I've mostly backed books and comics, all from people who were farming out the production and shipping, often to Topatoco. Those have all delivered. It's a good model for "get the printing money up front, print the book, keep the extras." and at least if there isn't enough money to finance a print run, the artist finds out in advance. Anything with manufacturing, though, is a very iffy thing -- just about nobody who Kickstarts a physical object has any idea just how hard manufacturing is, and that in particular manufacturing offshore in China requires substantial negotiating skills and enormous turnaround times between prototypes.
The most successful manufacturing Kickstarters I've seen have also been "I already manufacture and sell X, now I want to extend the line to include Y." I got a fabulous bra and a useful yarn-holder-thingy that way. (I love this bra so damn much. I now have three. It is the best around-the-house/casualwear bra I've ever owned.)
But a new product from an unknown/inexperienced manufacturer? Never again.
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Date: 2016-12-08 02:02 am (UTC)The most successful manufacturing Kickstarters I've seen have also been "I already manufacture and sell X, now I want to extend the line to include Y." I got a fabulous bra and a useful yarn-holder-thingy that way. (I love this bra so damn much. I now have three. It is the best around-the-house/casualwear bra I've ever owned.)
But a new product from an unknown/inexperienced manufacturer? Never again.