[hackerspaces] hackerspaceSHOP.com launched

[mylucubrium at gmail.com]

Hi Flobub,

Personally, I find this a great idea!

Even hackers need funding and nobody says that you cannot win money for
living and doing. Everybody should be ready to pay fair money for a fair
service or product, and funding is mostly the problem for large scale
and large distance hacker projects. If this is a solution, why not?

Moreover you provide a service to the community and the best, it's an EU
service (US things cannot help us in the EU)!

An idea: in Belgium we have a non-profit that sells self-made robot kits
to people, kids and schools. Maybe you can make a deal with them to make
a special arrangement (share "profit" oslt): http://www.dwengo.org/

Be well and keep going :)
@Imifos


On 15/03/2012 17:31, overflo wrote:
> Hi girls, guys, robots!
> We [0] are finally launching the HACKERSPACESHOP.com [1].
> Before you scream "sellout!" read on and find out what is going on..
>
> TL;DR: hackerspaceshop.com is an open platform for hackerspaces where
> one can sell his/her kits,
> Find support with kit-making, get peace of mind with taxes / paper
> work. Based in centraleurope (EU).
>
> We started to work on this platform over a year ago.
> At the beginning we wanted to have a shop for us and the metalab [2],
> but then the idea evolved and now we have a registered company based
> in vienna / austria to take care of the whole tax business and
> paperwork stuff that you have to do in europe to sell things and buy
> parts.
>
>
> Hackers want to hack.
> Some are also interested in spreading their work and let others
> contribute in firmware or hardware improvements.
>
> But most hackers have little interest in customer care, sending
> packages with the postal service, RMA handling, dealing with the
> tax-bureaucrats and all the hassles of running a business based in
> europe.
>
> Thats what we do.
>
> You have the idea / kit / product -> we have the infrastructure and
> network to get things rolling.
>
> If you are already actively producing kits, let us know, we might be
> interested in re-selling them.
>
> We will help you with our knowledge and network to get from prototype to
> product.
> We will sell your kits or assembled products on our platform.
> We give workshops all over the world in hackerspaces and promote your
> kits, teach soldering and all things microcontrollers do..
>
> And most importantly: We give something back to the community.
> We just started so we don't know yet how much money is in this, but we
> are sure there is a market and we are sure there will be profit.
>
> The profit is used to:
>  - keep the shop running and expand the stock
>  - pay the kitmakers / inventors / hackers
>  - give a share back to hackerspaces in forms of hardware donations /
> equipment / kits / free workshops
>
>
>
> Currently there is one robotic / electronic kit in the store that we
> used for a reference implementation.
> Its called SolarRoboFlower and it is a flower robot with light sensors
> that follows your flashlight / lighter with different modes of
> operation.
> There are 3 different versions of the kit available.
>
> If you want to get one just go to the store and enter HELLOWORLD in the
> couponcode section for 10,- off the total amount.
>
> We will add more kits and products in the coming days / weeks and
> already have a rather long list of things we would like to offer on the
> platform.
>
> If YOU have something that you want to share, dont hesitate to
> contact us [3].
>
> Also if you have questions regarding the shop or you just want to say
> hello, or you want us to visit your hackerspace and have a workshop -
> drop us a line.
>
> We are giving away a limited number of SolarRoboFlower-kits to chosen
> hackerspaces.  If you think your space should be on our list, let us
> know!
>
>
>
> Please spread the word on your spaces mailinglists and tell your
> friends. Together this will become awesome!
>
>
> Lots of love
> -overflo
>
> ps: Most of the things are up and running. Sourcecode, schematics and
> more information on our first kit will follow real soon now.
>
>
>
>
>
> [0] overflo, mind, wizard23, metalab-crowd
> [1] http://www.hackerspaceshop.com
> [2] https://metalab.at
> [3] shop at hackerspaceshop.com
>
>