm you do know there are tree farming businesses out there right...most cases they aren't harvesting virgin timber to make wood products...they get wood products from tree farmers -farmers who make their living planting and harvesting...I would feel sad if I didn't have my wooden block all ready to grab and go...and even sadder for the poor little tree farmer who looses his business because there isn't as much as a demand...
__________________ Jenni -Happy SU Demo - MY GALLERY & MY CHAOTIC LIFE One kid makes you a Parent - Two makes you a Referee
I'd buy SU! either way, but I prefer wood mounted stamps. I can write notes on them and don't have to worry about losing the notes. Notes like how big a frame opening is, which to stamp first...
Seriously good idea. NEVER even crossed my mind to do this... TFS!
...and even sadder for the poor little tree farmer who looses his business because there isn't as much as a demand...
I don't understand this statement. If someday there is no demand for wood blocks for stamps, we shouldn't keep buying them out of guilt. Inkwell makers lost their businesses once we started using ballpoint pens, but I don't think we should have tried to continue supporting an industry that has no or reduced demand for its product. I may be misunderstanding your statement, tho!
I don't understand this statement. If someday there is no demand for wood blocks for stamps, we shouldn't keep buying them out of guilt. Inkwell makers lost their businesses once we started using ballpoint pens, but I don't think we should have tried to continue supporting an industry that has no or reduced demand for its product. I may be misunderstanding your statement, tho!
I guess what I am trying to say is that what does it matter if SU goes mounted or unmounted...if SU was to go totally unmounted they would loose a big chunk of customers who only like to stamp with wood mounted stamps...
Obviously so far it really hasn't hurt SU's bottom line - as people who like the images will buy the sets and choose what to do with them...either leave them unmounted or mount them...as seen in numerous posts here at SCS
I am not against UM by a long shot as I own some myself...I have a few speciality sets that I use once in a blue moon and for me since it was sets I wouldn't use very often the cheaper cost of UM was a plus to me....but that is not to say I would not have bought the set if it had been mounted
__________________ Jenni -Happy SU Demo - MY GALLERY & MY CHAOTIC LIFE One kid makes you a Parent - Two makes you a Referee
I would like the option. Some stamp sets I would surely want mounted, because I often don't like switching out the blocks and cleaning the stamps when I'm into a project using many stamps. Also, if you use a stamp positioner. You'd have to create a new guide every time you remounted the stamp. Face it, sometimes precise placement is key.
However, other stamps would better be used unmounted.
I'd love to save room with unmounteds, too. So, I'd like to be able to choose which stamps I want unmounted (maybe the trendy ones) and the staples that I will have a while, I will buy mounted.
On the up side, it's probably easier to make money reselling your old stamp sets it they are mounted.
and Nicolas (15) 
