Fantastic Blognanza!

Killer Cotton is a new database of independent online shops that functions primarily through user reviews. Users score shops based on three categories: products, service, and website; you are also able to write text reviews of any length. All review scores are averaged to yield an overall rating out of 100, and the highest rated shops are displayed first.

Searching and Sorting

The way shops are sorted is one of the best features of the site. Not only are shops sorted by ‘who their items are for‘ (i.e., guys, girls, kids, pets, etc.) and by what they sell, but by style (e.g., alternative, handmade, modern, retro, yuppie, etc.), price, and ‘special interest‘ (duct tape, made in Canada, organic, synthetic materials, vegan, etc.). What is so great about the system is that it allows you to be as general or as specific as you like.

T-Shirts!

Of greatest interest to me, and possibly to you, gentle reader, are the 99 shops listed so far that sell t-shirts. Yes, that’s quite a bit. Many of them are not primarily t-shirt stores, and carry only a few shirts. But that can be a good thing, because you’ll find shirts you might have missed otherwise, if you were only looking for t-shirt stores specifically. And don’t be daunted by their sheer numbers: with Killer Cotton’s sorting features, you should be able to narrow things down to what you specifically want. Here’s an example t-shirt searching adventure:

The Searching Adventure

I’m a guy, so I click on the ‘Guys’ tab. I’m in the market for a t-shirt. What kind of t-shirt? Something skater, not too expensive (but not cheap), made in the USA, and maybe a little alternative. What do I come up with? There are five stores that fit all of my search criteria: SubUrban Riot, Noisebot, Camisado Industries, Nooworks, and Monsieur T.. Sadly, only three of these shops are rated! That’s where you come in.

Killer Cotton Needs YOU!

Without reviews, Killer Cotton won’t work, and you look like somebody who could write a couple of reviews. ‘What’s in it for me’, you might ask? Besides providing an invaluabe resource to other indie shoppers, you will: 1) encourage more people to write their own reviews (which you can then utilize for your own purchasing purposes), 2) support your favorite indie shops by boosting their ratings, and 3) have the potential to win free t-shirts, because a random review is selected each month, and the reviewer wins a shirt. So what are you waiting for? Head on over to Killer Cotton, check out some of the great shops listed there, and write some kick-ass reviews!

P.S. Fantastic Bonanza is up on Killer Cotton, and we’ve only gotten one review, so feel free to review us, if you are so inclined!
P.P.S. Congratulations on reading this whole entry! It’s a long way to go without many pictures. I hope it was thrilling nonetheless.