Welcome to Positive Fanatics

“Let us continue to be a group of positive fanatics who stubbornly and
persistently refuse to accept the impossible, the negative. What we want to do,
we can do and will do, together. A glorious future!”
Welcome to Positive Fanatics – The Unofficial IKEA Web Journal. For most of us it starts with the catalog. Or a word overheard. The anticipation builds. Then the inevitable pilgrimage to the yellow-and-blue building. Wherever we heard it first, IKEA intrigues, excite the senses and incites people into action. This web journal will document how the world perceives IKEA, the brand and the lifestyle. This is a site for us to share the latest product news, our musings and photos. It is intended to be fun so put down that Allen wrench for a while and commune with us.
Enter “Positive Fanatics“. Välkommen! Huan ying. Bienvenidos. Irashaimase. Merhaba. Maligayang
pagdating. Bienvenue. Bruchim habayim. Willkommen. Bem-vindo.
Hwangyong-hamnida. Benvenuti!
About me:
I’m an artist and aspiring photo documentarist based in Illinois, U.S.A. I also operate www.moleskinerie.com, the world’s premier fan site for Moleskine notebooks.
Armand B. Frasco
For consultancy, speaking engagements, suggestions, donations (I seriously need a laptop ^_^),
bequests, advertising opportunities and other queries, EMAIL US.
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The not-so-fine print:
IKEA™ is a Trademark of Inter IKEA Systems B.V. © All Rights Reserved
This website is a personal project and not connected with, nor
supported, funded or endorsed by IKEA, its franchisees, employees and suppliers in any way. All press releases
pertaining to this company or any products will be clearly labeled as such.
Any quotes from or appearances by celebrities and other personalities does not constitute a product endorsement.
Our logo. The PFlower. © 2005 ABF
Positive Fanatics is hosted by TypePad.
Thanks to Norman Nimer for assistance with our graphics.
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IMPORTANT COPYRIGHT NOTICE:
© Copyright to all contributed images and articles (when indicated)
are retained by their owners. Please contact them directly for
permission to use.
ON PRIVACY:
I do not share or sell my mailing list. Period.
WHY AM I DOING THIS:
Call it historical record, product evangelism, et cetera. I’m just here to document this marketing madness. Its my trip. Respect mine and I’ll respect yours.





















Welcome to Positive Fanatics. Where is everyone from? Please sign in.
Greetings from the Philippines and congratulations on this new space, my friend. I’ve always had IKEA dreams that go way back to college days. Here comes the future, and it’s painted yellow and blue
Howdy from a true yellow-and-blue fan in London. Congratulations on your new site. Why didn’t I think of this before ???
Congratulations on this new project. I see the future bright yellow and blue.
Hi there! My name is Adline & I’m from Malaysia. Congratulations on this fantastic site
It’s a great place for Ikea fans from all over the world to meet. Keep up the good work!
Just want to tell you that your blogs are really interesting! First I see this article core77.com/ and then go further. As Flicker member then join the group, I am telling you those, to help you analyze how a new user (even from Moscow Russia) join and find your blogs. There are realy interesting. Ill try to help you with IKEA positive fans. Good luck!
Alisher
Moscow, Russia
Congratulations from Chicago! Another milestone.
And joy is a given when a basic gift is discovered and exercised.
The logo reminds me of the long ago 4H club.
Pro Deo et Patria…
Greetings from Dubai. Call me an IKEA fanatic, too. Although I haven’t bought an item yet I have used some stuffs that my cousin bought! But during my first visit I was already feeling excited!!! There is so much to create!!! I should be able to buy a few pieces before going home next year.
Love the site. Not as much as the new Bolingbrook, IL store, mind you, but on bad weather days when we can’t get out, it’s good to remember what I value in life. . .
Would love to chat, but I gotta stain that coffee table I bought last night.
Greetings from IKEA IT in Sweden.
I’ve been working in the company for 5 years now and I can only recommend it.
Fun to see that there’s even websites for people who like the Company
Welcome all! Thanks for dropping by.
Greetings from Sacramento, CA. I’m sure you’re aware an Ikea is opening up in West Sacramento (about 5-10 minutes away) on March 1, 2006.
I had my first experience at an Ikea in Tukwila, WA (Seattle). Oh my! I was at the grand opening for the Ikea in Emeryville, CA. Since then, I’ve visited the one in East Palo Alto, CA, Carson, CA, and the one (I think) near Baltimore, MD.
I fear what will happen with an Ikea just minutes away! {sigh}. Looking forward to it. Anyone know, if the grand opening will have any specials like a giveaway?!
Will, not sure about the details but I’m sure there will be giveaways. We hope to be there to cover it.
I’ll definatly be keeping an eye on it!
Hello from Ingrid in Toronto, Canada,
I have been searching for pictures of people’s spaces that used Ikea stuff and just found this site. I can’t wait to see people’s creativity and hope soon to add some of my own photos once I have moved into my new condo. TTFN
OK fanatics, I have an Ikea problem. I have an Ikea kitchen bought in Canada in the 80’s. It’s a great kitchen and good as new. The cabinet dimensions are all metric.
A selling point for these kitchens was–and still is–the ability to easily reconfigure everything as needs change. I badly need some new interior fittings, but somewhere along the line Ikea started selling only imperial (that is, American) sized kitchen stuff in Canada — which is a metric country.
Everything but kitchens and beds at Canadian Ikea IS metric.
Every Ikea in the world outside of Canada and the US apparently has the parts I need but, with all of their billions and all of their creativity, they can’t ship what I need to Canada. (I managed, with extreme difficulty, to gain telephone access to their unlisted Canadian head office, but they could do nothing to help.)
As a further issue, we are expanding said kitchen. The 80’s vintage doors are no longer available, so we wanted to replace these doors with a current design. Same story–suitable doors available everywhere outside of North America, but no way to get them here. Of course, local cabinet makers can match the old OR new doors at a staggering price, but Ikea promised me everlasting expansion and reconfiguration availability and they welched on it. Their attitude is “too bad”.
We LIKE our Ikea kitchen and also can’t afford to replace it with all new stuff. So does anyone out there have some access to decision makers at Ikea–or some other creative idea? Surely this situation defies Ikea’s marketing philosophy, and I can’t possibly be alone.
Any suggestions out there?
Thanks,
embee
Hello All! I am in Michigan just a 5 minute drive from the new IKEA opening up on Wednesday the 7th in Canton!
I hope you are not too jealous! I’ll be there on opening day and hopefully I’ll get some of the FREE give-a-ways!
I’ll keep you posted after I get home from the maddness!
2007 Catalog.
Does anyone know the release date of the new
2007 IKEA catalog? I have heard sometime in August?
I feel like a kid waiting for the postman(woman) to bring the Montgomery Ward (now defunct) Christmas Toy Catalog!
I am wondering if you or your readers have the answers to a couple of questions:
1. Are shoppers still being approached in-store and asked not to take photos? I see so many pictures tagged “ikea” on flickr.com, it just must be that cameras are now ubiquitous that IKEA has stopped approaching everyone. I was always approached and warned in the past.
2. Does IKEA offer any of its logo merchandise for sale? I’m talking about hats/visors, pens, pencils, shirts*/tshirts, backpacks, beach towels or office supplies in general? If not, I can’t figure out why they don’t want their logo plastered on everything that we can buy. *I don’t mean shirts similar to what workers wear.
Checking in from North Carolina where we do not have an IKEA!
Can anyone tell me the Canadian head office address? Thanks.
How do I get a catalog by mail. I called and oredered one 7 weeks aga and have note yet received it.
Please let me know at your convenience.
Do I have to try to get my brother in Denmark to send me one?
Thank you. Ena G
Please contact IKEA directly through their website.
Greetings from Toronto, Canada, as a long time Ikea-addict i admire your site. Its not only enourmously extensive but also well put together. I’m currently working on a degree in design and as such working on a project on ikea so I look forward to checking out your forums in hopes of attracting ideas for my project. Dylan.
http://theikeafactor.blogspot.com/
Ciao!
Greetings from Italy! I love IKEA!
Paolo
I have just set up this new blog monitoring the construction of a new IKEA store in the inner city of Coventry, UK.
http://ikeacoventry.wordpress.com/
HI
I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO KNOW IF IKEA WILL OPEN A STORE IN AMMAN/JORDAN.
SINCE SUCH INFORMATION HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN ONE OF THE SITES.
SO KINDLY IF THIS NEWS IS CORRECT
AND WHERE AND WHEN THIS PROJECT WILL START AND WITH WHOME???
THANKS
BEST REGARDS
RAJAI
02/07/2007
Hi! After buying crayfish tails from Ikea, whose seafood is usually good, I complained.
Guess what? I am the only person in England to complain!!! The consistency of tyre inner tube with a light dill flavouring. I managed to pick the only three tubs in existence – so I must be up for the Lottery shortly! No offer of a refund, and they went in to complete denial!
I live 90 miles from the nearest branch, or I’d throw them in the foyer.
Dennis
Let me start out by saying I love Ikea products, design, and economy but they have some kinks to work out in my experience. I bought a crib and it was missing assembly hardware so I called customer service which was actually in Baltimore, I live in Massachusetts and was told I had to drive back to the store and hour and a half away to retrieve it. I spent my afternoon doing that and when I drove home and began assembly, again, I found that only ten of the required eleven slats were in the box. Again I called customer service at 7:45 only to be told their business hours which end at 8.00 were over. Needless to say I am extremely frustrated with Ikea customer service and also suggest they take a look at some of their pictograph instructions. If you identify some assembly pieces by # make it a rule and identify all of them by #
I am very much interested to open an Ikea outlet here in my city. Please let me know the procedures for that.
Munni
Hi there,
IKEA is quite new in our market and we strive to find “other than our manuals” information all around. You and few other sites like yours are fully appreciated here!
Best,
Kaan
Hi to all you IKEA fanatics!!
I love IKEA so much that I got a job there in the Comm&In department as an interior designer in the showroom at the Haarlem store just outside in The Netherlands. I am so excited to find this site which I think is fun and really inspiring!
Thanks and keep up the good work!!
please open ikea in amman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!