Where can I find a replacement Barrow-downs mug?

[Marileangorifurnimaluim]

This may seem absurd, but years ago I bought a Barrow-downs mug. Alas, I lost in a move, and I find I miss it.

Are there others still about? I'd like another, please.

- Maril

[Marileangorifurnimaluim]

No luck, mmm?

[Nogrod]

I have a vague idea that this question of the "Barrow Downs merchandise" has been discussed a time or two, especially as there are some people who fex. have the shirts which us others envy so much - and looking at the fact that the net-site needs to be payed for every once in a while I'd think it would be also reasonable.

I don't think anyone wishes to turn this site into a money-making commercial engine of profit - or to be a part of that kind of a venture. But a low key thing would fit this place just fine: a t-shirt, a mug - with a decent price. An order of hundred or two would probably go more or less immediately?

It would bring a few coppers to the locker of the site to pay for the site - and maybe the BW could get to eat out one time with the money from us (which I think he'd deserve). And we could every once in a while proudly wear our 'Downs T-shirts and drink our morning coffee form a 'Downs mug.

[Mithalwen]

You wouldn't have to order such a large quantity. I think the technology is such that you don't need a big quantitiy to get the economy of scale to make it viable. If there were a demand it might be more sensible to "licence" the design and get a separate batch made up for those of us east of the Sea. It is disproportionately expensive to post a much across the atlantic if someone were prepared to organise it. Al profits of course to be passed to the bandwith fund.

[Bêthberry]

Thenamir, who is a site administrator, used to manage the store, but as I recall, he sold out all the tees and mugs. I still have five of the original six mugs I bought.

Perhaps you could contact Thena to see if any remain, Maril? He's not around the site much any more but is on FB. Maybe I can nudge him there for a reply here.

Proceeds of the sales went to pay for such things as the domain fees and software fees, if I recall correctly. The admins all originally put up personal investments to pay for the site.

It is quite lovely to see you back Maril! Your "Hobbit Ed" thread remains one of my all time favourites.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Nogrod

I have a vague idea that this question of the "Barrow Downs merchandise" has been discussed a time or two, especially as there are some people who fex. have the shirts which us others envy so much - and looking at the fact that the net-site needs to be payed for every once in a while I'd think it would be also reasonable.

I don't think anyone wishes to turn this site into a money-making commercial engine of profit - or to be a part of that kind of a venture. But a low key thing would fit this place just fine: a t-shirt, a mug - with a decent price. An order of hundred or two would probably go more or less immediately?

It would bring a few coppers to the locker of the site to pay for the site - and maybe the BW could get to eat out one time with the money from us (which I think he'd deserve). And we could every once in a while proudly wear our 'Downs T-shirts and drink our morning coffee form a 'Downs mug.

Basically my thoughts. I mean, you can do a survey, but I can imagine that, say, 20 mugs (or whatever) would be gone before people would even know it and some will start complaining that they didn't manage to get them on time. And yes - I would very much even like to donate something to the BD, and this form would give it even more reason to do it, so it won't be just "random", but sort of rewarding as well.

I wouldn't say hundred, I would say fifty will go pretty well, with possibly no leftovers, but say a hundred of "something" would probably leave a bit of leftovers to be slowly sold out as replacements etc. Maybe. I'm of course just guessing.

Anyway, the basic idea, I think, would find large support, especially since it's been quite some time since something like that has been around, and there have been dozens of new members from that time, and of course there are surely even many old members who did not get anything back then, but would do so now.

[Marileangorifurnimaluim]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Thenamir, who is a site administrator, used to manage the store, but as I recall, he sold out all the tees and mugs. I still have five of the original six mugs I bought.

Would that I had bought six. However, I never counted on my ex keeping my one Barrow-downs mug.

Perhaps you could contact Thena to see if any remain, Maril? He's not around the site much any more but is on FB. Maybe I can nudge him there for a reply here.

Thank you. Would you know where he is on FB? (Gestures to the privacy of PMs, if such is needed.)

Proceeds of the sales went to pay for such things as the domain fees and software fees, if I recall correctly. The admins all originally put up personal investments to pay for the site.

I recall that bandwidth cost soared once the first movie came out.

It is quite lovely to see you back Maril! Your "Hobbit Ed" thread remains one of my all time favourites.

It's lovely to be back. I think of the 'downs as my first home.

You mean Hobbit Sex Ed? I cannot but smirk.

- Maril

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Marileangorifurnimaluim

Would that I had bought six. However, I never counted on my ex keeping my one Barrow-downs mug.

Funny, the things that can become precious. Was there any Gollum in this ex?

As I recall, Canada Customs charged me a duty at an extortionate rate which was almost half the cost of the mugs themselves. But that was before all this cross border internet buying and selling.

Thank you. Would you know where he is on FB? (Gestures to the privacy of PMs, if such is needed.)

I sent him a message on FB and can only hope that he will see it, as he isn't often there either.

I recall that bandwidth cost soared once the first movie came out.

Let's hope that something similar does not happen when TH comes out.

You mean Hobbit Sex Ed? I cannot but smirk.

A link, a veritable link! (which is what I should have done) What do three letters signify? a slight omission, which I adamantly refuse to call even a slip, let alone one of the freudian cast.

[Snowdog]

Originally Posted by Marileangorifurnimaluim

Would that I had bought six. However, I never counted on my ex keeping my one Barrow-downs mug.

- Maril

I got a shirt and a mug when they became available, and I still have the shirt, but the mug I think got "lost". My X may still have it ...

Here is the last time this was discussed. I was going to get some mugs, but the shipping to Oz was at that time prohibitive as far as my budget was concerned. I take it nothing ever came of the last bit where shirts were discussed?

[Lalwendë]

What about using one of these sites like Zazzle where you upload designs and then can earn a commission on every item sold through the site for your design?

I often go looking on them for geeky kids' t-shirt designs and they seem to be quite easy to use, I even know a graphic artist who has made a few quid uploading designs. The bonus is they will print to a multitude of items/sizes/colours - you can have mugs and t-shirts, you can even have baby bibs! There might be a market for those with this being a fertile website

There are other sites that do this of course, and just a suggestion - struck me as potentially useful as then nobody needs to store 200 t-shirts in the garage and post them out. It seems to be minimal effort - designs are uploaded, purchased and the BW sits back and checks the bank account?


EDIT
Cafepress.co.uk - that's the British one, the design tool is fun to use.

[Thenamir]

<Deep, scary voice>WHO DISTURBS MY SLUMBERRRRR??

Oh, it's CUSTOMERS! Come right in!

You plea for help reached my incorporeal and insubstantial aural canals via Bethberry, courtesy of Facebook. I do have a few of the mugs left, but I gave up selling them since much of the interest seemed to have faded. If you absolutely must have a matching set I will be happy to ship as needed. Send me a private message here in the forum with a shipping address and the number of mugs needed, and we'll go from there. I think I used to sell the mugs for $5 each, plus shipping.

Also, @Nogrod, I think I ordered about 50 or 100 mugs in the first wave way-back-when, and an assortment of t-shirts in various sizes at the same time. The demand was always light, and it took me more than a year to sell out of the shirts. Of course, that was in the days before Zazzle. Since then I have made a friend who makes custom t-shirts, but I won't even bring it up unless there's an incredible demand.

P.S. If anyone plays World of Warcraft, you can find my human paladin under the name of Thenamir on the Vek'nilash server on occasion, or ask around for my dwarf banker named Spitzenspark.

Thenamir

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Marileangorifurnimaluim

This may seem absurd, but years ago I bought a Barrow-downs mug. Alas, I lost in a move, and I find I miss it.

Are there others still about? I'd like another, please.

- Maril

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

What about using one of these sites like Zazzle where you upload designs and then can earn a commission on every item sold through the site for your design?

EDIT
Cafepress.co.uk - that's the British one, the design tool is fun to use.

There are quite a lot of them out there... I am not bothered about t shirts or mugs but I would like a barrow downs bag and they can be done reallly cheaply. My sister indulged my inner petrol-head with a customised Mark Webber t shirt and book bag last birthday....

http://thecleverbaggers.co.uk/store/pc/home.asp

[Lalwendë]

I'd like a Barrow-Downs bag too (and a child t-shirt), but I'd be scared in case the BW does a CJT on me for making one of mine own

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Marileangorifurnimaluim

This may seem absurd, but years ago I bought a Barrow-downs mug. Alas, I lost in a move, and I find I miss it.

Are there others still about? I'd like another, please.

- Maril

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

I'd like a Barrow-Downs bag too (and a child t-shirt), but I'd be scared in case the BW does a CJT on me for making one of mine own

More likely to get the Saul Zaentz co on all our cases since they seem to own all the names as Trademarks and if you think the Estate is litigious you should see what the Saul Zaentz Co are doing to a Southampton pub called the Hobbit. But it might send Dave into meltdown

Bags would be a doddle since one size fits all and they are light to post. They do quite a nice dark green oooh and aprons...& teatowels for the downer domestic goddesses....

[Nogrod]

If a host of people will gather this year in England why wouldn't we make an arrangement that some stuff (t-shirts, bags) are made / ordered there by the locals and then carried out of the country by the visitors?

We could make them cost a little bit more than the expenses and then send the profit for the 'Downs internet payments?

I think you can make prints from a bitmap image (or whatever format is the best nowadays) to almost anything. A kind of quality printing place would be preferable as at least I'd hope the print would last a bit longer than those "wash and go" prints...


While on the subject, why don't we make our own "design the Barrow Downs t-shirt / mug / bag" -competition? So alongside the traditional sword-image we could have also a new one - decided by a vote from the entries of the 'Downers willing to take part? Looking at any of the Paper Telephones shows that we do have some quality illustrators here with a sense of humor.

[Mithalwen]

It might signficantly whack up the unit cost for starters... I can't help thinking complicating it might reduce demand rather than increase it. I suppose the alternative is to make a donation for use of the logo and for individuals to get it printed on whatever, however. But for a mass run with mass appeal there is a lot to be said for the KISS principle IMO.

[Formendacil]

Speaking only for myself, as someone who has no Barrow-downs paraphernalia, I would be far more inclined to seek merchandise with the classic logo than something otherwise. Perhaps if I were as saturated with BD stuff as I am with LEGO, the novelty would be appealing, but at the point of start-up, the most basic--classic, iconic--seems best.

[Lalwendë]

You could always make some Barrow-Downs 2012 Moot t-shirts or similar, if lots of people meet up in the summer?

[mark12_30]

I think the key to Nogrod's idea is the word "Alongside". He's not suggesting replacing tradition, only augmenting it.

Maybe the sword on the front of the mug, the augmentation on the back.

And it would be a fun competition.

[Mithalwen]

It isn't an augmentation if it renders the item into something that people don't want.


Nothing personal re Downs artists - I loathe about 95% of Tolkien Art. And any competition involving votes is liable to be invidious, a popularity contest rather than an art one.

If a separate "moot" tshirt were done then, yes fine personalise it and make it quirkier - my god daughter makes t shirts and badges at home for her Terry Pratchett mud moots - but just think the classic unadulterated style would be preferable for a "site" product as opposed to an "event" one.

Given the consent of the powers that be though there is scope for both of course... as has been noted much smaller print runs are viable now