I'll take some more photos tomorrow, today was an overcast day so the photos wouldn't have been nice.
Black + Red Face Update
OK GUYS based on where we are now, all the discussions with my manufacturer, the sudden change in price and everything I've been telling y'all, I've set a goal for the Black bats with Red faces
We're setting the goal at $21,000
That might sound high but there's still over a week left and I totally believe it's possible! It's about 1/6 of the current funds raised :D
I know a lot of y'all are new to kickstarter, so I just wanted to make sure you guys understand that unless we reach $21,000 I will not have the funds to add on the black with red face.
Please remember to read through the story and the updates to get the full scope of where we're at for the project and as always, I'm happy to answer any new questions below!
Imports Oopsie
about 3 years ago
– Sun, Feb 07, 2021 at 11:58:11 AM
Hey y'all, first before we jump in, my manufacturer DID send me a better photo of the black/lavender purse. She also shipped them to me so I could be receiving it....any day now!!!!
such a pretty lavender!!!!
Now here's the next bit of news! I'm patting myself on the back a bit for trusting my gut, but my manufacturer miscalculated my base-cost. To put it simply, they calculated based on tariffs for children'stoys (which, there are none) but after all our research, we think these will be subject to tariffs as purses which makes sense....they are purses. 🙃
This, naturally, raises the base cost for the order. I'll probably have to raise the regular retail price of the purses in the end, but that's OK :) For a minute, I was worried I'd literally have to cancel the whole campaign if the change in cost was too high and I wouldn't be able to cover the order!! This is the kind of unexpected thing that happens with small-scale product design and I wanted to share it with you guys- It's fun AND terrifying!🙃🙃🙃🙃
That just means I'm STILL working on a deal for the Black with Red face! Lol it's so chaotic, manufacturing items! But this does mean I'll probably take down the other color options (under the TBD section) once I decide- I don't know if we'll be approaching, you know, 30k or whatever it might take, or if custom-dyed fabric is gonna be even possible for now!
I'll update again as soon as I can! All your shares and pledges make all the difference and I appreciate every single one of you!
Edited to add:
Guys, the colors that are available at the time of this update are Lavender, Black with Lavender, and Pink. These are the only confirmed colors as of February 4th. I'm updating you guys today since a lot of people have asked about Black with Red face, so that you know why it doesn't have a stretch goal yet. If you pledged expecting one of the colors under "TBD" then re-read the updates! I don't want anyone to be disappointed after the fact!!!! ;0; And remember, you choose your colors atthe end of the campaign when I send a survey out :D
Black Bat Mini-Update
over 3 years ago
– Mon, Feb 01, 2021 at 05:51:55 PM
Thank you everyone for your comments and messages after my last update!! You guys are so helpful and it makes me happy when it feels like this is all a big collaborative effort. My manufacturer worked fast and I wanted to share the updated black bat with y'all!!!
I'm TRIPLE checking we get lavender straps and face, coz I can't tell if it's washed out here because of the black or if they misunderstood my directions and made it white. Fun stuff!
We're steadily approaching 18k!! I'm also still in talks regarding surprise testing or fees to make sure these bats won't get stuck at customs or something unfortunate. I'll keep you guys posted!
17k and Big Goal Updates
over 3 years ago
– Fri, Jan 29, 2021 at 09:36:24 PM
Hey y'all! Sometime while I was asleep, we hit 17,000!!!!
That's a big deal, and I can't tell you how excited I am!! A lot of people are asking about black with red face. I want that color way too!!! I don't feel comfortable setting a goal yet, as I'm still going back and forth with my manufacturer to make sure I'm not missing any costs. I'll explain atlength below but feel free to skip ahead. I seek to be TOTALLY transparent, especially since a lot of y'all are new to Kickstarter and new to Ugly Plants :)
When I initially set the $8,000 goal, I set a BARE MINIMUM to get ONE color bat produced. Well we blew it out of the park pretty fast didn't we- it's only been a week and we've surpassed the DREAM goals I had in mind.
Here's the thing- I've never imported this quantity of goods before. I've imported enamel pins but they're very small, inexpensive, fit under a bed. The most I've ever done was Chef Bear- which was not even a month ago. That was an $8000 goal as well, with 500 pieces. This bat order is currently 1500 pieces, and if we add a 4th color that will be TWO THOUSAND (2,000) INDIVIDUAL UNITS.
A lot of people aren't familiar with me as a person (check out my Youtube for some background) but it's VERY likely I'll be moving cross-country sometime this year! The logistics of managing 1,500 bat purses is crazy enough, but understand that 500 units of something is like, 5-15 enormous boxes. Chef Bear was 19 boxes! And then, add a move to all of that and it's something that will require a lot of planning!
Moreover, I want to be super super super carful I'm not missing any budgetary factors: import fees, testing costs, taxes etc that I'd need some extra cushion for. I'm talking everyday with my manufacturer to make sure I'm on top of the cost!
For ALL those reasons, I'm not jumping the gun on promising you guys a 4th color! There is still 3 entire weeks to go on this campaign, so it's not insane to think we'd reach more colors! But that's the entire story hahaha thank you if you made it this far and don't worry I WILL keep you updated.
Black and Lavender Photos!
On to the more fun stuff! My manufacturer sent me photos of the Black with Lavender sample. It looks good but it has one major flaw- can you spot it?
It's those wings! I love the designers at this factory and they have the best intentions- they wanted to make sure the cool design of the wing stood out, but I think it gets lost in the fabric (as you can see above) and so the effect is a little odd.
Now, some of y'all might like this and that's cool! It's not a bad idea, but I'm not gonna go for it.
On the left of the above photo, you can see the color the face will be! A lovely lavender. And on the right, you can see the way the wings WILL look, which I think looks a little better!
That's the updates I have for y'all today!
One week into the campaign and I'm really excited to have so many of y'all on board! Remember to read through Updates and Comments to see if a question you have has already been answered, otherwise I'll try to answer as many of y'all as I can!! Much love!
Anastasia
WE DID IT!
over 3 years ago
– Fri, Jan 29, 2021 at 08:26:27 AM
Wow, guys!!!! We did it!!!!
I can't express the gratitude I feel for you all for making this project happen so quickly!!! Now we just get to do the fun part, which is to try and unlock more colors!
For the sake of safety, I'm setting the first stretch goal at $12,000
That might seem like a lot- it is!!! The cost of ordering one additional color for the purses is $2,700- and that's JUST the cost of the purses! So I'm setting the goal a little higher to help with the additional cost of packaging supplies, shipping, manpower, prototype cost etc.
Help me pick the next color!
So that first stretch goal is approaching fast- REALLY fast. I went ahead and made a poll to gather color interest! Please note the survey results are not binding or any kind of guarantee: these things require a lot of back and forth with manufacturers- what fabrics are available, what fabrics can be dyed. This is JUST to give me an idea of you guys' DREAM COLORS!
