Target & Stationery Addict Problems [a rant]

If you are on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, the Internet at all, and are in anyway seeing anything from the planner/stationery community...you will be familiar with the infamous "Target Dollar Spot."

First, it's the One Spot. Target doesn't call it the dollar spot. They call it the One Spot. The things in there aren't even a dollar - things are cheap, but not all a dollar, so why do we keep calling it the dollar spot?

Second, the page flags. SO MANY PEOPLE collect those darn things. Then complain that they aren't sticky enough and in order to use them they have to buy or have either a tape runner, removable sticky glue stick, or something, in order to get them to stay where they are put. Also, that the glue Target uses leaves residue on the front of the page flags (I can attest to this myself). Why are we buying things that we have to buy other things in order to use, only to complain about how crappy they are. Also, yes, it's cheap and adorable - but how much more money are you spending because of the quality?

Third, the knock offs. Because Targets never seem to have the supply that people want (probably because people try and buy all of the page flags), people have actually taken to creating their own - in the same patterns, no less! - and just keeping the file for future use. Going to so much effort (and more than likely extra cost with printer ink and sticker paper) to recreate these darn things.

Fourth, eBay. Here, look at this, and tell me it's NOT insane. Because it is. At the time I am writing this, one of the top results is for one of the page flag packs, that you can buy at Target for 1$. But the "collection" is no longer being made, and it's been out of stores for quite some time. And the page flag pack is listed for 44.97$ or best offer. WHO in their RIGHT MIND would pay any more than 1$ for these things?! But it's "RARE!" and you will never be able to get it again! ...other than it was 1$ and it's of potato quality...

Screenshot from 7/20/15 on the United States eBay site with a search for "Target Dollar Spot" (and while I am not sure how to properly cite a screenshot, everything about this image belongs to eBay and whatnot, all I did was click "prt sc" and crop).

Fifth, supply and demand. Target wants you in their stores. We all know the joke - you went in for milk and came out with cookies, new pillows, a dress, some shoes, stickers, and no milk. And they know this. They lure you in with the idea that you might be able to get some of the cute stationery. And that's great, they got you in the store. But so many people are after the darn things that you won't find any. And you will be sad, and you will either go to the real stationery section (where cute things cost much more) or you will go from Target to Target, looking for these darn things, and they are still betting on getting you to buy something from them...which you will, because it's Target. And what you buy instead of the One Spot items will cost a lot more - and make them more money.

I have done this, going from one store to the other (though they were both close to me, at the time), looking for these darn items, only to not find them, and then go look in the rest of the store, because I'm already there so why not?
And then I realized that it's freaking insane to spend that much money on gas looking for sticky notes that suck, note pads that I will have to cut down to fit in my planner, and pens and pencils that are sub-par.

Also, when something gets to the point where more people are hoarding things (so buying the store out) versus only buying what they need - even those who buy them then turn to the Internet and say "oh I got all they had; okay who can't find them, I will sell them to you!" - doesn't that seem a bit silly? Do you really want cheap paper ruling your life and/or shopping habits?
Or do you want to drive all over town looking for something that you didn't even know you needed until you saw it on Instagram - even though you know that you won't be able to use it as well as you should because it's pretty much just cute junk.

I'm going to get off my soap box for now.
But seriously. Quit with the Target crap.
Or at least call the section of the store the right name.

~Havok