How I changed the world with 900 fitness trackers - An April Fool's Day Fuko Story
43So last week, I posted about how I was getting (one of the?) Fuko bonus gifts.
What should I do with 900 fitness trackers? Well, I immediately planned to donate them. I’d actually decided to donate them before I knew what they were and I am a bit stubborn like that. I received numerous suggestions to sell them, both here and elsewhere, but never really considered it. People love these things, so I knew a good charity with a store to sell them would likely be able to unload them for a profit.
So today, as I’d promised the wife, was d-day for removal of the pallet of fun.
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First load filled up. 60 boxes in my truck for the first run.
Got a nice guy to help me load them up at the Goodwill that is just around the corner from me.
He was really excited about them. He liked I kept them in the boxes so they were easy for him to store. Made me really smile when he said “oh yeah, we can sell these!”
600 to go, so I loaded up the truck again.
Got a few more boxes in this time, 63 boxes this time.
I only know 63 because a slight grumpy man helped me load these into shopping carts. He counted each one.
Alrighty, time to load up again. Unfortunately, a charity I really wanted to donate to was closed for the day. They specialize more in clothes though. I’ll find something else for them. Anyway, third load up and I headed off to another place.
45 more boxes to the next place. Really friendly guy here who didn’t get why I had so many. He didn’t believe my story. Eventually I went with “I won them”.
@Ozzie2191 you should have said “I hijacked a truck.”
that might have shut him up.
Last set of 11 loaded in to be donated to our work’s fitness event starting up next week. I tried to donate more but no one would respond to me. Their loss.
So Mediocrebot pranked me with these and instead ended up giving a huge boost to several local charities of mine. Thank you!
But that said, there’s still one thing left to do.
To paraphrase Bruce Nolan, you have to “be the change”. So, after putting it off for far too many years…
Workout, day 1.
Thanks much to the powers that be for the entertainment. I never even considered that I would win one of the big prizes before and despite keeping only one box for friends and family, I am more than content with that.
For the record…the band worked. The app loaded on my phone. And despite syncing before my workout, would never sync again. And crashed multiple times. sigh Yes, the app stinks. I may have to go buy a real band!
@Ozzie2191 Do you want a “real band?” After all you did for charity, maybe you deserve a little something in return! I’ve got an old Fitbit Flex sitting in a drawer, I’m gonna see if it charges, but if it does, and you want it, it’s yours!
And before you ask, it’s only sitting in a drawer because I upgraded to a pair of ill-fated Fitbit Surges, followed by a Garmin Forerunner 25 which, aside from having its band replaced (twice) is doing fantastically.
@smigit2002 thanks but Meh did all the work; i was merely the delivery boy.
That looks like a good band. I have never used one of these things before so I need to figure out what works with my phone. Research time tomorrow it seems.
@Ozzie2191 I posted a link for a couple of nice cheap trackers in the May deals thread.
@sammydog01 Thanks! I will take a look.
That’s awesome! Best of luck and success to your local charities and to you on your workout endeavor.
Now if you could get rid of the big ass spider picture in the header that’d be great. 🕷
@heartny Huh, I see that spider…why is that there? Did I pick that somehow?
@Ozzie2191 I notice lately that some new topics pick up photos from prior topics rather than displaying one that’s relevant. In this case a big ass spider doesn’t seem very relevant
Fortunately it doesn’t take away from the good that you did for the charities.
@Ozzie2191 Looks like the spider is gone. Yay!
@heartny excellent, sorry it was there to start!
@heartny @Ozzie2191 Oh, that was one of Mediocrebot’s pranks. One of the boxes was filled with spiders.
@heartny Lol, I just noticed that the picture is now my truck filled with boxes. Thanks Meh-ziens!
@Ozzie2191 Good job! I enjoyed reading your story
Refreshing to hear stories like this still exist on occasion
Thanks for the wonderful illustrated story! I imagine that in future years actuaries will puzzle over the slightly longer life span of people in your community.
P.S. consider buying a Powerball ticket this week.
Congratulations on winning this “Lottery”
@PocketBrain Umm does that mean @Ozzie2191 is the next goat or that we are stoning him/her to death?
@Kidsandliz @PocketBrain That’s the type of stoned that is even less recommended by doctors than others!
So…you gave them to multiple places and over-saturated the market… Now, none of those places will be able to sell them for a decent price because there are so many available in the local market. You should have given them all to one place so they would have a monopoly on hella-cheap fitness trackers.
Or…you could have just sold them all yourself and kept the money. Then use it to donate places or leave big tips. Alas, these fitness trackers will be on the shelves for a very long time. (unless the places you donated to will sell them online or something)
@medz On the other hand if the city is big enough likely it won’t matter.
@Kidsandliz I hope you’re right, @Kidsandliz. I really do.
@medz Two of the locations I donated to have pretty good turnaround on merchandise. While I live in what was described to me yesterday as “upscale neighborhood”, there’s certainly a large variety in income needs/ability around. They are far enough away to be different target markets. The second place I donated to, I’ve never visited so I have no idea. Again, considering the neighborhood, it probably will be ok.
I wasn’t considering marketing conditions during the donations, but I’m pretty sure they’ll be ok.
Fun story! Glad to see the special Fuko went to the right place. I salute you that helping charities was your first impulse!
What are you claiming as the value for the tax write-off? Or do you have to say the whole lot was only worth the $5 that you paid for it?
@medz I haven’t given a lot of thought to it, honestly. I have a nice tax person who I’ve used for 25+ years who I will give that question to. If I get some bonus as a tax write off, great. If not, still great. I didn’t do this for a tax write off.
@Ozzie2191
@Ozzie2191 I just noticed the poop icon. How long has that been there?
@cinoclav it says ex-vmp. The forum should be littered with poops.
@cinoclav looks like the first mention was an hour ago, so somewhere around there. My favorite so far is @stinks because stinks, lol.
@cinoclav Since the announcement yesterday, I’d guess? Wasn’t there before.
@Ozzie2191 @RiotDemon I’m undecided if it’s humorous or insulting.
@cinoclav @RiotDemon Just consider it chocolate soft-serve instead. Then it’s delightful!
@Ozzie2191 @RiotDemon With corn jimmies?
@cinoclav @Ozzie2191 @RiotDemon And peanut sprinkles?