Slumberhouse: A Warning

[Trebor]

I just thought I should let you all know that there'll be a "fairly drastic" price increase very soon.

Second entry from the top:

https://twitter.com/slumberhouse

[sjg3839]

Thanks for the info.

[Scentsucker]

Ah. I wanted to sample Pear + Olive. Can't seem to find any UK stockists though.

[Oupavoc]

Thats too bad...I actually taught the price for a 50ml bottle was awesome!

[hednic]

Doesn't it seem like all houses are increasing their prices?

[Tonyprince]

I'm sorry to hear that, but it seemed inevitable due to the combination of expensive ingredients and all of the recent acclaim. My guess is that they'll all be $150 (the current price of Pear + Olive). We'll see.

[Tappio]

Weren't these quite a bit cheaper about a year ago? I seem to recall 30ml bottles being around 70 dollars or less... am I completely wrong?

Still, no surprise the price is rising, since it would get their products to fall in line, cost-wise, with most other niche lines.

[hedonist222]

So, do we start the boycott now?

[Trebor]

so, do we start the boycott now?

lmao!!!

[NYCBoomBoom]

Thanks for the warning. I was contemplating ordering a sampler pack and just did. Hopefully I'll be able to put in an order before the prices go up.

[mikeperez23]

Let the guy make a profit, he's making some good stuff.

[alfarom]

Let the guy make a profit, he's making some good stuff.

what ^^^^ he says! Josh is one of the most generous individuals around. Time for him to to make some profit.

[iivanita]

i have tested only 3 of their frags including Pear and olive and they smell so natural, that i was surprised .....last time i tried such natural perfumes was from profumo.it...and maybe remotely Lush....

i prefer they increase prices then decrease value of ingredients and leave prices the same, this way its playing an honest game...and its up to you to decide what you want

[kalli]

Doesn't it seem like all houses are increasing their prices?

ya, kinda lame.

[Beranium Chotato]

From this interview: http://notablescents.net/2012/04/27/...-slumberhouse/

RS: With that being said, one thing that I like about your line is that your price points are accessible; they are not completely off the wall obnoxious. How are you able to maintain these high quality expensive ingredients and keep your price point so accessible?

Josh Lobb: With Norne, I actually lost a tiny bit of money. I am not a businessman at all; I am really bad when it comes to crunching numbers. I created the fragrance and started selling it, out of curiosity I did the breakdown. I shouldn’t say that I lost money but I am pretty much breaking even on that one. It is too late now.

[Trebor]

I think some people are missing the point of this thread, which was meant to be a "Get 'em cheap while you still can" warning. Whether or not Josh wants to increase the prices is entirely up to him.

[Delly]

Rume, Vikt, and Grev all discontinued! I really enjoy my bottle of Rume (and Jeke & Norne).

On topic: As much as I love getting a good deal on a good fragrance, I'd support a price increase for Slumberhouse. Quality, unique scents. Great service.

I think I'll use this thread/twitter feed as an excuse to jump on a bottle of Pear + Olive tomorrow, which has been on my FBW list for a while.

[NYCBoomBoom]

Rume, Vikt, and Grev all discontinued!

That's interesting. When I was placing my order for samples they were all listed, but checking now, all gone. Shame.

[timdoeswell]

That's interesting. When I was placing my order for samples they were all listed, but checking now, all gone. Shame.

Email Slumberhouse directly - they don't have the three frags listed on the site but will invoice you for what you want.

They're only available in this manner.

[NYCBoomBoom]

Email Slumberhouse directly - they don't have the three frags listed on the site but will invoice you for what you want.

They're only available in this manner.

But is there a point in getting samples of something that's discontinued? I'm betting they'll send out what is currently available.

[timdoeswell]

Oh I meant full bottles are the ones available by private arrangement.

I got given samples of the three discontinued frags when I bought a bottle of Ore a few weeks ago.
I'm seriously considering getting a bottle of Vikt.

[NYCBoomBoom]

Oh I meant full bottles are the ones available by private arrangement.

I got given samples of the three discontinued frags when I bought a bottle of Ore a few weeks ago.
I'm seriously considering getting a bottle of Vikt.

Ah, I see. Well, I guess it'll depend on what I get sent. I'm sure something can be worked out one way or another.

[Birdboy48]

Very few frags listed on his site now, so I suspect some new ones are in the works.

Plus moving to a studio in Portland's artsy Pearl District ( rather than making the stuff at home, I think ) is a reasonable step up too.

I certainly can't blame him for seeing what the market will bear, price-wise. The amount of stir his things have caused warrants that, I feel.

Really great to see how things have moved ahead for him though, and I imagine its been a bit of a surprise for him as well. :-)

[Trebor]

He's only gone and done a Tauer!

Many of you have seen (or even own) Sova, which uses glass marbles to occupy 20ml of the space, resulting in 30ml of perfume. This method will now be extended to the rest of the line as well as all future releases. The 50ml option will no longer be available. The cost for this 30ml size will be $125. All Slumberhouse releases now come in bottles with etched glass instead of the older style labeled bottles.


But they are 'slightly' stronger...

These are all being concentrated slightly stronger than before, moving all of my releases from esprit de parfum to true parfum extrait. Norne and Sova were already quite strong, but both are even stronger. You’ll notice Jeke is now almost pitch black like Norne.


I don't know what to think about this...

And, in my efforts to fine-tune and improve even the most minuscule aspects, you’ll also notice I’m using a new atomizer/sprayer. It is truly a marvelous little piece of technology as far as atomizers go, and as such I’ve also decided to stop shipping my bottles with caps as I find them unnecessary.


And his explanation for the discontinuations....

If I’m not 100% into what I’m doing I immediately lose all interest. I like to constantly refine my ideas and throughout my life have always preferred having a very select and small collection of things to work on as opposed to juggling dozens of things at once. Jeke, one of my earliest creations, is a fine example of that...

And then there are the works which were created early on and, to be blunt, I’ve lost my love for — namely Rume, Grev and Vikt. I enjoy them all in their own way, but these three were created early on when I was still learning a lot about the art of creating a truly beautiful and unique scent. While I’ll never finish learning this art and I strive harder than anything to always educate myself and teach myself new things, I feel these three perfumes do not live up to the standards I’ve set for myself nor do I feel the quality of materials they are built upon are up to the level I’m looking to offer through Slumberhouse. So with that said, Rume, Grev and Vikt will no longer be available once the current stock has sold out. They have been removed from the website and are effectively discontinued.

I know this will not sit well with some, but it is what it is. It’s really hard for me to continue making and selling something that I feel my heart is no longer behind. I don’t view Slumberhouse as a “business” but as an outlet for my own creativity and these three have slowly become works that no longer speak to me. The common sentiment in the perfume world is that once a perfume is created you “leave it behind” and move on. You have made your statement and it is there for your clients to enjoy. My approach isn’t quite so detached.


http://slumber33.tumblr.com/

[OctaVariuM]

I have no real issues with this and still support him fully. I think most who love his fragrances should since he is just the one person who takes such pride in what he does. At least they are extraits now, so compared to Nassomato, they are still cheaper.

[NYCBoomBoom]

I haven't received any samples yet, but a price increase just means the quality will have to match up to the price point for me.

[alfarom]

the cap thing is "hmmm".....

[Trebor]

Personally, I don't find any of his creations FBW (with the possible exception of Ore) but I did respect what he was trying to do.

But what's becoming clear is how Josh's decisions are sounding progressively egocentric, with hardly any consideration towards his fans and customers:

1) I will reformulate a fragrance as and when I please, even if it means the fragrance is an improvement over the X units I've already shifted (well, according to my nose). It has nothing to do with costs, materials or restrictions - I'm still learning and I expect people to accept that. Think Creed!

2) I will discontinue a fragrance when I get bored with it (sorry, 'am not feeling it any more'), regardless of the fragrance's popularity.

3) I find caps unnecessary, even though some customers might not feel the same. Whatever!

4) In hindsight, my earlier fragrances were rubbish (even though, at the time, they were deemed worth selling and effectively put my name on the map). As for all those who are lamenting the phasing out of these creations, tough s**t...

5) My range of fragrances change so frequently that even Pierre Montale is confused.

6) I don’t view Slumberhouse as a 'business' but as an outlet for my own creativity - that's why I've just increased the price and decreased the juice by 20ml. Damn, that reminds me - I've got to give Andy a call...

[timdoeswell]

Personally, I don't find any of his creations FBW (with the possible exception of Ore) but I did respect what he was trying to do.

But what's becoming clear is how Josh's decisions are sounding progressively egocentric, with hardly any consideration towards his fans and customers:

1) I will reformulate a fragrance as and when I please, even if it means the fragrance is an improvement over the X units I've already shifted (well, according to my nose). It has nothing to do with costs, materials or restrictions - I'm still learning and I expect people to accept that. Think Creed!

2) I will discontinue a fragrance when I get bored with it (sorry, 'am not feeling it any more'), regardless of the fragrance's popularity.

3) I find caps unnecessary, even though some customers might not feel the same. Whatever!

4) In hindsight, my earlier fragrances were rubbish (even though, at the time, they were deemed worth selling and effectively put my name on the map). As for all those who are lamenting the phasing out of these creations, tough s**t...

5) My range of fragrances change so frequently that even Pierre Montale is confused.

6) I don’t view Slumberhouse as a 'business' but as an outlet for my own creativity - that's why I've just increased the price and decreased the juice by 20ml. Damn, that reminds me - I've got to give Andy a call...

While I agree with your point about the caps (I'm a bloke that loves a good fragrance bottle cap, and the ones on Slumberhouse bottles are very good) I've got to disagree with some of your points.
I'll try not to sound like a rabid Slumberhouse fanboy here, but please forgive me if I sound too much like a shill. I'll also try not to put words in your mouth, or Josh's.

Regarding the reformulation, are there any fragrance houses, independent or otherwise, that reformulate only after having gone through an extensive consultation process with their consumers?

Surely this approach to reformulation (and the regularly changing product lines) give credence to Josh's assertions that Slumberhouse is an outlet for his creativity. How boring would it be to create 6 scents that people like, never change them, and spend the rest of your days just mixing up the same formulas? I think a consistent, methodical approach like that would signal that he's treating it more like a business than a creative project. Besides, then we'd be criticising him for simply treading water.

Obviously the ideal situation would be for Josh to constantly expand his range of frags, while still having the older ones available for purchase, but again, if this is a side-project, he simply may not have the time.

As for the 'higher price, lower volume', I'd like to see a side-by-side comparison between the old and new formulations. If the strength and longevity are dramatically increased, then there's no harm done, as I see it.
I must say I don't really dig the marbles in the bottle thing, though.

Concerning the discontinuation of his fragrances, at least Josh has the decency to tell us (twitter, mailing list, website) that they're being discontinued, thus giving people a chance to stock up on the fragrances they love. Who else does that? Certainly no mainstream perfumer does - we rely on word of mouth, stock levels at department stores, and speculation from disinterested SAs. Similarly with reformulations - the companies swear that the fragrances haven't been reformulated, so we jump on here and swear that they have been.

Yes, we consumers are indeed vital to Slumberhouse's life as a perfumery, but not to the point where we should be able to totally dictate what Josh does.
There is a delicate balance between having power as consumers, and being grateful that Josh is putting out the fragrances he is.

We shouldn't kiss his @ss in deference and reverence* and be happy with whatever he does, but simultaneously we shouldn't presume that his "fans and customers" have become partners in the business.

May I suggest raising your concerns with Josh directly? He may give you some inside info on new or rereleased fragrances, or at least give you his reasons for what he does.

*my post may sound like I'm doing just that, however :S

[Trebor]

While I agree with your point about the caps (I'm a bloke that loves a good fragrance bottle cap, and the ones on Slumberhouse bottles are very good) I've got to disagree with some of your points.
I'll try not to sound like a rabid Slumberhouse fanboy here, but please forgive me if I sound too much like a shill. I'll also try not to put words in your mouth, or Josh's.

Regarding the reformulation, are there any fragrance houses, independent or otherwise, that reformulate only after having gone through an extensive consultation process with their consumers?

Surely this approach to reformulation (and the regularly changing product lines) give credence to Josh's assertions that Slumberhouse is an outlet for his creativity. How boring would it be to create 6 scents that people like, never change them, and spend the rest of your days just mixing up the same formulas? I think a consistent, methodical approach like that would signal that he's treating it more like a business than a creative project. Besides, then we'd be criticising him for simply treading water.

Obviously the ideal situation would be for Josh to constantly expand his range of frags, while still having the older ones available for purchase, but again, if this is a side-project, he simply may not have the time.

As for the 'higher price, lower volume', I'd like to see a side-by-side comparison between the old and new formulations. If the strength and longevity are dramatically increased, then there's no harm done, as I see it.
I must say I don't really dig the marbles in the bottle thing, though.

Concerning the discontinuation of his fragrances, at least Josh has the decency to tell us (twitter, mailing list, website) that they're being discontinued, thus giving people a chance to stock up on the fragrances they love. Who else does that? Certainly no mainstream perfumer does - we rely on word of mouth, stock levels at department stores, and speculation from disinterested SAs. Similarly with reformulations - the companies swear that the fragrances haven't been reformulated, so we jump on here and swear that they have been.

Yes, we consumers are indeed vital to Slumberhouse's life as a perfumery, but not to the point where we should be able to totally dictate what Josh does.
There is a delicate balance between having power as consumers, and being grateful that Josh is putting out the fragrances he is.

We shouldn't kiss his @ss in deference and reverence* and be happy with whatever he does, but simultaneously we shouldn't presume that his "fans and customers" have become partners in the business.

May I suggest raising your concerns with Josh directly? He may give you some inside info on new or rereleased fragrances, or at least give you his reasons for what he does.

*my post may sound like I'm doing just that, however :S

With all due respect, I'm not going to waste my time dissecting your post. If you read my post properly, you would know that I have no personal interest in his fragrances. However, there are issues that should be raised and discussed.

I've noticed on these boards how reverence and sweeping issues under the carpet (oops! diplomacy) go hand in hand. I'm just voicing my opinions (opinions that probably others don't have the guts to openly mention) and have no need to discuss anything with Josh. He may be a one-man band but he's certainly not above criticism.

Just as how he's doing what he sees fit, I'm saying what I see fit...