IW Donation time -- I need your help guys!

[Pirengle]

*nose wrinkle at blatant begging*

I'll send what I can spare as soon as my bank tells me how much is in there, Z, but the Ironworkers have to figure out a better way to do this than the monthly "uh-oh, the Choc needs some cash or this site's going in the trash!"

I know donation perks like special avatars and whatnot are out. I understand why we don't have them, and I share that sentiment now. But I wouldn't mind an advertisement setup like GameBanshee, stuff that's relatively out-of-the-way and computer gaming-related.

Have you also considered an online store? I know it's extra time and money to set up, but we can start simple. Another forum I frequent had similar fundraising questions, and I suggested bumper stickers. I've done it for campus groups, and it wouldn't be hard to do for a website. They're cheap to do (about $5 plus S&H), don't require complicated shopping cart setups, and who can resist a "submit to the Choc" bumper sticker, especially when it helps our favorite webhost and his Siamese webmaster? PM me if you're interested.

[Ziroc]

Originally posted by Pirengle: *nose wrinkle at blatant begging* I'll send what I can spare as soon as my bank tells me how much is in there, Z, but the Ironworkers have to figure out a better way to do this than the monthly "uh-oh, the Choc needs some cash or this site's going in the trash!" I know donation perks like special avatars and whatnot are out. I understand why we don't have them, and I share that sentiment now. But I wouldn't mind an advertisement setup like GameBanshee, stuff that's relatively out-of-the-way and computer gaming-related. Have you also considered an online store? I know it's extra time and money to set up, but we can start simple. Another forum I frequent had similar fundraising questions, and I suggested bumper stickers. I've done it for campus groups, and it wouldn't be hard to do for a website. They're cheap to do (about $5 plus S&H), don't require complicated shopping cart setups, and who can resist a "submit to the Choc" bumper sticker, especially when it helps our favorite webhost and his Siamese webmaster? PM me if you're interested.

Blatant begging? No man!! just need help Good things don't come cheap, which sucks.. I don't see why we can't figure out a way to get the funds each month from members in some way.. I mean, we have, what, 14,000 members, and 50% are active, so we should be able to find some way to do it... I mean, if you like Ironworks, isn't it worth paying a bit to keep it alive? [img]smile.gif[/img]

About an online store, it's a cool idea,and besides bumper stickers, I was also gonna do T-Shirts. J.D. Harris still does it I believe! That would be cool, but I would have to see. Bumper Stickers would be awesome--I actually bought some of those 'printer maker' ones, but they get messed up when wet.. are yours the good kind? Mine sucked from the printer. LOL!!! How much would the cost in bulk, say 100? PM me with the goodies!! I'd love to do it!

[uss]

Would be good to have a Sacred forum.. I tried the demo, and I'll *DEFINITELY* get the real thing! It's like Diablo II + many new minor conveniences + horses + 3d graphics. Never have I seen a game use the elements of Diablo II so well!

Since it is a great game and a true classic in CRPGs, and it has been requested many times, I think it'd be good to have a Planescape: Torment forum. But I don't really know how difficult it is to create and preserve a forum, I don't know. I think it would have about as many visitors as the Baldur's Gate and Tales of the Sword Coast forum right now.

[Pirengle]

Originally posted by Ziroc: Blatant begging? No man!! just need help Good things don't come cheap, which sucks.. I don't see why we can't figure out a way to get the funds each month from members in some way.. I mean, we have, what, 14,000 members, and 50% are active, so we should be able to find some way to do it... I mean, if you like Ironworks, isn't it worth paying a bit to keep it alive? [img]smile.gif[/img]

I dunno. I just find it weird that the last time we had one of these threads, several prominent Ironworkers and mods came forth with a resounding cry against pop-up ads, and now the browser bar at the top of every page carries a PayPal donation tag.

I love Ironworks, don't get me wrong. I've known dozens of forums, but this is the only one where the webmaster personally posted to find me on one of the boards I frequented (the BG2 board) after my account got eaten. Any other place (well, the Lurker Lounge might) would have forgotten I existed. Not this place. [img]smile.gif[/img] It's worth the extra bucks to keep it alive, and I don't mind giving them when I have them, but we really need some sort of coordinated Ironworker fundraising effort to make sure you and your beautiful Siamese aren't giving us the hungry tuna eyes during bill-paying time.

About an online store, it's a cool idea,and besides bumper stickers, I was also gonna do T-Shirts. J.D. Harris still does it I believe! That would be cool, but I would have to see. Bumper Stickers would be awesome--I actually bought some of those 'printer maker' ones, but they get messed up when wet.. are yours the good kind? Mine sucked from the printer. LOL!!! How much would the cost in bulk, say 100? PM me with the goodies!! I'd love to do it!

I tried bumper stickers from my laser printer, and they bled. But get them professionally done, and they're beautiful. Sent you a PM about it. 250 stickers with unlimited color for about $300 isn't a bad price.

I'm wrinkling my nose at t-shirts. The expense doesn't bother me as much as the high customization; most places only let people order one size cheaply in bulk. You'd have to pre-order shirts to make a first order or have enough money to buy at least 100 shirts in four different sizes to get the best price with the most size variety (which means $600-$800 depending on how elaborate you want to get), and I don't know if the average Ironworker would want to pay $20-$30 for a shirt.

Other alternatives include coffee mugs, mouse pads, baseball caps, pens, even posters--things where one size truly fits all. But at the moment, bumper stickers would be the easiest and cheapest to get off the ground. Less than $1 in postage, including cost of the envelope. No special packaging needed. And at $5 a sticker, it's affordable and profitable.

(Become a club treasurer or campus club coordinator, and you too can make sales pitches just like Pirengle! [img]tongue.gif[/img] )

[RoSs_bg2_rox]

I think Mousemats are a good idea, it would be kinda cool to have an Ironworks mousemat.

[johnny]

Not if they're the same price as on SP, i think that's the site Pirengle is talking about. 15$ or more for a coffeemug or a mousemat is a bit much, wouldn't you agree ?

And this has been discussed over and over again, and if everyone keeps his promise, the site won't come in danger. And whatever you do, don't do the same thing as SP, next thing you know they're throwing all kinds of accusations and insults at you again.

[Ehrys]

There seems to be a lot of talented resources here amongst the members... how about throwing together a business case to Inc this place and it's members to provide additional "middle-man type" revenue by "outsourcing ~ or insourcing" work?

[Pirengle]

Originally posted by johnny: Not if they're the same price as on SP, i think that's the site Pirengle is talking about. 15$ or more for a coffeemug or a mousemat is a bit much, wouldn't you agree ?

SP? Not familiar with that. $15 for a mug or mousepad is a bit too much, but the $10 range can be reached if there was interest enough to do something. Granted, it'd mean more money on postage and packaging, which would up the cost, but if there was enough interest for an initial order, mousepads would also work. From what I've seen, mousepad design uses a simple image transfer process, and they're cheaper to produce and package than coffee mugs.

There's also the thought of pens. Limited customization, but also cheap to make and ship.

[Xen]

I can`t pay becuase I am too young. But we got 50$. Only 450 to go.

[Ziroc]

Originally posted by Pirengle: quote: Originally posted by Ziroc: Blatant begging? No man!! just need help Good things don't come cheap, which sucks.. I don't see why we can't figure out a way to get the funds each month from members in some way.. I mean, we have, what, 14,000 members, and 50% are active, so we should be able to find some way to do it... I mean, if you like Ironworks, isn't it worth paying a bit to keep it alive? [img]smile.gif[/img]

I dunno. I just find it weird that the last time we had one of these threads, several prominent Ironworkers and mods came forth with a resounding cry against pop-up ads, and now the browser bar at the top of every page carries a PayPal donation tag.

I love Ironworks, don't get me wrong. I've known dozens of forums, but this is the only one where the webmaster personally posted to find me on one of the boards I frequented (the BG2 board) after my account got eaten. Any other place (well, the Lurker Lounge might) would have forgotten I existed. Not this place. [img]smile.gif[/img] It's worth the extra bucks to keep it alive, and I don't mind giving them when I have them, but we really need some sort of coordinated Ironworker fundraising effort to make sure you and your beautiful Siamese aren't giving us the hungry tuna eyes during bill-paying time.

About an online store, it's a cool idea,and besides bumper stickers, I was also gonna do T-Shirts. J.D. Harris still does it I believe! That would be cool, but I would have to see. Bumper Stickers would be awesome--I actually bought some of those 'printer maker' ones, but they get messed up when wet.. are yours the good kind? Mine sucked from the printer. LOL!!! How much would the cost in bulk, say 100? PM me with the goodies!! I'd love to do it!

I tried bumper stickers from my laser printer, and they bled. But get them professionally done, and they're beautiful. Sent you a PM about it. 250 stickers with unlimited color for about $300 isn't a bad price.[/QUOTE]Weird, because like 10 of the websites and forums as well do this exact thing. They have the paypal logo up, and says "help support xxxxx" I mean, everyone says they love IW a lot, so isn't it worth it? [img]smile.gif[/img] But since I put the thingy up, we've only gotten $10..... so, maybe it won't work.. dunno yet.