What is THE NEXT BIG THING?
The NEXT BIG THING is an annual design competition at fredflare.com where we invite our customers to present their creations for possible sale on our website. This year we’re selecting 27 of our favorite items to be featured in an exclusive online boutique that will also include designer bios. If your work is chosen, we’ll place a wholesale order with you for the item you’ve proposed and will purchase the stock outright. Your work will be seen by thousands around the globe & awesome opportunities WILL result. Almost all past winners have reported an increase in web traffic on their sites, mentions in local and/or national media as well as unexpected wholesale opportunities as a result of being featured in NEXT BIG THING. Last year one of the selected items became a best-seller at fredflare.com and we sold over 2000 pieces! In addition to media attention and sales, we also award a $1000 prize to the designer voted the “fred fan fave” by our awesome customers. Right on! The NEXT BIG THING contest is best suited for designers, artists, crafters and creatives who are serious about taking their business to the next level.

What kinds of items can I propose for THE NEXT BIG THING?
You name it, we want to see it! We're looking for FREAK-OUT AMAZINGNESS in the world of design, art and craft. Items could include, but are not limited to, jewelry, clothing, accessories, printed matter, home items, novelties, food, art, music and more. Have people audibly gasped in delight over your work? Then you're onto something. Surprise us! However, before you even submit your item, you’ll want to make sure you believe you can consistently reproduce a small quantity, say 20 to 200. If you're proposing art pieces or one-of-a-kind designs we advise you pitch a small collection, like a series of ten small paintings for example. You’re also advised to make sure your item will be affordable for the typical fredflare.com customer.

How do I win the $1000 prize?
Shortly after the 27 finalists are announced in June, the polls will open for two weeks. Customers will vote on their favorite item and the designer with the most votes will be crowned 2008’s “fred fan fave” and will be awarded $1000. Click here to meet last year's $1000 winner.

How do I enter? When is the deadline?
Simply click ENTER NOW and completely fill out the application form. You will be asked to pitch an item to our buying department. Simply tell us in 200 words or less why you believe this item is perfect for fredflare.com. (Do your homework! If you’re not familiar with us, spend some time on the site to get a sense of what we’re all about. Or click here to meet last year’s winners. Also, no nudity, profanity or morbidity, please. We are clean teens and we heart CUTE!) Additionally, you will be asked to either attach one jpeg (no larger than 500x500 pixels, 72DPI) of the item you are proposing and/or submit a link to the item on your own site, if you have one. After you have completed the entry, you’ll proceed to checkout to process the five dollar non-refundable entry fee. Entries must be received no later than Friday, May 2nd, 2008.

Why does it cost $5 to enter?
Reviewing over 1000 entries and giving each fair consideration takes an unbelievable amount of time and resources here at FF. If you’re serious about building your business, becoming one of the 27 winners will be well worth this investment.

How many items can I submit at once?
You may only propose one item per entry.

How many times can I enter?
You may enter as many times as you wish. There is a $5 entry fee per item.

Can I mail in my entry?
Unfortunately, no.

Can I still enter if I live outside the US?
Yes! The NEXT BIG THING is open to supertalents around the globe. We do ask, however, that when you enter the contest, you give us your proposed wholesale price in US dollars. Thanks!

Can I call and/or email you regarding my entry?
Unfortunately, no. Though we believe very strongly in giving our customers great service, we simply cannot respond personally to each submission. You will receive an automatic reply confirming that your entry has arrived and, sadly, you may not hear back from us again until we announce the winners in June. Be sure to join our fanclub so you’re as up-to-date as possible on all the happening at fredflare.com!

If I entered and/or won last year, can I enter again?
Absolutely! We’d LOVE to see what you’re up to this year!

Can I send samples?
No. However, if we like your entry, we may email you to request one. Please wait to hear from us. Thanks!

May I submit sketches or ideas for products?
No. Please only enter final products that could be ready to be sold immediately.

How does the selection process work? How soon before I hear feedback?
The contest will run online through Friday, May 2nd, 2008. If we like your entry we will contact you to request a sample for review sometime before May 9th. This does not necessarily mean you are a winner, however. The final samples will be reviewed and voted upon by our in-house buying team to determine our 27 winners. Orders will then be placed in May and the winners will be announced in June with the launch of our exclusive NEXT BIG THING boutique.

If I win, how many of my item will you sell?
This will vary per winning entry but typically our first order is between 20-200 pieces.

How will I get paid?
We will pay for our first order upon receipt of merchandise. All subsequent orders will be paid Net 30, which means we pay within 30 days after arrival of the goods at our warehouse.

What does "wholesale price" mean?
The wholesale price is the discounted price at which you would sell the item to a store, as opposed to the price you would retail it at if you were selling it directly to a customer. The wholesale price is typically half – or sometimes even less than half – of the retail price. So, if you currently sell an item on your own site for $20, then you’ll need to be prepared to offer it wholesale for probably no more than $10. Definitely super crunch those numbers and pick the right item before entering this contest! You don’t want to give a wholesale price that’s too low because you won’t make money BUT you also don’t want a wholesale price that’s too high because it will make the resulting retail price unreasonable and then nobody will buy it, ya know?

Will I still own the rights to my item?
Of course.

When will the winners be announced?
The NEXT BIG THING winners will be announced over the first two weeks of June alongside the launch of the NEXT BIG THING 2008 boutique.

How many winners will be chosen?
There will be a total of 27 finalists and one $1000 prize winner.

Who won last year?
We’ve had some awesome supertalents participate in NEXT BIG THING. Click to meet 2007’s winners or click to meet 2006’s winners or click to meet 2005’s winners.