For the last month or so, I've been trying to negotiate with several companies (mostly Italian) for some Coffeekid and CoffeeGeek branded products. It's proving really hard to do so. I want high quality items like the best espresso cups, a good tamper, shot glasses that don't suck, perfect cappa cups, and other assorted items. But Italy's closed right now. :(

It's also costing a mint - much more than even I thought (and I thought I had a good sense for the dollars involved). To get what I want, I have to outlay about $8,000 for about a dozen products. That's not chump change (and that's US funds as well). And it's still many moons and lotsa logistics before I can start selling the products.

So I'm a bit depressed about it. People have been asking me repeatedly in here, in forums, on the phone for logo items from the CoffeeGeek site, and from this one.

So I turned this evening to CafePress. I opened up a CoffeeKid store. I actually opened it several weeks ago, and I even bought some of the items myself to check them out first before posting here about it. I wanted to make sure they look good. I bought a Metro Bag, (very cool), a funky hat, (on sale right now too), and the BBQ / Espresso apron. I wanted to make sure the products looked okay before offering them up here. Good news is, they do look good. I'm probably going to order a couple of the mugs as well.

Everything you buy at the store goes to support this website and the various costs in running it (not my labour - other stuff, like hosting, paying the programming staff at the company I work for, etc). Eventually I will get the coolest espresso cups you'll ever see, and a way cool tamper and other products, but for now, there's a good choice of stuff at the new CoffeeKid store at CafePress.

Thanks for checking it out!