New... merch?

Two years ago, I started Astrodon as a small experiment, never imagining it would grow into the vibrant community it is today. Now, with thousands of members and countless shared moments, it's time to secure its future.
When I started this community, I had no idea that it would grow to anything like its current size. I expected maybe 100 like-minded people would sign up, and Astrodon would take its place as a quiet little corner of the Fediverse. Little did I know that such a great community would take shape here and call Astrodon home. With the second great Twitter exodus underway (or is this the third now?) Astrodon continues to grow by about 20 members per month, with between 500-800 members actively posting, and more than 4000 total registrations.
Running a community of this size obviously costs time and money. Specifically, it costs my personal time and money. As the community continues to grow, those costs scale linearly. Whilst I started financing Astrodon out of pocket, I want to change the funding model to ensure that the community can continue to operate independently of my paycheck.
But if I'm going to ask for money, I feel it's only ethical to be transparent about the costs.
Running Astrodon costs about €260 per month in hosting fees alone, plus countless hours of my time. To date, I've personally invested €3,500 to keep it running. As the community grows, so do these costs, which is why I’m asking for your help.
In 2024, the costs have risen from €180/month to €260/month.
Astrodon is more than just a Mastodon instance—it's a home for space enthusiasts, thinkers, and scientists who love sharing the wonders of the universe in a supportive, ad-free environment. One of the great appeals for me is that I can run Astrodon without treating you, the community, as a product to be sold to advertisers. (Or you know, foreign dictators!)
Looking at other Mastodon communities, there are 3 prevalent models for funding:
- Out-of-pocket. The owner pays. What I've been doing so far.
- Donations. Usually with a Patreon, where community-minded members can contribute as their ability allows.
- Subscriptions. A very few are explicitly paid-for services with a recurring fee to participate.
I think going for subscriptions now would have a deleterious effect on the community here. Whilst it's a possibility, it's not an approach I want to start with.
Donations are obviously an easy route to take, and I'll be adding a Patreon page with options for anyone who wants to contribute.
However, there's a different approach that I've been eyeing for a while now - and that's using merchandise to fund the community. To make supporting Astrodon fun, I've launched an Astrodon store filled with space-themed goodies and Astrodon designs. Think of it as a way to give back to the community while grabbing some stellar gifts for yourself or your loved ones.

These are all items that I'm designing and buying for myself, and every purchase will go towards funding Astrodon.social. To fully fund the servers, I need to sell about €600 of items per month. If this route works, any profits will be put towards covering more of my time to work on the site for additional improvements.
If Astrodon has brought value to your life, consider supporting its future. Whether through a donation, a purchase from the Astrodon store, or simply sharing this post, every contribution helps ensure our community continues to thrive.
If you have thoughts about the store or ideas for new designs, drop me a message on Astrodon or email me: store@astrodon.social. Your feedback is invaluable!
Thanks for making Astrodon the best little space community on the internet.
@sebinthestars
