pads or spots?

[scrappinchick]

I am planning on buying all the SU ink pads, but a friend said that i should buy all the ink spots first, to decide what colors i would want, then buy the pad in that color if i use the spot alot. Should i buy all the spots at once? or should i buy a few pads at a time? I know the spots are cheaper, but in the long run, i dont want to spend more, just deciding on which colors i want-need. KWIM?? You help with this big decision is very appreciated!!!!

[Disneywed]

I decided to get the spots in EE only, as that is the set I don't see myself using as much, I am working on the last 8 or 9 classic pads now....that might work for you... HTH

Judy

[janell]

I didn't bother with the spots. Dh got me the bold brights set for Christmas. So I lucked out there. But when I;m buying stamp pads on my own, I usually just get the colors I want at the time. When you buy the whole color family at once you basically pay for 47 pads instead of 48. IMO not that big of a deal. So I usually buy my pads a few at a time. So, to answer your question, I figure I am going to *want* all of the colors eventually, so why waste my time an money on spots.

Now, If youre an occasional stamper (like you only do your Christmas cards, or a birthday card now and again) and want variety. Then I think spots are the way to go.

HTH.

[texasjodylynn]

I also never purchased spots. I started with the pads I needed to go with my stamp sets. As time passed, I ordered more and more, now I have all of them! I can't see myselpf using spots for anything. It's hard enough to ink up those big background stamps without having to use an even smaller pad. JMO.

If you don't stamp often though, maybe spots are for you. You get all the colors, for a little price.

[Vanessa]

I know some people love the spots, but I knew that I would want all of the colors eventually, so I just started out buying full size. I have a couple of customers who love the spots, but they don't plan on buying the big pads.

[stamper47130]

I am a demo who sold a lot of spots to customers who wanted the all the colors right away, but at my last stamp club meeting they told me that they really regretted it and wished they had just bought a stamp pad or two one at a time. They were just too small and a pain to ink up most stamps. This is just the opinion of my customers!

[scrappinchick]

Thank you all SOOO much!!! I am a stamper that is ALWAYS at it, so, i think i will go with buying a color family a month!! wont be that bad right?? lol

[syringa]

I would agree with your friend - buy the spots first. You can do an amazing amout of stamping with them - and, two particular advantages: you can do a lot of experimenting since you'll have all the colors, and you can stamp more than one color on a stamp with the small size. I like having all the colors at once, and getting all the pads seemed like an overwhelming expense - I'd rather have more stamps and the spots at first.

[Kymbers_Stampin]

If you are a casual stamper, get the spots. If you go full bore, you need the pads. With the spots a lot of times you have to ink the stamp by picking it up rather than tapping the stamp to the pad. It's a pain, and pretty much only good for travel or the casual stamper.

[mjrmom]

I have three sets of spots and on set of the pads. I like the spots better actually. For me, they are much easier to handle than the bigger ones, especially if I am just stamping "part" of a stamp. Also storage factor, I have very limited space for my stamping. So the little spots work well for me.

DEB

[kimilou]

I don't have any spots but I do have all the pads. A few of my friends have bought the spots but say they are hard to use if the stamp is large (takes longer to ink up). They now wish they had bought the pads. If I had to cast a vote, I'd say pads.
HTH!

[sully219]

I have 3 sets of spots and enjoy them. I am new to stamping and it has helped me determine which colors would be nice to have. There are some colors I still haven't used--so why would I get the big pad? I agree, at times it is easier to ink just part of a stamp with a spot. (unless you already have all the markers). It does save of storage space. Sure you'll be happy no matter what.

[stampinali]

I bought the pads first, then bought the spots later. For me, they are indispensable. I have zero space to stamp and have to move my supplies from where they are stored (the guest bedroom/computer room/storage room) to where I stamp (the living room). I try to bring only what I need out there, but I find myself CONSTANTLY having to go back to the other room to get something or other, and I hate the interruption that causes (although, hey... it IS exercise!). With the spots, I have all of the colors at my disposal without having to lug all of my pads over. I agree that the spots can be a pain for inking up large stamps and for repetition stamping, but then I'll just grab the large pad.

It doesn't sound like you are a demo, but as a demo, they are helpful, because I can often minimize the supplies I bring to a workshop.

Caroline

[stampingdenise]

I have all the ink pads and am in the process of acquiring the spots. I don't think you can go wrong if you buy the spots first. You will find out which colors you prefer. Plus, you will have access to all 48 colors more quickly. Then, when you decide to go for the full sized pads, you can still use the spots for when you travel and such. That's why I'm buying the spots now... I get tired of lugging all of my regular sized pads when I go stamping or scrapping for a day. Having the spots will be much easier.

In the long run you will spend a little more money, but you will still be able to use both products for different purposes, so it's not like the spots will become obsolete once you get the full-sized pads.

However, I wouldn't propose the spots as an alternative to the full-size pads if you are forced to choose just one and do not intend to ever purchase the other.

Denise

[KateStamps]

If there's a color group you don't think you'll use, buy the spots. One set of spots is about the same price-wise as 4 pads, so if you don't buy 4 pads from a family, you've broken even. (For example, I know that I'll probably never buy the Mint Melody ink pad, since I never use that color, and there are a LOST of the regals and earths that I've never even broken the seal on the spot for.) It's a GREAT way to have access to all 48 colors, so unless you have a family that you know you'll use all 12 colors (or you're signing up as a demo and will have customers who want to use them), it's a great way to save a few $ for those other fun things.

After all, if I have to choose between ink and stamps....

Kate

[Sawbewitched]

I have a set of the spots, when I went to use it the other day, I was wishing I had the bigger pads. I didn't have any refills and the ink didn't seem to be as dark as i wanted. I guess it depends on what you like and need.

[jj's-mom]

I mostly have the pads but do own a few of the spots. I rarely use the spots since they are more difficult to use than the pads due to their size compared to most of my stamps.

Whenever I buy a new stamp set I think about what colors I might use with it. If I need to I buy a new pad at that time.

[Jenmouer]

I bought 2 of the spot families - BB and EE....and have been using them for almost a year and a half - what that did was enable me to see what colors I am drawn to...

I am going to slowly start buying full sized pads - probably 1 or 2 with each order I do - I personally don't want to buy a whole color family because for instance with the BB faimly - I don't need 2 full sized green pads or 2 of the purple pads - I am planning on getting Green Galore and Lovely Lilac and if I need the other color of green or purple I have my spots.

I think a lot depends on the type of stamps you have - if you have a lot of larger surface type stamps then the larger pads will be best - but if you have a majority of smaller type stamps (I do) then the spots work great

[scrappinchick]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts. I have decided to go for the pads, yet, i agree with the statement that i wont need 4 different greens or 4 different reds...lol BUT, would it be smarter to buy only the colors that i want, which is around 35-40 colors......or buy them all ??....price isnt all that drastic between the two. Yet, i can buy a stamp set with the difference....hmmmmmmmm i so cant wait to play with it all !!!! LOL

[KTDID72]

I, my mother and my sister have said no to the spots, they are just WAY too small. We have been buying one color family at a time (different from each other so when we get together before we each have them all, all colors would be there) Buying them in sets of families basically gives you one pad free from each famliy (4.95 x 12 =$59.40 yet the set is $54.95), I thought about the numbers of reds, blues, greens, etc, but in the end I wanted them all so buying 44 and getting 48 was better for me.

I guess spots just do nothing for me, there are far more items on my list them those.

Just my thoughts.
Katie

[Mom-of-one]

I bought all of them (the pads) at one time....I didn't want to use the spots BUT I bought the spots anyway to show customers.......THEY WERE A HIT. I sold 12 of them in 60 days ......

[Auntielauri]

I say go for the full size pads. I can't imagine that the spots would be very easy to use on your bigger stamps. I've noticed that people are pretty evenly divided between the two. Just a personal preference!!!

Auntie Lauri

[Badger_Hockey]

I have all 4 sets of spots and I love them! I find that they are easy to use and I have the luxury of all the colors. I feel I'll purchase the classic pads of my favorite colors - but I mostly use the spots even if I have the classic pad of the same color.

Plus - if I want to only stamp certain parts of the stamp I can only ink that side. I've always had problems using the classic pads for that.

Maybe I'm part of the majority ... but it's cheaper so I can save my money for other accessories or stamps!

[maryp]

I first bought the SS spots and a few months later bought the pads in
the colors I most often used. A few months later I ordered the spots
in the other 3 sets. I have since gotten a few other colors in the pads.
The pads of course work better on BG stamps or when I'm doing Christ-
mas cards or other cards in mass. Storage is also an issue. I like having
ALL the colors so I haven't regretted buying the spots.

[jostamps]

I much prefer the large pads to the spots....If you want to stamp a large or background stamp then I find I get overlap lines and uneven color as it is lighter on what I inked first. If you ever want to use a brayer with the color - you can't with a spot. I've debeated this same topic too...just to try the colors. The markers are very versatile - every color - you can ink a stamp with them, write with them, watercolor and use them with the sirbrush (one of my faavorite playthings - too bad it was discontinued). That's just my opinion! :lol:

[iffer]

I started out with the spots when I started stamping. I LOVE them! It gave me an opportunity to see which colors I used the most so I knew which pads to get first, plus you can use them to make checkerboard backgrounds!

[lesliemommy]

I bought the spots. I think they are great but for big projects it is tough. LOL

I am going to order all the CRAFT pads though (eventually). That way I will have both.

[qcbetty]

I started by getting the spots....my demo (now upline) was far away so I didn't have any to "borrow"...and I wanted to see the color families for myself.

When I became a demo, my first order included 4 full sets of spots for friends. They love them....room is usually an issue.

Yes, it takes longer to ink up a big stamp......but it's not that big a deal.

I use them even when I'm using my larger stamps. I don't own markers yet and I've found that using a corner of one spot works pretty well to get the hard-to-reach spaces!

[crabbymommyof2]

I have all of the spots. The only full size I have is Basic Brown. I love the spots! If I had bought the pads
individually I would have picked out just the ones I thought I liked. But by having all the colors and
experimenting I have found I use colors that I never thought I would!

[Tanneb]

I have both. I currently have three of the family colors of the spots and am ordering the fourth one this month. All four sets are going into my cropper hopper with my alphabet sets. I think the spots are perfect for portability so I can use the alphabet sets to stamp my titles and anything else when I'm at a crop. If not for the spots I would probably only bring a basic black stamp pad.

I also plan on using them at my stamp camps. It's always nice to have multiples of an ink pad and this way they can see a side-by-side comparison and decide when works best for them.

I agree that using a spot to ink up a large stamp is inconvenient, but worth it if it's not a color I use a lot!

I have all of the stamp pads (except Marvelous Magenta) in a combination of old and new version classic stamp pads. I've slowly been buying a one color at a time in the new version only of the colors I use all the time.

[spedabstbit]

I take my stamps everywhere, and the spots are great for travel! I've been gradually getting both, mixing them in order. I started out with a few large pads in my demo kit, then bought 2 more full size, then a box of spots, then another box of spots, then some more full size and so on. I just finished getting all 4 sets of spots, and am about half way though the collection of full-size pads, pressing on, although there may be a few colors I will not purchase a full-size of. I'll get a refill for each, though, knowing that spots won't stay inked as long as full-size pads, and I'll want to re-ink.

As for background stamps, I'll pull out a spot before a big pad to do those. It's just so easy to see what I'm doing and get it evenly applied by turning the background stamp over and rubbing a spot all over it.

I have all the pads, but just two sets of spots. What I have found with the spots is if you are working with a BIG stamp, well forget it, however I do like to use the spots for the little stamps.