Online store where you pay $10 for... *something* (mystery product)
 

This is a bit of a weird one.

There's an online store where you pay your $10 bucks and get... something.

The thing is, you don't know what it is! (Until you receive it.)

They do guarantee that it will be worth at least $10, though.

Interesting concept... :)

It's called "The Something Store"... I just mention it as a weird online business, which is apparently making money... (It's been going for about 5 1/2 years now...)

http://www.somethingstore.com

Best wishes,

Dien

Re: Online store where you pay $10 for... *something* (mystery product)
 

Thanks Dien,

I think you posted a similar but different type of related concept on SowPub's years back...

Not exactly sure But still interesting, maybe it's the same one years later... :)

Lessons to Learn and Think about...

Of course, well worth Digging into and Throughout their business model...

To Analyze more about what they Might be doing... Even more intrigingly!

Other possible ways of Spinning their Ideas into Even more Specialized products and Opportunities...
https://www.google.com/search?q=+htt...ient=firefox-a

Bingo! ...

A few Times over...

Notice all the Ideas... Advertising related Concepts and much, much more Built-in, here, there and something just about Everywhere...

Definitely! Some interesting, Scanning, reading, Lessons and Ideas...

Worth Thinking about more with other Web related opportunities...

Fresh new up-and-coming Trends etc., etc...

Specialized Niches, Especially! ...

http://www.somethingstore.com/somethingnot.html
http://www.somethingstore.com/webandmedia.html
http://www.somethingstore.com/customerreviews.html
http://www.somethingstore.com/blog/index.html

Bingo! ...

A few Times over... ;)

The Wharton Business School Study on SomethingStore
by Sami Bayrakci...
http://www.somethingstore.com/blog/w...hingstore.html

All the best,
Phil

How about this idea?...
 

They pay $10, then they watch live webcam of large turtle being put into center of a circle which is surrounded by 10-12 different paper bags (evenly spaced around the circle).

The turtle "chooses" one bag (by crawling closest to it).

All the other bags are tipped out, one by one, to show what prizes were in them.

Then the "chosen" bag's contents are revealed -- and that item is sent to the purchaser.

I don't believe that's a lottery cuz the purchaser will DEFINITELY get something of some worth.

Anyhow, just an idea.

Cheers.

-- TW

Phil... that's a great find!
 

Thanks Phil,

What a great find! That article is fantastic! :)

I thought it was interesting that they got ~50% of their products from wholesalers, and ~40% from liquidated stock. I would have thought that a bigger percentage of their gifts would be from liquidated stock, since that could probably give them a bigger profit margin (as liquidated stock can often be bought below the wholesale price)... However, by getting more of their gifts from wholesalers probably allows them to provide a wider range of "mystery" gifts...

I think the pleasure can be a little bit like that of a slot machine - except that you always get "something" when you push the button/pull the lever/buy the mystery gift. Every now and then, if you buy enough "mystery" gifts, you could hit the "jackpot" and get something really worth it! However, it's the thrill of the surprise which is half the fun... :)

Best wishes,

Dien

Re: Online store where you pay $10 for... *something* (mystery product)
 

If there's a chance you wind up with nothing, that would be illegal (lottery).

Re: How about this idea?...
 

Hi TW,

I'm not sure of the practicality of using real live turtles, but one thing I like is your ideas are sure original!

Some electronic version of the idea could be doable, though. It kind of makes it like a game show. :)

Best wishes,

Dien