You can now buy EA merch at eamerch.co! We are launching with a small number of designs, and will be adding more soon, some of which will be based on submissions from the community.
Why a merch store?
Merch helps EAs express themselves and fosters a sense of community. It can also help EAs recognize each other within the same setting or act as a conversation-starter at a function. But most importantly, it’s fun!
How it works
Our designer Pearl will regularly add new products, many based on ideas submitted by the community. Shipping and manufacturing is handled by a third-party (Printful). All products are priced at 0% markup*, and we are operating on a one-time independent grant for the time being. We will seek long-term funding in the future contingent on demand.
If you have an idea for a new product or design, submit it at this link! It doesn’t need to be fully fleshed out—just describe what you have in mind, and our designer will try to make it happen. You can also upload a (preferably high-quality) image if you are picturing something really specific. In the short term, we are more likely to take requests for new designs than new products since we are somewhat restricted in the products that we have the ability to manufacture. You are also able to vote on other people’s ideas, and we will generally prioritize those that get the most votes.
We are unlikely to accept designs with controversial, vulgar, or otherwise inappropriate messaging. We are aware of the fact that our merch will symbolize the EA community, and we want to communicate that we are a friendly and welcoming group.
We are still in Beta mode
We have not yet processed any orders, so it is possible that there will be some bugs or unexpected hiccups during our first few weeks of operation (e.g. delays in shipping or payment processing). Place your orders now only if you are okay with this! If not, we recommend you wait and submit your ideas to us in the meantime. We also ask that you do not place orders in bulk at this time, as we are charged immediately for manufacturing and shipping but it takes about a week for your money to reach us.
*Due to our web platform’s limited flexibility in setting shipping prices, they may sometimes be slightly higher than shipping cost.
A domain name, a wix store with and a print on demand platform attached to it is something you can set up in a day for less than 50 dollars and in my opinion does not need a grant, unless that grant is 50 dollars. I assume the grant is larger and would support those working on it, but I would have also like that to be for-profit to see if the market demands this. I personally would love to know what the grant size is with a rough breakdown of how it's going to be spent.
Apart from that I'm not against this. The website needs a bit of work if you ask me (I've been an ecommerce marketeer for 8 years). I'm not a fan of the design and I think there are off the shelve themes on wix that would look a lot better, but I know this is just an MVP and things will improve and it's great you're getting this out there early.