Brilliant new BF contest idea--who's with me?

Shmackey

Shmackey

Joined
May 5, 2000
Messages
1,478
Okay, here's my idea for a monthly (or biweekly...) contest that would draw some serious traffic to BF:
The moderator(s) pick a winner just like they would for a blade giveaway, but the winner gets to spend, oh, up to $500 at a predetermined knife store at wholesale prices. We could cycle knife shops for each contest or we could have a permanent store that's very connected with BF (hint). The shop loses nothing since their wholesale costs are covered, and someone gets their dream knives at unbelievable prices!

Well?
 
Shmackey,

The knife giveaway is usually donated in exchange for product advertisement. The knife is prominently displayed on our home page. Your contest looses this advantage, and imposes on the knife store the duty of revealing its wholesale price level (I wouldn't want to release this if it were my shop).

N2S
 
Good points, but I've got them covered. It's easy to show something besides a picture of a giveaway knife. I'll make an icon myself if I have to.
As for wholesale prices, I can understand that concern, but most people are smart enough to know what retail markup is; there aren't too many secrets there. And I don't think anyone will blame a knife store for selling a knife at twice the price the store paid for it; that store just bought a thousand knives at once.
I, for one, would rather be able to go on a wild knife shopping spree than win one specified giveaway knife. Who's with me?
 
Having a Scottish lineage, outlook --- DOUR man, DOUR -- and, formerly, whiskey drinking habits, I always get pretty excited at the words discount/wholesale cost, free and winning.

However, I just joined here at the beginning of February, and haven't seen one of the alleged present drawings yet. My guess is that Mike and Spark (and Bob?) keep pretty busy between the store and the forum. I think any plan like yours could be worked out so it didn't give too exact a picture of wholesale prices, but it would be a fairly major hassle, and I doubt the powers that be need anything that would take a fair amount of their time.

The night I found Blade Forums, and Knife Forums, I just looked at the home pages. Decided right away to join here, because of drawing -- Scottish remember? Then afterward, checked out the two forums. Have only gone back to the other one twice -- hard to get caught up on all the forums I like to read here, and they're much better, overall IMO here.

Anyhoo, to advertise such a drawing as you suggest, would get into Mike's pocket, another reason I wouldn't hold your breath. I don't think most people really come here to win something. It is their knuttiness!!

Bugs

[This message has been edited by Bugs3x (edited 03-15-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Bugs3x (edited 03-15-2001).]
 
Look guys - $500 is a lot of scratch out of anyone's pockets. While it's an attractive concept, I don't think anyone is interested in throwing away that much of their sales / profit margin. Remember, the idea of the giveaways are that a lucky member get's something for sharing their time with us, not their money. The appeal is good PR for the donating company, good PR for the forums, and free knives for the members.

It's a facet of what has made BladeForums.com the best knife community on the Internet. After all, over 10,000 members can't *all* be wrong, right?

Spark

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Kevin Jon Schlossberg
SysOp and Administrator for BladeForums.com

Insert witty quip here
 
As much as I would like to win $500.00 in knives I doubt that Mike could afford to give away $500.00 every month. The forums are not a money making venture, so I don't think we should look for Mike and Spark to create financial difficulties for themselves. Personally I am happy with the way things work now, let's just get at this months knife giveaway shall we?

Keith.

I noticed that while I was slowly typing my post that Spark was confirming my thoughts. My post was started before I noticed Spark's.

[This message has been edited by Keith Montgomery (edited 03-15-2001).]
 
I think that idea won't fly, for the reasons already mentioned. I don't think increasing traffic here is a major concern, since we are growing like fungus. Heck, every day I come here I still can't believe Mike still provides this for free!

I do have an idea for the contest, though.

Since the contest lately has several sponsors and the winner gets a basket full of goodies, I would suggest they split up the prozes and give to as many people as possible. Why not make as many people winners as possible? While I'm sure we'd all be pleased winning both knives this month, why not give them to two different people, spread the wealth a little. And the other assorted prizes would make nice consolation prizes.

Just my $.02.

 
I'm with you. I'm sure if you donate the prizes each month that Mike and Sparky would gladly give them away
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I think that it is just an added bonus that Mike holds these contests each month, and also its great that dealers donate prizes. Im not sure why you would ask for MORE. Instead of begging for more (which is rude) we should be appreciative of what is provided for us (free of charge I might add) and simply tell Mike and Spark and all the donating dealers THANKS!!!



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Richard Todd - Digital knife photography
icq 61363141
My WebSite
Do your site a favor, get quality digital images!!!
New photos added!!!
 
I dunno, maybe I'm way off base, but it seems that lately there is way too much, how shall I say it.......begging and expecting in regards to the monthly giveaways.

I came here prior to the start of the monthly knife giveaway concept. However, I did enter and won a CRKT Mirage from Roger at Bayou Lafourche Knifeworks within a few weeks. That, as far as I was concerned, was an added bonus. Not something that I would expect all of the time. Honestly, I was quite shocked to find that anyone would actually conduct such a generous giveaway to begin with. Since then I have stuck around because of the information, personalities, commoradory, and general "knifenut" feelings that are presented here at BFC. Not the giveaways!!!

I think that maybe we should all lay off of Mike & Spark, regarding the giveaways, and just be thankfull when, and if, they decide to conduct these contests in the future.

Also, I just want to give a special "Thanks" to all of the BFC sponsors who currently contribute to these giveaways and who help to keep this forum open and free.

--The Raptor--

 
I think Mike & Spark do enough for the forums, and the monthly giveaway is an added bonus. As a former winner of an awesome knife, and accessories, I'll have to agree that the members here should enjoy the comraderie, the great information, and the people who make the forums so great.

How many other websites give things away just because they are generous, and have generous sponsors?? Not many that I'm aware of.
I for one am glad that this site exsists, and I say "thank you" to Mike, Spark, the sponsors, and to the moderators. Thumbs up, Gang. Keep up the good work!!!!
smile.gif


Mike

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DISCLAIMER:

The opinions expressed here are my own, and in no way reflect the opinion of any other person, living or dead. Of course, your opinion may vary, in which case the prevailing laws of your jurisdiction shall apply.

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Okay, okay, I give up! Just an idea, folks. And for the record, they wouldn't be giving anything away, unlike the current situation.
I was hardly "begging" for anything. It's not like I expect to win something anyway. I have terrible luck with that stuff, except for the game where you shoot water into the clown's mouth.
 
Don't you think they invest enough time and money already!!

And what about the FREE PINK TUTUS that Mike and Spark plan to distribute in place of name tags to all BFC members at this years Blade Show!
 
As perhaps the winningest member in BFC history
biggrin.gif
(CS imperial tai pan - gerber EZ out)(thanks again Mike, BarnZ, Roger...)
biggrin.gif
I have to say that the contests are like another interesting thread at this point. I can't actually expect to win again, I just want to see if it's anyone I know who did. I lump the contests with the other commercial aspects of the site. BFC is at least partially a commercial site, and you have to respect that business aspect of it. That said, the contests are excellent "newbie bait" and I think they generate not just interest in participating in the site, but an interest in knives overall... They come for the goodies, they STAY for the lively knife discussion.
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I think I had a point here- oh yeah! The contest rocks the way it is, everyone benefits.

-IPR
 
Don't ya just love guys that are generous with other peoples money? This guy has to be in Congress.
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Raptor,
Just FYI, the BF giveaways started in 98, not since you signed up in 2000, unless you were signed up before under a different user name. Not a big deal, and not a criticism, just wanted to set the record straight.
 
I see the point (the winner gets to spend up to 500.00 of their own cash at wholesale).

There is still expense that is eaten by someone. The knives have to be ordered. They have to be received and placed in inventory.
They have to be pulled and packaged for shipment. Sounds trivial, but businesses have to pay folks to do these things.

This place is not cheap to run. Last I heard it was no-where close to breaking even.

Every time I go to Blade Forums, I consider the fact that it exists as a gift to all of us. More than enough for me.

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" The real art of living is to keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post in memory of James Mattis
 
So we don't have enough traffic now?

I think that we can do away with the give-aways at this point, unless the idea behind this site have become to attract as many customers as possible to 1SKS, something the owners and operators have claimed was not the point since day one.
 
Lifter,
Thanks for setting the record straight. I don't know why but I'd swear that I remember a post from either Spark or Mike explaining the "new" monthly giveaway.
confused.gif


The disturbing part is that I did a search and I'm now convinced that I'm definately nuts!!!
eek.gif

Maybe it's the "Jersey" water??? What do you think???

Anyway, even with my newly acquired info, I still feel the same as I previously posted regarding these giveaways.

I'm off now to post some more incorrect information.
wink.gif


--The Raptor
 
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