Hello again; Last night we had another of my weekly video chats concerning the amusement industry and topics related to my efforts to help people sell their equipment. We discussed new additions to the website along with my plans for the upcoming Indiegogo campaign to fund taking the youtube show out on the road. And thanks to my friend Adrienne Smith stopping by, it was one of our best events so far.
Where to find the hangout videos
If you want to see last night’s show, then you can click either of the links below.
I want to remember to thank Mitchell Walker for continuing to help out by moderating the hangouts. And I want to include a link to his crowd sourcing campaign. He is raising money to start an internet radio station. You can get the details by going to his site www.roguegeeks.com or to the campaign page at http://www.gofundme.com/94fpl8 Mitchell is one of the good guys. I’m not going to say I couldn’t do the hangouts without him, but I know I wouldn’t want to.
Indiegogo rewards for contributions
During a couple of my previous hangouts we had discussed some possible products and services to offer to people who contribute to the campaign. I took those suggestions and came up with a list. I circulated the list amongst my closest friends. And after getting their feedback I came up with a final list which I have submitted to my contact in the customer service department at Indiegogo.
They are graciously helping me submit the campaign details because it turns out that their site isn’t as accessible to a blind user as they would hope. I’m impressed with their commitment to usability by blind and visually impaired dreamers.
So below please find the list. While it is final. I would still appreciate your opinions. And please remember that some of these are there to give people options at all price ranges. And as the lady from the website reminded me people don’t do this for stuff they do it for the person and or their mission.
1.
$1 You can have a post mentioned on one of my five major social media network communities. You can choose from Face Book, Linked In, Twitter, Pinterest, or Google Plus. The post can include a photo along with the txt and url.
2.
$5One of your posts can get the same treatment on all five of these networks. Obviously, these posts would have to b approved and could not include things such as nudity, profanity, gambling, alcohol, drugs, or anything that appears unethical or sleazy. And the links above are included so people can tell how strong my networks are and help them decide which if any they want to use.
3.
$10 An autographed photo of me waring one of the new midway marketplace shirts designed by Kelly Corbin.
4.
$20 Large mouse pad featuring the company logo.
5.
$25 A Midway Marketplace coffee mug
6.
$35 plain shirt with logo
7.
$50 screen printed version of shirt
8.
$75 commercial during an upcoming hangout. These would be 30 seconds at the beginning and end of one. The person using this option would have to submit the video to me ready to use. I do not have the time, ability, or budget to edit for them. This applies to any commercials on the site. And as with the social media shares the subject matter will have to be approved by me.
9.
$100 autographed dvd of the first season. It will include the twelve planned episodes plus behind the scenes and out takes.
10.
$175 A package of an autographed dvd, a screen printed shirt, and two coffee mugs.
11.
$250 A 30 second commercial during the youtube episodes
12.
$500 a 60 second commercial during a youtube show episode
And I have two other offerings, but I’m not sure yet how they would work. I’m wanting to put it out there that I will share my knowledge of the industry and my experiences as a blind person starting a business. I was thinking of $1000 for a series of phone or skype sessions and $2500 for a personal visit. I am thinking of mentioning the potential motivational and inspirational benefits.
New equipment on the site
Since the whole point of the hangouts is to promote the site and the equipment for sale there. I’m happy that I’m getting to share information, photos, and eventually videos of new listings during the hangouts. This week I actually had two rides to mention. And I managed the screen share much better. Although on the second ride I did have to do it twice.
Windstorm Roller Coaster
The first one was this gorgeous Windstorm coaster now available on the site for $1,000,000 making it the most expensive single piece of equipment I have ever listed. It is a portable model that is currently traveling on nine trailers. The price doesn’t include the cost of the two crane trucks they use to move it. I listed it that way because the ride could end up going to a park where they wouldn’t need the cranes.
After I put the pictures up, I asked Mitchell what he thought about it. He said he would probably stay away from it. I admitted that I have always ben afraid of thrill rides like this. I also restated my offer to b the first person to ride it with its new owner or at its new home. I figure this is like daring the universe to help me sell it. The offer applies to any thrill ride on my site.
Watkins Tempest
The second ride we discussed was this tempest. I am always happy when I get listings from outside the United States. This one is from a showman in the Netherlands, and he found me on google.
This ride is from a time when you didn’t have to have an engineer’s certificate to design and build a ride. This family was actually responsible for several long running carnival rides including the tempest, hustler, hart flip, and the satelite which most of you may know as the Wisdom tornado. Because of the angle the ride runs on it does seem to cause a lot of riders to throw up. Sorry about that folks.
A very special guest stopped by
Since I started the exploration of using google hangouts to promote myself, a lot of my friends have been very supportive. Many of my blogging friends either live outside the country or they have had commitments keeping them from participating. I know they would take part if they could, and I hope they know this. I also hope they know how much I appreciate their support.
So, it was awesome to hear that the blogging super star and one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet Adrienne Smith decided to drop by. She has taught me a lot and was one of the first people to give me a push. We had such a nice time that when Mitchell told me the hour was up, I decided to stay until Adrienne had to leave.
I got to put a voice with the name. I know we both live in the houston area, but its a bigger place than most people think and we are both busy and most importantly I don’t drive or have a driver. We talked about the weather, our crazy dogs, driverless cars, and a bit of just friends talking. I got to thank her in person or as close as you can online. And she promised to come back when her schedule permits. I’m also hoping to interview her for my site or something. I just know I’d like to work with her down the road. It was fun Adrienne. I’m looking forward to meting in person later this year.
How to participate
If you want to join us live during a future hangout, you have to be invited. That is one of Google’s quirks. You have to be a member of google plus and add me to one of your circles. I will then add you to the hangout on air circle so you will be invited to all future meet ups. You don’t have to attend every week or be there for the whole hour, but by being invited you have that option. You can invite up to 100 people and ten can participate at any one time.
If you would just like to ask a question, then email it to me. I can accept them in txt or video form. On the videos you should be able to send them to me as an attachment as long as you keep them short. But be sure to mention your name, your company or organizations name, and your site url along with your question. I promise to do a better job of recapping the hangouts and adding your url’s to the youtube show descriptions. I figure that your participation makes the hangout better, so you definitely should receive something for taking part. And when it comes to gifts, I love free.
Sharing is caring
What would a blog post be without one of these calls to action. But you know me I like to share the love. I hope you will check out the links mentioned and share or comment on them as appropriate. I also hope that you will join me on other networks. Right now, I am targeting my youtube subscriber numbers. I only have 35, and its my weakest community. If you subscribe to my feed, then I will subscribe to yours. If you don’t have a youtube account, then I can follow you on one of the others. Ask anyone, I’m very good about reciprocating.
And if you feel comfortable leaving a comment, I would love to hear your thoughts. However, if google still has you nervous about leaving a comment on a blog from another niche, then how about dropping me an email instead. I have the links set to no follow, but I understand the fear that is involved. Hopefully, google will take a different approach to back links, but until they do; we all have to be careful.
Well, this was another long post. I want to thank you for taking the time to read it all. I welcome questions from my readers. Whether you have a serious question or just want to get to know me better, I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks again and take care out there, Max
How cool is that. I would have loved to have been there to visit with both you and Adrienne. It would have been a blast. I do promise to be on one of your hangouts, but in truth it will be awhile. Primarily because we have had more to do that I thought with the consolidation and we have had back to back visitors on top of it all. If that wasn’t enough our dishwasher went out and we’ve had the installation from hell. It’s been well over a month and we still don’t have a working dishwasher… urggg. Sorry for the rant… it’s not like me. :/
Susan Cooper recently posted…Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes: #Recipe
Hi Susan; It was fun. I have to admit that I reacted a little like other people when they meet movie stars. smile But Adrienne is every bit as personable and friendly face to face as she is online. Maybe you two should pick a time when we could have a chat. My schedule is wide open. You know we only vent with our real friends. And I know what all you have ben going through. so are you contemplating turning your blog posts about the experience into a book? It could be a best seller. Of course, you have to live the ending first. I know you will get there. If it hasn’t broken you yet, it aint going to. tai care my friend. xoxo max
Mr.Midway recently posted…weekly meet up may 28 2014 new rides, indiegogo rewards and a special guest
Hey Max,
Glad to see you back and as you know I was a little worried about you but good to know all was well with you, for the most part that is.
Good to see that the Indiegogo project is moving forward.
Ah, it was nice to drop by the hangout. As I had mentioned, Wednesday’s are usually hard for me too but I had just gotten home from dinner and wanted to stop by to say Hi. Didn’t want to interrupt but it was nice to meet Mitchell and Eric and of course you.
We will meet in person this summer Max now that I know where you are. It’s a nice drive but I can handle it and hopefully we’ll get Susan to join us soon too.
Thanks for sharing the hangout and it was such a pleasure to be part of that as well. I appreciate the kind words and there will be more to come in the near future.
You have a great weekend.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted…Thankful Thursday: Facebook, Websites, Aweber, PowerPoint, Blog Post
Hi Adrienne; was very happy to have you and you are welcome back any time. sorry if i was a little star struck. smile I’m sorry I worried you and hope I didn’t cause any of my other blogging friends any discomfort. Susan commented that she would have loved to have been on the hangout too, so I told her we should schedule a time for the three of us to hangout. the indiegogo campaign is progressing slower than I had planned, but its getting there. I’m only a month behind schedule so far. I have noticed something about myself. Since starting the actual planning for going on the road, I now ask people about future locations and subjects. This morning I got a linked in connection request from the head of a company in singapore that operates several parks there. In addition to my usual reminder that they give me a chance to help with future equipment needs I also mentioned the youtube shows. And right now I don’t even have a passport as the plan is to concentrate on the u s and stay as close to home as possible keeping costs down. You are a great friend. Thanks again and take care, max
Mr.Midway recently posted…weekly meet up may 28 2014 new rides, indiegogo rewards and a special guest
Max, what a great idea, to offer people a little extra incentive for contributing to a good cause. I know people will be doing it for the right reasons, but it’s a nice way to show appreciation!
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Hi Meredith; Thanks for the confirmation. I’m afraid it isn’t a new idea. anyone who grew up watching public tv has been through a pledge drive or two. smile I just tried to think of what could I do given skills and resources. was actually surprised the list ended up being that long. I hope this goes well. have put a lot of thought into it and would hate to fall on my face or my but. take care, max
Mr.Midway recently posted…weekly meet up may 28 2014 new rides, indiegogo rewards and a special guest
Hi Max. I am very pleased that Indiegogo took such a good position in recognition of current shortfalls. Have you ever considered writing an E-book on the challenges for a blind person in starting a blog or business and your tips for overcoming them. This could be updated as technology changes. PS sorry the images on my latest posts lack descriptions as they came off a pdf and were not editable. Normally I now provide basic descriptions and my prior post is mainly text. I am still locked out of hangouts as the app doesn’t function on my system but, as always, wish you well with them
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Hi Paul; thanks for the kind suggestion. I actually wish I had kept a journal of all the stuff I have gone through from the day i file for the domain name until now. I’m told by friends it would make a good inspirational story and might even be a best seller. Yes some companies actually care about whether or not a blind person can use their sites or their services. I have ben impressed with the level of customer support from indiegogo and from linked in to mention two. there have also been many good people out there who have helped when companies couldn’t or wouldn’t. I consider it a big complement to me that you actually worry about whether or not your images have descriptions. if there is one thing I could teach all website designers it would be the proper tagging of images and labeling of buttons. smile so thanks my friend. hope more people follow in your lead. by the way i was contacted by a company this week wanting me to give them feedback on the accessibility of sites when used with apple’s screen reader voiceover. so, maybe i will play a small roll in helping other blind people when surfing the net. so what do you think my friend, should I try to write the story of my life after the carnival? thanks so much and take care, max
Mr.Midway recently posted…weekly meet up may 28 2014 new rides, indiegogo rewards and a special guest
Welcome back Max. As usual you have been very, very busy. I love the roller coaster ride, I like a little scare with my amusement park adventures. Isn’t it funny how we get a thrill from giving ourselves a chill?
I recently went to an event hosted by the CNIB, the Canadian Insitute for the Blind. We just had the month of May officially recognized by the federal government as Vision Health Month and the reception was a celebtration of that and a chance to show Members of Parliament important vision health was. While I was at the reception I wandered over to the table to check out some of the equipment they use to support those with impaired vision. I had to ask what you might have as blogger. I’ll just say that they were really impressed with you being a blogger, but then they demonstrated how some of the equipment worked. It really made me think about how important it is to have a brief written description with all images and I really appreciate how much time it would take for you to be as active as you are. All I can say is BRAVO Max. I was impressed with you before, I am doubly so now. 🙂
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Hi Debra; I was missing my blogging friends, and adrienne reminded me it had been almost a month since my last post. so i pulled myself out of my funk and wrote this recap post. I’m also almost finished with one about inflatable safety. and I’m glad you got to attend the CNIB convention. hope you gave them my name or site name to google. you know i love having new fans. You are so right about alt tags. the one thing that would make the lives of all blind web surfers better over night would be mandatory use of txt descriptions of images and proper labeling of buttons. I bet you had fun playing with all the gadgets. I don’t like to be scared on amusement rides, but I have promised to ride it if i sell it. think i just sold a ride through spook house to someone in the netherlands. wonder if he will invite me to come ride it. I like spook houses. if you can’t see the ghosts and goblins how can they scare you? 😀 thanks so much for the comment and take care my friend, Max
Mr.Midway recently posted…weekly meet up may 28 2014 new rides, indiegogo rewards and a special guest
Max — I tried viewing the Google hangout on your site but all I saw was you in headphones. No sound. Wanted to ask what you thought about the new roller coaster coming to Coney Island. The New York Times ran a big story on it. Here is the link http://nyti.ms/1oOTlXP. It sounds pretty scary but, then, that’s why people go for the ride!
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Hi Jeannette; thanks for the comment and the link. i’m sure its very scary. I didn’t sell it to them so i’m not obligated to ride it thank goodness. I am sorry about the video. I think the best thing I can say is to fast forward about five minutes in. I’m better at starting the hangout, but I think the recording is starting early on me while I’m still waiting for the clock to hit 9:00. I really appreciate you taking the time to try to watch it. by the way can you get me a quote on some merchandise please? I’m looking for more reliable companies that will drop ship so I don’t have to buy in bulk yet. thanks again and take care, Max
Mr.Midway recently posted…weekly meet up may 28 2014 new rides, indiegogo rewards and a special guest