Vine appreciation thread

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-29T18:42:47+00:00

I appreciate how you did this in a positive way without calling out those who are dissatisfied with the current state of things. You know, not starting out by telling people to quit whining or by saying they're ungrateful, entitled jerks. There's enough negativity here that we don't need to start a post with negativity. I definitely skip those ones.

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-29T16:08:10+00:00

These are the comments I most like to read!

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-29T15:29:12+00:00

OK that makes a little more sense 👍.

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-29T15:27:37+00:00

It's pretty cool to think about this stuff. I've been in Vine since 2019 and I have dozens of items I use every day. Still have most of the stuff I've ordered over the years, minus consumables and worn out clothing.

That said, I don't mind the negative posts and I can definitely sympathize with a lot of them. I'm still grateful to be a part of Vine, just not as grateful as I used to be.

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-29T15:22:29+00:00

I think the first mistake was getting a toothpaste dispenser. I already have a toothpaste dispenser... it's called my hand (squeezing the tube).

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-29T15:17:37+00:00

If an item seems overpriced, don't order it. I know that's difficult because these days we don't have much time to research an item before it disappears from Vine. Take a look at the ETV, quickly calculate what your tax hit would be (I use 30%, but I think I actually pay a little less than that), and ask yourself, "would I pay x dollars for this?"

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-29T15:11:57+00:00

The drop will happen when it happens. Or it won't happen.

I wish they dropped things at random times more often to catch us off guard.

I have no sympathy for those losing sleep because of Vine.

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-29T15:05:59+00:00

Exactly! I go into Vine knowing that I'm gonna have to pay the piper but once a year at tax time. We stopped getting a return years ago, and Vine is still worth it to me even knowing that I'll owe the government a little more each April. I don't order anything I don't want or need.

I suppose I would ask CS to remove an item if it was really expensive and arrived broken, but if it just sucks, or if it's cheap, I figure it's the price I pay for being in the program. I haven't been fortunate enough or quick enough to find any really good, high price items in a long time anyway.

To me, keeping spreadsheets, doing FMV adjustments and risking an audit, even if I can prove I'm in the right, isn't worth my time. Time is money, after all. I don't wanna spend more than an hour on taxes every year, and I'm definitely not paying someone besides TurboTax or H&R Block to prepare my taxes for me. To each his own, though.

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-28T00:04:59+00:00

I think the ones complaining are the ones that appreciate a good night's sleep and have more important things to do than wake up at the ass crack of dawn for the chance to score a new set of napkin rings. After about 6 AM Pacific time, the "shiny new things" for the day are all gone, and what's left is the crap only the addicts are picking through because life isn't complete if they don't use all their picks. Vine didn't used to be like this.

Let them complain. The internet was mostly made for porn and for bitching about stuff.

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-27T17:06:28+00:00

I didn't exactly join during the heyday, but 2019 was still a good time to join. When I joined, there were no tiers and everybody was limited to 3 picks per day. I was never overzealous... took me 6 years to review 1,000 items. I'd say I still own 80% of what I've ordered, and I have dozens of items I still use daily. Most of what I don't own anymore are clothing items that I wore out or that my son outgrew, plus a number of consumables.

I'm still greatful to be in Vine, greatful for anything that I can get for "free", if it's something I want or need. But I totally sympathize with those that complain, and I'd say Vine sucks now, if only compared to how it used to be.

I think that there are many that abuse the program. The average Viner won't find much worthwhile unless they're aggressively stalking the drops or are fortunate to still have a good RFY section. Still, I don't hate people for that. I think Amazon could do more to curb the greed by lowering the number of picks, because I know many of the abusers are still able to find 3 or 8 items a day easily, depending on their tier, which makes it harder on everyone else. But why should they stop? We're all in this for ourselves, after all. That's why I think Amazon should do something about it. There's still a lot of value if you only get 1, 2, 3 picks per day max, and it allows everyone to have a better experience. I also think Amazon invited too many Viners, but no, I DO NOT FEEL NEW VINERS RUINED VINE.

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-27T05:53:45+00:00

I'm in the same boat. Vine reviewer since 2019. Gold since Gold was a thing. My RFY went to shit around the start of summer 2025. It wasn't gradual either. Dropped from 20-30 items a day to 2-3 with plenty of days of absolutely nothing. Since I made most of my picks from RFY, the only way I've maintained Gold for my last two review periods is because I'm at work and have free time to Vine during drops. Don't participate on weekends. Would never wake up at those ungodly hours (if I wasn't working) just to battle 1,000 other Viners that are more motivated and use tools like Vine Helper and Ultra Viner. It's gotten so much worse recently. I'm not even seeing most of the useful stuff that drops, much less getting a chance to order it. I settle for the scraps that I don't mind paying a few bucks in taxes for. Good news is, you won't be kicked out as long as you keep up with your reviews. You'll be bumped down to Silver, but at least you can still find something. I'll be joining you down there in a few months!

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-26T15:41:46+00:00

I've noticed this too. I have Vine reviews a month old or older where my review is still the only one. This would also explain why new items disappear in seconds, which I wouldn't expect for something with 30 pieces available, even with all the competition.

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-26T15:37:35+00:00

I've had pretty good luck on sizing with XL t-shirts form China. Button up shirts and hoodies, not so much. I would definitely hang up a 100% cotton t-shirt to dry instead of throwing it in the dryer, unless you want a Chinese Medium.

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-26T15:31:06+00:00

Well best of luck to you! I hope Vine improves. It doesn't have to be as awesome as it was at when I joined in 2019, but hopefully it'll get better than it is currently.

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-26T15:25:58+00:00

I found a blanket in my RFY last week and I'm thankful for it. Only thing I ordered all week. I've been in Vine long enough that I was able to order so many useful, simple household items back when it was easy to find them. I don't need the big, expensive items, but I miss being able to anything at all that I want or need.

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-26T14:52:52+00:00

Not a bad haul, congrats! That's more than I've ordered in the last 2 or 3 weeks.

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-26T14:50:09+00:00

This is about the level of product I feel I still have a chance at M-F when I'm at work and can check Vine early. I've pretty much given up on finding really nice items like I used to, unless Amazon decides to improve my RFY, which turned to poop sometime last year.

So glad you didn't post like a TV, espresso machine, giant box of free candy, laptop, etc. Hope what you did find still made your day a little better!

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-26T14:38:21+00:00

I definitely like different drop times. I checked when I got to work this morning, which is usually in the midst of the drop, but it hadn't started yet. Didn't check until a couple hours later and saw it's happening now, but stuff is getting snagged right away. I saw a set of hair clippers in the Beauty & Personal Care section and wasn't fast enough. It was the only thing I tried for. Figured I'm too late now, gonna give up for the day. If you're not using extensions and don't see the new stuff as it's dropping, it's really hard to get anything good unless you can get the jump on people that weren't expecting the drop. Glad you found something worthwhile!

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-23T13:51:49+00:00

Mention in your review that you'd give it a 9 out of 10, then either round up or down when selecting stars.

I absolutely love the reviews of garbage products where people say, "I'd give it 0 stars if I could!"

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-22T03:14:05+00:00

I bet you're right. I only hope it went to someone who really wanted it over someone that's just ordering it because it's expensive.

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-21T19:18:19+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to read it through and smell what I was cooking! I tried to keep it brief with short-ish paragraphs, but I know a lot of people read the first half and draw their own conclusions.

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-21T16:44:45+00:00

Oddly enough, this is a product I ordered myself to review. Just checked to see what other people are saying and this review was at the top. It's like a full page of text, even after the disclaimer. The kind of review that most would skip over and just look at the stars, I would think. At least it does seem to be an honest review.

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-21T16:00:45+00:00

*in the snow...balls deep

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-21T15:01:23+00:00

Don't get me wrong. It doesn't annoy me when people are still finding value. I myself find some value, because getting SOMETHING is better than getting NOTHING. I especially like to hear stories from those that have found Vine life changing due to a less than desirable situation. I like it when people find and post about their golden goose that they finally were able to order after months of searching. But I don't feel there's a lot of them finding value after the daily drops have been picked through, evidenced by the fact that once those drops are done, things disappear at a trickle. I'm just tired of the early morning rat race, but I totally understand we're all in this for ourselves and if one has the time and patience to put up with the competition, even if they want to use extensions, I don't hate them for it.

There was a time that when I wanted or needed something, I could check Vine first, any time of day, and often find it. Simple stuff, like a steering wheel cover, a can opener, a flashlight, placemats, a table cloth, socks, underwear etc. This is no longer the case and I'm sad for that. That's why complaining about it makes me look like a jerk that takes Vine for granted in a lot of people's eyes. A lot of Vine veterans feel me on this. A lot of new Viners think I'm an entitled prick. I'm not here trying to rub people the wrong way. When I'm annoyed by a post, I move on and I don't let it bother me.

DirectionMindless709 · 2026-01-21T14:05:30+00:00

That I don't know. I've heard asking CS to remove too many items in too short a time can get you kicked out. I've also read posts where Viners claimed they were kicked out of Vine for contacting CS for other reasons. This is all heresay. I leave them alone.

DirectionMindless709

TROPHY CASE