[Rockhounds] AD fluorescence and morning coffee

[Axel Emmermann]

I'm glad Pete asked because I was wondering, too.  I fell prey to your owl, Axel!

>I bet you'll look great in it, Linda! 😉 Thanks for being my first customer. Darn, I so proud right now! Someone is wearing my quartz! I'm still waiting for the coffee addicts...

  The website is very slick and easy to use with the PayPal option.
However, it deleted my state from the address, so I used the confirmation email to go back and add it.

> I'm probably getting this wrong... If you delete any part of your address, how will they know where to deliver the package?

  Also, the website asked for an optional contact phone number, but it truncated the phone number, then rejected it as not valid! 

> That I get. Although I believe they are legit. Privacy is a big issue these days. Facebook is on trial here in Belgium  for invading that. You have no idea how many messages I got from These guys... how to step up production, find your niche, increase visibility... That makes sense, you design and they sell...

 It's funny because I have never found the combination of such an easy-to-use website with big bloopers.  As if a smart programmer had to deal with a dumb boss meddling with her work....hmmm... 

> Yes, you're right. But this site is 100% commercial. That means, for example, that I have no control over any of the products that I design. I design something, THEY put it on their website, THEY take the orders, THEY have it manufactured, THEY send it to the buyers, and at last, THEY send me the profit that I chose.
They propose a profit margin (in the case of the T-shirt that was 10$) but let you decide how much you want to earn (I put it at 6 $. It's intended to be just a hobby-support, not a get-rich-quick scheme). 
It IS a neat system in which there is no risk for any party involved, but I'll admit that it has some weird drawbacks... for example, you cannot purchase two different Items in one buy. You have to buy the items separately and that doubles the shipping cost. One exception; you may order e.g. multiple t-shirts of the same design in different sizes. That doesn't make sense from the buyers perspective but it does from the owners of the site. They just have the orders sent out to the manufacturers at the end of a "campaign". Then they don't want to be bothered with labor-intense stuff like administration of who bought what different items. That's how they can work this cheap.

Thanks again and best regards
Axel
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Rockhounds [mailto:rockhounds-bounces at rockhounds.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of Axel Emmermann
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2017 11:14 AM
To: 'Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors'
Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] AD fluorescence and morning coffee

Nope, it was on a T-shirt, Pete.
https://viralstyle.com/store/belgian-collector/fluorescence
There's also a new mug to drink soup from, or other beverages. I got creative and it's getting worse.

The quartz owl is a yellow fluorescing specimen, consisting of spheres of acicular crystals. One of those rare specimens from La Sassa, Tuscanny, Italy. It is quartz and is has the shape of an owl, which is why I called it the quartz owl. You'll see!
Check out the above URL every few days to keep informed. These campaigns last only 7 days, so I keep making new ones.

Cheers
Axel