Kitsch, Collector and Shopo - holic

Online shopping is a boon for the lazy + crazy me giving me the option to shop at home, office, everywhere and anywhere, the vast variety of stuff across the globe (sans the delivery issues and costs) But the same can be a bane, because you end up buying things you don’t need or don't know much about, just because they looked pretty on your screen. Also fitting, color matching and the gap between visual attraction and reality can also be big. 

In any case, one late night while surfing the net, I much needed some retail therapy to distract myself from the workload in office and a broken arm. The malls were closed but not the shopping websites, another plus (or should I say minus) for the night birds like me. I found SHOPO -  a pretty site compiling such beautiful handicrafts and indigenous products for all the Indian culture fans with kitsch and color, funky and fun, new and crazy. I greedily went through all the products, abundantly selecting them for my shopping cart and those unavailable/ unsure of in my wish list. Everything was so different from your day to day home decor and accessories that it needed some vision and spirit to experiment. In a normal scenario I would not buy all this but I needed more than ordinary.

Now you ask what did I buy really, well cool but crazy stuff… 

·         6 bottle caddy and citric lemon squeezer from ‘élan’ (served Breezers and Beers in it, and it was an instant hit with the guests)
·         Vintage Frames of Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights 1931 and ‘The World's Fastest Indian’ from ‘Funky potli’
·         Baa Moo Pin-Board by ‘Enthu Cutlets’ (still to go up, but it will be my scrap board of memories and mementoes)
·         Over the Door Hook - Dakoo Dholakia from ‘Kya Cheez hai’ (found a great use for this to hang the Hulk Hands on the moustache ends)
·         Door Latch Tissue Paper Holderby ‘Hitplay’
·         Diwali Pataakha bunting by ‘itshandmade’ (Shopping for Diwali decorations in May :-))
·         Black feet thongs by ‘SaMee’ (went perfect with the bohemian look and got compliments, secret advantage of hiding my pudgy feet) 

Over the next one month, installments of my shopping spree arrived at my door like Xmas calling in the summers. I got so many gifts paid and selected by myself that the overall excitement of receiving them made the experience even more special. By the time I was done receiving all, and wanted to place a second order, the website went KAPUT. I searched for the old links but they kept sending me to the Snapdeal.com which was far from the fun Shopo.com. I read how Snapdeal.com has acquired Shopo.com. I felt betrayed just like when Nestle made the Maggi noodles thinner, or when Dove stopped manufacturing their Night Calming Shower wash, how could they.. boo hoo.. 

I miss Shopo and my wishlist. I even wrote to Snapdeal guys about it, but I guess, like me, they also bought something they had no idea what to do with. I hope they figure the way am doing it.. slowly I am finding a perfect place to hang that frame and use all the stuff. Our house is becoming a signature statement of our lives – kitsch, fun, adventurous and colorful. So hi5 to the COLLECTOR and HOMEY (if that's a word) in me. 

But I am still searching the items on my wish list and in my next blog, I am going to introduce you to some fun online shops and their HAT KE products.. Not the regular clothes, home and accessories - something different, fun with a tinge of crazy. 

(Image credits: To respective sellers)