15 replies to this topic

[Mel Johnson]

There having been no objection raised by Administrators or Moderators, I want to let you all in on a project we're working on at the other board, Ballet Talk for Dancers.  

We're rounding the far turn on providing members with the opportunity to have site-dedicated articles, such as tee-shirts and coffee mugs available for order through a provider, either zazzle.com or cafepress.com.  We will not have to maintain an inventory, and the provider will accord us a "finder's fee", very like the relationship this site has with amazon.com.  There is no startup or design fee involved, and the member, or anyone who wants one can order through the site, and we'll be able to receive revenue for the order.  

We're going to start easy, with just the masthead title, simple and dignified, as the art, but we will extend the line as consumer interest seems to dictate.  Both Ballet Talk and Ballet Talk for Dancers will be represented.

What do you all think?  Anybody with experience in dealing with either of these two firms?  Any products you can give us a consumer report on?  Suggestions (keep it clean! ) are welcome.

[perky]

This is a wonderful and very welcome idea!

The tee-shirts and coffee mugs are a great way to start. Future products could include dance bags, sleepwear, sweats, and key rings.
On a different note how about Ballet Talk vodka to drown your sorrows in after seeing a particularly bad ballet performance?

[Mel Johnson]

See?  Consumer interest already!  

About the proposed product, I'll have to speak to Mr. Schmidlapkin, my neighboring potato farmer, to talk about next year's crop!  

[SanderO]

Baseball cap

[Mme. Hermine]

mel, another site that i'm involved with is using cafepress; it's just started and i don't know anything else, but the range of merchandise seems interesting, i also liked the magnets.

[leibling]

This is great- we can just wear our t-shirts to the theaters in order to identify each other!

[Mel Johnson]

Right, these are all ideas we've discussed and if member interest warrants, we'll extend the lines into baseball caps, magnets, totes, and so forth, trying to match a soft (cap) with a hard (magnet) product.  And yes, identity would be a big plus for gatherings and lobby meetings!

If anybody picks up further information, I'd love to know about it!

[vipa]

Great idea.  I'm so there to make a purchase.  I run a school in NYC that does good business in hoodie type sweatshirts.  Just a suggestion for items that might be popular down the line.

[Mel Johnson]

Thanks for the tip!  Should move especially well on the Dancers' board, but we'll make it possible to do either/or depending on your preference.

[Paul Parish]

I like the image of the Sylphide on the BT4D site -- would look great on a t shirt or a mug. I'd wear it.

[cubanmiamiboy]

perky, on Mar 2 2008, 10:40 AM, said:

On a different note how about Ballet Talk vodka to drown your sorrows in after seeing a particularly bad ballet performance?

...hey, it can be also to celebrate a particularly good one too...!!!

[Mel Johnson]

Paul Parish, on Mar 3 2008, 12:16 AM, said:

I like the image of the Sylphide on the BT4D site -- would look great on a t shirt or a mug. I'd wear it.

You mean the one from the Ballet Alert! site?  I agree it's a pretty picture, but Alexandra got the rights to use it for that site alone, and further use would involve further rights-getting.  Besides, there exists a body of thought that is scrupulous against the use of real people, living or dead, for Ballet Talk for Dancers.  It is their right, and to be respected.  That ought not to stop Ballet Talk from doing so, however, if there is no like body of thought here.

[Solnishka79]

I'm voting for simple t shirts and maybe lanyards. Start small-grow big.
I've not used Cafe Press myself but have heard positive things from others. I may use them this year; my Nutcracker shirts were outrageously priced last Dec!

[jimmattimore]

Mel Johnson, on Mar 2 2008, 06:10 PM, said:

There having been no objection raised by Administrators or Moderators, I want to let you all in on a project we're working on at the other board, Ballet Talk for Dancers.  

We're rounding the far turn on providing members with the opportunity to have site-dedicated articles, such as tee-shirts and coffee mugs available for order through a provider, either zazzle.com or cafepress.com.  We will not have to maintain an inventory, and the provider will accord us a "finder's fee", very like the relationship this site has with amazon.com.  There is no startup or design fee involved, and the member, or anyone who wants one can order through the site, and we'll be able to receive revenue for the order.  

We're going to start easy, with just the masthead title, simple and dignified, as the art, but we will extend the line as consumer interest seems to dictate.  Both Ballet Talk and Ballet Talk for Dancers will be represented.

What do you all think?  Anybody with experience in dealing with either of these two firms?  Any products you can give us a consumer report on?  Suggestions (keep it clean! ) are welcome.

Mel:  Great idea.

I have used Cafe Press three times; they produce quality merchandise, and have terrific customer service.

JIM

[artist]

So I realize BT4D has the "zazzle" link to t-shirts, keychains, etc. Is Ballet Talk going to have its own line?