Martha, Martha, Martha...let the whining begin...

I went into Michael's this past weekend and was blown away by the monstrous display for Martha Stewart's new line of scrapbooking products. I didn't buy anything. Not because I didn't like it, but rather because I need more scrapping supplies like I need a n 11th toe. I was, however, impressed by what I saw and the way that she approached this hobby.

The Pros:
I love the rich, ADULT-based color tones that she chose to signature her line with. It doesn't scream anything...it whispers sophistication. I'm not a big Martha fan, but I would be wrong not to give credit where it's due. Martha has made a name for herself in the domestication-with-flair arena and I'm glad that she tackled the scrapbooking thing with the same eye for design and attention to detail.
I really like that her products don't just touch on the ignored demographic of scrapbookers; rather, it yokes them up by the nape and tosses them to the forefront...exactly where the magnitude of their number should dictate them to be. It's about the everyday scrapper with the Stewart line and there aren't any pretentious offerings that I could see.
It's something new. Now, I don't see my self buying one of those huge, bigger than a stove top albums that she is offering, but it was so cool to see something that was actually new. She intelligently created this line in such a way that a beginner could get everything they need to scrapbook (even scissors) from one line and not have to bounce around. The biggest stumbling block for me when I was getting started was determining what all I needed. I spent 2 hours in a store trying to figure out if I'd gotten everything or too much.

The CONS:
It's not cheap stuff, so there is no cheap price. I felt the paper from a display and it's pretty good! It's no Chatterbox or Wild Asparagus, but it's not Sandylion either. To amass a dedicated Martha scrap stash, you'd better be prepared to spend some moulah. It's no more expensive than what's out today, but it's brand new so discounts are going to be hard to come by.
That brings us to the no coupon policy that somebody has chosen to implement. I don't care who decided that the 40% off coupons would not be valid on her line, it is what it is and I accept that. If I don't like it, I won't buy it. As it stands, I'm not in a buying mood, so I won't be caring any time soon.

******************************************************************************
Whine and Cheese:
After seeing the line, I went to the Veggie Patch to see if I could find any reviews on the quality of the stuff. What I ran into was a public uproar over Martha's line and yet another small retailer attempt to organize a boycott against a product manufacturer. Why?

Because Martha/EK chose to make their line exclusive to Michael's for something like the first 6 months. Suddenly, the screams of blasphemy are raging from the LSS owners who want a piece of the Martha pie (at no doubt a 25% mark up for my wallet). Martha knows that smaller stores will play Russian Roulette and try to guess which products will be popular and only order those on the prediction list. Martha also knows that that is the fastest way for her line to go nowhere. Martha is probably fully aware that selling her stuff piece meal puts her at a disadvantage...you know...strength in numbers and all of that. Martha wants her entire line to be presented during it's debut...do you know of an LSS that has the space that would be required to put that woman's entire line out? It took 2 aisles and a floor kiosk at Michael's. Do you know of any LSS (outside of a major chain..but even they would be strapped for cash) that can AFFORD to order the entire line and to adhere to a no coupon policy? I don't.

The bottom line is that it's Martha's line...her baby...she isn't required to give everyone a chance to ride the wave and make money off of it. The only small retailer who has a pony in this race is the one who happened to put up substantial front money to help get the Stewart line off the ground. Oh... nobody put up capital?... oh... Martha and her backers put up the money... uh... okay... then I guess it's time for somebody to sit down and shut that flap trap down.

Rather than seeing the situation for what it is, there are people stomping around, firmly entrenched in their entitlement attitudes. The whole, "we are designers and deserve more advantage" and the "I run an LSS and I deserve priority " stuff is just getting old. The rant to boycott companies that don't want to bow down and pave the way to retail success for the little guy is just shameful.

As far as I am concerned, manufacturers should be held accountable for the quality of their products. To declare that Martha Stewart will be responsible for closing LSS doors is a stretch folks. I thought it was the responsibility of the LSS owner to keep her store opened and her customers happy? There are many scrapbookers who don't feel the need to pledge an allegiance to a store simply because it caters to our choice of hobbies. That number increases as LSS owners increase their markup to cover costs. I didn't ask anyone to open a store anymore than I asked them to have a family. Therefore, I refuse to acknowledge a responsibility for keeping that store open nor feeding the owner's family. Those are tasks that have been intrusted to the owner and sharing a common interest is hardly enough to gain my loyalty...especially when that loyalty means having less money in my wallet. Quite frankly, if a store's ability to remain up and running is contingent on whether or not Martha Stewart allows you to sell her line before the big retailers, then I have to say that the store's business model is flawed. Flawed because it is founded on a belief that we will come regardless of price. It's flawed because it ignores text book economical supply and demand facts. It is flawed because it fails to acknowledge that the consumer is the true powerhouse in the equation.

I can tell you this... I am a person who can wait a looooong time for what I want... If I want it, it will get it, for the price I want or not at all. That people, is power.