If we remember the internet for one thing, it will probably be fandoms. Sites like Tumblr, Pinterest – even just Google Image search allows us to obsessively drool over whatever delectable mind-morsel we last thought about, or the last TV show we marathoned, or the last pair of shoes we saw on Lupita Nyong’O. It’s immediate satiation in its purest form. It’s black tar instant gratification, and it targets those of us who willingly fixate on whatever shiny item has out attention.
Once our feverish heads are firmly in the clouds of fandom, the marketplace rises up to meet us by offering us our new favorite things that we didn’t know about yet… in the form of merch. Sweet, sweet fan merchandise.
But what happens when your primary obsession – let’s say, I don’t know, a legendary musician in the experimental jazz/blues field – doesn’t have enough fans under the age of 40 to justify selling new merchandise? What happens when you are 28 and would gladly exchange every single thing you own for an identical object with their face on it? WHAT HAPPENS THEN, WHAT DO YOU DO, HUH?!
Answer: you make your own.
Enter: Caseable.
This company aids you in adding a bit of your rabid media addictions to things you use throughout the day, feigning off withdrawal by letting you indulge in your life-breathing mania many, many times daily.
Oh, look! Tom Waits. What an impeccable choice for an example, don’t you think? When Caseable offered me – a newly minted iPhone user – a sample of a custom iPhone case… I had one made within minutes.
Not only is their case creation program really fun and easy to use, but you can take any photo (the larger the better for quality) and put it on a case for your iPhone.
This can include images, text, art, solid colors… whatever you want! Then, they make it extra easy and give you an easily shareable URL to save or to show off immediately to other nerds like you who share your fandom.
It couldn’t be easier than that.
As far as the quality of the iPhone case: it’s pretty damn good.
I am one of those people who doesn’t like living in fear of breaking their iPhone, so I have a case made from bouncy rubber that looks a bit like a Jeep Wrangler. The case I designed with Caseable was a much more sleek… vulnerable shape, like many of the adorable iPhone covers out there.
Things I Liked About my Caseable iPhone Case:
- Man… once you get this case on – it isn’t coming off for a while. Do not try to remove or install with wet nails. (Yep, I did that. I am not smart.) It feels solid and fits like a glove.
- The image quality is fan-tastic (see what I did there?) and gives me a gleeful shock every time I pull it out to use it.
- It’s made in the USA. In fact, these are hand-crafted in Brooklyn!
- Eco-friendly, baby! Their cases are made from recycled materials – namely neoprene, polyester and polycarbonate (aka water bottles and the like).
- Of course, I dropped my iPhone. It definitely did not break, nor did the case receive any damage! Success!
Things I Didn’t Love About my Caseable iPhone Case:
- Remember how I said it wasn’t coming off? Well, it really isn’t coming off. I was nervous that I’d have to break or preemptively cut all of my fingernails before trying to remove this sucker. Half good, half bad. I was able to get it off without breaking nails, though!
- Some headphones and audio cables won’t fit all the way into the input because the case edge is too close to the jack. Not having Spotify in my ears at all times is a major quality of life inhibitor for me. I was able to work around this by twisting the audio cable into the hole so it’s held there by the tension from the aforementioned edge of the case. It takes 10 extra seconds but it’s workable!
Having never owned a case like this, I wasn’t entirely sure what the best way to put it on was. I found that starting with the side that has volume control on it (left, if you’re looking at the screen) was the most effective. After you place that edge into the case, you can pretty easily pop the other side in and you’re good to go!
Non-iPhone-users, fear not! You’re not left out of this equation. You can also outfit your Samsung Galaxy, Blackberry, tablet, eReader or laptop with a customized hard or “snap” case!
If you’re still left out after that, try creating a customized, soft phone pouch. This will still protect your phone with a scratch-resistant interior and faux leather back, and you still have all of the customization opportunities!
Not creative/have a boring personality? No worries, we’ve got you covered there, too. Caseable has several Artist collections of pre-designed cases for you to choose from. They are predictably beautiful and sure to be unlike any you’ve found elsewhere.
Each case, custom or pre-designed, it around $34.90 and is wonderfully made with excellent materials. This would make an awesome gift for a friend! Definitely something they wouldn’t think to get themselves. Or just start your own collection of you-designed cases!
Which one of your fandoms would you put on a phone case?
Design one (for free!) here, and leave your shareable link in the comments!