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The Hampton Stamp Perfect tool and the WRMK Precision Press are no longer available in the US as of today! If you wondered why those two products were suddenly at 50% off everywhere and are now sold out everywhere...my guess is the MISTI has been patented and has ousted those products from the US. I haven't seen info yet on the Tim Holtz version. I'm going to look further into this. Fascinating, yes? A friend alerted me to an email she received from Hallmark Scrapbook, that last night was the last night to purchase those two products.

I just recently added the Hampton Stamp Perfect to my tool chest so I now have that plus the WRMK version. I like both and glad I have two...one for home use and one for my on-the-go kit.


Anyone else heard the scoop on this?


Here's the email my friend received from Hallmark.

Interesting.... I wondered how long they'd be around, actually.... since they really did look soooooo much like the Misti... I've only got the small Misti, but it seems to suit my needs...

Stamp positioners have been around for as long as I've been stamping. It amazes me that the simple concept has created such a nasty result. I used to use a CD case as a stamp positioner back in the day. And personally I will never buy a MISTI if that is true, because I feel it's unfair to anyone else. It's two pieces of acrylic, a hinge, and a magnet base. I could run to Home Depot and get the supplies for this.

Simon Says Stamp still has various brands of them, including the pre-order for Tim's. And Amazon has them as well.

It was only after I'd bought the MISTI that I started seeing some really nasty comments about the company. If I had to do it again I'd just make my own, because the stupid thing is just sitting and collecting dust.

I don't get this at all not being a follower of stamp positioners. As Monica says, they've been around for long while. MISTI didn't invent it, did they? How can they control what is sold?

The speculation buzz going around is that the MISTI is now patented. But how that could prevent other products similar or not to be sold here beats me.

Although stamp positioners are nothing new, I'm guessing as Farley said that if Misti patented it, they have some kind of legal claim to the design. Do y'all not remember the huge legal battle involving QuicKutz, over patent issues? It certainly meant the end of that company.
Admittedly I haven't had time to look for the news but think it's interesting that the TH branded one was not on the Ousted list; did you all know that MISTI made a custom-designed one for Tim because he didn't want a pink one in his studio? And that's the thanks they get - he copied the design, LOL. Not that he was the first.
I own the WRMK branded one. Had I waited until more were on the market I might have chosen something different - although it's fine for all I use it.

I am curious too about where the Tim version stands bibdonremeberbhe had her make him a non pink custom version.

Oh the intrigue as the crafting world turns!

So much drama for your momma!

I think she's a bully. Have read that T!m's is different enough to keep her away.
But when I first saw his after reading they'd made him a special brown one for him I thought that was kind of wrong. Although knowing the care he takes he could've been designing his for years!

Interesting SSS still has the others in their store - all of them overpriced too! They charge an arm and a leg for Mistis.

There's a discussion about this on a business's FB page, with varied opinions. The general consensus is that the MISTI was patented and that's why the others cannot be made, although Tim's is different enough that it hasn't been stopped as of yet. One person said that it's her unique patent and therefore she should protect her interests, which I do agree with, but then I got to thinking about all the tools I have that are from different companies.I mean, you don't see the Copic manufacturer getting all pissy at Kaisercraft, Prima and whoever else has since come out with alcohol markers. Or that stencils of a certain image can be so similar between various companies, such as a gear stencil. Even before the other brands came out with their version I had heard that the MISTI was over-priced and the owner was not always pleasant to deal with.... by people I trust... and I simply refused to pay $60 for a stamp positioner when I can eyeball just fine. Been doing it for two decades now.

But that is my personal stance on it.... google and look for yourself.

Exactly what I was thinking in regards to similar products. This whole industry is about building a better mouse trap. One company comes out with a cool product and next thing you know so have 5 other companies. Sometimes you can't tell the difference. The WRMK Precision Press is, IMO, uniquely different from MISTI in that you don't have to switch anything to use either type of stamp. The hinges are self-adjusting which is brilliant and why I chose to buy that one instead...not to mention the reasonable price.

I got along fine without any positioning tool for all these years but I will admit that now that I have the WRMK and the Hampton Art presses, I use them frequently.

I have the Hampton and WRMK ones myself, because I bought the one before realizing the other had that adjustable hinge bit, but I'm still learning to use them. Too many years of eyeballing it I guess!