Ads, Sponsors, & JediDefender

[JediJman]

Does this topic need it's own thread?    *Edit* Apparently it does!   

Personally, I would rather buy from a sponsor now and again to help fund JD versus some kind of subscription or crowd fund fee paid to be a member of the site.  If JD gets $10-15 from me buying toys, I'm probably contributing $30+ dollars per year, but it's hidden in a purchase I was going to make anyway.  Just paying a flat fee (of any amount) feels like something extra, especially given other similar sites are free.  D

I guess what I'm saying is that contributing a little extra here and there through purchases makes the donating less obvious and easier to swallow than looking at a specific amount of dollars you pay for a subscription.  Or am I not correctly interpreting how this crowd fund idea would work?

[Jeff]

I guess what I'm saying is that contributing a little extra here and there through purchases makes the donating less obvious and easier to swallow than looking at a specific amount of dollars you pay for a subscription.  Or am I not correctly interpreting how this crowd fund idea would work?

To me, it's totally situational.

In this instance (40th Anniv Wave 2 Case of 8 @ Dorkside and EE), it looks like this:
A) you're willing to spend $165. You buy from Dorkside @ $160 and kick $5 to JD
B) you're willing to spend $165. You buy from EE @ $165 and EE kicks 10% back to JD ($16.50)

In this case, for this product, buying from EE helps us a lot more than just kicking us $5 in crowdfunding/donation.  But that's not always going to be the case. Not everyone wants to drop $165 on a full case - maybe they only want one figure or two from the box and are waiting for regular retail or HasbroToyShop or something. 

What if the only thing you buy is the Walmart 3.75" SA stuff? There is no EE/Amazon click through for those.  Or LEGO - I'm not expecting anyone to pay full price for LEGO at EE just to get us a cut when they can get great deals at Target clearances or TRU BOGOs.

What Nick was suggesting with crowdfunding (and again, full disclosure, this was something we were already looking into - something that Adam Pawlus at GH has already started doing) was just offering another option for helping the site.  Some people would rather kick money directly to us than buy over-priced toys from Amazon secondary sellers or Brian's Toys or other scalpery-style etailers.

The "scalpery" thing is a big reason that opening a crowdfunding option is tempting to me.  I'd much rather get some monthly donations from JediDefender users as opposed to searching out another sponsor who thinks $35 is a fair price for BS 6" figures or $15 for 5POA figures is OK.  I've held my nose and dealt with a number of sponsors over the years because in all honesty, we needed their help to stay open.  If crowdfunding opens up a new door and lets me drop some of those unsavory places, it's a win in my book.

[Rob]

For transparency, and since others may be curious as well, here is an example EE link:
http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=HSC1688B&id=JE-405087801

This is the product link portion:
http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=HSC1688B

And this is our referral code (so EE knows you came from a JD link):
&id=JE-405087801

The referral code drops off the link once you're on the site.

So we can add that referral to any page on EE to make sure you get a cut?  I should be more up on this, but I'm a schmuck...

I've been ordering Mini-busts through EE and would happily put that code onto the URL each time if it's that easy.

[JediJman]

If it's an "in addition to" instead of a "replacement for" then I think it totally makes sense.  No harm in creating another way to make sure you guys get what you need to keep things running. 

It probably all shakes out the same, but I know that I'm in a happier place when I use collector math to "hide" my costs.  If I make 10 trips to Walmart looking for $6 BS figures and buy ten of them across those trips, I'm really only thinking I spent $60.  But the truth is that I'm probably out $5 in tax and $10 or more in gas.  While $75 still feels like a good deal for 10 figures, it certainly isn't as appealing as the $60 I keep in the back of my mind. I guess I tend to ignore the true price of everything involved or at least minimize it in my head because calling attention to it would just make me feel bad about my spending. 

I view the JD sponsorship in much the same way.  If I make a few purchases here and there through the sponsor, I'm maybe paying a few bucks more, but it's a totally hidden cost.  I don't need to know the amount - I just know the site is getting something for it, so I'm doing something to help out.  I usually don't even check other sites unless the price looks way out of whack.  Not breaking out the details of the cost and knowing the sponsor is paying a bigger chunk than whatever difference I am makes this really appealing to me.  On the flip side, if this went away I know I would waste time wanting to price shop a lot more.  And having to think about how much I want to donate and how often is a slippery slope when money's tight. 

[Jeff]

So we can add that referral to any page on EE to make sure you get a cut?  I should be more up on this, but I'm a schmuck...

I've been ordering Mini-busts through EE and would happily put that code onto the URL each time if it's that easy.

If you add that referral code to the EE link and refresh the page, yes.  Or, just click to EE via the link on our front page, which activates the JD link to every product in EE's Star Wars shop.

If it's an "in addition to" instead of a "replacement for" then I think it totally makes sense.  No harm in creating another way to make sure you guys get what you need to keep things running.

To start, it would definitely be "in addition to".  If it thrives, maybe it eventually replaces conventional advertising in the future.  I'm not expecting that, but you never know until the donations start arriving.

[Jesse James]

Let me add something as an aside to Amazon...  if you buy anything there, even toilet paper, please use our link.  I'm not Above begging.  I have a friend who buys for his business, and I buy a lot there, and always use the link because obviously I want JD's lights on.

Just an aside I wanted to add.

[JediJman]

I'm glad you posted that.  I did not even realize you had an Amazon link.   

[P-Siddy]

So... if I click on your amazon link and save as the home page, would that keep the JD kickback every time I got on the site or is it something i would have to keep doing?  I didn't realize JD had amazon (I know, Jeff, get outside the forums) either, but this would be a great way for me to contribute since I use them almost everyday.

[CorranHorn]

I'm glad you posted that.  I did not even realize you had an Amazon link.   

Can someone share the Amazon link? My ad blocker is preventing the banner from appearing.

[Jesse James]

https://www.amazon.com/?tag=jedide-20&camp=1&creative=319817&linkCode=ur1

Absolutely...

Yeah I never saw much amazon talk and basically yeah I figured ad blockers or stuff were a cause.  But yeah I mean I buy a ton on amazon and like to keep it JD friendly.  Again I'm not above begging.

It's expensive to run a site!  Jeff (and Paul and Chris before him) all had that burden.

[Chris M]

Definitely, thanks for the Amazon heads up.  I frequently buy books from there.  I'll get JD the hook up.

[CorranHorn]

https://www.amazon.com/?tag=jedide-20&camp=1&creative=319817&linkCode=ur1

Absolutely...

Yeah I never saw much amazon talk and basically yeah I figured ad blockers or stuff were a cause.  But yeah I mean I buy a ton on amazon and like to keep it JD friendly.  Again I'm not above begging.

It's expensive to run a site!  Jeff (and Paul and Chris before him) all had that burden.

Thanks for sharing JJ, I will be sure to use the link when I make purchases on Amazon. Hopefully that will help the site a little bit.

[Jesse James]

In the interest of transparency, I don't think Amazon is a big kickback but it helps.  Everything helps really. 

If that link is wrong, which I don't believe it is, I'm sure Jeff will correct it.

I buy anything from customizing supplies to vacuum bags on Amazon so I always try to make sure my link is that one.

IF I buy from somewhere we don't have as a sponsor, I try to make sure I use a site's sponsor that I care about, like Yak.

[Nicklab]

I'm certainly not advocating for a membership sort of fundraising model.  I don't think that sort of model is inclusive, and I think that being inclusive and open for users/readers is important.

I am a member of one musicians forum that has a tiered membership model.  Paying X amounts for an annual membership gives you increased access and perks.  Most people do that because access to sell in their classified forum is limited to members who pay the annual membership fees.  At that site it makes sense because those classified are for musical instruments that cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, and reaching the target market of that site's membership.  That model works there given the nature of what that site does.

When I think about a kickstarter for a site like JD?  One thing that comes to mind is how Radiohead released an album digitally.  They gave people the option to download an album for free, or to choose to pay what they want for it.  And you know what?  A good number of people paid good money for that album because they love and appreciate that band, even though they could have gotten it for free.

I think fundraising drives might be a model that works.  Run one annually with a goal for site operations/maintenance that would go towards server fees and related expenses.  And run other fundraisers that have other specific goals:  "Fund our Toy Fair coverage", "Fund our SDCC coverage",  "Fund our Star Wars Celebration coverage".  If the fundraisers do better than expected?  Make some JD branded merch:  hats, t-shirts, stickers, etc.

[P-Siddy]

In the interest of transparency, I don't think Amazon is a big kickback but it helps.  Everything helps really. 

I wouldn't expect it to be, but as you said, any and everything helps.  I don't buy tons from EE, maybe once a year, but amazon is at least a weekly occurrence so the total might end up being what JD gets from EE or more. 

But I really think knowing this helps because I'll make sure everything goes through the JD link now.  JD was my introduction to fan sites and I was lucky that Jeff lived in the area (and another that ran another fan site) and we had a pretty good group of collectors and hung out and helped each other out.