(Posting again because I can't figure out how to either edit or delete an OP and I want to get rid of all the code)

..church."

This was the tag line on an EBay commercial that I saw last night advertising buying from EBay for your Christmas gifts.  The 20-something man was trying to convince those in the older demographic to stop making handmade gifts because no one likes them anyway...

As he picked up a crocheted item that an elderly woman (grandmother?) had given him, he smelled it, wrinkled his nose and said "Smells like church".  It's interesting that a reasonably large company is openly advertising that church is "old and musty".  It's not a shocking caricature given the average age of many people in the pews but is this ad indicative of open scorn to come for the church in North America?

Have you seen the ad and what was your reaction?...cms

Most of the churches I've been in have had their own... er... musty odor. So many old books. So much old wood.

The exception that comes first to mind was the mission-style I attended for a short time in Hamilton. It was located inside a storefront.

Every church smell is unique... old wood, bat droppings, incense, sweat...  Actually I think the commercial is genius. And it's not a negative image but a positive one (though I have not seen the commercial). It conjures up in some, positive images, not negative ones... and getting people thinking of the church is always a good thing.

I LOVE the smell of church! Not that I would wear it as perfume or anything, but I just generally like the smell of old buildings. They are somehow comforting to me, like libraries (and smell similar...).

As a child, I thought church smelled like furnace oil.  I pointed this out to my dad and, on further investigation, they discovered a leak in the furnace.  After that, it smelled like furniture polish.

What do you all mean by statements like "Churches smell old"?  There are hardly any really old churches in Canada.  You need to go to England/France?Germany/Spain to see old churches!

The oldest church in Canada dates from 1688.

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/customcode/TCEMedia.cfm?Params=A3EVT645MED6222&TB_iframe=true&height=420&width=515&modal=true

It's the Odour of Sanctity, isn't it?

1688 is still quite young compared to churches in Europe.

I love the smell of old buildings, especially those inhabited by old books...mmm....boooooks....

Up here though, you usually don't notice the smell, as when you walk in your too damn cold to have any control over the use of your smelling senses...and by the time you do, your attention isn't on it so you don't notice!

As-salaamu alaikum

-Omni

Post reformation, yes. But fair to middlin' as churches go. Perhaps middle aged? But many in Europe were also destroyed in wars; something we have generally avoided.

I think it is actually the books that smell old in the churches. And yes, I'm aware that there are far older bulidings. But the books will only survive so long, without being put into air-sealed vaults, so I believe they have a similar smell after 30-50 years.

A lot of mildew in basements of old churches. Severalcould nt go to functions in the basement because of the mold. Anyone else?

What does church smell like? When my wife and I were part of the Anglican church, it smelled like incense. Now that we attend a brethren church, it smells like coffee.

Yes, any church that uses incense will tend to smell like it. I only ever attended Anglican Churches that did it. Do some Catholic churches do it as well? I don't know of any other denominations that use incense on a regular basis.

The question still remains why did the smell of church elicit a negative response from the character in the commercial?...cms

Cuz the church ain't the place to be, maybe????

 EBay's marketing people, like most marketing people, are targeting the young, hip demographic and those marketing people perceive that this demographic associates "Church" boring, uptight, conservative, etc. So, if you want to present yourself as hip, young, and sexy so you can sell to this demographic, you show how "hip, young, and sexy" you are by reflecting their negative attitude to churches, old people, and anything else that can be seen as "old fashioned". It's too bad, because, once again, they are using a negative stereotype to sell their product and thereby perpetuating the negative stereotype.

On the other hand, there are certainly a lot of churches that are striving to live up to the stereotype so they probably aren't totally off-base. However, that's probably another whole thread .

Mendalla

 According to "Nirvana", it Smells Like Teen Spirit.  

Ours smells lik apple dumplings.

Was there tonight to put up some posters and the smell from the morning still hung in the space.

Saturday morning  it is also strong of apple dumplings.

Normally, it smells pretty good...except for on hall which has the men's washroom and has way too strong of a chemical smell

I also saw the commercial.  It was apparent from the grimace on the guy's face that the "smells like church" comment was meant as a negative.  I just think it's strange that ebay is trying to sell things for a Christian holiday by insulting the Christians who celebrate it.   I thought if anything left a bad smell, it was their marketing strategy.  I was going to check out ebay for some gifts this year, but I think I'll check out Amazon.com instead.  I don't feel any need to give my business to a company who purposely tries to be offensive.

 A couple years ago a member was doing a street  ministry.  Every Sunday in a park that  tended to have a lot of street people he would serve hot dogs.  He used to be in the drug/street scene himself so many people knew him.

During the Sunday Service there would be a very large pot of weenies simmering in preperation in the church kitchen.   On the days that church ran into overtime, which sometimes happens, darned if those wieners didn't actually start smelling good.

Well, he is young and crocheted says kind of old and most people think old and ahndmade craft when they think of churches and church folks... I think it fits pretty well together and I don't think church stinks but I get it that many under 50 kinda do.

...cedar planks heating up in the sun...

...campfire smoke during a cool and wet autumn day...

...the Unholy Trinity:  mildew & damp & dust....