Are Massive DMC Thread Packs Actually Worth It?

It’s been only a few weeks since we talked about DMC thread packs in light of Joanne’s going out of business in America. However, now we’re back with arguably the largest DMC thread packs out there; the mega pack.

DMC shadow dropped these late last year, and it’s not the first time they’ve tried massive thread packs either. The ‘100 favorite threads’ pack was around for about a year before they weirdly became out of stock, but now they’re back with three new packs, filled to the brim with 120 thread skeins from the Mouliné Spécial, Colour Variations, Coloris, and Light Effects ranges.
But are they actually worth it?

The Range Of Threads

Let’s start simple; there are three ‘ranges’ of these 120 thread skeins, but we suspect there may be another summer drop in a similar vane, boosting the collection further:

• The Essentials
• Hygge
• Magic Winter

Starting with the so-called essentials pack, it has a fantastic mix of 100 standard six-strand threads from across the DMC color card, however, they also supplement these with 20 threads from the light effects, Coloris and variations ranges.
This is where the range is let down slightly, as the selection seems rather random, featuring reds and blue most heavily.

The other ranges do live up to their names, with Hygge being a more subtle, less pronounced thread set, and Magic Winter being those darker, richer tones.
But their collection of non-standard threads, of which there are about 30 in these sets, are equally random, focusing more on browns, greens, and blues.

However, this does make sense. See, whilst the sets do have some overlap on basic colors (blanc, 310, 666, etc) 90% of the sets are new, meaning you could buy all three, and get over 320 unique threads.
I guess this was their thinking, and honestly, I think that the decision is a good one; it’s a fantastic way to collect all of the DMc threads, and makes me suspect that they’ll sell some more in Summer to fill out the whole 500 thread range.

Value

This is a big one, and arguably the most important part of the range itself. Listed at $129 or £139 depending on country, DMC says they have a value of $200 or £159 (although it’s worth noting that the American website has removed this number from its website following the recent tariffs).
And actually, they are worth that much. A simple sum makes that $1.60 a thread; the recommended retail price.

But here’s the catch; no one buys threads at the recommended retail price. Whilst DMC thread prices vary massively, the going rate is about $0.80 a skein/floss, meaning that the value of these packs are actually $96, almost half the price DMC are trying to sell the packs for!

A massive ask at the best of times, but even if you don’t get a good deal for your threads, all of the best online cross stitch stores sell threads for less than $1.60!

What makes this slightly more confusing is that DMC sells a wooden chest, with all 500 standard 6-strand threads at only $1.15 per thread. A much better deal and you get a wooden storage box! Even if it does cost $700…

Conclusion

So to conclude here is a simple one; the packs are a great mix of threads, including some threads from less common ranges, which make them a truly great way to collect threads; but nowhere near the current price.