Today I Tout Totes

Today, I got a paid blogging assignment about promotional tote bags,
you know, the sort of thing you might want to print your url on, fill with bribes and send to Randi Rhodes or Rush LIimbaugh.

This site, while awkward in some ways, is one heck of a resource.
It amounts to a gigantic online promotional materials convention, and yes, these people have pens, clipboards, mugs, boxes of chocolates and usb drives too. But this link leads to bags. Shopping bags. Lunch bags. Tote Bags. If you can stuff stuff into it, it's here. from plastic, to paper to canvas totes with leather handles.

If your name or photo can be printed on a bag it's probably here, with vendor ratings and feedback. Very useful for businesses, large and small, and I was rather surprised to find that minimums are often in the tens, not in the thousands. THAT is why I'm blogging about this.

As you know, I use both Cafepress and Zazzle.com to create objects that feature my artwork and clever graphics. Well, this has opened up a whole new realm for me; with a small investment I could be selling these things on eBay, or even using them as site promotions.

There are more than a few products there that I'd like to see available to me at Cafepress, and if you have a large family Christmas list, this could be a really cool place to visit.

It's obvious resource for business, of course. But places like this have much wider applications.

I mean a tote-bag filled with Christmas goodies is a pretty cool gift - personal and yet useful. If you are thinking about making fruit-cakes this year, it's just about the right time to get started, so they will be properly rum-pickled by the holidays.

Oh, and if you poke around, you will find why the grocer asks that question: "Paper or plastic."