Reviews of specific carving products by those who've used them.
#47843
So I got the pictures comparing the last years Michaels Craft Pumpkins and this years ones. Here they are.

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The one on the left is last years model and the one on the left is this years model. You can see the diffrence between the color the one on the left is a Macaroni Color and the one on the right is more of a Orange color. You can also see that the stems are diffrent.

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The new ones also have ribs on the inside unlike last years which did not.
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By Zombie Pumpkins!
#47846
Hey pagemaster, hope you don't mind... I split your above post off into a new topic, since I think this could lead to it's own long discussion this Halloween season.

Thanks for these photos! Very interesting. I'm not too worried about changes in color or stem, but factors that could certainly change the carving process might be....

1) Thickness of the foam shell, compared to previous versions.
2) Paint quality - does it peel or chip when cut with tooth-saw or heated knife?
3) Support band "ribs" inside - how many, how thick, etc.

For years the pumpkins at Michael's seemed to be the same. But in the past couple years they seem to be making more changes. Last year it seemed like the paint was more prone to peeling.

And this year they look like they have an entire ribcage of support bands inside (great photo of this, by the way). They used to have one very wide band around the middle, which many of us would sand down so you don't see a dark stripe around the equator of the pumpkin when it's lit.

But with this many "ribs" that could be hard to do. Hope they don't show up too much when you light the pumpkin. Otherwise it could look like it has stripes.

Anyway, I'm sure I'll pick some up and try them out, like I always do. It will be interesting to compare all the various foamies I have.
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By pagemaster1993
#47850
I do not mind at all that you moved it. This is where it belongs.

1) The thickness of the foam shell is pretty much the same except for the parts where the ribs are.

2) I never had trouble with the paint this year or last year.

3) There is one vertical rib going down the center and this is crossed by three horizontal ribs, they are not that think only slightly thicker then the rest of the foam shell, and they do not give any trouble with carving; I went right over them and it did not seem to affect my carving at all.

I do not know if any changes had been made to the little ones because I do not use those for carving, but I will be getting one of the smallest ones to carve(like I did the M&M's M logo on). I hope to get more of these at least by next month.
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By St0ney
#48063
I read that they are different this year.
And you guys pretty much covered all the changes.

I Did not buy any of the new ones yet!
May need to pick one up to see what everyone is talking about.

I do like the darker Orange, and the stem looks like the original gemmy.
Still have about 20 of those from a few years back.

I would also like to know if the Glow is better or worse with the new darker paint. may have to adjust what wattage bulbs are used ?

EDIT: I was hoping to see the 2nd image of the ribs.
But that image seems to be broken,

can you re-post that image ?
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By Hottie McNaughty
#48065
The images aren't showing up for me. I didn't have any issues with the paint peeling on last years foamies but it was also the first year I'd carved any.
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By Zombie Pumpkins!
#48069
St0ney wrote:I do like the darker Orange, and the stem looks like the original gemmy.
Quick side question, Stoney... I've often wondered, how do you know the Gemmy company makes these 'kins? Not that I doubt this fact, it's just that I never see their brand name printed anywhere on the foam pumpkins I buy. So I don't really associate the Gemmy word. Maybe you can elucidate us on the company history, as you know it.

I more often call these artificials "Michael's pumpkins," since that's where they are available for purchase. The official Gemmy website makes no mention of the foam pumpkins, and the only relevant Google search results for "Gemmy pumpkins" seem to be from your website.

Do you know if these Gemmy's are available to purchase at other stores? If they're exclusive to Michael's, it makes sense to call them such, so people know where to get them. No debate, just a question of nomenclature. ;)
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By pagemaster1993
#48086
I do not know what happened to my pics but I will repost them here.

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The Color Difference.

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The Ribs.

Hopefully these pics will stay up.
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By St0ney
#48091
Cool ! that you re-posted the images.

But Not Cool with what I see in it - all those Lines.

Why oh why do they need to make this more difficult.
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By St0ney
#48093
Zombie Pumpkins! wrote:
St0ney wrote:I do like the darker Orange, and the stem looks like the original gemmy.
Quick side question, Stoney... I've often wondered, how do you know the Gemmy company makes these 'kins? Not that I doubt this fact, it's just that I never see their brand name printed anywhere on the foam pumpkins I buy. So I don't really associate the Gemmy word. Maybe you can elucidate us on the company history, as you know it.

I more often call these artificials "Michael's pumpkins," since that's where they are available for purchase. The official Gemmy website makes no mention of the foam pumpkins, and the only relevant Google search results for "Gemmy pumpkins" seem to be from your website.

Do you know if these Gemmy's are available to purchase at other stores? If they're exclusive to Michael's, it makes sense to call them such, so people know where to get them. No debate, just a question of nomenclature. ;)
Honestly the only reason I call them Gemmy, is based on my History with them. Well also the Gemmy company's History with them.

I've been carving pumpkins for many years, But I think I got into the foam carving around 2004 or 2005. And Like many I liked the Idea of carving something that would Last a lifetime, instead of rot away.

I Personally only purchased them from Micheals and I also Bought the funkin brand at Joannes crafts.

So Back in 04 or 05, The Tag that was on these foam Kins stated they were made By Gemmy. being the person that I am, I wanted to purchase them Cheaper, So I went to the Gemmy Website to see if I could buy them direct. On their website, they had Images of the very same pumpkins, a long with a full Line of other foam Fruits. Oranges, Watermelons, apples etc....

To receive Wholesale prices from them - you had to spend $50,000
I liked carving pumpkins but not that Much - LMAO

Now I'm also not looking to debate this, for I really don't care what we call them, as long as were not spending much time Prepping the pumpkin so it can be carved. and from what it looks like this is a tough year with all those extra lines.

You like to call them Micheals Pumpkins, even though the tag says their now from a company called "Celebrate It". Now I don't know what deals these companies make with each other. and Celebrate It could very well be owned by Gemmy or Micheals, Companies are always trying to expand or cut out whatever middle man they can. to increase they're profits.

I know that other carvers have purchased these very same pumpkins from other stores, But I don't recall the names of the stores, for at the time when I looked that up, the store was not in my area.
And I was not willing to drive 200 miles to buy foam pumpkins.

If you look at the Tag on these foam pumpkins.

It does list the U.S. Patent Numbers, if you look those up, you will see the line Gemmy Industries, Artificial Pumpkin Product
They still hold the Patent.

So to some up, I don't really know if Gemmy is still involved with this product, But they once were.
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By pagemaster1993
#48094
St0ney wrote:Cool ! that you re-posted the images.

But Not Cool with what I see in it - all those Lines.

Why oh why do they need to make this more difficult.
For carving it is not that difficult, but I know you do more shading so I do not know how they would affect that.
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By St0ney
#48095
pagemaster1993 wrote:For carving it is not that difficult, but I know you do more shading so I do not know how they would affect that.
I'm going to try and pick one up today.
I don't even know if the Micheal's around me is stocked yet with the Halloween goods. But I need to head over to Lowes for some pipe, for (2) Pumpkin towers that I'm building this year, and Micheal's is just a few stores down, so I'll pop in there, and see.

You maybe right on the shading being more difficult, with this new kin.
Like the paint issue last year, was more of an Issue for the Shaded carvers.

Like always we'll all figure it out, and make it as easy as possible.

I wonder what the mind thought is?

1) Have a thick line going across the middle
2Last Year - Remove the Center Line (Yippie)
3) This Year - Add a Spiders Web of Lines ??????

Their Driving us Nucking Futz !!!
By GUS
#48096
Perhaps the interior cell structure is a hint that carveable pineapples are about to be released to celebrate St Jamaica's day?? :lol:


..this can't be good?
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By Zombie Pumpkins!
#48097
Ah, very interesting history, thanks for the recap Stoney. I may have some foam pumpkins from the 2005 era, but the tags have long since removed so I have no idea what company names graced the labels for mine that year.

I've seen the "Celebrate It" logo on the more recent 'kins (as well as the similar craft eggs). I just searched "Celebrate It" and found a line of baking pans that are also sold at Michael's. Same logo. Does Michael's just brand all of its unique products with the "Celebrate It" logo? I don't imagine that the same manufacturer is making cookie sheets and Easter eggs in the same factory. Who knows really.

Products like the foam pumpkins are sold in the store for a short time, and then disappear again. There's not really any official info online that I can find, advertising the product, accepting online orders, or bragging about ownership of the brand. Its like they prefer to remain a mystery.

You see this with a lot of seasonal products. Christmas decor, and others. Take the pumpkin lights for example. Many of us use the Howler Brand lights in our pumpkins, but I'm pretty sure I've seen the exact same lights packaged with different logos. Maybe there's money to be made by allowing retail stores to rebrand/repackage your product however they see fit.

Take this photo for example, from October 2010. Same familiar pumpkin light casing and font printed on the plastic, but no mention of Howler Brand anywhere on these ones, hmm......

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As long as these foam pumpkins are readily available to us every year, what goes on behind the scenes shouldn't matter too much. The only frustrating aspect is not knowing who to direct our concerns to when it comes to the perpetual tweaks they make to the product. The foam thickness, paint, and interior structure... their experiments can affect our hobbies (and for some, our business) so it would be nice to know which mad scientists are in charge of our treasured foam. Our pumpkin community could easily put our heads together with the Michaels/Gemmy/Celebrate It/Whoever people to make the product the best it could be.
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By St0ney
#48119
Exactly !
were on the same page!

They can place whatever company name they want on these things.


From a production stand point, I can't understand, why they keep switching up, You know many Molds have to be made for them to inject or spray the polyurethane to get the pumpkin shape.


Last year, when that paint Issue came up, I did what you have done.
Did a search and could not find out who to talk to about this.
Came up with the same info for Celebrate It - Hardly Non.

I'm wondering if we can start by contacting Micheal's Not someone in a store, but their corporate office. and stress our concerns.

They then can take it up with whomever company is actually making them.

Realistically - the combined Cavers from all our sites,
buy 1,000's of these .

Looking at that Web, or Ribs - Looks like it could add a 1/2 hour just to prep the thing for carving.
By GUS
#48124
Guy's Guys! ..have you searched Ali-baba site for all things sourceable in china, think i'd search for pumpkin lights initially AFTER speaking to howler direct to find out what you can with regards to re-brand licensing.

Do remember that in china a newly crafted product can have been ripped off after a mere 10 days of going on sale! ..it's a minefield, but may also account for slight (& not so) changes in feel, packaging, screenprint, paint jobs etc as more & more factories blow a mould to try & get a foothold in that market, making it easier for the Iverseas company to compare (on pricepoint a phonecall & possibly a sample that bears no relation to what you were promised) ..but by that time the production has run!

..only ever deal with this sort of thing with yur own people working & in contact with you the money & sales end source, so discrepencies can be stopped before they become a different item completely.
"tweaking" ...is in all probability what has happened in order to get more through undamaged, therefore, a mesh interior support structure...
good for them, bad for you, by the time you moan to the U.S. re-seller it's too late, & maybe to be addressed next year, if they decide to carry the line again due to headaches caused!