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Posted on 08/06/2022 8:42:41 AM PDT by ShadowAce
OK, so I woke up this morning with a thought. It may not be worth anything.
People here are understandable frustrated with the fundraising and lack of donations to the site. We also do not want to clutter the site with ads and become beholden to outside interests. We want to remain as independent and self-reliant as possible.
Why not merchandize the FR name? Sell coffee cups, water bottles, t-shirts, etc with the FR URL and logo? I'm a woodturner and can make pens with logos/messages on them (though I *am* employed full time and would not have the time to make hundreds or thousands). I would even suggest selling e-mail addresses ( user@freerepublic.com ) for a nominal fee. The selling point would be a guarantee to not create, collect, or produce logs of any activity for this domain. This may take some up-front expenses to set up though.
Not only would this raise money, it would get the site out into the public eye more often.
I'm not saying this will replace freepathons, but perhaps it can mitigate the length and lower the monetary requirements needed for each one.
Thoughts? Objections?
I wouldn’t buy a t-shirt, but maybe a mug.
And since someone will say it, I’ll be first. No pimping one’s own blog without being a donor (i.e., free use of FreeRepublic).
To some degree, it might help.
I wouldn’t have a problem with a monthly subscription fee (say $2 to browse/read only, or $4 for full-up permissions).
There are companies that FR can partner with that will provide tees, mugs, hoodies, etc. with whatever logos and artwork FR asks for. FR will have to share the profits but there would be far fewer upfront costs.
My idea would be that anyone can read for free, but only those in good $tanding can post and comment.
Merchandise made in chinese sweatshops is so FR. /s
How about a fee to post vanities? Included in the price would be a ban on postings to the thread by humblegunner whining about blog flogging.
The camel's nose n'all that.
Good guys like Mark Dice do this. Maybe he gets it from a Made in U.S. company.
We need our own monetized youtube channel.
The idea of a reasonably priced FreeRepublic email system is very attractive! Would use it extensively for my personal comms.
Everyone wants something for nothing, especially leftists.
When YouTube wants 30 seconds of our attention to watch something I figure it’s not worth the wait. Pluto TV is ok when there’s good(free) movie on. We’re all being led like sheep no matter what-hopefully not to the slaughter.
I can't speak for the Robinsons, but as someone who dabbled in merchandising, i can say that the revenue also introduces a new set of headaches. Suppliers, warehousing, packaging and shipping, etc. And bookkeeping.
I fully understand why JimRob stuck to FReepathons.
The made in America sticker is also made in china. Just costs extra to have it applied.
I never gave as i rarely posted but now i do.
However this site has degenerated into a rw wacko conspiracy site and russian troll outlet.
Kinda makes me not want to donate.
I would absolutely buy a Free Republic t-shirt or sweatshirt. I reference FR quite often when talking politics with my conservative friends. So a visual aid would be nice to have.
The premise of the owner is that he does not want to sell out to the man..
There is no reason you have to sell out if you accept ads.
If anyone offers money only in exchange for something you just refuse those ads.
I Would not mind some unobtrusive ads.
Free Republic was doing exactly what Facebook does now before Facebook existed. Jim rob should be the billionaire.
I’ve been a monthly donor for years. But if there had been a fee to browse, I’d have moved on from the beginning and never started.
I could go along with that, and would probably do a year’s worth at once, say at the beginning of the year.
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