The End Of An Era
Friendly Plastic Is No More
It is with great sadness I have to announce the death of Friendly Plastic. Amaco have said that they will no longer be making the product, and there is no other supplier. The stocks that I have (and other retailers) are all that there is to be had.
Having worked with Friendly Plastic for 25 years, it is heartbreaking to see such a versatile and expressive medium disappear. It seems to me that there is an opportunity here for someone to pick up the baton and run with it; there is a market for the medium, it just needs someone who is prepared to supply it. My suggestion would be to change the shape of the sticks into squares, and to give it a more inspiring name that does not sound so naff. I say this because I love the product but feel that the name actually hinders its take up, and the size and shape of the sticks makes it more limiting when it comes to designing.
The news is not all doom and gloom. Friendly Plastic pellets will still be offered by Amaco, and of course there are others on the market that do the same or similar thing. However, the sticks are totally unique and fabulous to work with.
My heart goes out to all of you who make your living by making and selling Friendly Plastic jewellery etc , the news must be devastating for you, and you probably feel badly let down or even betrayed. I can completely understand that.
Rare Bird Ltd currently has a reasonable stock of Friendly Plastic sticks, but not a vast quantity.
Over the summer I will be holding a sale at Rare Bird Ltd, so keep your eyes peeled for further information.
Hi Liz
I am shocked and disappointed at this news. I am also a little confused as the Amaco website clearly states:
Friendly Plastic® is Back!
Roll Your Own Beads!
See Friendly Plastic TV
Read the Friendly Plastic blog
Join the Friendly Plastic Yahoo Group
Join the Friendly Plastic Group on FaceBook
Follow us on Twitter
» Friendly Plastic® Designer Sticks Are Now Back by Popular Demand!
I have emailed the company direct to find out if their website is simply out of date or if they have changed their minds.
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So sorry to hear this Liz. Artists like you just make the most fabulous things with this product and although I don’t use it all that much I mourn its passing. The only reason I don’t use it that much is that I have my fingers in so many pies that it tends to take one of my many back seats when crafting.
I hope someone takes up the mantle and revives it.
Hugs, Neet xxx
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Hi Liz
I’ve had a reply from Amaco:
“That must be an old link. We unfortunately are not able to get the plastic needed to produce Friendly Plastic. I will see that the link is taken down.
.. Our supplier of the sticks closed his business and sold his equipment. While our purchasing team has worked to identify a viable alternative source, we unfortunately do not have a viable second supplier available for this product line. We are unable to continue to support Friendly Plastic Sticks.
We can no longer ship Friendly Plastic Sticks as our inventory has been exhausted. We are sorry for the inconvenience this has caused, it was a situation beyond our control.
Tammy Crouch-Rork
Senior Sales Solutions Representative
American Art Clay Co., Inc.”
Well, it’s always worth hoping for the best…it just didn’t work this time. 😦
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At least they were quick to respond.
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I’m thinking that they must have known for some time to conveniently also have no supplies left themselves. I was just about to try making scenery for my husbands railway layout and will now have to think twice about letting him have it.
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Please write to the company and let them know how you feel about them stopping production! Let our voices be heard – it may not change anything, but its worth a try! salessupport@amaco.com and Kbeckstein@amaco.com I’ve already written this morning, let’s all write and inundate their mailboxes! Please?!?!?
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And for what it’s worth… Amaco is selling FP on Amazon.com for way more than it was selling on their website just a few weeks ago. They are selling single sticks for $7.50 USD and up. I also saw some selling for $17 USD a stick from other companies as well. I spent more than hour searching the web and found very few available at even close to reasonable prices. And there was some on ebay, but obviously old stock so be careful if you try to buy from ebay, you’ll end up with snappers.
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I have had a few customers from the States ordering FP from me in the UK today, so you are not the only one noticing the price hike! My stocks are rapidly decreasing and some colours have sold out now, but others are still available. In fact most of the rush of orders today has been from social-media-savvy overseas customers who have spotted the chat on the internet.
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I am going to write them and I agree we all need to Plus someway down the line we have to keep hoping and praying that someone else as Liz says will carry the baton we need to all stay in close contact i will start to use my wordpress blog more. please all add me to yours liz is stuck with me for ever lol haha have to laugh
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I am really shocked by this news – I love working with FP. Why would the supplier suddenly close up and sell all his equipment?? Must have happened in a big hurry. This means that it won’t be easy for anyone else to ‘carry the baton’ as he must have been the only supplier. Perhaps whoever he sold the equipment to will continue making it? It may be that the new supplier is not viable due to charging AMACO extortionate prices? Wish I knew more about it 😦
Wish I knew how to make it and I would do it myself!
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There’s a product called polymorph which behaves in a similar way to friendly plastic. It isn’t foiled, but some of you may be clever enough to figure out how to add foil to it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhVuc6RNyaw
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Friendly Plastic Pellets will still be available. There are also others out there – Shapelock and Polymorph are two of them. Be aware that one of them is stiffer than the other and harder on weak hands. (cant remember which one at the moment, sorry)
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Oh no, this is so sad and crazy as so many people love it, I guess just not enough people it seems :(. I am so sad for you too, who have put so much of your creative life into it and have made a living out of it just making beauty out of a little piece of plastic. A sad day indeed. How are you Liz (apart from this shock of this) I often wonder how you are doing and how the treatment is going? xx
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This is not good news! I’ve taught classes for children using FP and it really is a great creative medium for them…the young people always loved the magic way the colours combine when combed. Let’s hope another manufacturer will see it’s creative potential. Totally agree a more 21st century name is needed for the product – perhaps Liz, you could run a competition for your followers to come up with a new name?!! xx
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That is an interesting idea Anne. There are other manufacturers out there who are looking into the possibility of launching a similar product under a new name, but they are a very long way for actually making it happen.
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Oh no! This is terrible news. I wasn’t into any sort of crafting until I found the Friendly Plastic sticks and now I’m addicted. It feels a little like an old friend has died.
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Though it’s more work, I’m wondering if it is possible to get the same effect by using shiny transfer foils applied to softened friendly plastic pellets.
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Absolutely. That works a treat.
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I have only recently started using FP in jewellery designs and was shattered to hear that its coming to an end. Its versatility has amazed me as well as being inspired by you designs Lizzie, I will have to have a go with pellets but I think it will be rather different, The idea that some may look to make them with a different name is fab but it sounds as if its a long way off. Hope a company like JM could inspire a mfg. company to do this as they have the customer base.
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Its now a few months down the line – is there any news on any company doing a launch of “friendly plastic” under a new name… I sell brooches at craft fairs and they are my most popular line, especially at Christmas as they are so lightweight to post.
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