If the Brain Cell came in only two colors...

[Darcy]

Which colors would you choose?

We are probably going to narrow down the Brain Cell color choices to two...

[grumpy3b]

Easily I can say Olive is my fav color. Mine is Olive...love it and the color is nice since it's not JABB...just another black bag...

I can say if there was no Olive option and only black and another color, I would have selected the other color. No JABB's around here...ever. If I had one I think I would have to take up ritual sacrifice and offer the bag unto the laptop bag gawds in the form of a burnt offering.

[MikeL]

I liked the option to color code my Brain Cell to the inside of my Super Ego. I choose Wasabi, and Crimson since they were the colors I was thinking of for my SE. I also like Olive and Black. But alas, I could only vote once.

[leon]

They already have an answer in terms of brain cells sold/color breakdown, with one confounding variable.

The more colors available, the more likely it will be for voters (and buyers) to have non-black favorites. In purchases, black is misrepresented because it might be the most common 2nd place option (but so many colors, more likely one of those to be chosen). And despite the multiple choice format here, this poll imo will still not account for it because voters already concede black as a default 2nd (even from the "JABB" hater: "if it were black and another color, I'd choose the other color"). There will be a tendency for voters to get their two favorite non-blacks in, regardless of where black ranks for them imo.

If it's only two options, one almost has to be a neutral color. Black or Steel. Losing more prospective buyers' 1st choices is better than not having a workable 2nd choice. I would think what sets the brain cell apart from the competition is NOT the fact that it's offered in wasabi. Because even in black, it's surely not "JABB" lol.

[Just]

Ooo, I just took another look at the Brain Bag page and that navy looks really good - better than my sapphire IMO! Pity we can't trade old colors in for new ones

[moriond]

Consider steel

This is tough because of the number of bags that use the Brain Cell inside. And I think having lighter color options (i.e., not black) works a lot better for these bags for the same reason that having contrasting color in the interiors does -- it's much easier to find things in the bag. For conservative bags like the Empire Builder and the Zephyr, that only leaves steel as the neutral color that goes with the full range of color offerings.

I think these color choices are also slightly tweaked by the color options for those bags that are not meant to be laptop bags, but which have proved hugely popular -- like the Aeronaut. Bet you saw a surge in other crimson purchases to go with that, since the crimson is one of the most effective ballistic nylon colors. (Just as I think there's a surge of some votes for sapphire since you introduced the new Buzz in this color.)

Anyway, the point is that if you're cutting down the color options for the brain cell, you might want to look at this issue from the point of view of what colors work among the largest group of products with restricted color offerings. These are going to be the bags that use ballistic nylon on the outside (Aeronaut, Smart Alec, Empire Builder). I think that steel probably should be one of the offered colors because of this.

P.S. This is a bit weird, since I don't use an Empire Builder any more, but it drove this answer. I'm also answering the question of what two colors would I choose for the brain cell if I were trying to make the best decision for Tom Bihn's full product line, rather than answering what two colors I, personally, would like to have available. (I may shop for other brain cells while I can still choose other colors.)

[maverick]

Hi Darcy,

Wow - that's a tough one. I would say look and see what have been your top sellers historically - what have people bought most?

My personal choices would be crimson and wasabi, but I really like the sapphire also.

Are you also thinking about minimizing the color choices of other products also?

Maverick

[Darcy]

Are you also thinking about minimizing the color choices of other products also?

Yes, but not quite as much. Bags like the ID will be available in four or five colors maximum. The drive is for less color combinations to be available at any given time, but changing colors more often. Maybe a Black/Steel/Orange ID one batch and Black/Steel/Crimson the next.

[Alicia]

Ok, I think I need to change my vote. I voted for Black and Crimson because those would be my two favorite colors out of the bunch, but I have to say I didn't really put much thought into it; it was just instinct. I think maybe I should change the choices to steel and Crimson (I love the Sapphire, though)

[maverick]

Yes, but not quite as much. Bags like the ID will be available in four or five colors maximum. The drive is for less color combinations to be available at any given time, but changing colors more often. Maybe a Black/Steel/Orange ID one batch and Black/Steel/Crimson the next.

That's an interesting idea. That way, you work through a given batch of colors in a shorter time. And, it hopefully allows you to provide a greater variety of colors over a longer time period.

Would it be possible to indicate what colors are around the corner for those waiting for a given color combination?

[leon]

crimson is one of the most effective ballistic nylon colors.

Would you please expand on this for me? Something I might not be considering, effectiveness varying by color.

[Just]

Anyway, the point is that if you're cutting down the color options for the brain cell, you might want to look at this issue from the point of view of what colors work among the largest group of products with restricted color offerings. These are going to be the bags that use ballistic nylon on the outside (Aeronaut, Smart Alec, Empire Builder). I think that steel probably should be one of the offered colors because of this.

Hold on though - the Brain Bag is in Cordura, and I think there should be some difference between sales of a certain color in Cordura vs. sales of the same color in Ballistic. The colors do look different in the different fabrics, after all.

[dsg29]

It's RED. It's not Crimson. RED RED RED. Scarlet, if you like, but it's very much not crimson. And whatever you want to call it, it's my favorite Tom Bihn Color. Oh, the olive's good, too.

[Darcy]

Would it be possible to indicate what colors are around the corner for those waiting for a given color combination?

Probably not, and we wouldn't recommend waiting for a particular color combination unless it has been officially made available for pre-order or it's one of the color combinations we always offer (such as Black/Black/Steel) and is temporarily out of stock. But that makes it more of an adventure, right?

[maverick]

Probably not, and we wouldn't recommend waiting for a particular color combination unless it has been officially made available for pre-order or it's one of the color combinations we always offer (such as Black/Black/Steel) and is temporarily out of stock. But that makes it more of an adventure, right?

I'm looking forward to the adventure!