Is Scrapbooking Losing Ground?

I received my Joann's flier last week and I was somewhat shocked at what I slowly began to realize about it. If you have the flier, go ahead and open it up. Do you remember this time last year? The fliers that were published 'back in the day' had scrapbooking offerings literally spilling off of their dedicated 2-page spreads. You could find DCWV paper pack sales on the front page and maybe a tote or something elsewhere besides the 'scrapping' deals' page. I used to spend a few minutes just trying to take in all that was offered and creating a list of wants and needs based on the offerings. By the time I'd weeded out the wants from the needs, a good 20 minutes had elapsed, but it was time well spent in my opinion.

Now, you need a magnifying glass and a lot less deliberation. There is hardly anything being offered up. I'm not saying that there is little that interests me, I'm saying there is little there period.

The Michael's fliers, prior to Martha's line being launched, seemed to be a showcase platform for jewelry making and floral arranging supplies with scrapbooking getting a meager honorable mention.

Is this the first sign of the industry's imminent implosion? All of these years of systematic over saturation have to be taking it's toll in some way, shape or form. Is this the first sign? Or is it just the result of a slump in interest on the behalf of the scrapbooker? Perhaps, the consumer has grown tired of the way that they sells much of their products at a price that is10-20% above their competitor's (you know, you have to compensate for that 'generous', but limited 40% off coupon)? Perhaps all of the coupon word play and restrictions that M's and J's corporate implemented in the past have finally convinced many of us that it's just not worth it? Maybe all of those resolutions to freeze our wallets have resulted in a perceived lack of interest in the hobby? Is the online shopping arena finally gaining ground with their attractive sales and shipping deals?

Whatever it is, I know that it's not my imagination. I used to go to Joann's for lunch a couple of times a week (you absorb far less calories that way) and I would have to maneuver through the crowded scrapbooking section every single time. Now, when I occasionally go there at lunch, it's like a ghost town, though I must admit that I walk past the scrapbooking stuff enroute to the jewelry finding and beads. If I had a nickel for every time that I thought that now would be a the perfect time to get hoard happy...well, I'd have a lot of nickels.

If this is the first step towards implosion, then pray tell, what is the next one? Is this a good thing? Or will this come back and bite us in the behind? Will this atrophying (if that is indeed what it is) eventually expand to encompass the beloved online arena as well?