BikeCraft: Coming soon to an online storefront

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I’ve got some exciting news about the continued evolution of the annual BikeCraft event.

You’ll recall this year I formally handed over the event to Aaron Kaffen and Amos Hunter after running it for six years (sniff, sniff). Amos and Aaron took it to a whole new level and the event was really solid. Now they’re moving forward on the next evolution of BikeCraft — turning it into a curated online marketplace.

Taking the people and product that have made BikeCraft a success through the years and putting them online is something I’ve wanted to do almost since Day One. Since BikeCraft started in 2005, Etsy has redefined the online marketplace for small, independent makers. Doing something similar (but better!) with BikeCraft is a natural fit.

Here’s how Aaron describes it:

“The new site will be an online marketplace where folks everywhere can browse, learn about and buy the kind of unique, high-quality, handmade bike-related goodies that Portlanders have been finding at BikeCraft events for years.”

Aaron and Amos haven’t revealed many details yet; but they’re busy developing the new site and refining their list of vendors. A new URL, BikeCraftOnline.com has been established and they will announce an official launch date in the next few weeks.

They’re still interested in hearing from potential vendors. Drop them a line at info [at] bikecraftonline [dot] com if you’d like to be one. You can also sign up via the new site to get the latest news about the launch.

Knowing Aaron and Amos, this news makes me excited about the future of BikeCraft. Stay tuned!

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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Lance P.
Lance P.
12 years ago

Very interesting. If I was a different person I may file a law suit. I was just talking to Aaron a while back about my company and described it as exactly stated above. I would happy to have partnered together on this.

Chris I
Chris I
12 years ago
Reply to  Lance P.

You wouldn’t win. Given that there are sites like Etsy that are already well established, it’s not really a new idea, just a spin on an existing one.

Hart Noecker
Hart Noecker
12 years ago
Reply to  Lance P.

Nothing’s stopping you from doing your own thing. Surely there’s enough DIY swank for multiple sites. Don’t be a Debbie Downer though, I’m excited to shop Bike Craft online.

Lance P.
Lance P.
12 years ago

I’m not meaning to be ‘Debbie Downer’. It was just that I have talked to many people over the past 2 years and about this exact same project. We went live in 2011. We have been changing it into a non-profit at this time and with free online sales and the ability to forward on to a vendors own site. It is just a little mean spirited to go behind for no real reason. I was even asking/looking for partners to help support the site. It is not like this idea has much if any profit potential. Because of that, the end product would have and could have been much more strong working together instead of crapping on prior work.

Lance P.
Lance P.
12 years ago
Reply to  Lance P.

2010 not 2011

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12 years ago
Reply to  Lance P.

Out of curiosity, what is this website you keep alluding to?

Lance P.
Lance P.
12 years ago
Lance P.
Lance P.
12 years ago
Justin
Justin
12 years ago

Wow, you ‘came up with’ the idea to sell things online to a focused audience? That idea had never been done before 2010.