D&D General When did Kickstarters become a bad deal

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Im guessing shipping from and too matter. My buddy in Canada says he pays very close attention to details before backing.

I increasingly see backers grill the campaign organizers in comments about shipping to Canada, which appears to have the most ways to get screwed on import duties.

 

[Clint_L]

I think you are missing the broader point. It is not about KS as a company. There was a time a lot of KS projects found a way to offer value for backers in exchange for backers assuming some of the risk. Now most projects are as expensive or more expensive on KS then they will be in retail. It has not always been that way.

So don't back those ones? I have been backing Kickstarters for a long time, and the deals are there but you have to be cautious.

1. Reaper: Stellar track record. Some folks offer better deals, but Reaper has always delivered and their quality is excellent. Even with shipping, the price is less than half retail. But you have to wait.

2. Dwarven Forge: Price is only slightly discounted off retail, but that means they are going to be able to deliver, and their quality is unparalleled.

3. CMON: Stellar track record, significant discount, and the KS is extremely successful, so again my faith is high.

Yeah, in the past a lot of folks offered deals that were frankly unsustainable. A lot of them went out of business. Now the successful companies offer more reasonable deals. The value is there, but if you are choosing to gamble by backing risky Kickstarters...

 

[TheAlkaizer]

I've never had an issue with any campaigns that I have backed over the years. But I don't tend to back projects from creators that I know nothing about. It's like purchase, if you don't know the product or the people behind it, you're risking it.

 

[Autumnal]

The last time I got full-out ripped off was a decade ago. As others are saying, selectivity is key. Gaming kickstarters should either do like Kevin Crawford and just not have stretch goals at all, or be very judicious about them. That right there filters out a huge fraction of the campaigns that get into trouble.

 

[Clint_L]

The last time I got full-out ripped off was a decade ago. As others are saying, selectivity is key. Gaming kickstarters should either do like Kevin Crawford and just not have stretch goals at all, or be very judicious about them. That right there filters out a huge fraction of the campaigns that get into trouble.

I love the stretch goals, but I mostly back kickstarters for the miniatures. Backing Dungeons and Lasers or Reaper is hella fun when you can see your rewards continually growing. But that said, yeah, only with companies that know how to do it judiciously. A lot of rookie companies overdo it on the stretch goals and wind up promising more than they can feasibly deliver. Watch out for those.

I am pretty cautious about backing Kickstarters that pull in less than a million dollars.

 

[Autumnal]

Oh, yeah, it’s different when you’re backing a miniatures-oriented project from people who know how to handle them. That can be a minis company, or others who are working with experienced folks. The next best thing to having a clue yourself is having a friend with a clue.

 

[Peter BOSCO'S]

They because a bad deal when they started charging shipping separately and later. (I understand why they had to do this, and that they should have done it that way all along.) If I have no way to know what the final cost of something will be I have no way to determine if my net present hedonic value (to me) of an item is greater than what I will pay for it, and that makes it a bad idea.

When I buy from my FLGS (BOSCO'S) I know how much things will cost me (it's on the price tag) and I understand when I will get them (immediately) and I understand what condition they will be in (by looking). In the very rare case that something is missing or damaged inside I can return them (within 7 days, for credit or an exchange). Oh, sure I might miss out on some extras, but I rarely use the extras anyway.

 

[Corinnguard]

If you're looking for reliable Kicksaters, turn to EnPublishing! The same people behind this great website also have run many great Kickstarters as well. You'll even get PDFs the minute the campaign funds!

It also helps that the people associated with EN Publishing frequently visit the forums on ENworld. Since 2021, I have backed a number of their Kickstarters for Level Up.

 

[Shardstone]

I think you are missing the broader point. It is not about KS as a company. There was a time a lot of KS projects found a way to offer value for backers in exchange for backers assuming some of the risk. Now most projects are as expensive or more expensive on KS then they will be in retail. It has not always been that way.

Printing and shipping cost more now. We cant keep giving away books for pennies because it puts us in debt.

 

[MNblockhead]

The OP's issue could happen with anything ordered by mail. I've had plenty of missing, damaged, and stolen items ordering from Amazon.

I've not had this issue with anything I've backed on Kickstarter, and I've back 99 projects since 2012. But I've seen comments from folks who have and the creators have always tried to make it right.

As for whether Kickstarter has become a worse deal, I can only say that for physical books and games, they have gotten more expensive, mostly due to increased printing and shipping costs. But it isn't as bad as it could be. I think part of the reason is because, increasingly, creators are focusing on the main product rather than enticing people with swag. That is fine by me. I never cared for the swag.

I am pickier about the projects I back. I don't reduce my risk by only backing established companies with a track records. That defeats the purpose of Kickstarter for me. I want to back things that might not be made otherwise. But I have become better at noticing red flags that indicate a creator is likely getting over their heads. My track record is pretty good. While I've had a number with significant delays, I've really only been burned a couple times.