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Okay ~ so people are grumpy. Well, really grumpy, over this whole catalog deal. Some are outwardly hostile over their dislike of the catalog. Others are disappointed and some are outright inconsolable. And it's definitely worse than last year.
I think I figured out why.
In past years there's always been "Hope" that if a set missed the big catalog, the Stampin Memories would come out and it would be there ~ ie Little Layers last year. There was also the knowledge that in a month we would have a new catalog with a bunch of sets. This year we don't have that. There will be no other catalog, there is no hope as there was in the past, and that little voice in our heads is saying "couldn't they make it bigger if it's two combined catalogs".
Maybe my friend and I are alone in this theory, or maybe not. What do you think? Could the lack of hope for something else in a month be what's got everyone so off balance about this years catalog? Could it be a contributing factor?
This isn't a put down of SU. I understand their logic. I'm just wondering if this is what's got people so overly opinionated about this years catalog.
I like the catalog - then again I am a casual stamper and not a demo - I have a limited budget and compared to a lot of people only a small amount of stamp sets...
I like them combining the the two books - I can't for the life of me find last years Stampin memories book so this way i only have to keep up with one book.
I am extremely happy with the amount of smaller stamp sets under $20 - and cheaper 2 step stamping and DD sets.
I am dissapointed by the fact that there is not a wheel summery sheet and I wish they would have had added a few more new alphabets other than 2 big ones and 2 little ones - the new double line one looks just like the ones from 2 years ago only on a slant.
But other than that I am happy - I am finding that by coming here to SCS I am looking at stamp sets that normally I would have never taken a second glance at because they are not "me".
__________________ Jenni -Happy SU Demo - MY GALLERY & MY CHAOTIC LIFE One kid makes you a Parent - Two makes you a Referee
I don't scrapbook so to me the catalog has WAY too many scrapbook stuff in it. If the catalog was bigger, then I would probably be okay with all that extra stuff in it.
If you want a Stampin Memories catalog just to have one, I think I have an extra. If I do I could send it to you. NC and VA aren't too far apart.
I don't think that people are any more disappointed. I personally know that last year I did not have any other boards to get opinions from others as so many of us do now on SCS. With thousands of people come thousands of opinions. Perhaps that is where the feeling that people are so upset with the catalog is coming from.
I do think those that are disappointed will be more excited once they get their minis now. I love not only lots of new sets, but new accessories as well.
I don't know that many people that are "grumpy,...overly hostile,...or downright inconsolable" as you put it. You can't please all of the people all of the time. When there is so much build up it is bound to be somewhat anti-climatic.
I gave my 1st one to a customer on Sunday. She called last night with a $150 order. That is the only customer I have given it to, so I am hoping that is a good predictor. The other factor might be My attitude. I LOVE getting and seeing new things. Although there are a few things that I don't like about the catalog, I have looked at it so many times and keep finding more that I love. And as more and more beautiful samples are posted here by the
__________________ I want people to be afraid of how much they love me-M. Scott
And as more and more beautiful samples are posted here by the talented artists who frequent this site, I think any disappointemnts will turn to inspiration. And although you may not like scrapbooking, it would be silly for SU to not expand that section as so many customers are lookimg to combine thier love and stamping with their love of scrapbooking.
Just my 2 cents (okay, maybe a few more!)
__________________ I want people to be afraid of how much they love me-M. Scott
I love the new catty and I am VERY excited about it. Love the new sets, the new Alphabets, the new accessories!!!! I mean...what is NOT to love???? Did I say Love quite enough in this post. I Love, love, love it! LOL
I did not like the catalog for the first day or so, and I am also a casual user, not a demo. But it has slowly grown on me. Of course flipping through it 300 times has helped. LOL
__________________ Deb
The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.
-Abraham Lincoln-
I'm not feeling this at all either. The people I have given that catalog to have loved it! One woman called it evil because she will be spending so much money!
There is a some general disappointment of hoping certain sets would be replaced with similiar sets, but for the most part, I feel the reaction has been positive.
I am not only on this board. I'm on 3 others and get about 300 pieces of email a day ~ so I have a greater range to pull from. It's also on SD where people aren't happy. Convention, people were unhappy I've been told. I've heard people dropping because they just can't stand this years catalog. This defintely doesn't sound like the whole world loves it.
As for the mini ~ yeah, no love there from me.
Maybe as far as SCS goes, everyone loves the catalog except me who hasn't placed an order, nor do I plan to, for a few weeks. I see no need. Well, I can barely see the images, so it's hard to see anything I want. All I know is I've had close to 100 emails of people who don't like the catalog this year, so I'm pulling from a greater perspective.
When I was at convention and I got my new catalog, my first thought was "Will the people who open their mailboxes and get their new catty be as excited as all of us are?" The demonstrations, make and takes, and display boards really help show how great the new "stuff" is!!! (Copper alone is HUGE!)
So that's why I made sure to take pics of as much of the new stuff as possible. I'll post them this a.m. I hope they are helpful to you all.
I wish, so much, that the CD was available to everyone. Why shouldn't it be? It would sell more product. Maybe they'll change this policy later.
I think the catalog is GREAT!!! Never have we seen such a plentitude of wonderful, inspiring (just plain gorgeous!) artwork throughout the book. I love almost all of the new stamp sets (wish list is overwhelming) and the few customers I have shared it with think the catalog is genuinely awesome. The accessories and embellishments are unmatched! I'm surprised to hear folks may be disappointed by it. As we work with the new sets/accessories and view the samples in the SCS gallery which will be uploaded soon I'm sure , minds will be a changin'.
Remember, change is difficult. We sent the last year going through the catalog memorizing every page. It was like one of our children. This catalog is still a stranger in a way. As we get to know it, we will love it as much as we did the last one. And come next year's reveal, we will have our initial doubts about the new one and be sad to say goodbye to this one. I am beginning to feel the love.
Also, we may not get the scrappers catty anymore, but with the increased size of the mini cattys we kind of still have the same thing. There's still a chance that one we love shows up in that catty at some point this year.
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I am not a demo, but I'll put in my .02
I remember last year just feeling a little disappointed with new catty--it wasn't the one I had come to know and love. Then, as the year went by, it grew on me, adn then I loved it just like the other one!
I am a teacher, and this phenomenom is not new to me--every year, at first, you miss your old students you came to know and love so well over the course of the year, and now, here are the new ones, you don't know what's in store for you...but by the end of the year, no matter what, you love them just as much as the ones from previous years!!!! awww
not that I'm comparing my lovely students to the catty... but it might be a similar experience!
and by the way, I teach high school, and I love it!!!
__________________ Diana--so many stamps, so little time!
some days you get the bear, and some days the bear gets you!
I was looking at the comments on the SD board, thinking maybe I had missed something or I was over-looking the unahppy people, or trying to find people who were disappointed in convention, but almost all posts I saw were overwhelmingly in favor of the new catalog. I did see people disappointed with 2 issues:
images in gray (some people like it, some don't)
no wheels page (I have not seen anyone whol is okay with the wheel page being gone)
I am going to quote Dale Abraham from the SD board
"I guess there will always be those who see the glass as "half empty" instead of "half full"! In part , I do believe that our customers attitudes are reflected by our own. I choose to focus on all the wonderful samples that now pop off the page at me.....the creative new images......the great accessories........and the fact that it's a brand new, exciting SU! year!!! One company can't be everything to everyone...all the time."
As for people quitting after seeing the catalog....I can't imagine those peoplpe were overly happy with SU or their business to quit b/c they haven't gotten used to a catalog, seems like a bizarre reason to me :? (but of course people do odd things every day!). I can almost bet there are a lot of other issues that make people quit!
__________________ I want people to be afraid of how much they love me-M. Scott
Last week when the guy was there, there were some posts. Mollie deleted them. He didn't know better, she does. She won't allow anything negative, so I don't see them or they are on the back pages. The catalog section is moving fast.
As I said. Most of what I've heard is from my email lists where people can speak their mind without being censored.
As for those quitting, it's because they made a decision that it was up to the catalog to wow them and it didn't. If you don't think you can sell items in the catalog because you can't bring yourself to demo with those items, it makes sense to drop.
The card samples in the catalogs have never excited me, ( I've never found the Inspiration Sheets too inspiring either! :lol: ) but at least you can see them in this year's catalog! My eye was always drawn away to the darker stamp images before. I quickly got used to the page numbers on the top of the pages, and I now find it easier to look things up. About the only thing I really dislike about this year's is not having a wheel index.
I guess I must Like this catalog, though, because I'll be putting in an order for over $350.00 tomorrow night! :shock: (Got to take advantage of that extra $25.00 in hostess benefits!)
__________________ "Life is much too important to be taken seriously." Oscar Wilde Proud to be a member of Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge DT! My BlogMy Gallery
I love the new catalog, I was SO happy to flip through it at Convention! And in our hotel room when we weren't making cards to swap, we were getting to know all the new stuff. I had a big order yesterday, and already have enough on my wish list for another order. If only I won the lottery! LOL :lol:
Gosh, I love the new catalog. The gray was a little hard to get used to, but ok with it now. I love most of the new stamp sets and the accessories are fantastic! I am just a hobby stamper and don't have the insight of customers, but I am my best customer and I LOVE it!
Diana, I am a teacher too. I have to report back in 2 1/2 weeks...ugh! I am in elementary. This will be my first year out of the classroom after 13 years...I am now a reading specialist teacher and will see children in small groups. I am excited, but it is weird not having to prepare a classroom. Wow, more time to stamp???
Question: Why ARE the images in grey in the new catalog?
Glass Half-Empty Comment: This is probably just me, but I'm not all that inspired by the samples in the new catalog. They seem just ho-hum, with been there, done that kind of techniques.
Glass Half-Full Comment: On the other hand, I am so looking forward to checking the SCS galleries for ideas from all you talented folks once your orders for the new stamp sets start arriving. I'll continue to get my inspiration from you guys! :P
From my understanding the gray is to highlight the images.
From a demo's perspective, my customers have looked at the catalog and liked that they can recreate what they see. Gives them inspiration inot their own creativity and sense of. "HEY! I can do that!" :P
I am also really looking forward to the new sets and pushing myself to try new things, and I can't wait for new samples in the SCS gallery either!!!
__________________ I want people to be afraid of how much they love me-M. Scott
If one is an "experienced" stamper you have your own little groove and your likes and dislikes - maybe you really like kiddie sets and this year there are only a couple in there that are new...so you are dissapointed - nothing stopping you from using your old ones (even if they are retired you can still use them for your personal use) and nothing is stopping you from buying stamps you like from other companies for your own personal use
For a beginner stamper - this catalog is awesome - this is my 3rd catalog and even after pouring over the old catalog in the month before "retirement" in this new catalog I have come across some sets I thought were new but aren't - just changing the format and the samples has drawn my eyes to them.
Sites like this one and some of the other card galleries are awesome because if you are a demo you can direct your customers to sites like these so they can see all the wonderful examples that can become of a stamp set. Heck look at the fugly (IMO) jester - the wonderful women here took him and made art from him...not enough to make me want him but still...But sites like this is what makes my Wish List longer and longer - there are some sets I would probably never think to get (like Shapes and Shadows) but now I can buy the set, come here and CASE my heart out and then all my family and friends think I am brillant and just soooooo creative - NOT
Also remember just because you might not like a particular stamp set doesn't mean your customers won't like them. There has to be a few sets you really like - if so demo with those and move on...this might also work out better if you are doing a show where people are relatively new at stamping - show them a set that is quite versitile - like A greeting for all reasons or Tags and More and show them a bunch of different project they could so with one stamp set (and of course stampin spots, blender pens and basic black pad - next thing you know it is a $50+ order per person)
I have a few friends that stamp and we all have differing tastes - some of them buy sets I would never buy in a million years - even if you gave them to me free they would sit collecting dust on my shelf.
And no I am not a demo but from what I understand the mini catalogs are going to be bigger - smart move from a marketing standpoint - offer something for a limited time and the chances are greater that more people are going to buy it.
__________________ Jenni -Happy SU Demo - MY GALLERY & MY CHAOTIC LIFE One kid makes you a Parent - Two makes you a Referee
Every year I get the new catalog and am somewhat disappointed...mostly because I am so used to the way the old one is laid out and the sets I have fallen in love with! This year was no different. The first look through left me a little disappointed, but now my wish list is WAY too big! I guess I'm not good with change.
I myself really like the gray images...they sure make the colors of the samples pop! And I like the colors of the samples much more this year than last. Last year there were so many strange color combos. My customers have commented on how much they like the samples better this year. None of them have commented on the grey images. Hmmm, wonder if they've even noticed!
I do miss the wheel summary page. Someone posted a pdf file of wheels and their pages on another thread. I plan to keep a few of those handy for my workshops. Hand stamped of course!
It does take a little while to get used to a new catalog. Kymber, I hope your customers will grow to love it! Point out the great things and maybe they'll forget about what they don't like!
I must admit that the gray was took a little getting used to...nothing major just different. I like that the samples now seem to pop and don't get lost in the stamp images. I do understand that some ppl are having a difficult time seeing the images. Maybe SU could offer a darker catty for those with eye problems. Dunno. I do know that ppl as a whole have difficulty with change.
I am also on several lists and groups and there have definitely been some griping but I think that is to be expected. I remember a lot of griping last yr b/c of having 2 cattys to lug around the colors, the stamps sets, etc... I was not all that impressed with my first catty. Now I love the anticipation! I found sets that I thought were new also but found out that they have been in the last 2-3 cattys! lol Just goes to show ya that we do miss them occaisonally. lol
We cannot be happy all the time. I do agree with camsmom that these demos that dropped after the catty came out had other initial issues with SU. If so fine. Opens a market for someone else. I have used other stamp companies and will continue to do so when a stamp calls me. I prefer SU tho and altho I have some disappointments and some "whys?" I will continue to offer my customers all my excitement of the new possibilities just waiting to be found.
__________________ Melissa Wadkins (Mel)
Peace begins with a smile.
Member #3785
At Convention, they mentioned that the stamp images are all in gray because that makes the art on the page "pop." And, since we also sell the catalog, it makes someone who just likes the art work and pages for inspiration love the catalog just as much as the stamps! I agree that the gray makes the art so much more focal. And, after getting used to the page numbers on top, I like that, too. No more getting the page number and product number confused when I'm in a hurry, lol! Of course, being in a Navy Family, I am used to change and don't mind it as much as some. I liked that they kept stamps on the same page for the most part before, but I'll be used to the new pages in no time at the rate I"m going through the catalog.
I would have not even noticed...unless someone had pointed it out earlier...the gray images. I was drooling too much over the new stamp sets and the awesome samples.
I have heard people with complaints as well. Mostly about the gray images. I have to say that the gray this year is better than the pink from last year. Some of that was soooooooooooooooo hard to read!
I like the gray because I can visualize the image in other colors better. When they are printed in black, I only see the black. Does that make sense?
Anyway, I wasn't very happy with the new book because it was missing sets I was hoping for, BUT, I have gotten over that. And I'm still having problems with page numbers on top, but I'll get used to that.
__________________
~~Dawn~~
Mom of ShaSha, Bethy, JoJo, Wesser-man, Reesy, Mini-man and Sami "Don't say no and then stick to my butt like a carb." ~ Heather_M
I'm glad you didn't notice, Beate! I was thinking I was crazy for not really noticing the change from black to gray on the stamp images!! I'm a little stunned to be reading all of the negative posts here! I feel like I waited so long for the new catty, there is a TON of new stuff I want, and as usual, many sets and items that are not my taste. But that is usually the way it goes. SU! has to support everyone's unique stamping style. When it's just me and my best stampin' buds, I might mention and joke about sets I would NEVER in a million years buy, but I don't do that when I'm selling - you just never know which customer is going to like the "icky" sets and place a huge order!!
Besides - I usually end up seeing tons of cute samples w/sets I SWORE I would NEVER buy, and then end up thinking, hmmmm, I should buy that set! A good example is Jest Between Friends, I don't like clowns, too scary, but GUESS WHAT! I bought it! Tons of cute samples out there with that one!
My stamp club met Monday night and only one person wasn't thrilled with the new catty. But she was the only one who ordered the new Crafter's Tool kit. I think it just takes a little while to get used to the changes. It will grow on everyone. I had to look at it a few times before I got real excited. And now, like many others, I have a long wish list. IMO it's ridiculous to quit as a demo because the new catty is disappointing. It's probably an excuse for those who wanted to quit anyway.
I love the new catty and I've been very inspired by all the samples posted here. Haven't posted myself because I CASE so much. So thanks to all who do post!
Hi
I am a new Demo as of February. But have been thru two SU catalogs now so feel I can give a few words on this post.
Had a workshop last night and the only thing I would say about the catalog is the CATTY TOUR will take a bit more time than I thought. Everyone was oohing and awwing at the samples .
I miss the wheel summary but some very kind folks posted one here for that but otherwise....
LOVE THE NEW CATTY! Love the images to full size and in gray! I really think it is a selling tool and a lot of time has been taken to explain how the color families work and coordinate. I felt like when I demo'd, though I need to learn the page numbers and such better, that I had less pressure that I would miss any of the great things about the product. Just by flowing thru the catalog sections and referencing information took some pressue of me forgetting something...does that make sense??
I think as one lister said she gave it to a customer and had a $150.00 order right away. I predicit it is going to make the "selling" end a bit easier and allow more time for teaching how to use the stamps in demos. I am going to be ordering more next week so I can give them to customers - that way they have one to really spend time with More time looking hopefully will equal more stamps they must try or have!
Perhaps I am an optimist but don't burst my bubble yet please.
Stacey King :lol:
One thing I've thought when I see a set I really like is I bet it's going to be expensive, then I look at the price and I'm so excited because it's cheaper than I thought! My opinion is the prices are sooo affordable this year!
Heck look at the fugly (IMO) jester - the wonderful women here took him and made art from him...not enough to make me want him but still... doesn't mean your customers won't like them.
I'm still laughing over this one ~ I thought fugly was a word I made up!!
LOL
"Different Strokes for Different Folks" ~ some love Clarence, others want him back in jail, or flushed!! I'm not a clown fan and never will be (I saw "It" by Stephen King and it freaked me out on clowns forever!!)...but Jen's right, it just goes to show that every person sees things differently! JanTink and Lana have made some incredible samples with this set (and I'm not trying to leave anyone out, there are tons of great samples but these two have cracked me up repeatedly with Clarence!!).
__________________ ~Debbi~
Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. ~Author Unknown
And...as someone who got the "new canadian" version, prices are cheaper than last year overall.....this is a GREAT thing! A few bucks doesn't seem like much, but order about 8 sets and I can pretty much buy another with what I've saved!! This is SUCH a bonus!
__________________ ~Debbi~
Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. ~Author Unknown
I love, love, love the new catalog. This is my third one, and I couldn't be happier. I think the changes are all positive. The whole wheel thing doesn't bother me that much because the starter kits more than make up for it.
Debbi - everyone knows fugly! Sometimes it's the only word that applies.
i think some people are taking the new catalog too seriously, blown it way out of proportion. i reallly don't care that the images are gray, or that there are exactly 43 typos, etc. i like some of the sets and i don't like some of the sets. it's not the end of the world. i don't care so much what the catalog looks like rather than what sets i like. and there are plenty of sets i want but can't buy them all at once!
I Think I Figured it Out
