Theory about the downfall of Qualatex

[Blown2Bits]

Very doubtful. They would have no financial incentive to do so and money is ultimately all any company cares about.

As Tracy points out, you only get fetish rated search results because the algorithm of your own browser is connected to your search history and personal infi it picks up. A clean browser wont give fetish related results by searching anything balloon related because the fetish community makes up a really tiny part of the balloon buying demographic.

This sounds doubtful to me. I clear my browser cache every day (including cookies and everything that belongs to it). Saving the search history is also disabled within my google account. I still get mostly looner related search results if I search for a specific popular balloon like the Q24.
Unfortunately I do not have a "clear" PC where I can check if there is any other kind of fingerprinting at work.

[Tracy]

This sounds doubtful to me. I clear my browser cache every day (including cookies and everything that belongs to it). Saving the search history is also disabled within my google account. I still get mostly looner related search results if I search for a specific popular balloon like the Q24.
Unfortunately I do not have a "clear" PC where I can check if there is any other kind of fingerprinting at work.

[Not to distract from the original post, but I do suspect your computer is still snooping on you. If I search on Q24s I do get a couple of fetish oriented results in the recommended photos and videos, but the actual search result is clean for quite a few pages. OK, back to the original discussion...]

[VeeViViolet]

Humbly I do think that the pandemic did a number on the company and they had to reassess what it meant for them to make a profit when no one is going out. Like I think they got lucky when people decieded to make balloon garlands at home, but overall I think they are leaning into that more and more. Which does take less balloons and less varieties of balloons

[izzyrob]

I think that a large part of it is the industry’s shift from helium being the standard for balloon decorating into the new world of garlands and elaborate air-filled designs. So many of the Q16 prints that have gone away are likely just because those prints don’t play well with being included in garlands which tend to be focused more on pure color than prints. Knowing that many decorators are moving away from helium as their default, I’m sure qualatex is adjusting their product line accordingly.

Additionally, did anyone ever see a Q24 used by a decorator? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture of a Q24 inflated that WASNT by a looner. Would be genuinely curious if anyone has examples.

[Blown2Bits]

Additionally, did anyone ever see a Q24 used by a decorator? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture of a Q24 inflated that WASNT by a looner. Would be genuinely curious if anyone has examples.

I have not, but it probably does not count since I live in Germany. Qualatex balloons are a rarity here in general and most decorations I see use 8" to 12" balloons. So it would have been really suprising to see a Q24 decoration.

[BalloonblowerNYC]

I have not, but it probably does not count since I live in Germany. Qualatex balloons are a rarity here in general and most decorations I see use 8" to 12" balloons. So it would have been really suprising to see a Q24 decoration.

IMHO this is way worse here in the US. Here, people LOVED balloon decorations, and you always saw BIG balloons - some of them to take home, deflate, and enjoy. Also many printed balloons!

Years before covid that changed already, more and more cheap Chinese crap 11" balloons popping randomly, so not inflated with a visible neck. Even car dealers use now inflatable huge balls stabilized by a holder structure - no more real balloons anymore.

And the killer for our beloved latex balloons: Those plastic balloons popping up everywhere. Lasts longer, does not pop with a loud bang (people see this mostly as advantage) and it seems to be the new trend - which is worrysome for the balloon business, so they begin making those plastic "balloons" (more non degradable plastics on the landfills) as well and in the latex world compete with the cheap Chinese crap.
Whole Amazon is full of this cheap Chinese crap.

So yeah, I am very pessimistic. It is possible that in 10 years there won't be any latex balloons anymore.

Add to that the more and more articles about ear damages on kids due to popping balloons - another nail in the coffin.

So in case now balloons will be attached publicly to us looners, it will go haywire. Balloons - the kids toys - as a fetisch object. I do not want to imagine what kind of "articles" will be published then....

[Blown2Bits]

In worst case we can still produce our own balloons as is already done by Balloon Vault or 33 Rooms. The downside is the cost per unit would be much higher and popping them for fun would become cost prohibitive (making you do it only on special occassions). Currently you can luckily still get a bag with 1000 misprinted balloons for a relatively low amount of money.

[BalloonblowerNYC]

In worst case we can still produce our own balloons as is already done by Balloon Vault or 33 Rooms. The downside is the cost per unit would be much higher and popping them for fun would become cost prohibitive (making you do it only on special occassions). Currently you can luckily still get a bag with 1000 misprinted balloons for a relatively low amount of money.

For inflatables that works because Chinese companies which control 99.99% of the market are happy to produce custom inflatables.

But when balloons will be extinct - having your own balloon producing factory is something completely different. I see a rapid decline of latex balloons - and then even Chinese manufacturers would not produce balloons anymore.

I am invited as photographer on my events. Weddings, Shows, ...
The number of balloons has gone down in the last years.

Balloons disappear in the public. It is now two weeks I walked through NYC and took the subway from and to work - not a single balloon seen!
6-10 years ago that was impossible. Balloons were everywhere. Not even that much helium, but 12" attacht to a stick with air.

[Blown2Bits]

It is the same here in Germany. I rarely see balloons in public anymore. And even if a store is using balloons as decorations they are without any print. I assume from the looks of it they are buying those cheap Chinese garland sets you can buy on Amazon.

When I was a child it was different. You could get lots of uninflated balloons in all kind of stores without even asking for them. They would either be there for you to grab or the cashiers would offer some to you when your parents were paying at the register.

I honestly think humanity peaked 1-2 decades ago.
Everything is getting sacrificed in the name of more profit, efficiency and fake sustainability. It will be a boring world where most people will own nothing of value and live in tiny apartments getting lulled by TV, video games and social media. I say fake sustainability because the current and planned actions will buy our civilization a few extra years at most. True sustainability would mean we would go back a couple of centuries - both in tech and world population which obviously is not going to happen voluntarily.

[SweetBouncer]

From the perspective of making artisan balloons, there is a chance to do something with it.

There is a plant called Guayule (read as why-YOU-lee), it's interesting not only because it produces latex (around 1 ton/rubber/acre or 1kg/rubber/4sq meters).
But also because the latex it produces is naturally hypoallergenic to those with rubber allergies, the balloons made with this will be allergen-free.
The sci name is (Parthenium argentatum).
Here is more inf:https://sbar.arizona.edu/sites/defau...de%20Final.pdf

This plant should produce rubber enough to sustain the artisan production and its size should also make it viable for indoor or rooftop gardening.