2020 tortoise forum calendar?

[Wherethetortiroam]

also what about tshirts?

just wanted to start more conversation. personally i just like seeing everyone elses critters in their on environment i do'nt care about prizes and stuff just want a calendar and like every year i don't care if my shell babies make it in or not, just like to see what other people out there got goin on.

thanks and God bless!

 

[method89]

I mean really, who doesn't love a good t-shirt?

 

[vladimir]

Vlad's been having some photo shoots in preparation

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Not one this year?

Terry

 

[jsheffield]

I wasn't eligible last year, and was hoping to submit some this year....

Jamie

 

[vladimir]

I sure hope we have one again!

 

[Yvonne G]

@Josh

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Doesn't seem to be important anymore.. does it? Selling ad-space sure is!!!

 

[TammyJ]

2019 was a good year....!

 

[Yvonne G]

Doesn't seem to be important anymore.. does it? Selling ad-space sure is!!!

Keeping the Forum online isn't cheap. The ads help pay for that.

There are always a few members who really want a contest or a calendar or a T-shirt, but when push comes to shove they have any old excuse for not participating. Putting together a contest for a calendar is a lot of work, getting pictures ready, contacting back those members who don't send in the correctly formatted pictures, making a layout and then paying someone to actually make the calendar doesn't generate enough revenue to make it worthwhile. The price charged for each calendar sold pays for having the calendars made. Most people don't want to spend that much money on a calendar, so sales are slow and often there are calendars left unsold. We usually have to beg people to participate in order to get the necessary 12 pictures for one each month. If Josh decided to not have a calendar contest this year, I totally understand. I handled the contest one year, and even with the help of the other moderators, it was a big job and one I'm not ready to ever do again.

 

[DaisyDuke]

I always felt like there was a LOT of participation. I’ve entered every year since about 2012/2013. We only got in the calendar once but still entered every year. I always saw it as a highlight of tortoise forum.

I can see sales struggle because I only bought twice. Once when we got a month and once when we were on the back. I didn’t the other times we were on the back. Holidays are tough. I can’t even begin to imagine trying to run such a contest. So while I’m sad there seems to not be one this year I also completely understand.

 

[jsheffield]

I whipped up a calendar this afternoon, after reading this thread a bit... took me about an hour.

J

 

[jsheffield]

I whipped up a calendar this afternoon, after reading this thread a bit... took me about an hour.

J

It occurred to me that while I love looking at pictures of other people's torts, I'd probably love a calendar featuring pics of mine and my family with torts at least as much, so that's what I did. I'll post pics when it arrives....

I think TFO could avoid hassle by doing it through something like cafepress, which hosts (and ships) the items for sale... you can mark the price up from their baseline to make it a fundraising thing, and they'll send you the difference.

Just a thought....


Jamie

 

[Aunt Caffy]

That’ll be disappointing if there’s not a calendar, but my tort and I will survive. The information I’ve gotten from TFO has actually helped Rowan survive.

 

[vladimir]

@Josh @Yvonne G is it confirmed that there will be no calendar contest this year?

 

[Pistachio's Pamperer]

Okay. I know I am newish(well been a creeper for years but only recently legit), but I am gonna toss my two cents in.
I get that the actual production of a calendar would/could be ridiculously expensive especially without doing it with forced preorders and with it being something that would maybe fall during holidays. But.... how about the contest minus the actual calendar itself? More like a beauty contest? With maybe an album stored under one of the media in its own folder and archived over the years? And the ability to tag it on to the members info? Example: Dec 2019(crown icon?)- sorry not a coding goddess. Then the next year it goes to the new champ for the month. Like wearing a sash but on their member info? Does this make sense?
I don’t think people are necessarily mad about lack of calendar, I think it’s more mad about lack of the fun they had with the contest and being able to get recognized for a beautiful tortoise/turtle and a perfect photo op.
And I am going to do some investigating as I have a few connections and see what I could get price wise on a calendar. Will also ask about some merch options like bumper stickers, cups, magnets, T-shirts, signs, etc. I would be willing to help out if some connections are needed. I know a couple of folks with online store fronts that might be willing to assist. I have done work with them in the past in regards to charitable work and they were great. Cost/revenue/service fee(for listing/processing) it can all be worked out. If the math is agreeable it might be a great way to keep the site comfortably going.
I would also be willing to help get (pay for if need be) some stuff like the above mentioned made for contest winners. ((And would respect logo/picture/art/etc) rights. And even the intellectual rights for this site.))
This is a beautiful community and the contest was fun, but maybe it needs a morph. Meme contests, logo contests, name that tort/turt, etc there are other things that could be done to keep the pride flowing.
And that is the main thing people are proud to be moms/dads to their animals and are proud to come here to learn and geek out. I would gladly put on a “Ask me about my tortoise/turtle. -tortoiseforum.org” T-shirt and merrily march into Walmart. ((Sorry I am not a marketing person so someone else can come up with the catchy phrase...but you get the idea.))

Just putting it out there. Feel free to tell me to hush.
-Meg

 

[ZEROPILOT]

It seems way too late for that.
Its almost November
These always take a very long time

 

[jsheffield]

I put one together one afternoon last week after reading a post on this topic... it took about an hour on Snapfish.

It occurred to me that while I love looking at pictures of other people's torts, I'd probably love a calendar featuring pics of mine and my family with torts at least as much, so that's what I did. I'll post pics when it arrives....

I think TFO could avoid a lot of the hassle by doing it through a website like Cafepress, which hosts (and ships) the items for sale... you can mark the price up from their baseline to make it a fundraising thing, and they'll send you the difference.

Just a thought....


Jamie

 

[Yvonne G]

I put one together one afternoon last week after reading a post on this topic... it took about an hour on Snapfish.

It occurred to me that while I love looking at pictures of other people's torts, I'd probably love a calendar featuring pics of mine and my family with torts at least as much, so that's what I did. I'll post pics when it arrives....

I think TFO could avoid a lot of the hassle by doing it through a website like Cafepress, which hosts (and ships) the items for sale... you can mark the price up from their baseline to make it a fundraising thing, and they'll send you the difference.

Just a thought....


Jamie

Add to that hour sending back and forth emails to contest entrants because they sent the wrong size picture, fielding complaints because someone thought they counted votes differently than we did, giving a deadline for entries, then waiting for the deadline, reaching the deadline and not having 12 entries, and on and on.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Add to that hour sending back and forth emails to contest entrants because they sent the wrong size picture, fielding complaints because someone thought they counted votes differently than we did, giving a deadline for entries, then waiting for the deadline, reaching the deadline and not having 12 entries, and on and on.

It sounds like a pain in the arse that no one wants to volunteer for.
No.
My hand it not raised.