To start...

Over the last decade the hobby that is buying, selling and collecting has gone mainstream with dozens of television series featuring antiques, classic cars, pop culture items and more.  Over the last 2-3 years users on websites and apps like youtube, instagram and periscope have started to take their obsession one step further, drawing in tens of millions of like-minded, equally passionate collectors with content that an outsider might look at and go 'WTF?'.  Would you ever think that a video of someone unboxing a new pair of sneakers or the latest toy could get a million hits?  That is the reality of today and it's a lucrative business.  At present there is SO MUCH content out there, but the amount of quality, well-thought-out content is remarkably small.  I'd like to change that, introducing unique, fun and exciting multimedia content (video, instagram, etc) in a range of genres (pop culture, antiques, art and design, sneakers, automobilia, etc) and use these platforms as a way to build a brand (including merchandise for each genre, ranging from t-shirts to art and more).  Simple enough, right? Unfortunately, quality content is not quite enough; it needs to be presented by someone who is knowledgeable and witty, likable and 
endearing, attractive but still relatable. That combination is nearly as rare as Action Comics #1.  Crissy, I believe that you may just have it.  Together, we could make a great team working on something that could both be a ton of fun and potentially a really big deal :)        

Antique & Unique

Post 'Born Dealers' (the Discovery Channel / Planet Green series), in 2013/14 a couple friends and myself visited the Brimfield Antique Show, the largest outdoor antique show in the world in central MA.  We shot some really neat interviews with dealers and collectors which we then put together in 4 x 30 minute episodes as well as a few smaller videos.  All of that can be seen here: 'The Antique Show'; it's really the jumping off point for what I hope this next project can be...


Video Content:
Interviews - Long Form Interviews with Dealers, Artisans and 'Special' Buyers (set decorators, auction/store owners, famous antiquers)

'Unique Item Spotlight' - sellers discuss specific items of interest with history, provenance, value, etc (as we did in the sample episode)

'Personal Stories of 'Picking' - Most every dealer has at least one amazing story of finding a diamond in the rough or something funny / interesting happening with an item. This is their opportunity to discuss that.

'Best thing I Ever Bought/Should have Bought' - Collectors and Dealers discuss that one item that they were either lucky enough to find or had the opportunity to purchase and missed out.

'What's It Worth?' - individuals are shown an image of a unique item that recently sold and have to guess what they think it sold for.

'Real Story / Fake Story' - individuals are shown an 'expert' giving the history of an item along with it's provenance, etc; some of which are actually by experts and are completely accurate, others of which are completely fabricated, and the individual has to choose whether they think the story is true or false.

'Antiques/Repro' - individuals are given the opportunity to see and touch an item and judge whether they think it's a genuine antique or a reproduction.

'What is It?' - blindfolded individuals have to guess what an item is based purely on touch.

'It's a...?' - individuals (especially kids) are shown an obscure, hard to identify item and have to try and guess what it is and what function it serves (toaster, porthole, weight loss machine, doorbell)

Profile Local Stores (near the show that we're visiting); as with 'This Old House' and 'Antiques Roadshow' when they venture off to museums to see collections.

'Before / After' - feature an individual that purchased an item with the intent of repurposing it and see the before and after.

'Good Buy / Bad Buy' - Buyers have the opportunity to ask an appraiser whether the items they purchased were a good value or whether they paid to much.

'The Rush' - Single shot following a fellow buyer as a show opens and everyone is speeding around, trying to see as much as they can in a short time with interactions with other buyers, sellers, history and value of items and so on.

Q&A:

(Dealer Specific)

How did you get started in the business?

Are you a collector as well, or is everything for sale?

Do you have a favorite piece that you’ve owned?

What type of person buys (what you’re selling)?

Do you still do most of your business face-to-face or via the Internet?

What’s your most recent score?

How has the market for antiques changed over the last 5 to 10 years?

Is there an item which you sold which you wish you had kept?

What advice would you give to someone that is considering getting in the business?

What is your ‘holy grail’ piece that you’d like to find?

Is there anything else you’d rather be doing?

Do you notice more people coming back to shows like Brimfield?

Do you cater to primarily younger or older buyers?

Where do you see the business going in the future?

How did you start specializing in what you're doing?

stories of picking?

(General)

What do you collect?

What are you hunting for?

Have you always been passionate about antiques / old stuff?

What are some of your greatest finds?

What is your holy grail piece?

How did you get started collecting?

Why are antiques special?

Vintage vs New, why choose vintage?

Neatest thing you’ve seen here at Brimfield?

What makes this particular show worth attending?

Additional Sample Video Content (for inspiration!):

SEE 'The Antique Show' for over 2 hours of sample footage as well as these Similar type or series from other genres:

Car Crazy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3UlnMtQjJVM

This Old House profiles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXuuXdZ5PLE&feature=plcp

LXTV's 1st Look: http://lxtv.com/1stlookny/video/11152

and, here are some other Brimfield Videos To Watch:

Cool Hunting Collectors: http://vimeo.com/14308028

Cool Hunting Dealers: http://vimeo.com/14308072

Tommy Hilfiger at Brimfield: http://vimeo.com/25737982

Part& Parcel: http://vimeo.com/23172884

Vintage and Modern at Brimfield: http://vimeo.com/42273402    http://vimeo.com/42273401     http://vimeo.com/42273404       http://vimeo.com/42273004       

One Kings Lane at Brimfield: http://vimeo.com/34802311

'Vintage' Brimfield: http://vimeo.com/42271450

Youth and Antiques: http://vimeo.com/17830546

Interesting 'Collection': http://vimeo.com/21503761

The Pier Antique Show: http://vimeo.com/23986938

Merchandising:
(sample t-shirts)

 

 

Cape & Cowl (toys, comics, pop culture, etc)

From toys to comic books, vintage and new, pop culture collectibles are some of the most passionately collected.  There already exists a wide range of video content within this genre, but not nearly enough utilizing local comic cons and events with fun and interesting interview based short form content.  And, not nearly enough with a knowledgable, witty and attractive 'nerd' at the helm (Chloe Dykstra being one example of a girl that has parlayed her nerdom into a massively success business).

Video Content:

'Best.  Idea.  Ever.' - Pitch pre-existing, well known comic story arcs to uber nerds and ask for their feedback.  Expected reactions would be along the lines of, 'Are you serious, you know that's the origin story to the Fantastic 4?' to which the conversation would continue along the lines of 'No, I just thought of this, what are you talking about?  And, who are the Fantastic 4?'.


'You Need Help' - 2 minute 'on the move' game played with the least nerdy people at comic con (booth babes, etc), where they have 2 minutes to answer 5 uber nerd questions.  How, you ask?  Well, the can get help from whomever they want.  We follow them as they run around and ask whomever they like, get as many different answers as they want and give us their final answer.  Answer 5 in two minutes, they win (a t-shirt or a piece of swag).

'Who the F*<K is this?' - Asking individuals to identify and tell you everything they know about an obscure vintage action figure.

'Con Connection' - 35% of comic con attendees have dated someone they've met at comic-con' (nypost).  This segment would feature interviews with comic con singles and try to set them up in a 'love connection' type mock game show with three nerd / nerd-ettes vying for the heart of one lovable nerd.

http://nypost.com/2014/07/22/the-dating-scene-is-red-hot-at-comic-con/

'2 Minute Sketch' - Comic Con is full of talented artists, some aspiring unknowns and some known to all.  It's amazing how quickly many can work.  This segment would give these artists two minutes to draw whatever they'd like.

'Casting Call...' - Write up a page of hilarious and ridiculous dialogue from a fake sequel (ex: Star Wars Episode 7) and have super fans audition for a role.

'Do you know...(the character that you're dressed as)?' - Cosplay is the most prominent feature of comic con.  Most that dress up know their character better than anyone, but there's a lot of people (especially attractive girls) that simply pick the sexiest costume available and know very little about that character.  This is an opportunity to test both ends of the spectrum on how knowledgeable they are.  The fun part is that all questions are completely made up on the spot with no basis in reality.  Telling someone their right or wrong about a ridiculous question can make them feel surprisingly good or bad about themselves. 

'Nerd Crush' - It's common for nerds to have crushes on characters from their favorite comic book, cartoon or video game.  This is their opportunity to pour their heart out to someone that doesn't actually exist.

'Marry, 'make love', throw off a cliff' - Take the classic middle school game and put forth the question with 3 heroes / heroines.  

For example: 'George Clooney's Batman, Brandon Routhe's Superman, Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern; who would you marry, who would you want to make love to and whom would you throw off a cliff?'

'I Collect...' - Simply asking those walking around the halls of comic con what it is that they collect and are passionate about.

'Nerds Talk Sports' - There are few things more entertaining than asking individuals about topics for which they're not particularly informed.  Typically, those at comic con aren't the most avid sports fans, so to ask them about players and teams that don't actually exist is a recipe for hilarious  video content.

'One Superpower' - Ask individuals if they could have one superpower, what would it by, why and how would they use it (and for good or evil).

'Know Your Toys' game show - jeopardy-format with 3 contestants and board of 20-25 questions in 4-5 categories such as 'launch date' (give date / year with 3 possible toy options), 'which came first' (2 versions of the same figure, vehicle, etc), 'sample, custom or fake', 'retail price' (price when released), etc.  Each board would have 1-2 special 'gift' questions (free gift from sneaker boutique) and the winner of the show get a gift card from one of these stores (provided by them).

Toy Qs - Call for viewer created videos answering Qs to put together montages:

What is your favorite toy?

Interesting story (s) of collecting

What is your holy grail toy?

Keep in the package or play with?

Favorite era of toys?

Most you've ever spent on one toy?

How would you describe a toy collector?


Merchandising (examples of logos, art, etc):

 

 

  

Kicks Collector

Sneaker collecting / obsessing is rampant amongst guys in their teens to their 40s.  It's kind of unbelievable for anyone outside of the sneaker community to believe just how wide it spreads, but all one has to do is have a look at instragam posts with millions of like and youtube videos with millions of views.  The only thing that guys in this demo might like more than sneakers is girls.  And thus, in the few cases where girls and sneakers cross paths (instagram user britta_ruth920 is a great example), the following is MASSIVE.

   
Video content: 
Q&A (at sneaker cons, held weekly / monthly throughout FL):
What sneaker got it started for you?
What was your first $200 pair?
How many pairs in your collection?
What is your holy grail pair of kicks?
What's the most you've ever paid for a pair of sneakers?
Would you ever wear a pair of fakes?
Do you buy solely to wear or to sell / trade?
Is Nike the only name in kicks?
Who deserves a signature sneaker?
What shoe needs to be retro'd?

Interesting story of how you've acquired (waiting in line, etc)

If you had to wear one pair to wear for the rest of your life?

Favorite non-collectible pair of sneakers?
What does the future hold for the hobby?

'Launch' - visit sneaker boutiques and chains to talk with individuals waiting in line for a big sneaker release (happens surprisingly often)

'Sneaker Showdown' - monthly custom sneaker themed challenges with prizes (Kicks Collector items, gift certificates, etc)

   
'Kicks Collector in...Boston (example)' - Tour local sneaker boutiques in a particular city, creating 3-5 minute piece for each.  In exchange for this service / free publicity we could potentially gain sponsorship for other projects (see below).

Boston sneaker stores:

Bodega

Concepts

At the Buzzer

AWOL

Laced

Sneaker Junkies

'Know Your Kicks' game show - jeopardy-format with 3 contestants and board of 20-25 questions in 4-5 categories such as 'launch date' (give date / year with 3 possible sneaker options), 'which came first' (2 colorways of same shoe or 2 different shoes), 'sample, custom or fake',  'retro'd' (shoes that have been retro'd multiple times with list of 3 possible years for this release), 'designer collaborations', 'retail price' (price when released), 'in 1995 this player wore...' (with 3 sneaker options),  'in college' (what players wore in college), 'to retro or not to retro' (shoes that have or have not been retro'd).  Each board would have 1-2 special 'gift' questions (free gift from sneaker boutique) and the winner of the show get a gift card from one of these stores (provided by them).

Merchandising:
(sample tees & designs)

some of my sneaker art (collage on painted canvas):

Dot art (to be printed poster size or larger)

some videos worth watching (the last specifically for having received 1.5M+ views...which is crazy for such a stupid video, but shows the die-hard nature of the culture)

Introducing the NIKE Graphic Studio Art Show 3.0 from Sole Collector on Vimeo.

The Business of It All

Objective:

To develop a wide range of multimedia content and merchandising geared toward the collecting community.  The long-term goal is to build a highly profitable enterprise and to reach a point where philanthropy is built right into the business model, both in terms of monetary gifts and more importantly building programs to develop skills and creative thinking.  

Logistics:

Whether visiting local events or traveling coast to coast, shows and conventions allow for the creation of an endless amount of excellent content on a shoestring budget.  And, these events bring together more potential viewers / followers in one day than might be reached via online marketing strategies in a weeks time.  These collectors and enthusiasts crave connectivity, interactivity and new forms of content.  Give them something that facebook, instagram and twitter cannot or has not, notably original video content, and users will follow. 

Eye toward TV: 

Longterm, I'd like to see this umbrella of brands as the go to source for all antique / collectible content, both web based and developed / produced for television.  Where I think the biggest opportunity in television lies is in the live auction format.  In the last 2-3 years, the number of hours of live collector car auctions has jumped from a handful each year to 10s of hours each week on at least two specialty networks.  I can’t help but think that the next wave will include live art, antiques and collectibles for the likes of PBS, the History Channel and Ovation.  If we could corner that market by signing on the top auction houses and prove the concept online, this could be our ticket into the lucrative world of television, and more importantly bring millions of new users back to the website.

Other TV Projects:
'Valuation' - Antique / Collecting game show; details at valuationtv.blogspot.com , as well as a complete episode synopsis, a full episode sampler, with lots and lots of wonderful visuals.

‘Dealer vs Dealer’ - the ultimate 'man's man' competition series.   Each episode features two professional dealers (or teams) that go head to head to see who can take $10,000 and buy and sell the most items to turn the biggest profit in a week's time.  Each episode would feature new teams as well as recurring dealers/teams (winners stay, losers walk).  The dealers featured would be from all walks of life - antique dealers, car dealers, storage locker buyers, artists, pickers and so on; real, tough, veterans of the business, with each episode not only showing how and where these dealers find and buy items, but also the intense race to turn them for a profit in a short week's time - not an easy task.

User submitted content:
Down the road, viewer created content will be key.  By incentivizing the creation of quality docu-style content, as Current TV did in the mid 2000s, we could amass an impressive catalog of content that would have cost immeasurable time and money if self-produced.  In a similar model to Current and ‘Funny or Die’, we must first produce our own content (from above) to show potential filmmakers what is expected of them in the creation of their own original content.  If successful, this is how you jump from a few hours of self-produced content each week and turn it into hundreds of hours of quality viewer created pieces which would then be curated for Gemr users.  This model would also lend well to a series for television.

Necessary Resources:

There's a great misconception that original video content, whether it be for television or online, is cost prohibitive.  The reality is that it's talent prohibitive.  With the right team, high quality HD video content can be produced remarkably fast at a price point where the benefits exponentially outweigh the costs.  All that's needed to get the ball rolling is an idea, the right talent and a very limited budget.  I have confidence in all three.