Holistic Fan Club Feeds Tacoma Shopping Experience

I am happy to report on two major Tacoma related online tasks I have completed over the past week: A successful purchase of a product offered through the FeedTacoma shops and entry into the Offical HFW Fan Club.

Whenever something is introduced to me via the web, I will often go through the full process of checking it out to gain a better insight into its workings. After the launch of the FeedTacoma shops I was intrigued, but it was not until the virtual storefront appeared again in the media (or rather it's NOT appearing in the media) I was signaled to take action and fully engage the shopping experience.

Having purchased some of the first books available through Amazon, I knew my way around an online storefront and was looking forward to trying out this free South Sound service to the community. Once in the shops the question became "what do I purchase?".

Sure, I could have entered into any of the alphabetized storefronts, shopped by category, or even sorted items by their tags, but instead I chose to continually refresh the page as if I were merely browsing through the 275 (as of May 30, 2008) items.

It felt a bit like window shopping. Look at a few items, refresh the page, look at a few items, refresh the page and in this manner lazily take-in the wares being offered. I would click on an item, as if taking it from a shelf and turning it over in my hand, before placing it (hitting the) back (button on my browser). “Nice, but not my style”, or “wow I like this, but when would I wear it?” and even an occasional “WTF?”.

And then I saw it. The Official Holistic Forge Works Fan Club Membership (w/bonus membership kit). Having been a fan of RR Anderson’s work (with some exceptions) ((one in particular)) (((it was simply in poor taste))) ((((I am now officially up to four sets of parentheticals)))) (((((a new personal record))))), I was thrilled to find a fan club with which I could join.

With it I would receive:

1. Secret HFW Member ID Badge
2. Personally hand typed Secret Message from Tacoma's only cartoonist RR Anderson
3. Information on where to send even more money
4. GREAT FISH Idol, Autographed Cardboard Cutout
5. Media Mail Envelope
6. Compact disc of every Tacomic available at the time of membership



There was also a secret bonus item. I was taught the secret hand signal!

Oh, yes, the bonus membership kit was AWESOME!!!

And so I purchased it.

No, there may be no fancy-schmanzie, take you money now, track your packages technology on the back end, but my order was taken and an email went out to the store’s proprietor at the push of a button. An automatic response came through my gmail account which included an order number, shop information, email contact and order information.

After arranging a mutually agreed upon delivery method through correspondence, my purchase was assembled and made available, in this case for pick up in person.

Heading over to the chalk challenge today was doubly exciting as I was not only able to make my membership official, but I picked up my kit from the man himself. Even when in full chalk battle mode he was able to multitask and make the transaction complete.

Thank you FEEDTACOMA shops.

P.S. If you hit the “add to cart” button it sends the order out. Be prepared. In writing this blog entry up, and referring back to the shop, I may have inadvertently ordered two more kits. oops.

P.P.S. From the site:
“What is FeedTacoma Shops?
FeedTacoma Shops is an online marketplace that brings locally sold goods, gifts, and more to a local audience all in one place. Since most retailers or sellers don't have space in a mall this is a way they can band together to show patrons that otherwise may not get to their shop what they have to offer.
Aside from selling items online, FeedTacoma Shops strives to encourage visitors to get to know what's available locally so they'll be more likely to stop into a shop knowing better what lies inside. Activity for the area's various retailers and service providers is good for them and for the success of Tacoma and our community as a whole.”

P.P.P.S
RR was kind enough to forgive any additional and unintentional purchases made.

P.P.P.P.S
I don’t believe I have ever written a post script to the fourth power before.

P.P.P.P.P.S.
ANOTHER NEW RECORD!!!!