When it comes to geek culture and community, an important component which could easily be overlooked is geek swag. From apparel, such as t-shirts, hats and shoes, to accessories, like bags, key chains and even tattoos, geek swag is not just a conscious fashion statement but also an acknowledgement of fandom and geek pride. Wearing these items is not only a stamp of one’s individual identity but also a call to his or her brethren. It allows the world to know it is perfectly acceptable for a complete stranger to walk up and proclaim “Winter is Coming!”
We all know it is not possible to possess enough or too many of the items we so dearly love. That being said, we can thankfully welcome a new player into the game. An amazing company has stepped up to the plate, giving us yet another piece of glorious geek swag. It’s product are unique pieces and not everyone will, or even be able to, possess them. Planting its flag in the Geek Swag Circle of Honor, next to greats such as TeeFury and ThinkGeek, is a new name and new product to the fold: Nerd Tags. I randomly stumbled across Nerd Tags on Twitter one day, and boy am I glad I did!
Nerd Tags comes from the nerd power couple of Mo and her husband Lance. After ten years of running their own creative services agency, they up and decided to start a completely separate, new business. (gutsy!)
Those incredible guts formed Tangible Labs, which creates all types of cool things using a 3D printer, including figurines and prototypes for inventors. When they first started out with Tangible Labs, while trying to get the hang of their new 3D printer, they printed a variety of nerdy designs on tags as a quick and easy way to test different settings. After wearing a few of their 3D test prints around town and such, they started getting requests. This led to eventually launch of NerdTag.me as part of Tangible Labs.
Just in case you’re itching to know more, here are some additional facts, from the NerdTag.me site itself:
Embrace your inner nerd by hanging a 3D printed Nerd Tag anywhere.
Nerd Tags are American-made and robot-crafted by Tangible Labs in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Each tag is custom-designed and printed by a 3d printer and are made of ABS plastic measuring 30mm wide and 52mm tall. The Nerd Tags are not mass produced and are printed on demand.
Designs are only offered for a limited time. The purchase price includes shipping and a key chain.
Soon all past designs will be placed in a Nerd Vault and you’ll be able to vote back any designs you missed for a ThrowbackThursday.
So far, sounds pretty sweet, doesn’t it? The big question you might have right now, as I did originally, is “What type of quality are the tags?”. Or even “How well could these tags hold up?” Lucky for me (and your peace of mind), I was able to grab the 11th Doctor tag a few months back. It has been on my key ring since the day I received it. It has been bounced around, dropped, abused and in my pocket nearly daily for two months. Despite all that, as you can see from the photo, it still looks as good as the day I got it. I will admit, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. However, after receiving my tag, plus experiencing the quality of the tag itself, I can do nothing but give Nerd Tags the highest of praises. This is one piece of geek swag in which you will not be disappointed in. Plus, they’ve started kicking out tags that are multiple colors like their current Rebel Alliance tag you can see above. Things are only going to get better and greater from this nerd power couple.
Want more proof? Check out these round Nerd Tag designs which will be available at their booth at the Tampa Bay Comic Con.
The uneven edges and dual color direwolf of House Stark is, hands down, my favorite, and I know of a certain little boy that would love to have that Captain America one.
Want even more on Nerd Tags? Be sure to check them out on Facebook and Twitter, and check back here at the site often as we’ll soon be having giveaways for some of their old, and new tags.
What type of NerdTag would you like to see printed and made available at NerdTag.me? Feel free to send an email to Mo and Lance with a suggestion. Be sure to let them know they can blame me for their increased email!
