The WORST Art Box I’ve EVER Seen. TOTAL Scam??

[@emryspaperart]

it's a shame they did not include any instructional materials, because metallic watercolours really work best when you let the water sit on them for a while - a pipette helps a lot with just dumping water in the pan! it's not necessarily that the paint is bad, that's just how metallic watercolours work. the mica is a lot heavier and bigger than traditional paint pigments, so it takes more work for the binder around them to reactivate. it does mean you get the option of easily having a much more subtle shimmer, especially useful with opalescent watercolors, but waiting a few minutes to soften the paint really does give you suuuuper opaque results even with cheap metallic watercolours

[@amysomething3370]

So true, and I always use a separate brush, and even a different set of jars, because that mica will find it's way *everywhere* long after it's wanted😂 Although I do think these Grabie ones are still quite weak compared to others.

[@grannym2880]

Thanks for that info. I've just started learning watercolour painting and wondered what the metallics would be like. Cheers from Oz 👋🏻 🇦🇺

[@Palitato]

@@grannym2880 I recommend Coliro metallic watercolors!! They're GORGEOUS. You do have to let the water sit on them for a minute to soften up, but they are SOOOOOOO Beautiful! They used to be called Finetec, but the company split into two different lines- either one is lovely!

[@EclecticGreyWitch]

Thanks for these tips!

[@EclecticGreyWitch]

​@@amysomething3370Thanks for this further info!

[@yvonneadams374]

My goodness for getting such an awful box, you were very generous to say you would give them a second chance.

[@CozyFrogs]

First. ( To the comment/reply)

[@tropicalxari]

2nd

[@graymonk5972]

id guess the reason why there’s no brochure is that it’s not really “curated” with any intent. it’s probably just overstock they need to get rid of

[@Kehy_ThisNameWasAlreadyTaken]

See, if it was advertised as an overstock art supply box, and priced -appropriately- there would be very few issues, and would be more appealing for those hunting for good deals

[@noralizmedinacolon4367]

I purchased a year ago an empty watercolor mini palette for $20+ and then I saw the same one in Aliexpress for $7. That was enough for me to never even look again at any of their adds in my social media. They are particular expensive also with the shipping to USA, California (that was my experience). Thank you for this genuine review.

[@azuradawn5683]

I just looked up some of their products on Google and found them listed with the exact same pics for under half the price on Temu. This seems like a total scam - they're just reselling shit at a higher price and claiming that it's ethically made..

[@nickorange4881]

what do you mean ?

[@jj-rl7ii]

⁠@@nickorange4881she means that it’s drop shipping

[@Skittl1321]

​@@jj-rl7ii it's not drop shipping if they are repackaging it. Drop shipping is when they sell it to you, then ship directly from another supplier. This is just what ever retailer does. Buys somewhere else, marks up the price. Chinese apps have just revealed to us how inexpensive all this stuff is actually, and wholesalers would get it for even less. And if Grabie is calling it ethically made, that's just BS.

[@CianneDoodles]

Grabie, where you grab whatever cheap art supplies you can find, and toss them in a box. Enjoy!

[@221b-Maker-Street]

I'm also unduly irritated by the lack of a second B. Grabie rhymes with _gravy._ 😳

[@Gnomelotte]

They grab your money and walk all the way to the bank, laughing.

[@Wumf]

All of the cheap brands from China like Timu, Wish, have really ruined the idea of low price, high quality art supplies.

[@carveylover]

Temu is here in the USA. It is located and ships out of Boston, MA. But, I understand what you are saying.

[@Wumf]

@@carveylover I didn't know this. It does look like their parent company is based in China and some products are shipped from China.

[@Izzy-cp8yt]

Unfortunately I think a lot of that is because they cut costs by using bad materials or horribly underpaying workers. Bad materials won't make a better product, and mistreated, overworked employees who are stressed beyond belief won't be able to put quality effort into production.

[@rayne6737]

Temu is a company based in America but China owned. To be even more precise, the company that owns it is China based and registered in the Cayman Islands. So, yes, Chinese company.

[@janetpendlebury6808]

@@carveylover Temu is owned and operated by the Chinese-based and Cayman Islands registered company PDD Holdings. Most of the products you see on Temu are directly shipped from Chinese suppliers and factories. Some third-party suppliers have set up warehouses to facilitate the timely shipping of many products.

[@candaceburton1747]

Thank you for trying this; i would be BEYOND PISSED to find that the $55 is double the cost of each item. The final straw for me is that they misspelled "sourcing" on their webpage.

[@saltytearsofsoap8997]

Ok so, for the first marker set you got, is pretty common in China, I’m from China and the cheapest I’ve seen is 8$ China for 4 markers, so that would be 1.129925 usd. The marker set ranges from 8-27 China dollars.. (Edit: most of these things are like in every stationary store you can get your hands on in China, it’s quite disappointing on how expensive this entire box is)

[@bybookandbone]

I got so sick of these over expensive loot boxes but love the idea of themed boxes as gifts. So I just make them up myself. It's much more affordable and you can splash out on good stuff if you want.

[@sarahadams7463]

Grabie claims on their website that there’s 100$ worth of value in their art boxes. It makes me wonder if that’s what they’re referring to by the pricing that makes it looks like the box is on sale. So they are definitely making some pretty concrete monetary claims that aren’t being delivered on.

[@IDidntAlwaysWorkInSpace]

Paletteful Packs now has their “card” online instead of inside the box. I would be very upset if I bought that Grabie box. They either need to seriously lower their price, or drastically increase the quality of the items included. Congrats on your engagement!

[@shaniquabishop397]

Scawlrebox does too now 😊

[@Charky_Creations]

​@@shaniquabishop397not just online though, they include it as part of the zine as well

[@SoCraftastic]

Oh not the CIY box! 😆 But this one is also a shock… Value who? 🙃

[@EthanPenman]

Socrafttastic love your vids

[@ceilinh6004]

I would be bummed to get a box like that. On the bright side, we did get some good news in this video. Congrats on your engagement!

[@stuffattheartsdotcello2475]

I love the new setup! She always do a great job of explaining the things she doesn't like about a box and explains how it could better!

[@bobcatred]

The rules of subscription box club 1) mail day needs to be Christmas: you need to have a the full “experience” if you’re selling at a price higher than the retail for the products (have a theme, have good packaging design, documentation/communication, etc) or 2) if you’re box doesn’t make people giddy to open, then you better be getting them a deal on products. And tbh, almost all the ones I’ve stuck with have done both. Because I only have so much room for whatever stuff if you’re not making me excited to go to the mailbox.

[@blob.3]

9:27 they put all there money into the nice box probably 😭

[@dovejensen6166]

I love that you stayed unbiased until the end! Maybe because they're just starting they used some overflow items from their scrapbook box and bought some easier products in bulk to make sure they had enough for a soft launch....I like the packaging though

[@Charky_Creations]

And if they're not expecting to sell a huge quantity of the boxes they might not be able to justify a bulk order / brand deal from one of the better known companies, so the Ali's might be the next most practical option.

[@unprofessionalpainter]

I disagree that she was unbiased. From the moment the video started I knew she was mad.@@Charky_Creations

[@IngenuityFortress]

I honestly thought they were a scam company every time they popped up on my TikTok and Instagram because I never seen a video that wasn't either from an influencer paid to unbox it or of art down from obviously different supplies than what was shown.

[@Caldella]

I'm taking a wild stab in the dark and guessing that this box is from a company that bought or produced the items in bulk, and they're finding extra ways to unload what they have for as much profit as possible. I wouldn't be surprised if the company disappears within the next few months once their predetermined stock runs out. It's kind of you to want to give them a second chance like that, but I've seen too many fake clothing brands pop up and vanish on sites like Amazon to have much faith.

[@tacotamer]

so I took a look through Taobao and I priced out "every" single item that was in that box. I took some liberties with the self branded watercolour pad and found a popular brand of equal size, and didn't include the two envelopes/black paper since those probably came from a large pack, and I can maybe see where they got the "110.99". 110 CNY... which is about 16USD. disgraceful

[@haleyr3028]

I have seen several unboxings of the scrapbooking box and they seem really good. That art box though, wow. Congratulations on the engagement!

[@notyoutube2599]

WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THE ENGAGEMENT? CONGRATS!!

[@dovejensen6166]

I am so glad you're updating videos again, We Missed you Chloe 😁

[@susabobus]

Girl, do you understand it's a scam and nothing more? They know what they doing

[@kata7628]

Grats on your engagement! Curious to see if you’ve kept the big honking art cabinet thing (that hinges open 3 times). I’ve considered buying it for myself but it seems difficult to assemble and then open and close. Update us if you have time please. Love your vids.

[@Skittl1321]

I think it looks so cool, but actually kind of impractical. It seems like regular storage and then a dedicated table is going to be way easier day to day than something that needs to be opened and closed and has a small work surface. I wouldn't turn it down for free though

[@listatts]

I really love seeing the bright windows behind you, I think it’s a great background! Know how hard it’s been with the move and everything going on to put a video up, so well done!! 🤗 Really enjoyed the video, think it’s bad when a box costs so much and has so little inside! Not good value! Will definitely look for blueland as haven’t heard of them before! Xx

[@Christophersal]

Yay chole posted it's finally a good day

[@amiirajama2304]

Not for me I just ended year 6

[@minyoongi6661]

​@@amiirajama2304Year 6??? I'm going into year 11 oh my god

[@MinhyuksMoon]

I don't know if it would help at all but with metallic watercolors it's good to put a drop of water about for 1min before using it. I don't know if you did or not. I have several high quality watercolors that look like s**t when used before letting the water do it's job.

[@MsSmontalvo]

First of all: CONGRATULATIONS!!! 😍🥳 Second: I always seriously appreciate honest, unbiased reviews about things so much, so thank you for being one of those people who we can trust to be honest. ☺

[@CianneDoodles]

Congrats on your engagement! That part of your home looks so cozy and bright.

[@leeplantlover]

congrats on the engagement and the new house!!!!

[@wintersprite]

Congrats on getting engaged! The only brand I’d heard of was STA (the gold marker) because I have some fine liners from that brand. A brochure is definitely helpful.

[@mattiekitty]

I’ve seen this online a lot too. Thanks for taking one for the team 😁

[@emmielaine7352]

0:22 I love how you can hear someone laughing while playing the kazoo 😂😂😂

[@beckybanta126]

So happy to see you again! CONGRATULATIONS on your engagement! Such happiness! As always, I appreciate your honesty. And I love your haircut.😊

[@vidhoard]

Horrifying bad quality! I hope they redeem themselves! If they do, I'd love to see a follow up video!

[@Danele31]

I have to say, I really do love the space you ended up filming in - so much gorgeous lighting!

[@deathbearbrown]

Congrats on your engagement! Also thank you for being the sacrifice and trying this craft box!! It's been advertised to me non stop, but I recognized a lot of the items in the promo pictures from aliexpress.

[@kutekilala]

Congratulations on your engagement! 🎉 but aww that sucks the box wasn’t what it was cut out to be. Still I loved getting the notification you made a new video 😊 hope you’re doing well!

[@slateportraichu5416]

Congrats on your engagement!=3 This box is lazy - just cheap art supplies dumped into one place. It is a shame they didn't include any instructions - metallic paints can be a really nice supply if you let them sit a bit with some water dropped on the pigment - it helps it to get moovin=) But I have hopes they can improve=)

[@AmmatileChristian]

You were so generous and kind and I appreciate artists like you who are honest about stuff like this! But that box is ridiculous, any artist understands that art supplies that’s quality is EXPENSIVE, artists don’t normally have the monetary availability to pay $50 for garbage off off drop shipping websites like TEMU only to have half of those products break or stop working wAY too soon. That company is BLATANTLY disregarding the artist community seeing as how they tried to make it seem like it was worth even MORE. It seems like they are just a distribution chain in LA for the company that runs TEMU in China trying to pass off as a different company. TEMU and WISH have ruined the trust the general public has for small businesses because of BRANDS LIKE THIS that pretend like they are small. Etsy and other companies allow this problem to FESTER by allowing big companies to play pretend as an individual seller on their platforms 😡 😡

[@AmmatileChristian]

PLUS Grabie had been reported for stealing from artists. They are awful

[@tamarasandoval7872]

Yay!!! Congrats on engagement! I just got married last Saturday! Happy for you!

[@gilashroot8697]

Congratulations 🎉. You are the queen of editing and a great storyteller ❤. Thank you for reviewing this honestly.

[@ruththinkingoutside.707]

Weird that this video was suggested to me today.. I JUST found out about the grabie boxes and had just looked at them… with severe disappointment.. Especially when I realized that 1/2 the stuff I ordered from temu for my bday art splurge was listed on the grabie site as a regular product.. for exponentially more money.. 😮😮😮.. like.. woah… I live in a college loaded area, there’s a LOT of them within 10 miles.. and there used to be so many book stores and art supply stores 😢😢 It’s the thing I miss the most about the internet age, is the loss of so many incredible little shops and all the books.. ((yah I’m approaching old)) .. I’m only mentioning it because the experience of going through a loaded and stocked art supply store was just amazing.. being relegated to temu and Amazon for art supplies these days is a loss that’s hard to explain.. sigh.. at least they’re inexpensive.. even if I have to spend hours following down product suggestion rabbit holes to find the best stuff 😝

[@gonefishing3644]

I usually prefer to select my art supplies and craft supplies individually rather than over-paying some stranger for assembling what they think is a good collection. I also prefer to not have a lot of decorative and expensive packaging material that will only go into the trash. If I can re-use unusual packaging material to make collages or greeting cards or fun jewelry, then that is a different matter, but most packing material is just not useful this way. Why would I gamble my hard-earned money on buying someone's art products collection when I can shop in person at several local art supply stores or order art supplies from Amazon or specialty online shops? And choose the level of quality I want? And the colors or the medium I want? I have no interest in paint pens or lower quality ink markers and would be very disappointed to receive such items. And what artist does not already have canvases or watercolor paper? When I have bought curated collections, it is to learn a new technique and see if I like it or to purchase limited edition items that I know I will want to use. For example, I have several card-making collections of cutting dies and specialty cardstock designed by Anna Griffin. I also have a monthly subscription to a company that specializes in unusual shapes and colors of Czech two-hole beads. For alcohol markers, I will stick with Copic brand. For coloring pencils and watercolor pencils, give me Prismacolor or Derwent brands. Inferior quality products are frustrating to use and a waste of money.

[@sarcasticdream]

the editing around the crayola box subscription had me dying😂

[@reneeallen3569]

Congratulations on getting engaged!!! Very happy for you!!! That box just sucks! I’d demand my money back.

[@donnapalmer1727]

So happy for you!!!! May you have many years of happiness together!!!

[@Samantha_tookey197]

Congratulations on your engagement! Lovely to see you posting a new video xx

[@ashley.lynnnn1]

Congratulations!!!! 🎊🥰 I just got married a few months ago. I wish you the best of luck and love on your new journey

[@triciab8751]

Congratulations on your engagement and new space Chloe. Those cleaning products look interesting.

[@mantisnd]

Congratulations on getting engaged chloe!!! im so happy for you both ❤

[@xlerial9316]

I saw some promos on tiktok. A set of watercolor for 40 bucks and looks exactly the same as some aliexpress watercolor set with just their branding slapped onto it. I've never heard of Grabie either so I was hella sus.

[@mermaidintherudder]

Congratulations on your engagement! Wishing you two health and happiness in abundance. ✨🥂🍾✨

[@dianespencer5653]

Congratulations 🎊 on your engagement, thank you for all your fab videos. XX

[@4.1132]

Something to understand about all these boxes is that in order for these companies to make profit at that sales price, the items in the box need to be dirt cheap. A box with high quality art supplies that use higher series pigments and higher quality paper would be way too expensive for most people with the additional mark up. These companies use very high mark ups and often resell cheap items from other websites. For quality art supplies it’s cheaper in most cases to buy the items you want individually rather than pay that mark up for a shit quality bundle/box. With these boxes you’re not really paying for the items, you’re paying for marketing and packaging.

[@craftyhobbit7623]

A few years back, I looked into subscription boxes for comics and sci-fi memorabilia and decided not to bother with them. I did buy a comics box - it was more of a mystery box than a subscription box and you could indicate what kind of comics that you like to read and they would send you a random selection based on it - I was expecting a mix of well known Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Buffy, etc, but got a bunch of things that I'd never heard of - it was disappointing - I was hoping to find something that would kick start a collection but it just seemed to be made up of comics that wouldn't sell otherwise. With the sci-fi memorabilia, I watched a few unboxing videos for those before I made up my mind, and I didn't like what I saw with them - most of the items seemed to be freebees that you would get from conventions, broken items and stuff that a shop would have difficulty selling - you have to be careful about what you sign up for with these boxes. I also find them including items from Temu and Aliexpress to be concerning since you expect brands that you can recognize and it doesn't seem well put together. The claim that the box should cost over a hundred dollars is silly. There is a company in the UK, artful, that has a similar price tag on it, though it is a quarterly box, rather than a monthly one with a similar price, but although you do get a lot supplies in them, they aren't from a known professional brand which is off putting as you don't know if it is good quality. Having struggled with cheap, low quality supplies in the past, I'd rather spend a little more on getting less than getting lots of low quality supplies.

[@efj0096]

Congrats on your engagement so happy for you both lots of love from New Jersey ❤

[@thesleeplessspook]

Yikes. That's steep for off-brand products outright, much less off-brand products you can easily get yourself elsewhere for next to nothing. I've spent way less on other art subscription boxes that sent actual big name materials like Copic, Derwent, Holbein, etc. plus art prompts and instructions on how to use. Hard pass, for me. Congratulations on your engagement!!

[@nickorange4881]

oh which boxes were those that have good products and art prompts and instructions on how to use?

[@amkhanson1]

Congrats on the engagement! So happy for you both! As for the box...it kind of sounds like they bought a bunch of cheap stuff to launch the product and once they start bringing in subs, they will bump up the quality of products. However, they should have started the price of the box way lower to bring in subscriptions with the understanding that these were not going to be name-brand, high-quality items in the box. It's fine to do lost cost, cheaper options, but be upfront with your customer about that. Transparency is everything, and it will ensure that people do not feel like they were taken advantage of by a brand. In this instance...anyone that got that box, definitely was taken advantage of. You should, AT LEAST, get the value of what you paid for the box...never under, especially by HALF.

[@susanrazza9740]

Congrats on your engagement. I agree with you, everyone (thing) deserves a second chance. Maybe go back in 6 months and see if they have improved. 🎉🎊🎨🎉💗💐

[@valasafantastic1055]

Yeah it is a rip off, not worth the cash. I personally dislike the art style on the box. The box is not the point of an art subscription box…. Not a scam but not worth the money. Congratulations as well!

[@Mark-nh2hs]

Rule of thumb if an unknown art company or product says its originally £120 but reduced to £49 in most cases are all scammers. Classic marketing trick you see it a lot on these sites.

[@amysomething3370]

I think this is way too expensive for what it is. It's ridiculous. technically not a scam I guess, but I'd call it a ripoff. Wasn't one of the appeals for subscription boxes a higher value than what you actually pay?😅 instead of the other way around 6:34 I can. It's not cotton😂 (sorry, I had to) Tip for budget: the new fabriano 1264 line has a 25% cotton pad with 30 pages, and can be found for under €10 for a4. Can recommend.

[@badkitt-ehcreations]

Congratulations on the engagement Chloe, so so happy for you

[@sujulovenl5753]

This is really bad, feels like a website that does this, when found out will just close down, enjoy their money made, and make a new website with another subscription box idea and will repeat the process over and over like that.

[@ElleLizzyMay]

I feel so bad for you Chloe. But hopefully the excitement of getting engaged is making you feel on top of the world 🌍

[@Emoritz417]

Congratulations on your engagement!!

[@BrianaCunningham]

The sad Kazoo kills me 😂❤

[@sarahthayer576]

It's a shame they didn't fill the box full of grabbie only stuff. Grabbie supplies are really great in itself

[@cottiena.9831]

About metalic paints - you need to put drop of water on each colour and leave it for few minutes and then ypu will have great paint. Most of metalic paints work that way, you need to activate them

[@The_Life]

Congratulations on the engagement!!! So exciting!

[@astridgarcia888]

Congratulations on your engagement Chloe! I wish you both the best ! Love your videos !

[@mirascraftycorner]

Congratulations on the engagement!!!❤❤❤

[@shaunacorrigan9372]

I don't trust any company that has misspelled words in a prominent place on their website (9:44) and I certainly wouldn't trust a company that makes a point to talk about "responsible sourcing" and "zero waste production" but sells products that seem quite unlikely to measure up to those standards😬

[@KT-Kaboom]

I thought those were distress pigments at first! Try them with a dry brush and see if it picks up like a slightly greasy eyeshadow and if so, you can use them as a dry pigment with stencils.

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

Thanks, you have great wisdom. Now fulfill your destiny....

[@danakirby5337]

Congrats on the engagement! So happy for you two!

[@HuskyMama1009]

Congratulations on getting engaged! Looking forward to seeing your new studio

[@dani.t57u2b]

Congrats on your engagement ❤❤🎉🎉

[@AuntBee42]

Also: they say this is ethically sourced!!

[@Sentariana]

Congratulations on getting engaged! Woop woop! 🎉🥳🎉

[@dressagebelle]

OMG congratulations!!! I'm so excited for you!

[@MadJenno]

Congratulations on your engagement. Can’t wait to see your new studio when you’re ready . ❤

[@EclecticGreyWitch]

CONGRATULATIONS on your engagement, girl! I'm so happy for you! 🎉 And now, to watch the rest of the video...

[@BonMooney]

finding the cost on ali express is not really relevent. All suppliers source their products somewhere and make a profit on them. You can't expect people to not make any profit. And AliBaba is wholesale. Most people are not going to buy 100 of the same item just to get a lower price. Many people are happy just to get a variety of items without having to buy in bulk or spend time looking for supplies online. Plus some people just like the surprise. I do think its a bit overpriced though.

[@mythicsagefire]

Congratulations on your engagement! 🎉🥰 So happy for the both of you!!!

[@PrettyAliceNight]

I don’t understand how people get away with this.

[@rachelmartin9739]

Wow. I cannot believe that price difference! Hate it for you that you spent your money on this, but thank you so much for posting a video about it. 😊

[@DavidAlexx]

Congrats on your engagement Chloe 🎉 Really happy for you. 🥳🙏 Edit: You are so kind about your comments with the brand, but honestly, its just not acceptable, its like cutting corners for profit 🤔

[@Cationna]

Congratulations Chloe!!!!!! ❤️❤️ When's the wedding??? Also consider yourself prompted to talk about all and any aspects and details of it you like!!

[@Nova_tries_to_draw]

I want to thank you for being so honest with everything, I love your videos ❤

[@KBish]

Congratulations Chloe!! I’m so happy for you!😊The sub box was a disappointment. Man that sux! I get the Pallet Full box and by and large it’s a very good box. I find myself going back to the items I’ve gotten from them more often than not. All of their items are quality. I may not get very many of the colors but that’s because they are top brands. If you haven’t you should try them. Thanks for such a great channel!

[@qienna6677]

I'm loving how bright and sunny the dining space is, but I imagine that must make managing lighting in editing difficult

[@estherchucha]

Congratulations on your engagement! 😊

[@4Rgames]

Congratulations on getting engaged! I hope it lasts as you and your fiance deserve the best!!🎉

[@PoissonDemiVide]

“Natural. Interesting. Fine.” 😂 PS your nails are sooooo funnn! 🫶

[@candelacontreras1870]

Although it's not your office, your look absolutely stunning in that light !! So happy for you, congratulations 💕

[@annieg5100]

Congratulations on getting engaged! Your ring is beautiful.

[@Hades_Bell]

Congratulations on the engagement!

[@O_o-simp]

OMG Congrats on the engagement I am so happy for you 😍