Tim Holtz - Idea-ology Collection - Storage Case - Paper Valise

Unfortunately They Were a Disaster for Me

My experience with this storage case was horrible. I brought one and took it to a weekend crop to alter. I opened and closed it once and the latch on the right snapped off the metal base it's attached to. Thinking this an isolated incident or that I'd been rough in closing the case, I purchased another from the store at the crop. Over the next two-and-a-half days I worked to cover and embellish the inside and outside of the second case. I noticed the right latch was "sticky" at times so was careful when handling it. Once finished, I latched the latches starting at the right side of the case and moving to the left. When I latched the last latch IT BROKE! I was furious and completely disgusted.

Having made a template of the front of both cases, I measured and noted that the broken latches aren't lined up with the other two latches. What were the chances of me receiving the only two defective cases manufactured - especially when I'd purchased each from stores in different cities. It wasn't that I was too rough when latching, I was careful with the second because of the problem with the first. My conclusion is there is no way the misaligned latches can withstand the pressure they receive when being latched, let alone carry or store paper. They will, if not early on, eventually break. If you love this set of Tim Holtz cases then buyer beware - they are, at best, a piece of cute decor and aren't a substantial piece of storage as advertised because you have to use the latches to open and close the case to place items inside for storage.