ThinkGeek :: Bounty Program

Is your brain exploding with creative ideas? Hungry for cash? The ThinkGeek Bounty Program is here for you. If you haven't noticed yet, ThinkGeek sells lots of t-shirts to you, our loyal fans. And over the years you've asked us to create such a program. Well, here it is. Send us suggestions for new t-shirts, if we use them you'll get paid cash. It's that simple.

Using your brain and life skills, come up with a suggestion for a shirt that you think would sell here at ThinkGeek. Browse our current selection of shirts to understand the kinds of shirts we already carry.
If we decide to use your suggestion, we'll send you $250 in CASH (or a $300 TG Gift Cert!)
If you send us complete artwork that we end up using, we'll send you an additional $250 in CASH (or another $300 TG Gift Cert!)
We are talking about suggestions for designs or slogans that can go on the shirt itself, not suggestions for a style or brand of shirt to carry.

You can increase your chances of submitting a great suggestion by reading the bullet point directly beneath this one
Please, PLEASE, PLEASE for the love of Buddha read our Mini-FAQ below the form before submitting your idea. It contains more details and common suggestion pitfalls
You must agree to our Terms & Conditions before submitting your idea, or you can just go into the corner and cry.
May the force be with you.

My Brilliant Idea:

Have optional art to upload? (<400k)

I agree to the Terms & Conditions

ThinkGeek, can you tell me how to submit an awesome idea?

No, but here are some quick pointers:
- Don't send us something that's already been done.
- Make sure it fits ThinkGeek. Science, gaming, net culture, sysadmins, coding, etc.
- Bounce the idea off your friends.
- Don't come up with something only folks who live near you would understand.
- Don't use any copyrighted terms, character names, company names or logos, etc.
- Take your idea and figure out how to make it better. Then send us that one.
- Don't send us artwork unless you know what vector art is.
- We don't care about Gnomes here at ThinkGeek. Or Leprachauns. Sorry.
Hey, What Kind Of Artwork can I send?
First of all, artwork is not *required* to submit a t-shirt suggestion. You only need to send artwork if you have artwork skills and the design requires artwork. Sending us a file that has your suggestion using just a font does not constitute artwork. Do not send us hi-res artwork. We initially only accept artwork less than 400kb. Please send it in JPG or GIF format. If we decide to use your suggestion and also your artwork, we will contact you with more details. When sending final art (only done if we contact you directly), preferred formats are Illustrator (ai) or EPS followed by PDF and Photoshop files.
ThinkGeek, what criteria do you use to select a winning idea ??
This is a difficult question to answer. Mostly because there is no absolute way we decide on t-shirt ideas. Sometimes we pontificate in groups. Other times alone. It changes day to day. Ideas that are subtle are preferred to overt or obnoxious ideas and designs. Ideas that are timely are preferred to ideas that are stale. Ideas that relate to the kinds of things ThinkGeek would carry are obviously extremely important. To be blunt, good ideas are the best and bad ones the worst. And our best advice to you is to refine your idea before hastily sending it off to us. And also bounce it off some of your friends first. Don't ask your Mom, she'll always tell you your ideas are the bee's knees.
ThinkGeek, I saw this shirt once on CafePress that I think you should carry...
No thanks. We only want your original ideas. Do not bother sending us ideas for t-shirts that you've seen on other sites or retailers. And don't send us anything with a copyrighted character name (like, say, Darth Vader), corporate and company logos, etc. Those just go into the trash.
ThinkGeek, When Will I Know If You Picked My Idea !?!?!
Glad you asked. Unfortunately you will only hear back from us IF we decide to choose your shirt idea. And that could be anywhere from a few days to several months depending on various circumstances, like melting polar ice caps and current memory pricing.
ThinkGeek, nobody is answering my questions about my idea!
Due to the volume of suggestions we receive, we are unable to respond to every email. We will contact you if we pick your design - otherwise, ask your psychiatrist! He probably can help.
If You Choose My Idea, How Long Will It Be Before I get Paid?
Typically this will happen within 30-60 days. However, we might pick your suggestion and not decide to make it for another 3-4 months at which point you will get paid when we actually decide to make the shirt.
If You Choose My Idea, How Will I Get paid?
We will send you a check. And, should we choose your idea, we will contact you via email and/or phone in order to determine where to mail your check.
Hey ThinkGeek, I don't want Cash, I want a ThinkGeek Gift Certificate instead!
Not a problem. Just tell us that when we contact you if we've chosen your idea. In fact, if you want a ThinkGeek Gift Certificate instead of cash, we'll give you $300 instead of $250. For both winning ideas and for usable artwork.
ThinkGeek, You Made A Shirt I Suggested And Never Paid Me!
Please read our T&C's, the staff here at ThinkGeek internally have literally generated thousands of shirt and swag ideas over the years. You may have suggested an idea we've already been sitting on. Also, somebody else might have suggested the idea first. We are not pirates. We designed this program so that you can get paid, and if your suggestion is original to us and was the first sent in - you will get paid. Ninja's honor.