Thanks to everyone's reassuring replies. I don't think I love them any less. Actually, (and I know this sounds silly) I buy them because I feel sorry for them. I was at IKEA a few weeks ago and there was one battered, half-dead phal in the plant dept. I almost bought it just to save it, but it was not marked down and was way too expensive for the shape it was in. I kind of regret it now, though. Maybe someone gave it a good home.