Wendiceratops and Centrosaurus 'Unlocked' on BackerKit!
over 5 years ago – Tue, Nov 05, 2019 at 07:10:32 PM

The BackerKit surveys have started off with a big first day! Between the surveys and the pre-order store, the Ceratopsian Series debut on BackerKit has been comparable to the first day on Kickstarter! As of this writing, our total funds are now at $332,730, with $60,023 new funds from BackerKit! For the most current funds tally, you can always find it by checking the Pre-order store. 

With this new BackerKit format, our chances of unlocking all of the stretch goals has been greatly increased, case in point...

Wendiceratops and Centrosaurus are now UNLOCKED!

 I'm so happy to see these two become available for everyone and I expect we'll be seeing more unlocks very soon! 

As mentioned in yesterday's Kickstarter update- all items not funded on Kickstarter, such as Wendi and Centro here,  will not be charged until Feb. 7th. Only Kickstarter funded items added to your survey will be charged on the survey lockdown date of Dec. 4th. If your Kickstarter credit covers all of your survey items, then no charge will be needed.

Paypal Update

Paypal has now been added as a payment option for the BackerKit surveys and Pre-order store. But please be warned- these payments will be charged instantly. The lockdown dates do not apply to Paypal payments.

I would especially discourage pre-ordering any 'locked' items using Paypal as they would have to be charged no matter the status of the item. This note has now been added to all of the non-Kickstarter funded items: 'PAYPAL IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR THIS ITEM AS A NON-REFUNDABLE IMMEDIATE PAYMENT WILL BE REQUIRED.'

It's great that we now have Paypal as a payment option as many people have asked about it in the past, but I want to make sure everyone is clear on how it works. Credit cards can be charged later, but Paypal payments are collected at the time of submitting the order.

That'll do it for now. Will we unlock the Pachyrhinosaurus today? Very possible. 

And if you know anyone who missed out on the Kickstarter, please be sure to share the Pre-order store link with them: https://beasts-of-the-mesozoic.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

Until next time!

David

BackerKit Surveys SENT- 2nd Chance for 'Locked' Stretch Goals!
over 5 years ago – Mon, Nov 04, 2019 at 09:56:04 PM

It's that time! It's time to finally select those ad-on items you've wanted from the Kickstarter campaign. The BackerKit surveys are here!

Surveys

The BackerKit surveys have all been sent to the emails provided with your Kickstarter pledge and hopefully everyone has received theirs by now. Survey prices will reflect the same prices as the Kickstarter, but will only be available at those prices during the survey period.(Nov. 4th thru Dec. 4th) After that you may add more items to your order with the Pre-Order Store. 

Pre-Order Store 

To help us reach our goals sooner, the BackerKit Pre-Order Store will be opened early to coincide with the release of the BackerKit surveys. Pre-sale funds from both will be put toward the main funding goal (which includes the Kickstarter total) and will be displayed on the BackerKit Pre-Order Store homepage. 

Lockdown- BackerKit surveys lock down on Dec. 4th. At that time, cards will then be charged for the Kickstarter funded items only and unit counts will be taken for Wave 1. These counts which will determine the final production run numbers. Over-pledged credit from the Kickstarter that is not used on the Survey may still be used with the Pre-Order Store later. The Pre-Order Store will remain open during the course of production and multiple orders may be combined to save on shipping by request. The Pre-Order store orders will not be charged until Feb. 7th, 2020 (which is when I had originally planned to launch the store.) After that, new pre-orders will be charged daily.

Payment Options- BackerKit can now accept credit card, debit, and Paypal payments. However it's unclear yet if Paypal payments will be collected at the time of ordering or if they can be delayed for planned lockdown dates. This will be my first time accepting Paypal as a payment method on BackerKit so I can not guarantee that it will be charged the same as the credit/debit cards.

 Switching Pledge Levels 

 If you'd like to switch your pledge level on your Survey, simply click on your reward link... 

and then click 'Switch Pledge Levels' in the upper right... 

 You'll see a drop down list and may then switch to a different pledge level- funds can be added as needed. New pledge tiers will not be added at this stage however as it could inhibit the survey answering process. Remember, we want to get these finalized as soon as possible.

 Monoclonius Print

For those wanting to order both the Monoclonius Art Print with action figure(s), you will need to select from any of the action figure pledge levels and then add-on the art print. 

The Art Print pledge level should only be kept if you do not wish to add on action figures. 

 'Locked' Stretch Goals 

The 'Locked' Stretch Goals from the Kickstarter campaign now have a second chance on BackerKit and you may pre-order these items via the Surveys or on the Pre-Order Store.

Kickstarter pricing for these items will remain in place until they are funded. Once funded, there will be a small price increase for the items on the Pre-Order Store, but only after the initial Feb. 7th lockdown. 

Credit cards will not be charged for the Locked Stretch Goal items until Feb. 7th 2020, or until they are funded. 'Locked' stretch goal item orders via Survey will be separated from your available items just before the Dec. 4th lockdown and cards will not be charged for those items until on Feb. 7th regardless of status. Only the Kickstarter funded items will be charged on Dec. 4th for the Surveys.

Funding deadlines have also been added in the item descriptions as a way to note when funding is required in order to stay on the originally planned production schedule. 

Will there be another Ceratopsian Kickstarter?

Now  that we have a way to extend the funding period to meet those locked stretch goals, I see no need to run a follow-up Kickstarter campaign next spring. This is a relief actually since it will allow me to focus more on the figure production for Wave 1, as well as give us more breathing room to reach those higher goals. 

Well, that covers all the major points I can think of at the moment. I know that's a lot of info at once so if you all have any other questions or concerns, feel free to comment below or message me. 

Looking forward to getting those surveys in- thanks everyone!

David

BackerKit Survey 'Smoke Test' Today
over 5 years ago – Sun, Nov 03, 2019 at 09:00:18 PM

Just a quick heads-up to the backers- the BackerKit surveys are now finished and I will be sending out a 'Smoke Test' today. 

This means that 5% of the backers will be randomly selected to receive their BackerKit survey. For those lucky few receiving their survey early, feel free to provide me with any feedback that you think would improve the experience. But if it all seems good to you, then no feedback is necessary. 

Tomorrow will be the official launch of the BackerKit surveys and the pre-order store as well.  Expect a more in-depth update with all the new details at that time.

Thanks!

David

BackerKit Survey Update
over 5 years ago – Fri, Nov 01, 2019 at 08:30:53 PM

Hi All,

Today is the expected day to receive the BackerKit surveys and I wanted to give you all an update on the progress. 

The good news is that the surveys and pre-order stores are about 98% done. That being said, I want to take the weekend to make sure that everything is set up and functioning as needed, so the BackerKit surveys are now expected to be sent on Monday, Nov, 4th to close on Wednesday, Dec, 4th. 

The biggest challenge is deciding the best way to utilize the BackerKit platform to continue unlocking stretch goals. The current BackerKit format supports a quantity-based stretch goal system and not a funds-based goal system, meaning that there's no specific order and the thus the required order quantities must be very high. I prefer the funds-based method because of the compounding benefit, as funding for one goal builds directly towards the next goal. I believe I can use this method with the BackerKit surveys and the pre-order store, and am  currently in the process of working with BackerKit right now to make sure it's all viable and done correctly. 

So for now, here are a few screen shots of a sample BackerKit survey to give you all an idea of what to expect next week and hopefully this will get everyone thinking about how you would like your pledge finalized.

So in closing, the plan is to send out the BackerKit surveys by noon EST on Monday, Nov. 4th. In the meantime, feel free to ask any questions. 

Thanks everyone and have a great weekend!

David

Campaign Follow Up and Official 'THANK YOU' to the Backers
over 5 years ago – Sun, Oct 20, 2019 at 11:24:09 PM

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend-  the first weekend in the past month without the Ceratopsian Series Kickstarter. What a wild and unexpected ride the campaign was from the big first day, to the early reveal of all stretch goals, to the 'Big Unlock', and then of course the surge at the end- makes me tired just thinking about it! I'm happy to say that the backers here were just as much a part of this campaign as I was and after all was said and done, we have helped make 15 new dinosaur action figures a reality! For this I am extremely grateful and I thank you all for your enthusiasm, encouragement, and community support throughout the entire campaign.  

This new assortment will undoubtedly help the Beasts of the Mesozoic line reach the next level of the potential that it has to offer. And now that the campaign has concluded, questions that are bound to come up...

 Frequently Asked (post campaign) Questions 

Whether you're new to Kickstarter or have been here before, I'm sure everyone would like to know about the next steps. So here are the most frequently asked questions so far since the Kickstarter concluded.

When will I receive my survey?

Your BackerKit survey will be sent you via email in about two weeks. I will need some time to build the project in BackerKit which is similar to building an on-line shop with pledge tiers, items, and gathering backer data. My aim is to send them out on Nov. 1st and close them on Dec. 1st. 

Once received, can I add items I missed during the campaign to my pledge in BackerKit?

Yes, you will be able to add any funded items to your pledge in BackerKit as well as selecting your add-on items with the additional funds pledged during the Kickstarter. You will also be able to change your pledge tier if you choose. Note that funds can be added to your Kickstarter pledge at this stage, but not subtracted.

Can more stretch goals be unlocked with BackerKit funding?

Yes. I do plan to set up the BackerKit to allow for more figures to unlock, but it would have to take place during the one month that the surveys will be open. 

Can we use Paypal for adding to our pledge in BackerKit?

PayPal is a planned payment option for the BackerKit surveys, yes.

Will I be able to change my address in BackerKit if I need to move during the production of the figures?

Yes, you will be able to edit your shipping address at any time before your rewards ship. You will receive a message and an update when the shipping date is approaching. 

Will there be another Kickstarter for the larger Ceratopsians?

I am tentatively planning to do a follow-up Kickstarter campaign for the larger ceratopsians in Spring of 2020. If the larger figures are funded at that time, there is a chance that the production schedule for those figures would not be effected.

Will the funded figures be regularly available outside of the Kickstarter and BackerKit surveys?

Yes, after the Kickstarter rewards and pre-orders are fulfilled, the figures will be available on creative-beast.com as well as other fine retailers. 

When will the figures go up for pre-order for those that missed the Kickstarter?

The BackerKit pre-order store will be opened in 1st quarter of 2020.

What species will be included in the Tyrannosaur Series?

There are currently no official details for the Tyrannosaur line except that it is planned to happen next. I expect to begin the figure planning phase next month with sculpting to begin soon there after. 

Those seem to be the most popular questions. If you have any others you'd like answered, please comment below. :)

Special 20% off 'Thank you' coupon for creative-beast.com good thru 10-27-19!

As a THANK YOU  to everyone who followed, supported, and shared the Beasts of the Mesozoic: Ceratopsian Series Kickstarter, I would like to offer you a 20% off one-time use coupon good toward  your total order on creative-beast.com as a token of my gratitude for your help. Just enter code THANKYOUCERATOPS at check out for the discount-  good from now thru next Sunday, Oct. 27th.

 A Final Farewell to some of the Ceratopsian Prototypes- ToyCon, NJ Nov. 9th and 10th 

Soon it will be time to say goodbye to the Wave 1 prototypes as they will need to be shipped out to the factory in China to serve as the primary paint masters for the actual figure production. But before I send them on their way, I wanted to have a chance for people to see them in person. I will be at ToyCon in Parsippany, NJ on Nov. 9th and 10th showing the Wave 1 figures as well as many of the other Ceratopsian prototypes. In addition, there will be plenty of Raptor Series products and Beasts of the Mesozoic t-shirts for sale as well. Plus, I'm planning to have a few members of the Beasts of the Mesozoic creative team stop by the table during the show. So if you're near the New Jersey area and can make it out, I'd love to have you come by and visit! Plus, ToyCon is fantastic for toys in general (especially vintage) and the Four Horsemen also frequent this show as well. 

That'll do it for now. I'll be working on the BackerKit surveys these next few weeks, but be sure to keep an eye on my social media for all of the latest developments.

Talk to you soon!

David