Tweet your favorite item in Makers Market to win it
Been lusting after something on Makers Market, but can’t quite justify the expense? Enter our tweet-it-to-win-it contest and you just might get it for free! Here’s how to enter:
makers market
DIY Magic Mirror kits
Al Linke’s DIY Magic Mirror first appeared on our radar back in 2008, when Al posted a classic Instructable describing the project, which went on to win the Tech Grand Prize in our 2008 DIY Halloween Contest. Al’s Magic Mirror features a Snow-White style floating, talking face in a gilt-framed mirror with an amazingly wide variety number of integrated and integratable functions–breathalyzer, weather forecast, stock tracking, X-10 lighting control, doorbell input with camera feed, Picasa-based slideshow, various themed personalities, etc., etc. He’s selling them, now and gets $219 for the kit.
Chris Schaie’s mechanical irises for sale
When I first saw Chris’s gorgeous brass-and-wood irising door peephole mechanism in the ShopBot booth at Maker Faire, I knew it was something special: A beautiful piece of machinery, designed and built solely for the pleasure of operating and observing its operation. When Chris contacted us wanting to sell them in the Makers Market, naturally I was excited, but I was also a bit skeptical. I couldn’t imagine that such a large, relatively complex machine of solid brass and wood could be manufactured and sold at anything like a reasonable price point. But the $285 Chris is now asking, while certainly not cheap, is about 40% of what I was expecting to see when I clicked on his listing. I will be surprised if he can afford to continue selling them at that price. Which is why I already bought mine.
Shop indie for Father’s Day!
If you’re still shopping for Father’s Day this year, please consider buying through Makers Market. We’ve put our heads together to assemble a collection of items from Makers Market sellers we think our own dads would like. The Market’s full of original short run, limited edition, and one-of-a-kind items from indie makers and entrepreneurs who value resourcefulness, ingenuity, and craftsmanship just as much as you and your dad do. If you’re shipping straight to your father’s address, be sure to message your seller directly and let them know it’s a gift!
Sonodrome: Inspiring entrepreneurship in hobby electronics
That said, there’s almost nothing we like to see better than a maker hanging out a shingle and selling their own handiwork. Finding these people and helping to promote their work was the single biggest reason we launched Makers Market. If you’re on the fence about hanging out your own shingle, give it a look and/or drop me an e-mail, and let’s talk. Likewise, if you’re ready to take the plunge but could use a bit of start-up cash, consider entering our Gadget Freak Design Contest. It’s been running for a couple of weeks, now, but the pool of entrants is still small, and the pool of truly impressive entries is smaller still, so there’s a very real opportunity there for the right clever person with the right clever idea. First prize is $1,000 in cash and guaranteed admission to Makers Market.
Zombie shadowcaster
A clever and inexpensive product from indie laser-cutter Evolution Laser Works.
Hollow spy nickel conceals Micro SD card
Brian Dereu and his family have a thriving cottage industry machining these pocket concealments from real currency and selling them online. I have one of their MicroNickels, shown above, and it may well be the coolest thing I have ever owned. It’s sized perfectly to conceal a Micro SD card, and when assembled it really is indistinguishable from a regular nickel. So, you know, just don’t lose it.
