You Really Have to SEE It in Person!

We're, well, basically kinda famous for our holiday windows around here.

From our first, featuring spinning, ice-skating bots in a "Robot Winter Wonderland":


To the award-winning "The Gearbots":


And last year's "Better Bot's Workshop":


We are sort of getting a reputation.

There are several facts about our windows:

• They are always very clever.
• They can be described as "visually arresting."
• They have a high nose-pressed-to-glass factor.
• They tend to stop people in their tracks.
• They can be very, very difficult to photograph.

Our new holiday window falls into all of the above categories, particularly the last one. Turns out five hundred holiday lights, thirty yards of felt, one roll of chicken wire, and one robot very slowly making a snow angel is not an easy thing to capture on film.

We've tried our best, here:


But please stop by the Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair and see it for yourself, in action! It looks particularly arresting after dark.

And while you're here, you can stock up on robot cord wrappers, robot key covers, robot tea infusers, robot zipper pulls, robot socks, robot hats, robot lunchboxes, robot umbrellas, robot hands, robot backpacks, robot water bottles, and more OH MY SO MUCH MORE.

The Robot Takeover is Scheduled for Monday, November 21.

We are thrilled to announce that just yesterday we dropped off the disc with our first-ever holiday catalog at the printer! We are even more thrilled to announce that we are hard at work on a matching website that will make it so easy for people from ANYWHERE to do their holiday shopping at the robot shop.

Reasons Why You Should Do Your Holiday Shopping at the Robot Shop
(or the Robot Shop Website)

1. First and foremost, always: Because ALL PROCEEDS from the Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair benefit the free student programming at 826michigan. It is -- literally -- the gift that keeps on giving, providing young people in southeastern Michigan with free tutoring, writing workshops, and more!
2. Where else can you find one-of-a-kind gifts like our Create-Your-Own Robot Soul, Better Bot's Head Massaging Attachment, or Robot Tears? (Answer: Nowhere else. Literally.)
   
3. Where else can you find unique and unusual and clever gifts for everyone on your list, like Robot Measuring Cups, Robot Monkey Tissues, a Talking Friend Watch, an Electric Plane Launcher Kit, or a Twirling Spaghetti Fork? (Answer: Honestly, probably a couple of different places. But certainly not all in the same place, and certainly not with all proceeds going to a literacy-based non-profit that offers in-class support every week to thirteen teachers in six local schools.)

Other Things to Know about our Holiday Catalog and Website

1. The website launches on Monday, November 21.
2. It will be located at www.onwardrobots.com.
3. It features about seventy of our best, most popular, cutest, coolest, most innovative products. Surely something for just about everyone on your list.
4. 826michigan's super-famous and widely-loved student publications are, of course, included.
5. It's quick! It's easy! You can knock out most or all of your holiday shopping in a few mouse clicks!
   
6. We have flat-rate shipping: Just $5 to anywhere in the continental US!

If we haven't convinced you by now, we don't know what to say. Oh! We'll also have a slew of logo apparel for sale, featuring our beloved logo, including t-shirts, hoodies, onesies, tote bags, and stickers! Now you are convinced!


So mark your calendars: The Robot Takeover (or some version of it) will take place on Monday, November 21. Hope to see you there.

Cold Weather -- It's On the Way!

It may not seem like cold weather is on the way. It's sunny and 70 degrees AGAIN today in southeastern Michigan. However, our ForeCasterBot 3000 has told us that fall-like weather is indeed coming, and it will absolutely be followed by winter-like weather that will last for "what 'feels like' 1.5 million days." Or so says ForeCasterBot 3000's print out.

Robots have it easy enough. Grease them up with Better Bot's Bot Blubber and send them on their way. But what is a human to do?

As ever, the Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair has the answer, delivered today in the way of our very stylish, newly-in-stock robot shop hoodies. These pullover, kangaroo-pocketed sweatshirts are as soft and warm as can be, as well as being rakishly adorned with the robot shop logo. Take a look:

826michigan's Program Coordinator Catherine Calabro and Communications Coordinator Amy Wilson wear them well, of course, but extensive robotic studies have shown that it's impossible NOT to!

These sweatshirts come in gray with navy ink and navy with silver ink, as pictured, and can be yours today for just $30 each. Stop by the Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair and pick one up today! (Or, if you live far away, give us a ring! We'll send one to your very door.)

And be on the lookout for our holiday catalog, coming soon to a robot shop website near you! Hoodies, t-shirts, tote bags, stickers, and more will be available for purchase with a few simple clicks of your mouse.

ONWARD ROBOTS.

Rainy Day Sale!

You've noticed, no doubt, that there's been an usual amount of rain lately. This is disconcerting and/or troublesome for two things in particular:

1. The moods of human beings
2. Robots

People tend to get glum when it's rainy, and robots, well, they tend to rust.

It is with this in mind that we offer the best solution we could come up with this gray, rainy morning (we are human, after all): A sale on rainboots!

For a limited time, you can get these fun, functional, and fashionable Steven Joseph rainboots for 20 percent off the regular price. That makes them a steal at $23 a pair!



We currently have children's sizes 10-12 in stock. These sizes will fit children, of course, but are also guaranteed to fit most Type A23-X34 standard robots. (I'm sure we don't need to mention the havoc that rusty ped-joints can cause!) They won't last long (the sale won't either!) so hurry in today and pick up a pair!

And, as ever: ONWARD ROBOTS.

New Window!

Stop by the Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair and say hello to Spider, an industrial robot who has taken up residence in our front window for the next couple of months. This charming fellow comes to us by way of the fine people at FANUC Robotics.


Just what does he do? He sorts and moves gears, and then does the robot version of a "happy dance." He also intrigues and delights passersby of all shapes and sizes. Possibly even you!

Stop by, say hello, and check out Spider and our new fall line of robot goods. Hope to see you soon!

HURRY HURRY to the Robot Art Fair!

It is with great urgency that I write this post. Our second-annual Robot Art Fair is in full swing upstairs. And when I say "full swing," I mean: Things are selling. And when I say, Things are selling, I mean: Somethings are in danger of selling out!

Our talented artists gave us, in some cases, very limited quantities of their artwork, and those just-mentioned limited quantities are being snatched up as I type this. So if you are itching to get some robot onesies or cards or paintings or one-of-a-kind drawings or papercrafts, hurry hurry!

If you are in the market to buy one of Cre Fuller's magnificent robot lamp creations, you don't have to hurry quite as much, as we have quite a few:


We also have a reasonable amount of stock for Deets' amazing robots, including a bunch of stellar new stuff, like hanging tube bots, robo-octopus plaques, and more! Deanne (of Deets) and I were just talking yesterday about how the first Robot Art Fair was one of her earliest shows, right about when she had just begun to make her adorable bots. It's been a big year for Deets! Come on in and see what we mean:


The talented Dylan S of Intl Robot brought bins and bins of robot t-shirts in all sizes, as well as hoodies and bags. His designs are fun and unusual, and sure to get you compliments wherever you go wearing one (I speak from experience). This is not me (or my shirt), but take a look:


The Robot Art Fair runs from 12-6pm today through Saturday. Twenty percent of proceeds go to the free student programs at 826michigan. In addition to artwork, we have Spider, an industrial robot, on display, and a slew of robot-themed activities for the whole family, including story starters, robots to color, robots to draw, other writing activities, and more!

Art Fair Stock-up -- Cash in Early!

Greetings, friends!

Surely all you locals are well aware that the Ann Arbor Art Fair is just around the corner. In fact, exactly two weeks from today, we will be "in the throes" of it, as it were. And it must come as no surprise that local businesses tend to have LOTS of traffic that week, and so they stock up. You'll be pleased to know that we are no different, and you might be even more pleased to know that we have already loaded up the store with said stock!

Consider it a nod to our dear townies. Come in this week for all sorts of new robo-goodies, like bibs, lunchboxes, plates, pencil holders, thermoses, utensils, duck speakers, and more; as well as shelves filled with your old favorites, like rainbow makers, R2-D2 watches, universal adapters, robot measuring cups, ice cube trays, and robot rubber duckies.

We've also done what we are referring to as a quasi-redesign, which is to say that Jason came in late one night and moved some heavy stuff around:


Stop by and let us know what you think!

And join us during Art Fair for our second-annual Robot Art Fair! We'll have local artists selling robot-themed shirts, lamps, cards, onesies, drawings, and more! We'll also have fun and easy robot art projects for young people, AND a sneak peek of Spider, an actual industrial robot (also featured in the upcoming Spiderman movie), who'll be starring in a robot store window in August!

Robot Art Fair is Wedneday, July 20 through Saturday, July 23 from 12pm to 6pm. Twenty percent of all sales go to the free student programs at 826michigan. Robot Art Fair also features free air conditioning and bathrooms.