Virtual Steampunk Cooperative?

I was thinking yesterday that, this being the community most open to the idea, a steampunk cooperative would work quite well.

What is it, you ask?

Well, we can share items with one another (as long as someone covers the shipping) for free and return them once we've used them for whatever event it is we need them for, photoshoot, or whatever. This way, we breed friendship in the steampunk community and an open atmosphere also.

I know trust might be a problem, so perhaps we'd send some steamy collateral in exchange for the item we're borrowing? It needs a bit of work, but I'm willing to start this out!

I'm in.

Location: Australia.

I've got a top hat, a bit of a toolkit and I make jewellery, and a bit of other stuff.

Location: USA

Let me see, I have a top hat, one of those zoot suit hats, some Wild West garb (for you Desertpunks out there), a few suits, tons of esoteric jewelry, bronze bullet belt (soon ), some goggles, and a few things here and there. Just ask and I'll see if I have it.

I'm in Liverpool and I'm not willing to let anyone get thier grubby mits on my stuff unless they pay for it!

I'd be willing to get involved in this. I'm on the US west coast, specifically in Oregon.

I'm in Taiwan. I do a range of things, in my spare time. I'm happy for people to send me things to work on, or to lend them some of mine. I can also take photos for people, and make posters (though beware, I'm a much better photographer than a graphic designer). I have a light tent which means I can take photos of things with a very clear and clean background, if you want good pictures to insert cleanly into other photos. These, for example, where all taken in my light tent (more examples).

I do goggles.





I do gas masks.





Sometimes I do them together.



I paint guns.







I also do posters.

Lovely work, Fortigurn!
Just out of interest, how much do you charge for goggles? I'd like me a pair of those Your posters are also great.

Thanks. Goggles? Well those are a pair of rubber and plastic goggles I picked up at the local hardware store. Elastic strap, but really lovely solid thick very dark glass, as they're designed for welding. Oh, and because they're for welding the lenses actually flip up, so you can see without them in the way. I think they cost me about US$10, so I wouldn't charge more than US$15 plus post.

Glad you liked the posters. I'm a bit more shy about them since I'm not a graphic artist in any way, as I explained. I'm really just a photographer. But Steampunk has encouraged me to broaden my skill horizon.

Wow, I'm impressed by your photography as well, particularly the photos of the moon I'll have to PM you sometime to discuss goggle buying!

Thanks! Really, the shots of the moon aren't that great. I was only using a very average lens. I liked them until I saw someone else's, taken with L glass!

Fortigurn wrote:

A quote springs to mind
"I have a tiny bulletproof shield the exact size of a bullet, somewhere on my body. And if you hit it, I'll be unharmed and your plan will be foiled. You'll be the laughing stock of me!"

Keep up the good work fortigun

Mr. Fortigurn, I second that request for goggles. Your work is wonderful, and I would be proud to own a pair. I'd also be interested in getting a printed copy of the Crystal Armour poster suitable for framing, if such a copy could be arranged. I'm interested in changing the decorative theme of my abode, and steampunk advertisments suddenly strikes me as a brilliant idea. Also, I'd be interested in pricing on both the pistol and the advertisment therefore, as well.

In fact, what would be the pricing for all of your items shown?

Gentlemen, many thanks for your interest. I have a Red Bubble account if that helps answer any questions. I need to update it with some of my latest work, and large print ready versions of some of these photos. From there you can purchase 16.50" x 21.72" posters for around US$22, among other options. I'm sure other arrangements could be negotiated, either with red Bubble or with me personally.

As for the pistols, that's a more difficult matter. Firstly they're locally purchased airpistols, with CO2 cylinders. They are fully functional, and quite frankly dangerous. The larger of the two took me some time to obtain, as the government was in dispute with the manufacturer over the muzzle velocity (which was higher than legally permitted), and I was fortunate to be able to find one. I am loathe to let it go permanently, because it's extremely unlikely that I would find another one. They were also not cheap to buy (US$100-120).

I'm also not sure about posting them elsewhere, either for loan or for sale. It would depend on the customs regulations in the relevant country. For example, neither of these pistols could enter Australia in regular post as personal gifts or purchases, as they are restricted weapons. In Australia you need a license to purchase and uses such pistols.

The gas masks and goggles on the other hand are no problem at all. Maybe I should put them up on Etsy?

Please do! I daresay there's quite enough interest here to make it profitable.

Love the posters.

I think it might be a better idea for local groups rather than long-distance sharing. Have a meet-up at some neutral location - a pub, a suitably Victorian park, perhaps a local train station - and everyone bring along a bag with your spare bits. It would be a natural for a swap-meet sort of thing, or just a day's photoshoot...

Hey, I am near Baltimore. Anybody want to get together for a day's sharing of gears, gizmoes, and gadgets?

I envision Fortigurn bein a very very busy man now

Class stuff m8. I refuse to add to the gimme list.