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What's "in store" 4 U? Read top post & vote.


bard of aven

What's "in store" for you?  

  1. 1.

    • A single kind of t-shirt sold illegally out of boa's apartment.
      4
    • A professionally managed online store providing a variety of AVEN merchandise and payment methods, customer service, some kind of guarantee, and somewhat higher prices.
      21


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bard of aven

Hi there, my fellow Avenistas.

So I volunteered to do the next round of t-shirts. I could order a couple of hundred bucks' worth in various sizes and sell them by mail out of my apartment and be a sales-tax cheat and get around to shipping stuff when I could and be surly when you complain about it.

But I have something else in mind, and IMed AVENguy about it, and we thought we should do a poll.

Through the miracles of modern technology and with no money at all up front, I can start an online store using a service like www.cafepress.com. They offer dozens of items we can customize with our logo and message (see http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/products/index.aspx for a complete list). We could start with a few and see what happens. If I read it right, we get our own shop page on their web site. We can put a link to it on this site. Items are manufactured to order. We will sell them online at cost, although at some point in the future we could bump the prices up as a fund raiser if we get to the point where we feel the need. They have a variety of payment methods, international shipping, and customer service. And they offer all the sorts of stuff I can remember people wishing they could get, except buttons. Clothing, stickers, bumper stickers, even disks with copies of presentations and stuff if we decide to go that way down the road -- lots of stuff. Whereas all you'd ever get from me is a lovely t-shirt.

The downside is the cost. AVENguy was selling the last batch of t-shirts for US$ 13.00 shipping included. At this particular site, it looks like a t-shirt would be US$13.99 plus shipping. But you can choose from a variety of shipping options, and they do international using DHL. And for the time being, you can get any color t-shirt you want as long as it's white.

It is more expensive. But it would give us all more variety, the ability to create special items for special occasions, and a professional store operation to deal with. And it would sure make my life a lot easier.

Those are the choices. It's obvious which I prefer. But speak your own mind. I will follow the will of the majority. So, vote early and vote often, and if you have any comments, comment; and if you have any questions, post them here and I will try to answer them. I will leave this up till March 20th or so, and see what we all think.

Thanks.

boa

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fluffy_hime

I voted #2 even though the first one is funnier. ^.^ Would it really be illegal? Darn government and their interference..

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The downside is the cost. AVENguy was selling the last batch of t-shirts for US$ 13.00 shipping included. At this particular site, it looks like a t-shirt would be US$13.99 plus shipping.

So far, the second option is fine by me. So fine I voted.

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Live R Perfect

Yep! The second option sounds favourable, especially as we can get our grubby mits on other AVEN merchandise as well as the fantabulous T-shirts! :D

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bard of aven

Yeah, and I forgot to mention, if anybody really wants it and it wasn't just all smoke, we'd be able to do that Men of Aven calendar some of you were talking about in another thread......

boa

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Cate Perfect

I voted for the second one. I do hate that the only colour choices are white and white with CafePress, but they are using better material these days (I've ordered other things from them and the quality is improving). Also, if you want the shirt a different colour just chuck it in the wash with a new shirt of a colour you like. I'm going to put mine in the wash with a dark blue towel. Then my AVEN camisole will be bluuuuuuueeee. :D

*is like cheap Martha Stewart*

Cate

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Worthless Poster

Update: called Josh. He doesn't have access to a pooter right now, but he'll fix it as soon as he can.

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Brother Wilbur
I voted for the first one just to be an ass ^-^

Good grief- so did I!!

I like shirts! I want one!

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bard of aven

Well, the big store got a whole lot higher percentage of votes so far than even Vlaidimir Putin. Look for it to open in about a week. I will post a new anouncement when it is ready to go.

It's going to start with a wider variety of stuff mostly based on the original t-shirt design, with some other stuff I am throwing in just for fun, including a bumper sticker and an "AVEN Team 'O' " ball cap, I think.

For starters it will be limited to one design of each product, so for instance, we can only have one design for the t-shirt (site limitation, not mine), but if we decide to pay for an upgrade to the store site later, that restriction will go away.

When the store opens and until further notice, everything will be sold at cost. There is no investment on our part; we pay cafepress nothing for the basic storefront, and make nothing on it. If we later decide to use it for fundraising, we may bump up the prices then. "We" here does not mean me. It means AVENguy and whoever else wants to make that decision. It raises a lot of questions about income taxes, sales taxes, and nonporfit status I don't really want to think about right now.

I have IMed several of you about designs for items. Although I am starting with very basic stuff in the store, I would like to continue those discussions, folks. I am extremely challenged in the design and in the graphics software areas.

Anyway, keep voting if you want, and post any suggestions or question in this thread for now. I will try to check it a couple of times a day and give any answers I can.

boa

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Cate Perfect

Team O caps?! :D

OH BOY!! Uh... I mean, OH GIRL!!

Cate

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Brother Wilbur

I still like the one from loooong ago, the "Asexuality: Not Just For Amoebas Anymore!"

L

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