Decker

I've been wanting to start a thread like this for a while. Rather than just starting a thread about an interesting Kickstarter, I was wondering if people could share things that they bought on Kickstarter -- both the good and bad experiences. I am always a little nervous buying an item that doesn't yet exist and not sure how it will turn out.
I have bought several things I have really liked. Most notably my Travel Jacket 2.0 from Baubax, which I love to travel with every time I fly. It's a little heavy and I just say they started a Kickstarter for a lighter-weight Travel Jacket 3.0. I might not actually need it, but I am signing up to get one any way. I really get a lot of use out of that.
I had far less success with Baubax's Travel Shoes and Travel Pants Kickstarters. Both those came back way too small for their given size. I tried to return both but that was right when Covid hit and they wouldn't take returns. About 18 months later, after the company was sold and restarted, I was finally able to get bigger sized shoes and pants and have to say I am very happy with the quality of both.

I've been waiting for this aptly-named long-spinning top called the Limbo for four years now. Never imagined I could have this long a wait on such a tiny and simple item, but allegedly it will be shipping in the next couple of weeks. We shall see.

I was also pretty happy with this overnight bag which is pretty well made and compact (though every time I use it my wife asks why don't I just use my rolling carry-on bag instead and frankly I don't have a great answer ).

Decker

And oh yeah, I have already gotten four years of use out of the Supply Single Edge 2.0 Stainless Steel razor. The guy who made it went on Shark Tank and now the razors are cheaper but no longer Stainless Steel, which is pretty disappointing. But mine should last a lifetime.

BobO'Link

A couple of board games. Tiny Epic Dinosaurs Deluxe Edition (fulfilled and was less than the retail version) and Everdell: The Ultimate Edition (not yet fulfilled - should ship in another couple of months). Both companies have a long and positive track record with Kickstarter stuff so I wasn't *that* concerned (but it does bother me to purchase something I may not have in my hands for a year or more).

MLBFan24

Not Kickstarter, but Indiegogo (similar type of website)

I purchased the Singtrix Karaoke machine, as featured on Shark Tank.

I bought it in March 2019, with expected delivery in August 2019, and there were delivery delays. Thought I was getting scammed haha. Eventually, it shipped in October 2019.

Lots of fun times with the karaoke machine. Professional singers will hate it, but I just use it to have fun with family and friends. I had a karaoke NYE party a couple weeks ago and it's always a good time.

Normally I avoid these type of purchases on Kickstarter or Indiegogo and only went ahead with it due to their appearance on Shark Tank.

One thing I wasn't aware of on Indiegogo is discounted purchase levels. For example, I paid $249 for the karaoke machine on Day 1. However, I didn't realize if I was one of the first 100 purchasers on Day 1, I could have paid $229. Not a big deal, but the product page never mentioned these types of discounts. Just something to be aware of.

Decker

Yeah, they have the same thing with Kickstarter. Super-Early Bird pricing. With the Baubax 3.0 jacket I got an email with "VIP Invite" which predates even Super-Early Bird ($10 cheaper, FWIW).

clckworang

I think the only Kickstarter I've done is the one for the Veronica Mars movie. I backed at the level that allowed me to get a poster, T-shirt and a Blu-ray copy of the movie.

Sdallnct

I did some Apple Watch bands. Because I was early and then they had delays, I got a pretty good handful of bands.

BTW, that travel jacket looks pretty good. I have a TNF soft shell I use for travel. Been looking for something else

Toddarino

A couple years ago I backed the restoration and release of Dennis Hopper’s Out Of The Blue. I still haven’t received my Blu-ray. I believe there’s a UK disc floating around. I’d pick that up but I already shelled out $50.

Decker

That's a long time. Did you check the Updates section of the Kickstarter page? They should indicate if the discs shipped or not.
I see there was an update on the discs in October 2021, but can't see what it says as it's for backers only

clckworang

I found this article. It was restored and shown theatrically in November. The article says a U.S. release will be early 2022. I could have sworn I saw a release date for it but can't find it now.

fujishig

I did this one too. Still haven't seen the movie, though I have worn the shirt.

I backed the original Pebble smartwatch, then the Pebble Time. Despite the company being bought out a long time ago I still wear my Pebble Time, so I guess that worked out.

I backed a few videogames: Bloodstained, from the maker of Castlevania, and the Wonderful 101: Remastered for Switch. Both were predictably available in almost the same versions for much much cheaper shortly after release. Somehow I resisted backing Mighty Number 9, though.

I backed McFarlane's Spawn remastered toy. A few comics including Jeff Smith's Tuki, which is half out now. The Haslab Marvel Legends Sentinel and Galactus (sometimes I regret not backing Unicron but there's just no room)

But the biggest rabbithole I've found myself going down is board games. C'mon especially, with their hundreds of miniatures and FOMA. I'm on the hook for Marvel United: X-men and Masters of the Universe, and I'm trying to convince myself not to fall down the Marvel Zombicide hole.

The Cow

Not Kickstarter, but I funded those "Tile" locator things when they were a startup. That worked out fine for me.

I think I've done it for some DVDs as well, but I can't recall what they were.

Toddarino

I guess the holdup is because it had to have it’s limited theatrical release first and covid kept pushing that back. Severin is releasing it in the states, which knowing their track record will delay it further. I mostly annoyed it’s available to purchase before the backers even got theirs.

fujishig

Oh, was Tile on some non Kickstarter site? I thought I backed them but couldn't find them in my kickstarter history or anything, but that would explain it.

Adam Tyner

I stayed away from crowdfunding for yeeeeeears, but I've dipped my toes back in a little bit recently.

On Indiegogo, I backed a Middleman comic and an animated short way back in 2013, and I also backed Save Stereogum in June '20.

I've backed 14 things on Kickstarter that've been fully funded: most recently a compilation of Kaiju Ramen, as well as the Faking Filmation documentary last year. But before that, I'd have to go all the way back to 2015. Mostly it's been backing things that friends or friends-of-friends have been involved in, from action figures to short films to albums. I've also backed a couple of musical instruments (a chiptune synthesizer and a sunglass-shaped guitar), the Bubblegum Crisis Blu-ray set, and, yeah, the Veronica Mars movie.

I haven't successfully backed any board games or video games, but I did pledge to a few that never made it.

Decker

Pics or it didn't happen.

Mike86

A few video game related items.

Flip Grip for Nintendo Switch. It’s an item for Switch that lets you mount the screen/console vertically for some games while in handheld mode.

Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the SNES Library. I listen to the podcast by the guy who wrote the book (Pat Contri). I also have the first book (Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the NES Library), but didn’t get it through Kickstarter.

The Warp Coin Catastrophe (GameBoy game). I heard about this somehow and pledged. Not really my thing and I should have looked into it more, but I do have it.

Adam Tyner

It's designed to be customized with whatever art you want, and I obviously Scott Pilgrim-med this one up.

This was the first model of guitar from Rob O'Reilly; he's now big into MIDI guitars/basses.

Decker

Excellent. That Midi guitar on the website is cool AF.

Alan Smithee

I backed the last few 3D Film Archive projects, my name is in the credits. I'll back any efforts to make a new 3D display also.

zyzzle

Nothing at all, for everything I've ever looked at from Kickstarter has been overhyped, overexpensive, and of dubious or very poor quality. Also, putting and trusting your money upfront, without promise of actually receiving a product -- and possibly being swindled are very real possibilities and using very poor judgment and sense.

stingermck

Only booked 1 Kickstarter and it's actually on the way now. Can't wait to read

tanman

No I haven't funded anything.

This certainly looks.....interesting...

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...overy_category

Goldberg74

I’ve backed almost 50 projects in the last decade. Mostly board games and card games, some books, kitchen stuff (Misen is awesome).

I’ve only been burned twice. Once for $10 (which was a scam) and it nice for $250 (which may or may not be fulfilled).

There are some creators I trust and have backed several projects of theirs.

Oh, and one of them was the Flipgrip. 😉

RichC2

I did the Anova Sous Vide via Kickstarter, and more recently the Flipper Zero.

That's about it though.