Geek Chic - Furniture for the needs of Geeks and Nerds
http://www.rarityguide.com/articles/articles/263/1/Geek-Chic---Furniture-for-the-needs-of-Geeks-and-Nerds/Page1.html
By Douglas Shepard (Editor in Chief, RarityGuide.com)
Published on 04/4/2010
Geek Chic is a business that deals in custom furniture. It is designed to meet the needs of geeks and gamers alike. We got some time to talk with the founder, Robert Gifford, and to browse the merchandise.
The Geek Chic – Wondercon 2010
The Geek Chic HQ - Website
While wandering the convention floor, there was one booth that caught our eye. It stood out because unlike many of the other booths, this one was more open and contained something rarely seen at a Comic Book convention: furniture. We explored the booth and asked questions of the staff there, eventually getting some time to talk with Robert Gifford, the founder (or Instigator) of Geek Chic.
It took a little time to talk with Robert as he was just finishing an interview. Naturally, we asked about how he got the idea to start a company like this. He told us about how he realized that many functions geeks attend are not really seen as adult. Much of the time, we do not treat each other like adults. He wanted to start a business that did just that. He came to the realization that he had the skills and connections one day that he could attempt to make furniture that catered to this market. One of the big things he cited was that even those he knew that made five or six figures a year had no better solution for their prized comic book collections than wire racks on the walls inside white cardboard boxes. We had to agree that Geeks are known for their ingenuity, often thinking of a better solution than others. Robert had found an answer to something very important, just why is it that no one had thought of something better for storing our collections, in a small way, our odes to our idols, heroes or favorite artist? With this in mind, he set about founding this company, selling many valuable pieces of his collections to start it. He knew that it was a risk, but, if it worked, it would be great. He was of the mind set that if he had these connections and skills that surely he should put them to use in some fashion that many people would benefit from.
We learned at this point Geek Chic had been actively in business for two years. It also had paid off very well. All the pieces they had displayed on the convention floor had at a few months back order. The business had already expanded once and if the business trend continued, they would need to expand again to keep up with the demand.
What drew (both of) us there really was a particular model, the Alexandria Codex, crowned with a model of the helmet from the Rocketeer. This beauty was made of all hard wood. It had numerous bays that one could put one of three different options inside or just have it open. These three options are A) One large comic draw B) 2 smaller Card Boxes or C) 3 drawers for dice and Minis Storage. Every piece they had displayed had a number of variants on its basic model that could fit any number of needs. Each piece came in a variety of sizes, all of which were clearly stated at the respective pieces of furniture as well as their price. Each of the pieces are very well crafted from hardwoods and made in a fashion where the whole piece can stand on its own before being glued together.
There were two other pieces that really caught our eye while we explored the booth. The first was the “Game Master’s Valet” or “GM Valet”. As a GM myself, it was very appealing to have something specifically for my game books, dice, maps, notes etc. This piece of furniture was very pleasing on top of offering a great way just to organize a great amount of clutter. Its uses extended beyond just GMing, as many artists also favored it for its numerous features. The second piece was the Emissary Table. In my recounting of an old tabletop, a group of eight around a full family dinner table, Robert pointed that table to us. He told us that easily everyone could have fit around it and the GM would have had plenty of space for their set-up. When I investigated the table, the catch phrase was, indeed, very geek: “More than meets the eye”. Surveying the table, seeing all the little drawers and option of the drop top I could not help but agree.
About this time, we bid Geek Chic farewell. There was much more to see at Wondercon and this had done something to brighten our day. The Geek Chic works to cover particular niche in within the community found in Wondercon that no one else has really thought to do.
The Geek Chic HQ - Website
While wandering the convention floor, there was one booth that caught our eye. It stood out because unlike many of the other booths, this one was more open and contained something rarely seen at a Comic Book convention: furniture. We explored the booth and asked questions of the staff there, eventually getting some time to talk with Robert Gifford, the founder (or Instigator) of Geek Chic.
It took a little time to talk with Robert as he was just finishing an interview. Naturally, we asked about how he got the idea to start a company like this. He told us about how he realized that many functions geeks attend are not really seen as adult. Much of the time, we do not treat each other like adults. He wanted to start a business that did just that. He came to the realization that he had the skills and connections one day that he could attempt to make furniture that catered to this market. One of the big things he cited was that even those he knew that made five or six figures a year had no better solution for their prized comic book collections than wire racks on the walls inside white cardboard boxes. We had to agree that Geeks are known for their ingenuity, often thinking of a better solution than others. Robert had found an answer to something very important, just why is it that no one had thought of something better for storing our collections, in a small way, our odes to our idols, heroes or favorite artist? With this in mind, he set about founding this company, selling many valuable pieces of his collections to start it. He knew that it was a risk, but, if it worked, it would be great. He was of the mind set that if he had these connections and skills that surely he should put them to use in some fashion that many people would benefit from.
We learned at this point Geek Chic had been actively in business for two years. It also had paid off very well. All the pieces they had displayed on the convention floor had at a few months back order. The business had already expanded once and if the business trend continued, they would need to expand again to keep up with the demand.
What drew (both of) us there really was a particular model, the Alexandria Codex, crowned with a model of the helmet from the Rocketeer. This beauty was made of all hard wood. It had numerous bays that one could put one of three different options inside or just have it open. These three options are A) One large comic draw B) 2 smaller Card Boxes or C) 3 drawers for dice and Minis Storage. Every piece they had displayed had a number of variants on its basic model that could fit any number of needs. Each piece came in a variety of sizes, all of which were clearly stated at the respective pieces of furniture as well as their price. Each of the pieces are very well crafted from hardwoods and made in a fashion where the whole piece can stand on its own before being glued together.
There were two other pieces that really caught our eye while we explored the booth. The first was the “Game Master’s Valet” or “GM Valet”. As a GM myself, it was very appealing to have something specifically for my game books, dice, maps, notes etc. This piece of furniture was very pleasing on top of offering a great way just to organize a great amount of clutter. Its uses extended beyond just GMing, as many artists also favored it for its numerous features. The second piece was the Emissary Table. In my recounting of an old tabletop, a group of eight around a full family dinner table, Robert pointed that table to us. He told us that easily everyone could have fit around it and the GM would have had plenty of space for their set-up. When I investigated the table, the catch phrase was, indeed, very geek: “More than meets the eye”. Surveying the table, seeing all the little drawers and option of the drop top I could not help but agree.
About this time, we bid Geek Chic farewell. There was much more to see at Wondercon and this had done something to brighten our day. The Geek Chic works to cover particular niche in within the community found in Wondercon that no one else has really thought to do.