I like the idea of this site, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired.
It reminds me of those catalogs in the seat-backs of airplanes that I end up reading when I get bored. Lots of stuff -- but nothing really struck me as being all that valuable or novel. Kitsch.
Oddly enough, the people that actually love those backseat catalogs are our core audience at the moment. This current incarnation was more of a following rather than leading our audience.
We're in the process of remedying this "kitsch" right now.
Small world... my girlfriend just applied to a position with Quirky and today I see it on HN.
I once helped build a site for a client that sold all sorts of one-off stuff from around the world. Last I heard her site really took off and she's been contacting some of the orig devs about more work... it's definitely a niche market but I guess there's plenty of folks with disposable income seeking novelty.
There's a lot of money in kitsch, and following your audience is where you're supposed to be!
Probably just a bad mix between the material and my personal tastes. I often think that startups and business that submit ideas that are non-hacker-related get more criticism than they deserve from HN'ers. So heck, I'm the last guy you want to listen to! Stay with the customers :)
It reminds me of those catalogs in the seat-backs of airplanes that I end up reading when I get bored. Lots of stuff -- but nothing really struck me as being all that valuable or novel. Kitsch.