@JasonToon 's struck out on his own or at least on the side w/ a Europe inspired monthly surprise box. Read Here Got the scoop from @snapster 's twitter so I figure it's all good to post .
Actually, thanks for sharing, this looks like a great idea. People love mystery-type boxes, and this one is so upscale, it's not really a gamble at all. Including @JasonToon's product descriptions is a major bonus.
I was going to post about this tonight! Thanks for the kind words, @ceagee and @KDemo. (And if trips to Europe happen to be a business expense, well...)
You could say it's a radical departure from Woot and Meh. But you could also say it builds on the most important thing I've learned from these jobs: that Internet retail doesn't have to be a dull, hollow, soul-sucking ordeal.
If Eucopia sounds like fun, come get you some. And for you entrepreneurial types: got any advice for a lifelong non-trepreneur finally taking the plunge?
Got myself one big box to show support for now. I'm sure I will love everything I get, but I can't really justify any more random stuff at this point in my life.
If you enjoy reading the writeups every day then what better way to say thank you than support this project?
@CowboyDann Buying the products here that said write-up is pitching? I'm sure that reassuring the boss that these write-ups remain effective and the writer is thus earning that paycheck and possibly a raise is an excellent way to show appreciation. 😉
@ACraigL Hmm... let's say the products I'm looking at right now could go in a couple of different thematic directions. I will announce the theme before the Indiegogo campaign ends, though.
Jason and I saw Spectre this weekend (@matthew punked out like a big ol' baby) and I grilled him on Eucopia. His ideas are great and I'm excited to see how this goes. Trust the man's taste! He is a golden god of Euro-prod.
@JasonToon I've got some connections in Bulgaria - and some serious language skills. If you're ever looking to purchase or get anything manufactured there, let me know. For "made in Europe" products, they're fairly cheap in Bulgaria, and the $ is doing really well there right now too.
@JasonToon 1) OMG OMG OMG IS THAT A NEW SHEET CAKE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO EAT ON CAM FOR US? (yes, I may still be slightly obsessed with that whole birthday stream you once hosted) 2) Why no Eucopia love for Canada? I mean, come on, we are practically neighbours! 3) Thanks for years of entertainment, in case you aren't aware that you have provided them to me and I am appreciative of it. 4) SHEET CAKE! :¬D
@JasonToon this is perfection, I have always loved European design and quality, just got back from Germany with my suitcase full of great products. I am very interested in the possibility of becoming a buyer for Eucopia, I have been an international buyer and product developer for US-based fair trade companies. Is the best way to get in touch with you via email? Am so excited with this new venture! I can't stop thinking about it.
@xarous or at least some kind of wonderful chocolate in every box. Belgium is a nice country for that or Germany or Switzerland or.... I best chocolate in every box you might sell more. Well to me anyways.
I want to sign up for the lifetime subscription, but I kind of feel like you'll get bored of this long before (god willing) either of us is dead. Will you still send me stuff every month even if (pooh pooh pooh) this fails? I suspect I'll sign up for the year, but am currently out of town and don't want to do it over free Target wifi. So, you do have a few days to try if you want to get $1500 out of me.
I jumped too soon ! Announcement today (shades of 2 for tuesday?) :
Today would be a great day to tell your good-taste, budget-conscious pals about Eucopia. We're offering a free month to anyone who subscribes today at the $40 level or above, between now and midnight Pacific time, Tuesday, July 28. That's a whole extra month of beautiful, useful, interesting European objects - and they'll hear about it from you. Your friends will be so impressed at how cool you are.
In today's deal topic, @HelloAlice raises some points that I'm sure are lurking in the minds of many a Mehtizen about this strange new venture of mine. Don't wanna threadjack that topic, though, so I'm gonna answer those objections right here, right now, Jesus Jones-style:
1) Obviously, "5 items for $49" does not strictly mean each item is valued at $10. Some cost more/are worth more than others. Each box will have a mixture of higher-priced durable goods (in the beta box, the clock and the coffee cup) and lower-priced consumables (everything else).
2) "Pitchers to pencils, tumblers to toothpaste" was written as a euphonious summary of the range of items, not a packing slip. So it's just a (huge) bit over-literal to jump from that to HOW DARE YOU CHARGE $8 FOR A PENCIL?
3) No way you could've known this, but I sold the beta box for $35. I actually raised the price based on feedback from that test group, so I could afford to include better durables.
4) Also, it was a run of 10 boxes, so I got no volume discount whatsoever. When I'm selling 100, 1000, 2000 boxes a month, I'll pass the savings on to you!
5) The $12 Eucopia Mini single item will almost always be durable. Unless I can find that gold-plated toothpaste you mention (can you hook me up with a source for that?).
6) Believe it or not, some people actually do pay more for things they like, even if they could get a roughly similar item for less somewhere else. Why does anyone pay $10 for three little Field Notes journals when they can get a gigantic 200-page spiral notebook from Wal-Mart for two bucks? Because something about the experience is worth it to them, whether or not it makes sense to you or me. One person's indulgent little luxury is another person's "obNOXiously overpriced". I know, it's weird, but humans are mysterious creatures.
7) Finally, and best of all, we live in a country where nobody has to buy anything they don't want. You're obviously not into the Eucopia thing and that's totally cool. My own wife wouldn't pay $40 for it, either. We're all free to choose the chocolate sprinkles that matter most to us, because AMERICA, amirite?
Thank you! Rock on! And good morning, afternoon, or evening, as the case may be!
@JasonToon I guess I didn't realize it was one of those expensive luxury subscription boxes where you pay more for the "curation". shrug you're right, I won't be buying it, but like a true AMERICAN I expressed my opinion anyway, haaaaa!
@JasonToon So, about that european toothpaste... can we make requests? I could totally use a few tubes of the european Sensodyne Repair&Protect that actually contains the NovaMin active ingredient (unlike the imitation stuff they sell here stateside).
Hurry everybody - today is the last day for the Indiegogo campaign!
Q for @JasonToon: If we get in on the campaign and like it lots, will we have an option to continue at the same (lower) monthly price, or will it go up to regular price once our initial purchase is fulfilled?
@thrashsoundly Thanks for mentioning this! We're actually extending the pre-order prices through the end of the month. So even though the campaign officially ends tonight, you can still order through the Indiegogo page through August 31.
But yes, to renew beyond your initial purchase, the price would officially go up to regular price - assuming we're not running any promotions, and what kind of business doesn't run any promotions...?
@JasonToon BTW I just got back from Europe earlier this week. Let's just say I'm glad I just saw your music video today, because all the pigeons there would have really screwed with my brain.
Can someone please give an update about this subscription service? They have not provided any updates of any kind - as far as I can tell - for more than a month now, and yet renewed my subscription (for $140). So...I'm concerned because that's like 28 months of VIP on Meh.com....
@cometwatcher First, I just noticed that a few charges erroneously went through a couple of weeks ago. I refunded them all, including (I hope) yours - let me know if you didn't get that refund.
Second, we've had some logistical and cash-flow issues over the last couple of months, but it seems to be smoothing out now... #4 will ship in early May. Today I'm sending an email and posting on Facebook to announce that.
Sorry for the hassle. Thanks for your patience and for not ripping me a (totally justified) new one. I'm still figuring this out.
@JasonToon Hi again. Still not out to rip you a new one or anything, but I just now checked the Eucopia Facebook page and web pages, as well as double checked my email in case an update went to spam, etc., and no update has been posted there since December. Did the update get delayed for some reason and is #4 still slated to go out in early May...which would be now I'm guessing...?
Hi Jason. I really do appreciate you posting an answer to my question. I first heard about Eucopia on this very thread, subscribed in the Indiegogo stage, and was quite pleased with the packages I did receive (esp. the Gifts themed one). I love the Eucopia concept - the curating, inserts, graphics, etc., are top notch - and I really do hope you are able to make a real go of it. I checked my credit card statements and I received no refund; however, if there really is going to be more boxes coming, I'd rather just have my 3-month subscription fulfilled anyway. I WANT to keep getting the boxes if they are actually going to still go out and I don't mind waiting multiple months even as long as there are also very regular status updates...so I'm glad that's the plan...? I think if you update Facebook, etc. regularly, most of your subscribers would probably be understanding and feel the same way. Anyway, good luck;. Don't want to rip you a new one (or even an old one) at the mo.
@cometwatcher Thanks again, your patience is amazing. I just now posted an update to FB and sent an email - box #4 will now be going out in early June. Have you received all of our first three boxes? And can you let me know (either here or at eucopia@eucopia.com) what the name on your order is, so I can make sure you haven't been charged for anything you didn't receive? Thanks. The worst of this is over - should be much smoother sailing through the end of the year.
Sigh…how about just an update? Although Facebook was eventually updated with a notice that the next box was coming out in early May, the box was never sent out. I am now assuming anyone who signed up is going to eat their plus $100 payments. I specifically didn’t give my name to an order here, as JasonToon requested, because I don’t want any kind of special treatment; I want everyone who made these orders to receive what they paid for, their money back, or - at the very, very least for the time being - an explanation for the very extensive delays and details about how he is addressing this. Having said all that, I kind of feel like the $100 plus I spent was worth it simply for the lesson I learned here - never again take a chance on an unknown venture of this sort ever again without a solid guarantee of some sort, actual refs. as opposed to shout outs on a chat board, and evidence that the people involved will actually give regular updates. Also stop buying s in general on speculation. I do feel bad for those who literally spend multihundreds on subscriptions to this box with the recipients - according to their Eucopia Facebook posts - getting nada or maybe one single vase or tiki mug. And yes, I understand if someone just got in over their head, but I don’t understand the complete lack of updates, esp. since JasonToon apparently regularly contributes to chat forums here.
Hey @JasonToon, can I bribe you for a Eucopia update with a brown Zune? This is not a transparent attempt to get your address; that would merely be a fringe benefit.
Awesome way to write off European vacations!
Actually, thanks for sharing, this looks like a great idea.
People love mystery-type boxes, and this one is so upscale, it's not really a gamble at all. Including @JasonToon's product descriptions is a major bonus.
I was going to post about this tonight! Thanks for the kind words, @ceagee and @KDemo. (And if trips to Europe happen to be a business expense, well...)
You could say it's a radical departure from Woot and Meh. But you could also say it builds on the most important thing I've learned from these jobs: that Internet retail doesn't have to be a dull, hollow, soul-sucking ordeal.
If Eucopia sounds like fun, come get you some. And for you entrepreneurial types: got any advice for a lifelong non-trepreneur finally taking the plunge?
@JasonToon GOOD LUCK!!!
@JasonToon
Prepare to go without sleep a lot.
And it's definitely "on the side" - I'll still be slinging nonsense on the front page around here every day.
@JasonToon - Relieved! Wouldn't be meh without you.
This is definitely tempting.
@DrunkCat
Got myself one big box to show support for now. I'm sure I will love everything I get, but I can't really justify any more random stuff at this point in my life.
If you enjoy reading the writeups every day then what better way to say thank you than support this project?
@CowboyDann Buying the products here that said write-up is pitching? I'm sure that reassuring the boss that these write-ups remain effective and the writer is thus earning that paycheck and possibly a raise is an excellent way to show appreciation. 😉
@jqubed I'll take that, too! Thanks!
Uch, I can't decide which level to get, I kind of want everything forever. Good thing there are 29 or so days left.
I got a little sad when I saw this:
I wonder if that's part of what made me sign up. If so, well played.
@SSteve Ha! This is Indiegogo shaming me because I didn't give it permission to see my Friends list.
I'm getting paid tomorrow and feeling flush with cash. I signed up for a 3-month subscription.
@looseneck Thanks! Merci! Gracias! Danke! Teşekkür ederim! Eskerrik asko! Dankul! Multumesc! Guess which one of these I just made up!
@JasonToon Multumesc is my guess and I didn't use Google Translate. What do I win? Besides your love
@looseneck My love is yours, even though you clearly don't speak Romanian. Guess again!
@JasonToon Dankul
@JasonToon I obviously need to be educated with mysterious european tchotchki every month
@JasonToon Interesting idea. Any idea what the theme for the first shipment will be? Or is that part of the surprise?
@ACraigL Hmm... let's say the products I'm looking at right now could go in a couple of different thematic directions. I will announce the theme before the Indiegogo campaign ends, though.
Jason and I saw Spectre this weekend (@matthew punked out like a big ol' baby) and I grilled him on Eucopia. His ideas are great and I'm excited to see how this goes. Trust the man's taste! He is a golden god of Euro-prod.
Please include a teaser for what the following month's theme is. I like box with a little mystery in it.
@JerseyFrank Will do!
In for a one month FukubEucopia.
Sounds cool and interesting! I'm in.
@AnnaB Aw shucks! Thanks!
@JasonToon I've got some connections in Bulgaria - and some serious language skills. If you're ever looking to purchase or get anything manufactured there, let me know. For "made in Europe" products, they're fairly cheap in Bulgaria, and the $ is doing really well there right now too.
Best of luck with the new venture!
They've got some fun (and useful and oh so tasty when used for cooking) pottery that's really cheap.
@luvche21 Very intriguing! How can I get in touch with you? Or can you email me at eucopia at eucopia dot com?
@JasonToon I just emailed you :)
@JasonToon I feel like your part of the family as I've been reading your work for almost 10 years. Gotta help family!
@looseneck Aw, jeez! Well, let me know if I can ever return the favor.
@JasonToon can I borrow a couple hundred bucks?
@JasonToon 1) OMG OMG OMG IS THAT A NEW SHEET CAKE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO EAT ON CAM FOR US? (yes, I may still be slightly obsessed with that whole birthday stream you once hosted)
2) Why no Eucopia love for Canada? I mean, come on, we are practically neighbours!
3) Thanks for years of entertainment, in case you aren't aware that you have provided them to me and I am appreciative of it.
4) SHEET CAKE! :¬D
@curtise @JasonToon Seconding the streaming-cake-eating request. Hmm, it looks like an order number....
In for the cheap box. Because I'm cheap.
@JasonToon this is perfection, I have always loved European design and quality, just got back from Germany with my suitcase full of great products. I am very interested in the possibility of becoming a buyer for Eucopia, I have been an international buyer and product developer for US-based fair trade companies. Is the best way to get in touch with you via email? Am so excited with this new venture! I can't stop thinking about it.
@cristynaeh Yes, you can email me at eucopia at eucopia dot com. Please do! And thanks for the kind words!
@JasonToon You need to find a way to sneak Cadbury Spectacular 7 bars in some of the boxes. You would be loved forever.
@xarous or at least some kind of wonderful chocolate in every box. Belgium is a nice country for that or Germany or Switzerland or.... I best chocolate in every box you might sell more. Well to me anyways.
@ceagee or my Polish favorite: Ptasie mleczko.
I want to sign up for the lifetime subscription, but I kind of feel like you'll get bored of this long before (god willing) either of us is dead. Will you still send me stuff every month even if (pooh pooh pooh) this fails? I suspect I'll sign up for the year, but am currently out of town and don't want to do it over free Target wifi. So, you do have a few days to try if you want to get $1500 out of me.
I jumped too soon !
Announcement today (shades of 2 for tuesday?) :
Today would be a great day to tell your good-taste, budget-conscious pals about Eucopia. We're offering a free month to anyone who subscribes today at the $40 level or above, between now and midnight Pacific time, Tuesday, July 28. That's a whole extra month of beautiful, useful, interesting European objects - and they'll hear about it from you. Your friends will be so impressed at how cool you are.
In today's deal topic, @HelloAlice raises some points that I'm sure are lurking in the minds of many a Mehtizen about this strange new venture of mine. Don't wanna threadjack that topic, though, so I'm gonna answer those objections right here, right now, Jesus Jones-style:
1) Obviously, "5 items for $49" does not strictly mean each item is valued at $10. Some cost more/are worth more than others. Each box will have a mixture of higher-priced durable goods (in the beta box, the clock and the coffee cup) and lower-priced consumables (everything else).
2) "Pitchers to pencils, tumblers to toothpaste" was written as a euphonious summary of the range of items, not a packing slip. So it's just a (huge) bit over-literal to jump from that to HOW DARE YOU CHARGE $8 FOR A PENCIL?
3) No way you could've known this, but I sold the beta box for $35. I actually raised the price based on feedback from that test group, so I could afford to include better durables.
4) Also, it was a run of 10 boxes, so I got no volume discount whatsoever. When I'm selling 100, 1000, 2000 boxes a month, I'll pass the savings on to you!
5) The $12 Eucopia Mini single item will almost always be durable. Unless I can find that gold-plated toothpaste you mention (can you hook me up with a source for that?).
6) Believe it or not, some people actually do pay more for things they like, even if they could get a roughly similar item for less somewhere else. Why does anyone pay $10 for three little Field Notes journals when they can get a gigantic 200-page spiral notebook from Wal-Mart for two bucks? Because something about the experience is worth it to them, whether or not it makes sense to you or me. One person's indulgent little luxury is another person's "obNOXiously overpriced". I know, it's weird, but humans are mysterious creatures.
7) Finally, and best of all, we live in a country where nobody has to buy anything they don't want. You're obviously not into the Eucopia thing and that's totally cool. My own wife wouldn't pay $40 for it, either. We're all free to choose the chocolate sprinkles that matter most to us, because AMERICA, amirite?
Thank you! Rock on! And good morning, afternoon, or evening, as the case may be!
Jason
@JasonToon I guess I didn't realize it was one of those expensive luxury subscription boxes where you pay more for the "curation". shrug you're right, I won't be buying it, but like a true AMERICAN I expressed my opinion anyway, haaaaa!
@JasonToon So, about that european toothpaste... can we make requests? I could totally use a few tubes of the european Sensodyne Repair&Protect that actually contains the NovaMin active ingredient (unlike the imitation stuff they sell here stateside).
Hurry everybody - today is the last day for the Indiegogo campaign!
Q for @JasonToon: If we get in on the campaign and like it lots, will we have an option to continue at the same (lower) monthly price, or will it go up to regular price once our initial purchase is fulfilled?
@thrashsoundly Thanks for mentioning this! We're actually extending the pre-order prices through the end of the month. So even though the campaign officially ends tonight, you can still order through the Indiegogo page through August 31.
But yes, to renew beyond your initial purchase, the price would officially go up to regular price - assuming we're not running any promotions, and what kind of business doesn't run any promotions...?
@JasonToon BTW I just got back from Europe earlier this week. Let's just say I'm glad I just saw your music video today, because all the pigeons there would have really screwed with my brain.
@JasonToon Email says the box is shipping tomorrow. Was I suppose to give you my updated shipping address at some point?
@medz Yes! Send it to eucopia@eucopia.com, including your name. Thanks.
Can someone please give an update about this subscription service? They have not provided any updates of any kind - as far as I can tell - for more than a month now, and yet renewed my subscription (for $140). So...I'm concerned because that's like 28 months of VIP on Meh.com....
@cometwatcher Might want to ping @JasonToon
@cometwatcher First, I just noticed that a few charges erroneously went through a couple of weeks ago. I refunded them all, including (I hope) yours - let me know if you didn't get that refund.
Second, we've had some logistical and cash-flow issues over the last couple of months, but it seems to be smoothing out now... #4 will ship in early May. Today I'm sending an email and posting on Facebook to announce that.
Sorry for the hassle. Thanks for your patience and for not ripping me a (totally justified) new one. I'm still figuring this out.
@JasonToon Hi again. Still not out to rip you a new one or anything, but I just now checked the Eucopia Facebook page and web pages, as well as double checked my email in case an update went to spam, etc., and no update has been posted there since December. Did the update get delayed for some reason and is #4 still slated to go out in early May...which would be now I'm guessing...?
Hi Jason. I really do appreciate you posting an answer to my question. I first heard about Eucopia on this very thread, subscribed in the Indiegogo stage, and was quite pleased with the packages I did receive (esp. the Gifts themed one). I love the Eucopia concept - the curating, inserts, graphics, etc., are top notch - and I really do hope you are able to make a real go of it. I checked my credit card statements and I received no refund; however, if there really is going to be more boxes coming, I'd rather just have my 3-month subscription fulfilled anyway. I WANT to keep getting the boxes if they are actually going to still go out and I don't mind waiting multiple months even as long as there are also very regular status updates...so I'm glad that's the plan...? I think if you update Facebook, etc. regularly, most of your subscribers would probably be understanding and feel the same way.
Anyway, good luck;. Don't want to rip you a new one (or even an old one) at the mo.
@cometwatcher Thanks again, your patience is amazing. I just now posted an update to FB and sent an email - box #4 will now be going out in early June. Have you received all of our first three boxes? And can you let me know (either here or at eucopia@eucopia.com) what the name on your order is, so I can make sure you haven't been charged for anything you didn't receive? Thanks. The worst of this is over - should be much smoother sailing through the end of the year.
@JasonToon So, any word on #4? I’m with you for however many years it takes to get 12 boxes, so this is not a complaint, more simple curiosity.
Sigh…how about just an update? Although Facebook was eventually updated with a notice that the next box was coming out in early May, the box was never sent out. I am now assuming anyone who signed up is going to eat their plus $100 payments. I specifically didn’t give my name to an order here, as JasonToon requested, because I don’t want any kind of special treatment; I want everyone who made these orders to receive what they paid for, their money back, or - at the very, very least for the time being - an explanation for the very extensive delays and details about how he is addressing this. Having said all that, I kind of feel like the $100 plus I spent was worth it simply for the lesson I learned here - never again take a chance on an unknown venture of this sort ever again without a solid guarantee of some sort, actual refs. as opposed to shout outs on a chat board, and evidence that the people involved will actually give regular updates. Also stop buying s in general on speculation. I do feel bad for those who literally spend multihundreds on subscriptions to this box with the recipients - according to their Eucopia Facebook posts - getting nada or maybe one single vase or tiki mug. And yes, I understand if someone just got in over their head, but I don’t understand the complete lack of updates, esp. since JasonToon apparently regularly contributes to chat forums here.
Hey @JasonToon, can I bribe you for a Eucopia update with a brown Zune? This is not a transparent attempt to get your address; that would merely be a fringe benefit.
PS It comes with a car kit.