Scrapbooking a dying trend?

Is scrapbooking becoming a dying trend? It seems our local J's store keeps reducing the size of the scrapbooking section and they are not getting in any new selection. Due to space constructions our local scrapbook store no longer holds crops (not even in May for NSD last year!) I don't even know that many fellow scrapbooks anymore!

Has anybody else noticed a decline in this hobby?

I notice I dont run into as many people that scrap as I use too.

Our Hobby Lobby is still stocked though!

I think this is quite a hard thing to determine actually, and I have mixed thoughts. I will probably ramble on, but hope I make some sense
Some people I used to scrap with have stopped altogether, but the vast majority still do scrap and still spend a decent amount on the lastest and greatest.
But not as much as in the past, as most people have a considerable stash and the addiction to buying does ease off when faced with other expenses in ones life.
Overall, I think the scrapbook shops started closing (for various reasons) so people started shopping online and just scrapping at home, which tends to make it a more "hidden" hobby nowadays.
On the flip side, I am regularly meeting newcomers to the hobby as well, who don't quite know how to go about things....because there aren't many scrapbook shops anymore for personal service.
Many people I know and talk too are looking for somewhere to go to do affordable workshops/classes and for the social side of things, but again, scrapbook shops are few and far between these days....and in the past they charged insane prices to do classes, which is another reason people stopped attending them!
I think retail shops who carry scrapbook supplies do believe the industry is dying, so they cut back on what they stock, which just sends people back to online stores to buy.
I suspect the answer to your question will vary from region to region, country to country, though.
Dying off? Maybe .... Changed? Definately!

I think Christi and Richelle gave plausible answers.

I have so much stuff I can't get excited about the new papers and embellies. I know I'd buy more anyway from sb.com if the shipping was cheaper. I know that is not their fault, but it does keep me from ordering.

I no longer have a lSS. At one time we had three. I don't know what is with Jo Ann's. I don't even go there anymore. Target cut way back too. I guess I am lucky I have a Hobby Lobby and Michael's.

I do know there are many talented ladies on this site.
What bothers me is that there is often no journaling. Believe me, the child in the photo is going to want to know about the photo. True scrapbooking is the recording of life. Perhaps if scrappres got back to that the industry would grow again. Just a thought

I can't bare to think of anything happening to scrapbooking; it means so much to me. A lot of people blame the internet and digital scrapping for the decline. I do not know if this is true. I do shop here a lot rather than getting in the car and shopping at the LSS. It's convienant to shop here and they do have a huge selection. 7200 people have accounts here and that's wonderful.I agree with Cathe: we need more journaling. But many people do hidden journaling on the back of their work. I did my part; I recently brought 2 new people into this hobby. And I plan on bringing more!

yes, I think scrapbooking is dwindling down. Maybe because some of us have such great stashes that we don't have to buy anymore! Our area doesn't have a local scrapbook store anymore but does have Hobby Lobby. So many of my friends have moved on to card making and just quit making pages. Sad and I miss the crops.

There use to be quite a large Creative Memories contingent in my area that I used to scrap with. They have all turned away from the business now. So the workshops & twice yearly all day crops are over, as well as the retreat. Even my Michaels has ended their scrap crops...but they had them on like a friday nite...who has time on a fri??? I scrap by myself in my basement. ..n get lots done!

A few more thoughts - what the big retailers do is all about trends - do you see all the bead and jewelry making items that are in all the aisles where skrappy stuff used to be?

I am old enough to remember a lot of trends in the kraft world (please know that my 'puter now has some keys that don't work - so if you see what seem like misspellings its because I am trying to work around the missing letters. When autokorrekt works it helps. )
Anyway. I remember - stensiling.kounted kross stitsh, needlepoint, paper kutting, rug hooking
basket making all becoming wildly popular and then fading away, but not going away. The point is there are fads in krafts and for a while skrapping was one of the fad so everyone got on the bandwagon and now that the fad has somewhat gone by and the fad followers are gone too but we tried and true paper nuts are still here.
I know that there are people who haff been skrapping for dekades and I bet that dekades from now some of us will still be here.

As for finding other skrappers - there is a section of the forums here for states - it isn't super busy but maybe if you used it you might find others in your area.

Also try Meetup. I know there are a few groups in my area, maybe there are in yours..

Best of all do what Donna (Bonprof) did - bring some others into the fold - then you will haff someone to krop with too.


Again - my apologies for all the weird spelling.

I am happy to say that Creative Memories is slowly making a comeback! My friend hosts 12 crops a year still and many women join her.

I forgot to mention that a year ago, I was blessed with my very own scrap room: I don't need the crops as much, but I love the wonderful friendships I've made over the years.

I do not think it will ever die My great aunt scrapped so did my grandmas too They were born in the 1890s My grandma taught my mom. (born in the 1920s ) My mom taught me when I was a kid in the 1960s They have always had scrapbooks of some type to buy I taught my kids in the 1980s
I quit for a while Thankfully someone invited me to a CM party in 1997 ( new here) I was smitten again I love it just as much as I did when I first started
I will never stop.
You are right about lots of places closing we had 17 lss here but now we have 2 I know lots of companies have gone out of business too Some stores do not have as much as they used to.
I do know some who have quit.. I also know 400 women who still scrapbook in my city
I adore buying all of these fabulous supplies
but if there were no more or less fabulous supplies, I could still scrap happily
I also feel so blessed that I am the one who gets to scrap my heritage photos. What an honor it is
I will never stop

You go girl!
I'm with you, Linda!!

Guess what I found? It was a full page ad in a magazine.. I forget if it was the victorian or 1920s..but it was a girl scrapping with a table full of sweet supplies. I am going to use it to make a page about my ancesters scrapping

hi everyone!...you know how huge screen TVs came way down I price, then everyone bought one, then the next holiday season,sales were way down? Duh.!!! Well, we all DO have tons of stuff right? And now they give us great ideas on how to make your own pastes and sprays and pattererned paper and tell us to use things around the house. then there are the monthly collection subscriptions. the other thought is that paper scrapping DOES take a lot of time and can take a lot of space so some may give up and/ or shy away.
I saw a note about Joanns, we have 2 huge Joanns with large scrapbooking sections with better stuff and usually better prices than Michaels or AC Moore...
great discussion ladies...and I know one thing...I've been avidly doing this hobby since the late 1990s- I AM NEVER STOPPING!!!! Love it!!!!
I could scrap the rest of my life and never buy another thing! But then that's not good for the industry LOL!

I agree with a lot that has already been said, and not with a little that's been said, lol.
I think the LSS have mostly gone by the wayside because there is just no way the small retailer can compete with the big box stores and the heavy online presence. They don't have the budget to keep all the newest product, and if things don't move quickly they can't afford new product. That's the way it is with small businesses regardless of the type of industry.
I don't think scrapbooking is a dying hobby, but life is just so incredibly busy for most people, there isn't time in the schedule for a crop or retreat. And then, if most people are like me, they have such a huge stash, a lot of it we'll probably never use because we don't like it as much as when we first bought it, or no longer need it for a certain album, whatever the reason. I see a lot now that I would like to have but no longer have room in my scraproom for much until I use some of what's already there. I do make a lot of cards now, and that uses some of my stash so it's a good thing.
Then we all need to remember that everybody scraps differently and for different reasons. My scrapping is mostly my pets and vacations we've taken. I don't have kids, don't want kids and am never going to have kids, so my albums are just for me and hubs. I don't do much journaling, other than a few dates or locations, because I know these albums will die with us. And that's okay, I enjoy the artistic outlet, it's a great way to unwind after a hard day or hard week of work, and if I get to feeling sentimental I can look back through them and be satisfied. For my purposes, journaling isn't that necessary. For those who are creating the albums as a legacy for kids or grandkids, then journaling is nice.
So short answer turned long, oops, I think scrapbooking is here to stay, it has just evolved and will continue to evolve as life in general changes.

I don't plan to stop. I have a teenager now so not quite as many cute moments. It won't stop me from documenting all the little important things in life....

• MarciLB Said:

very good points Marci

• chocolateaxel Said:

There are many different ways to scrap..you are right I think your way is perfect as long as you enjoy it & have fun Every way is perfect for each person too

• vawm Said:

I am glad you are not going to stop You are right about what you scrap sure changes as the kids get older

Love this discussion!! Well, everyone knows I am totally obsessed with this hobby. I will never, ever stop. I have kids and lots to scrap about, but I love finding the everyday moments to scrap about. Life is a scrapbook!!

OH Donna..what a perfect title for a page or an album this is fun

• chocolateaxel Said:

I know I bought alot more when I first started the hobby then the Local scrap book stores started closeing and I joined a kit club I have accumulated such a stash any my inner penny-pincher feels wrong buying more paper when I have so much.
I pretty much feel the same way about scraping it is a fun and creative outlet for me. I also scrap my furrkids and vacations and never plan on having kids at least not of the human variety. I tend to be light on the journaling and focus on the photos. I pretty much started scrapping just the furrkids. I wanted to keep their memories so that when they are no longer with me I could look back and remeber all there quirks and personality traits and all the fin we had together and the joy they brought into my life. The only bad thing about owning dogs is the reality that they will never live as long as we want them to.

I think scrapbooking has changed. It seems like more and more people do pocket pages and digital. Also with the advent of growing popularity of diecutting machines it there is less need for embellishments. I find I have a stash of stickers/embellishments I rarely use any more. I do not find myself buying or purchasing or wanting them so much anymore. I also think that the reality is we are still in a poor economy and many people are being frugal and using what they have and spending less

I am not sure if it is dying. Personally, after my dad passed a few years ago, I didn't have the desire as I did before. I had ideas, but when it was time to execute, I just did not have the strength to create. Then when my "mojo" came back, I slowed down after my family expanded this summer/fall. I was tired and had some medical issues which drained me of energy. I am slowly getting back into it.
People in my crafting circle (which is not many) have to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet and they do not have the time they once had. Also some have young families.
I think it is a lack of time for some? Life is happening....

I think people are not as interested in creating their own scrapbooks because they can run down to Costco and have a book printed for them at $20. It's convenient and not badly priced. However, I think the creativity and memories drop considerably. I've seen these books at friends' and families' houses. I find them blah.

I truly believe scrapbooks mean more to people because time, energy, and sweat was put into making these keepsakes. I think this hobby is like all hobbies. It ebbs and flows. Volunteering recently at a scrapbook expo, I saw hundred and hundreds of people. The booth I was in was constantly moving with enthusiastic people wanting to see new product and get new ideas.

I think scrapbook also needs to branch out of this idea that it's only for women. Being a guy in this hobby is rather lonely. I'm glad I got into it and keep learning and trying new things, but there are no other guys that I know who do this hobby. It's very solitary for me.

Scrapbook will continue to exist as long as people take photos and want to document their lives. The diehards will keep it from vanishing and others will eventually find it again.

There are several scrapbooking men who are fairly active on the forums here. If I could recall the names, I'd point you in their direction, but I have a notoriously bad memory. I think men are every bit as creative as women in this hobby, but I agree that it would be nice for you to be able to chat with other men. While the creativity is equal, I think the perspective is probably different simply because of the gender differences.

I don't think Scrapbooking is dying, but I do think alternate forms have arisen to meet a new generation. Project life scrapbooks, smash books, and decorative planners have stepped in for people who are super busy but still want to scrap.

I have so much scrapbook stash that I took a step back and promised myself that I wouldn't buy any more until I had culled it back. ..... so I started creating my own Project Life cards to keep going. haha!

• scrappin 2 Said:

Cathe, you made some great points! I have noticed our local JoAnn's has a terrible selection of scrappy things now so I no longer go either. Michael's, Hobby Lobby and A.C. Moore still have great scrapping sections in our area, however I can't find any Scrapbook Magazines anymore!

I asked a lot of questions when the LSSs in my area closed - I've still got the ACMoore/ Michael's and Hobby Lobby so I'm not hurting - and I shop on-line too. What I learned seemed to be the same story for each of them. . . costs were going up, a lot of their leases were going up and they just couldn't maintain the profit to make it worth while. Paper was the worst item for them. . . it takes up a lot of space, but doesn't make much of a profit, so that's a lot of area in a store floor plan. And then trying to compete with the franchises and on-line shopping was a nightmare - what to order. . . that you can't get at the franchise. . .and cheaper than you can get on-line and keeping it "new" all the time. Just sad. . .
But I don't think scrapbooking is going away. . . it's been around since the 1800's or before. . . just morphed a bit with all our new goodies to add! I think others here are right. . . a lot of people are just working/having fun with scrapbooking & card making at home. . . and I have to say, all the crops I go to are sold out, so I know there are scrappers out there! :-)

Last weeks Scrapbook Expo in Anaheim could have easily been called the Card Making or Stamping Expo. Scrapbooking is the umbrella of all the popular subgroups. stamping/card making, project life, mini books....etc. Some fellow croppers there were asking me if I was a "scrapbooker." Yeah, I guess I'm still old school. lol

I think people are just downsizing, simplifying, using less space and getting more organized. (Not me!) My newbie scrapper friends have little ones scrapping first trips to Disneyland and b-days, etc. There's a new scrapbook store that just opened up the street from me! Sweeeet! I'm a lifer.

The other day I read on someone's feed, the most photographed generation will have no pictures in 10 years. Interesting.

I love this topic and am so glad to have someone to talk to about this. I have been sbing for a long time...got into it right before it took off in popularity and still am doing it. I have had several years where I did hardly anything and seriously thought about quitting for good. I have recently had a resurgence in my interest and added card making to my project. I have been buying new supplies like crazy so now Im on a hiatus for awhile.
We used to have7 sb stores in our fairly small city...the last many several years ago. We then had an Archivers which of course is now gone. We have one Joanns that had a lot of sb stuff but is now phasing everything sb related out. I miss shopping in person but I am okay with online purchases. I just get scared those will go away too.
I sb for myself. I have 3 grown kids who will probably have little interest in my books. I didn't start till the youngest was about 10 so I don't have too many books. Still what I do have takes up a lot of space and they just don't fit into their digital world. All of their pictures are on their computers but I make sure I also print them just in case they ever want a real photo. I have my first grandchild coming so I am excited about something new to scrap.
I remember having the discussion on a message board when sbing was hot about what people thought their kids would do with 20 or 30 12x12 scrapbooks when they were older. There were women that had 10 books for their kids first year of life. I remember people got very defensive and "everyone" was sure that their loved ones would cherish their books. I was really never under that illusion nor did I expect by dh or kids to rave over my pages. And I never made sb pages for others unless they were sbers too.
I sb pictures because I love them and I love the creative outlet. It really has saved me a couple times in my life when things got rough. Its a great distraction and anxiety reducer.I get kind of panicky when I think about not being able to buy supplies though like everyone else I could probably scrap for years without buying.
I only have two friends that still sb, one is my age (old) and the other is a young mom. We need to recruit more people to this wonderful hobby so that we can ensure it can continue.

• chocolateaxel Said:

One of them is Justie. His name is just start guy.
One of them is Don.
I can picture the other guy but do not remember his name. .

I've been thinking about this topic... Scrapbooking is not a trend, it's hobby that's been around for a long time and always will. The products and techniques are very trendy. Creative people want new things and new ways of using them. The hardcore companies will stay, others will go under. 5 years ago, this was a 2.5 billion dollar industry. not anymore. We should all generously support the companies we love and encourage others to join us.

I think one of the reasons scrapbooking is not as popular is that so many people take pictures on their cell phones, but they don't print them out. The pictures just vanish into the ether, never to be thought of again. It's a lot like books. Many people download books onto their readers rather than having books lying around the house. We are losing a connection with the tactile, the physical. For many, if it's not downloadable, it's not worth it. People don't care about holding photos in their hands anymore.

Personally, I've never scrapbooked thinking my books would be cherished in the future. I hope somebody down the road enjoys them, but if they don't, that's not a reason not to have participated in this hobby. I enjoy looking at the books and making them. That's what matters.

Finally, someone with a more realistic viewpoint for today's world! So many people, especially women but some men as well, are living with the assumption that their kids will have kids, and their kids will have kids and so on and so on. In the world we live in today, fewer couples are getting married though they may have a long term relationship, and fewer women are having children. To expect, or worse demand, that one be provided with grandchildren is, in my opinion, the worst kind of stress and possibly guilt, that one can put upon their kids.
That said, and this is also just my opinion, using the reasoning of scrapbooking to leave a legacy for generations to come, is unrealistic. Scrapbook for yourself! For the joy of creating something beautiful and memorable for you. For the creative outlet, as a stress reliever, as a means to quiet time for yourself. If, and it's a big if, your kids and possible future generations take an interest in the scrapbooks and pass them down through the years, then that's a bonus.
I know not many will agree with me, but face it, the world has changed with each generation and is going to continue to change. So don't stress over the reason for scrapping, or whether it's a dying hobby. Just enjoy it today and see what tomorrow brings.

Darla, very well said! There was a women once who made a scrapbook for every year of her son's life. At some point she realized it was ludacras to expect her son to someday pack up and take all those albums with him...interesting!

• chocolateaxel Said:

Where's a Like button when you need one?! Well said. Nothing stays the same, nothing, it's an ever changing world and I've no doubt there will be a small core of people who continue to 'paper and glue' scrapbook but the digital age isn't going to go away and as we get older and fade away the younger generations, the Mums and Grandmas of the future, won't have grown up with actual photos and won't wonder about how best to preserve them for future generations because they won't need to, because they won't have actual printed photos and because future generations will look at them on their computers. They'll know no different.

I understand the potential for a digital dark age, I read the stories, but that isn't going to stop the scrappers who prefer digital scrapping to conventional scrapping. While they should probably make a printed copy of all their work, some will, some won't. It's a risk everyone has to decide on their own. Even conventional scrappers risk losing their work, a house can burn or flood, a tornado or hurricane can wipe out a life's work, any number of things can happen to destroy the conventional scrapbooks. Life is a risk. Live for today and let tomorrow take care of itself.

does anyone have movies on VCR tapes of their families that they can no longer view and have been meaning to change their format???!!!

I do these for my own enjoyment, relaxation and fun etc...If anyone enjoys them the down the road...great, if not-oh well doesn't matter....

But to think a boy or girl will cart around let alone look through umpteen books is silly! I did a highlights of his life book for my son up to age 18...he liked it, looked through it and stored it away!-he almost 31 now...he likes to see the pages I do of him here and there...

I did a highlights of his life book for my brother who looked through it daily for about a month!, now its stored away but it will probably come out to show his little daughter when she is bigger...whatever they do with them is fine by me...I LOVED doing them!

It won't be that many more years until you have grandchildren to scrap--yes really! Life never stops. Just don't forget to journal... happy scrapping!

I have 2 gsons from my 2nd marriage....They are about 80-90% of my pages! LOL....sometimes the picture really says everything and just need names/dates...as I like to scrap everyday moments...but other times I definitely journal...but I definitely could always do more!

I have to share that my daughters love their scrapbooks with a passion. When I am gone, they will visit me vicariously through my scrapping. They know how much I adore my hobby and how I put so much love into my work. Will they keep 26 albums forever, no. But they will keep quite a few.

I taught my kids to put their memorabilia stuff in scrapbooks when they were a kid we all stopped as they got older. Thankfully one of my downline invited me to a CM party. I was smitten again my daught was in high scholl & she & scrapped together. ) it was great fun She did quit maybe 5 yrs later. My son was in middle school. He always loved every single page I made So did my daughter My son would always show his friends all the new pages I had done that week He loved showiing them off In high school he started a special gift tradition for my birthday & moms day & xmas.... he would go to my favorite scrapbook store & get a gift card. I sure loved that he still does that now that he is in his 30s he & Angela still love t o see my new pages ( she is 30s too) They both know they are going to have my scrapbooks when I am gone
They are very happy about that
It is not because it is my hobby... It is about their lives & their ancesters lives

As I said in my earlier post, maybe she'll have grandkids and maybe she won't. More people are choosing to remain childfree these days.

I think it might be dying. But like any other craft...it will probably come back. Things go in waves. Here in Canada the prices of scrap supplies is ridiculous! We are charged way more than we should be. So I have bought most of my supplies online in the US and shipped so I can go across the border and pick them up. Now, though, the dollar has taken a nose dive, so I think I will be buying at my LSS. I guess that is a good thing. My friend that owns the store brings in a LOT of selection! There seems to still be a lot of scrappers here in my area. I go to lots of retreats in town, and out of town. I love retreats! You get to meet so many wonderful ladies! So that's my two cents worth...

I hope it is not dying
I have not scrapped in a couple years due to RL , but things have stabilized a bit & I find myself feeling the urge! However, during my absence I have been clicking the SB.com link to admire the gallery! I really want to jump back in- my supplies are not up to date, but the heart is. I would be scrapping for me- so thats ok. I kinda got a little saddened by the state of some of the conventions & LSS when all they wanted to do was make everyone do the same style… but that is the business side of it. I just wish the corporate part of it could embrace all styles! But I know everything is trendy. However, I love looking at everyones work- I always find inspiration & so enjoy the back storys of a layout, I strongly feel that preserving yesterday for tommorow is so awesome! Single photo- multi photo, full of embellies or no emblellies… just to hold it in your hand have a glimpse into an era in ones life is what scrapbooking should be. Thanks for the inspiration each & every one!

I'm glad to hear that so many people at going to stick with scrapbooking no matter what! I've never really given thought as to what will happen to my books when I'm gone, because I enjoy the hobby.

In my town we still have a LSS and a small section at JoAnns, but crops have died off and I miss them.

Canvas painting is the biggest trend in my area right now. The canvas painting are at the newer ceramic shop in town. And, like some people mentioned, ceramics were a crafting trend in our area 15-20 years ago. So crafting hobbies do go in cycles.

As long as there are people who scrapbook, it won't die off. It will get small, but grow again. It's like a plant that dies for a season due to a lack of rain. But when the first rain hits, the small part of the plant that refused to die will burst back into life.

It hung on and so must all those that love this hobby.

The tide goes in, the tide goes out..

Scrapbooking will be back big again.

wonderful discussion ya'll! I know that as long as I am able I will continue to scrap. I am really enjoying sb'in my parents pics, and other family members who are long gone. scrapbooking is here to stay, I believe. I just don't shop much anymore cause I am trying to use up my huge stash!

yup, and it makes me sooooo sad The local stores have all closed up and the nearest one is 2 hours away. So I now order mostly from SU! and CTMH. Thinking Id like to give online shopping a try