Poll: Market Saturation - yes or no or ???
 

I know that there are literally THOUSANDS of stamp companies out there, from direct-marketing to mom-and-pop operations to "big names" and whatever. So, I'm curious as to everyone's opinion on this subject: Are there enough/too many stamp companies out there already, or is there always room for more, or is it something in between? Thoughts? Poems? Anecdotes? Have you noticed a particular niche/style/genre that is somewhat neglected? (I think that there should be more Daniel Torrente-style stamps, myself...)

Well Sue, I say the more the merrier. It doesn't mean that I will purchase from all of them, but as the saying goes, there's a pot for every lid!

There's one style that I just don't see enough of, and that's a primitive country style. I used to design for The Saltbox Studio, which was my good friend Beth's brainchild. She had a background in needle art, and that style translated so well to her line of stamps. Sadly, she's no longer creating stamp art. I try to find the primitive country style from other companies, and just translate the look with colors and patterned papers.

I think variety is good, but what I don't like is how similar many of the stamp lines are (if you've seen one bunny you've seen them all :)) There is a definite lack of clean modern designs, and designs influenced by distinctive print-design eras like the 60s or 70s.

It seems that there are many artists trained in graphic design working in the industry, but they don't seem to create many stamps in that style.

Good question!

I am ok with how many there are. There are whole groups I never look at.

I do need more Jewish stamps. No more Stars of David or Menorahs. There are other things to do. Nice modern designs. I am not a fan of most primitive...I started stamping b/c of the lack of cards commerically that are not primitive...only to discover there are few Jewish stamps- and a lot of them are primitive. oy.

People are so different it takes a LOT of variety to satisfy us.

Given the very wide diversity of styles I see in the gallery-it's good that we have a lot of choice. Sometimes we all go bonkers for one thing like crazy birds but after that...it is a very wide field of materials and visions right? :)

The other day DH finally came over to see what it is I am often looking at when online (the gallery) and "oohing" over, and was so impressed with how pretty the cards were- "those are really works of art!" and how different one was from the next. Now he gets it :)

I'm definitely in the "there's always room for more" group!

Mom & Pop companies, online availability of brands sold internationally, stamp companies started up by hopeful artists and their financial partner or just by themselves, direct sales companies, stamp companies found largely at vendor shows with small online sales or even highly favored online sales ... it's all good! In essence, competition is an essential dynamic to keeping more good things on the horizon ... including wonderful new & tempting stamp designs!

Mary Rose ~

MFP Stamp Shop has a primitive country set you might like. Primitive Farm.

I want stamps like DOTS (now CTMH) used to sell in the '90's. Uh.. "cutesy" I guess? I'm not sure how they're labelled. I buy an old-styled image whenever I find them, but it's always at conventions where there are also stampers trying to get rid of their VERY old stamps. Almost never NEW stamps. The last "new" stamps I bought like that were a "nostalgic"-type of issue by CTMH - two sets brought back by Lynette (who also drew the old-style DOTS stamps.

I've bought a lot of stuff from Wood Cellar Graphics, which also sells primitive stamp images:
Product Listing - primitives

Sophie-I think you can get DOTs on ebay-take a look:

DOTS rubber stamps | eBay

Is that what you were looking for? You know I think of you when I see church stamps now. :)

**I forgot to say something...I love finding a company I have never seen before-even if it turns out they are not my style-I get a kick out of looking anyway!

It is always nice to see new companies pop up, however I would love to see some of the older companies that are no longer around reemerge.

Barb

Lol yes, that is what I'm looking for. I DO look and buy from Ebay!! Lol and I do have a couple of great church stamps now! :) But I was thinking of a new company's "niche" - I've been looking and looking for a company that will sell stamps in that cutesy style, so I'm not always at the mercy of stampers who don't want their very old stamps anymore (who sell through Ebay and conventions).

I'm lucky. One of the reasons I don't buy a lot of stamps is that I don't see enough stamps that I love ... and these days I can't afford to buy stamps that I am not in love with and/or will not get a ton of use from.

These days, I'm looking for more realistic style stamps that I can color with my Copics markers. I hope to soon add SU's Open Sea and Traveler sets to my little collection. Next, I'll be buying some Stampscapes scenic stamps to see if I am capable of building a scene and coloring it as some others have done so well.

The only fun, whimsical style stamps I'm shopping for these days are a couple of cheery Get Well type sets.

Sweet and Sassy Stamps have Get Well Critters, which is fun and cute, not sure if it's the sort of thing you're looking for. I wouldn't use all the sentiments but I love the images.
Be back in a tick with a link:http://www.sweetnsassystamps.com/get...ear-stamp-set/

Awesome responses, all! It's fun to see who thinks what, and what gaps there might be, and all the rest of it! Thanks for your input!

I'm always interested in seeing new companies but I think there are over-saturation of certain image styles. Even though I do like an occasional "cutesy" animal, IMHO too many companies offer what seems too similar.

Recently I been more attracted to non-US based companies. It seems the image styles are fresh and fun.

I completely agree! Forgive me for sounding crazy-on-the-fringe, but I think the problem is Greed coupled with a Lack of Artistic Inspiration.

Instead of stamp companies finding their own niche, their own style we see companies jump on the latest trend bandwagon. Not only is the subject matter similar, but so are the styles in which they are drawn. YAWN!

In the 1990s, stitched dolls/angels were popular at both Stampin Up and D.O.T.S. Later, it was the cutsie stamps where every line was doodle-like or ended in a curlie-cue. Magnolia (I think) started the cute kids craze (which sort of reminds of me of the Holly Hobby & Strawberry Shortcake girls of the 1970s)

Sadly, the big name stamp companies rule the business--even though they carry some of the more mundane stamps. If the little guy store is going to stay in business, it needs create its own style and run with it instead of stumbling to keep up with the trends.

I'm always looking for stamp companies that design modern sleek-looking stamps that have a more graphic look. Don't see a lot of those out there. I will give a shout out to Altenew Stamp Company for their innovative designs. Their stuff (IMHO) is fresh and fun!


Lisa

I like Kitchen Sink stamps for the same reason. I also like the Stampotique. I would almost guess that the designers get together and decide that certain stamp styles will prevail for the year. It sure looks like it when you hit all of the different websites.

Like PSX!!!!

I loved the old Cornish Heritage Farm stamps!!

I like the fact that there are so many stamps out there. My all time favorite is the Art Impression stamps. I get so excited when new ones come out.

I, too, get tired of the repetition in the industry. One company makes a fox stamp, 27 companies then make a fox stamp. One company offers a unique die cut of, say, a hill with Christmas trees, and then 27 other companies offer the same thing (and Stampin' Up gets it out in a catalog a full year later). It's a "follow the leader" mentality. It's the same way in the home and fashion industry, unfortunately.

My sister always wanted to be different from everyone else in high school, so she'd do something to her clothes or shoes to make them unique. She always got frustrated, though, because in the following weeks everyone else would copy whatever she'd done and she'd have to find something else to do to set her apart. I should enlist her to design some stamps, maybe...?

As an illustrator I have always had my own style and even though some people have told me it's recognizable, I can't really define it myself. It doesn't seem to fit any of the styles out there now and I'm proud of that.

As a stamper, I became bored with the designs I'd been seeing. Everything seemed to look the same or have the same "feel." I'll say the first exception that comes to mind is Waltzingmouse Stamps. Claire has her own unique voice and I appreciate that. Also, Gary Robertson stamps at Impression Obsession. His designs are very artistic and I appreciate his view of scenes from unusual angles - something I like to do in my own artwork.

I think there is a lot of the "same" out there, but if you really want something different, you'll find it. Don't give up - there are many artists "off the beaten path" waiting for you to discover them :) .

Aside to Mary Rose, I feel your pain with the loss of Saltbox Studio!

So funny: because of this thread and searching for a card kit that was a little off the beaten path, I found an old post by Joan B mentioning that Studio Calico was more her style.

Went to their website (always thought of them as an embellishment company) and found some really terrific stamps! Totally my style — and they're having a free shipping+ 20% off sale this weekend. I'm actually excited to get this one particular stamp, which hasn't happened in a long time.

So I'm going to save my pennies and keep searching for companies and moments like this -- it's so much more fun. (Related: I'm a little bit underwhelmed with the holiday SU catalog :(

As someone who is a stamp maker/seller, yes, there's too many out there. ROFL Mine are mostly words/phrases/sentiments. I'm decent at drawing but I'm working with an old adobe program, on occasion inkscape (quite a learning curve), and I do it all using a mouse! I don't have any graphic arts background at all. I kind of fell into doing it in the first place back on 2 peas. LOL

I totally like when I find someone making stamps in something "new" I don't already have... but, it does not stop me from adding stamps in themes I collect because they suit people I make cards for.

for instance you know how hard it is to find a decent Corvette in a good size to color?
(its hard, I have some they are pretty small and to my eyes every year they look smaller)
there is another thread out looking for companies that have some "gun" stamps... I think the biggest "lack" in the market is actually outdoor activities that are slightly masculine. ( I am surrounded by guys so, trust me when I say this is the type of stamps I pick up when I find them)

as for bunny stamps, funny true story this one followed me home on tuesday... ( and it is very different then all my "other bunny" stamps.)
Michelle Masters Cling Mount Stamp - Special Delivery AGC1-2627

Well, shut my mouth! That is very cool.

Personally, I think there's too much because a lot of it is so repetitive. However, if small stamp stores are enjoying them selves and making money, why shouldn't they be out there? Maybe it's because I've been stamping a long time. There are so many colors and images that I've seen or own that it's just that the old is new again. :-)

I think there needs to be more creative guy stamps. How many times can you use a wild animal on a card? lol

I am always saddened when I hear of another stamp company closing even if I don't particularly like their stamps. And I really appreciate companies such as Stamp Francisco who have bought old stamp designs and continue to make them available.
Dea

If there was even ONE hockey stamp for every thousand flower stamps, I'd be a happy stamper.

And I'd be happy to draw the ponytail on by hand to make it a female hockey player.

I would love to see more realistic stamps for auto racing and hot rods. There are many types of vehicles that race, from top fuel dragsters all the way down to go karts. And then there are the hot rods and sports cars such as you see at Barrett Jackson auctions.

Most of the men in my family race. My father owns most of the cars and the others work on them & drive. My Dad is 80 and he occasionally still gets behind the wheel of one of his cars during practice. :) I have a couple of sets that work, but nothing that is really appropriate for the kinds of cars they drive.

I would like to find more inside sentiments. I've utilized the great sentiment spreadsheet here from SCS, but would rather have some nice inside sentiments to stamp. If there are companies out there, please let me know!

I love most styles of stamps and am happy to have lots of companies to choose from. Some of my favorites off the top of my head would be Sheena Douglass, viva las vegas stamps, the stamps of life, Fun Stamper's Journey, the list goes on and on...

Riley and Company Stamps has a bunch of great sentiments. Funny, snarky and loving. Start here.

Funny Bones!

It must be really hard to own a stamp company. The competition is enormous. Trendy sells well and you have to make money to stay in business. But if all you do is copy what everyone else is doing, it is hard to get noticed.

It's a jungle out there!

If you are looking for funny sentiments, Hambo Stamps still has a bunch.

Words to the Rescue has some great sets of sentiments, both funny and caring. This is the birthday set http://www.amazon.com/Stampers-Anony...0_SR160%2C160_
Ranger Dylusions, Rubbernecker and Art Impressions have some very funny sentiment stamps.

I'm always late to the party on stamp companies, so they're all new to me ; )