"Special thanks to the Elf Merchant" - this phrase is familiar to those who are not strangers to the series in the voice acting of the studio "Courage-Bambey" or popular Russian video blogs. And, perhaps, the name of a fabulous creature engaged in a completely mundane occupation is associated with a virtual store full of upgrade opportunities and all kinds of treasures for the characters of famous online games? Who is this Elf-merchant - a person or a group of people that hides behind such a mysterious pseudonym, and why are he so grateful to him?
Quite real person
A young man, active and entrepreneurial, Internet businessman, who launched many significant projects on the Russian Internet and turns virtual money and ideas into real income, bears a not at all exotic name in real life - Yaroslav Andreev.
Born in 1983 in St. Petersburg (then Leningrad), grew up and until recently lived there permanently. Childhood was not abundant, even fully secured it is difficult to call it. He entered two universities, left both of his own free will - one in his second year, the other in his third.
However, the ability to make money from the air is the same gift of nature as other talents. Yaroslav early began to turn into income what others consider entertainment, and often the other way around, an expense item — online games. Gamers with a lack of time or a desire to do everything in the game on their own, but willing to pay for improvements, were the first sponsors of the Elf Merchant's stores.
How did the Elf Merchant appear?
Who is this unearthly being who gave the name to an absolutely material entrepreneur and his projects?
Yaroslav, in the past himself keen on online games, received his first substantial income from selling surpluses of his own game currency for real rubles. He later put things on stream and hired players. Bought from some - sold to others.
In one of the games, Yaroslav created a character whose name is now famous in certain circles - this is an elf merchant. Someone earns a living, and the hawker - changing goods for money. The business, initially carried out by Yaroslav through ISQ, developed into online stores, and the character Elf Merchant became part of the names of some projects and the pseudonym of the founder.
Yaroslav Andreev is a very active and multifaceted person, in addition to functioning online stores with goods on gaming subjects, he is a member of many various ongoing projects:
- information and training portals;
- dating sites;
- a unique brand of clothing UniFashion;
- musical group LITTLE BIG;
- network of St. Petersburg dance schools "STAB";
- NIIistrommash related to the equipment of brick factories;
- owns a cafe-bar "Beavers and Ducks";
- conducts individual consultations on the development and organization of business;
- launches its brand of socks.
And this is not a complete list.
Helping the development of someone’s undertakings, Yaroslav in some cases resorted to a simple and effective advertising move - mentioning his creative pseudonym in projects, thanks to which many people found out who this Elf-merchant is.
Since 2014, Yaroslav worked hard for the benefit of the VKontakte social network. First served as marketing director, then partner relations director. However, he left the company to implement his own business ideas.
In the photo, the Elf merchant, together with the VK project manager, takes a selfie on the roof of the Singer building on Nevsky Prospekt, which houses the company’s office.
At this time, Yaroslav Andreev is actively involved in his blogging agency Wildjam: he finds, supports, and often creates bloggers and glorifies their name, then earns by posting ads on their blogs.
Relations with the studio "Courage-Bambey"
Who is the Elf-merchant, many thought while watching American sitcoms in the voice acting of the studio. For a long time, the gratitude addressed to him sounded.
At one time, resting while watching these films, Yaroslav praised the abilities of Denis Kolesnikov, the creator of the home studio, who was engaged in their fun and talented Russian voice acting, and financially supported the project.
For some time, the Elf Merchant collaborated with Courage-Bambei as CFO. He currently has no official contacts with the studio, but he was the one who attracted the airline company, which you can hear about at the end of new episodes to this day.