ZS Challenge Coins?

[Mr.Skin]

If anyone is counting, this newbie would get one.

[mrdbeau]

I don't want to sound like an asshat, as I'm sure Kyle, michelle, et. al. have thought about this, but why not simply take pre-orders for some things?

For example, if you're not worried about enough people wanting to buy these things, how about just get ordering info for 100+ people together and once you get the 100+ orders for the coins, go with it? I'm sure there would be some headache involved with holding credit card numbers, paypal money, and the like until a big enough order was filled up, but that would pretty much guarantee a problem-free order.

I've dealt with several companies that print out-of-print board games like this. They need to have X amount of orders before re-printing the board game is cost-justified. To ensure this, they allow orders and then hold the orders until a large enough group has been established, and then they send the board game to the printer, charge the people, and ship them out.

Anyway, like I said, I'm sure this has been thought of, but I thought I'd throw it out anyway. And if for some reason it hasn't been thought about, feel free to mull it over for a bit.

[Ben]

This is probably going to sound lame, but how about an "actual" challenge to earn the coin? (Which, by the way, I'd buy at least 2 cuzz I lose stuff.) Try actually surviving 3 days using only your BOB, Survive Zombie Con, or like, membership perks. Bronze for 1 year, Silver for 5, Gold for 10 (yikes) and for 20 years you get an actual coin that has traveled through Gundown's bowels!

I'm not sure how great of an idea a custom coin really is, I'm just nuts for anything that has a ZS logo on it.

I didn't complete a challenge to receive any of my other coins. The challenge is that you can challenge others to produce theirs on pain of buying you booze.

Just saying.



Mr. Beau, we suggested the idea of preorders when polos were mentioned since there was some logistical concern. Hopefully the board is currently taking that under advisement.

[mrdbeau]

Mr. Beau, we suggested the idea of preorders when polos were mentioned since there was some logistical concern. Hopefully the board is currently taking that under advisement.

Ah, very good, carry on then.

[crypto]

I didn't complete a challenge to receive any of my other coins. The challenge is that you can challenge others to produce theirs on pain of buying you booze.

I dunno about that, I was under the impression that challenge coins in the conventional sense were attaboys handed out by higher-ups for going above and beyond at some task or another.

At least that's how I've gotten mine in the past. I've never had any unit coins that everyone was issued as a matter of course.


Oh, and on the topic of pre-orders, thats just not how ZS operates.

There's enough operating budget for merchandise, and no one wants to sit on credit card numbers for months in a pre-order scenario. If there's going to be merch for sale, the board considers whether the item is a good fit for ZS and whether there's a business case for it, and then if they agree to move forward, money is allocated for production, and the lot is ordered and made available for sale.

I know that pre-orders are popular on online forums for swag and other group buys, but please remember that ZS is larger than just the web forum. There are many active ZS members who haven't ever been to the forums. Zombie Squad is a real, functioning, non-profit corporation, with real accounting books, and once you reach that level of complexity, pre-order lists just don't make good sense anymore.

Getting input from the forum is definitely good though, as it lets the board know whether there's a lot of interest in a certain merchandise item or not.

[Ben]

I didn't complete a challenge to receive any of my other coins. The challenge is that you can challenge others to produce theirs on pain of buying you booze.

I dunno about that, I was under the impression that challenge coins in the conventional sense were attaboys handed out by higher-ups for going above and beyond at some task or another.

At least that's how I've gotten mine in the past. I've never had any unit coins that everyone was issued as a matter of course.

I suppose that would depend on your unit. The ones I got from army guys were simply given to me as well. Then again challenge coins are not very big in the Navy (or at least were not when I was in). The one I still carry was given to me for completing training.

Oh, and on the topic of pre-orders, thats just not how ZS operates.

There's enough operating budget for merchandise, and no one wants to sit on credit card numbers for months in a pre-order scenario. If there's going to be merch for sale, the board considers whether the item is a good fit for ZS and whether there's a business case for it, and then if they agree to move forward, money is allocated for production, and the lot is ordered and made available for sale.

I know that pre-orders are popular on online forums for swag and other group buys, but please remember that ZS is larger than just the web forum. There are many active ZS members who haven't ever been to the forums. Zombie Squad is a real, functioning, non-profit corporation, with real accounting books, and once you reach that level of complexity, pre-order lists just don't make good sense anymore.

Getting input from the forum is definitely good though, as it lets the board know whether there's a lot of interest in a certain merchandise item or not.

Thanks for pulling back the curtain. I wouldn't say that preorders don't make sense if you are complex but that is only because much larger and more complex companies do so. If you are saying it doesn't make sense because the limited need for ZS to develop the infrastructure to support it that is a different argument and I that I would agree with generally.

[Toad704D]

I didn't complete a challenge to receive any of my other coins. The challenge is that you can challenge others to produce theirs on pain of buying you booze.

Just saying.

If that's the case, that's WAY better than I could have imagined, and I'll be needing like 4 or 5 of 'em.

[L1Z4RD]

Oh good, positive feedback.

I just did a real quick google search and found this store in one hit:

http://www.challengecoinusa.com/index.html

For all you guys that get together at ZCon, etc.... A ZS challenge coin would certainly settle a lot of, "whose buying this round", disputes.......

The woman holding the plaque looks pissed.

[Kentucky J]

Hope I'm not scratching a sore spot but...

BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMP!

[Wasz]

I'd buy one or 2

[Blacksh33p]

I would get a few, one for myself and a few more just to hand out to get laughs - or maybe blank stares. I'm sure we could get something rolling pretty easily. The only problem is that they tend to cost...a lot.

[thelight]

I'd pick up a few challenge coins for sure. I would also use them in a hypothetical upcoming ZS Raffle...

[Jamie]

I'd pick up a few challenge coins for sure. I would also use them in a hypothetical upcoming ZS Raffle...

Don't you have a ZS challenge coin?

nfa

[thelight]

I'd pick up a few challenge coins for sure. I would also use them in a hypothetical upcoming ZS Raffle...

Don't you have a ZS challenge coin?

nfa

Shhhh! Trying to get extras for... reasons which shall currently remain unspecified. That reminds me. I should probably find that other coin before we meet up next!

[ikkyu]

So what is the status on this? Are we doing it? who's on point on this?

I love challenge coins and pick them up every chance I get. They are a solid reminder of the things I've done and places I've been. I would get several (3+), and I think a pre-order would be the way to go to make sure the squad doesn't get short changed.

just my two coppers on that ... would love ZS coins to go with the collection...

[ChristianEvers]

I would totally get one. How much?

[Cyborg]

In 2003 some blooming American soldier gave me a challenge coin to say thanks for something or other, I didn't quite understand what it meant and threw it in my medal box. I saw him a few months ago and he rolled out a challenge, I lost.

It sucks to be the guy with no coin around a group of American military who are just back from deployment (they told me my Brit Police one didn't count cos it had the Union Jack on)

I also think it'd suck to be around Brash without a coin so I'm in for a few.... And if it has a brain on it then there'll be a new meaning "heads or tails?"

[HHaase]

You know, I am very torn on this.

Having a ZS Challenge coin: Good
Buying a ZS Challenge Coin: Bad.

They're GIVEN, not BOUGHT.

[BigDanInTX]

I'm all for this. In the words of Doc Holiday... "Say when..." ;-]

[Rush2112]

I am interested in this.

[Towanda]

I'm in.

[jnathan]

You know, I am very torn on this.

Having a ZS Challenge coin: Good
Buying a ZS Challenge Coin: Bad.

They're GIVEN, not BOUGHT.

I think this is very much a matter of opinion and situation. We've seen people on both sides of the argument, and assuming that some of them are telling the truth we've got situations where they're both given and earned.

Here's where the idea of ZS coins being earned breaks down: ZS is a distributed organization with local chapters. If only a select few in a centralized location can give them out, then the outliers suffer.

-Jeff

[crypto]

Speaking of giving challenge coins, someone whose name starts with an F and ends with a Amine was supposed to mail me one over a month ago and never did

[Jamie]

I brought a bunch to ZCON, which Kyle said that he would distribute...

Jamie