The Latest Addition to UncommonGoods

Here at our offices in Brooklyn, we have a really fun sample meeting every Thursday. Our buyers all crowd into a meeting room, filled with carts and bags of goodies. Each buyer presents their finds in front of the whole team, and together they decide which amazing gifts and home items will end up on our website and in our catalog.

We want you to have a seat at the table. This week, we’re launching our community voting app, and offering you a way to give your thumbs up or thumbs down on all our finds. Now you can see the newest gifts on the market before they’re even available.

In the past, you’ve helped us pick the color of sari scarf and you’ve shared your fantastic ideas for new products like Multiblocks and the reclaimed seatbelt chair. We love your feedback and ideas!

We designed this voting app with you in mind. We’re reading every comment and tallying every vote. Our community voting app is here to make it really easy (and fun!) for you to share your ideas and get a sneak peek at all our unique finds.

Here’s how it works:

Whenever we decide to bring in a new product, we look at the whole story. Not just where it’s made, and what materials were used, but also who made it and why.

When you starting voting for products, you’ll see a product image, which lets you know if the item is handmade or eco-friendly and how much we think it’ll cost. And then you’ll see the full story:

As you can see here, Josh picked this butterfly puddler for a few reasons. It attracts butterflies to your garden (and feeds them too!) It’s handmade with recycled glass. There’s a great artist behind the design. And it’s getting close to spring– the perfect time to head outdoors!

If you agree with Josh that the butterfly puddler is an uncommon good, you can vote thumbs up.

At this point, we’re going to ask you to log in. If you already have a log-in for our site, you’re good to go. If not, it just takes a few seconds to set up. By logging in, you’re letting us know you’re a real person, and helping us make sure we give you credit for all your great ideas and insights.

After you vote, it’s up to you to help Josh convince the rest of our buying team.

At our weekly sample meetings, Josh has to convince all the other buyers that this butterfly puddler is a winner. Here’s what you can do to help.

1) Sign up. Leave us your email address, so we can keep you posted if the item becomes available.

2) Tell your friends and family. The more people who are excited about this item, the better chance Josh will have to convince the rest of our team to bring this great gift item

3) Leave a comment. We don’t always get it right the first time. Maybe we should offer a different color. Or size. Or maybe there’s another version out there that’s better. Let us know!

So that’s what’s new at UncommonGoods this week. I hope you’ll try it out!

Let us know what you think, and check back often. We’ll be adding more great products every week, created by artists, designers and manufacturers that are eager for your feedback. And soon, we’ll be offering a way to share your own product ideas, designs and samples to the community. Stay tuned for more uncommon developments!