Pastel Goth Fashion: Apparel Collection by Midnight Springs

Surveys sent! Some things to note:
over 1 year ago – Thu, Aug 31, 2023 at 07:14:44 PM

Hey all, 

The first portion of surveys have been sent. In about 2hrs the rest will roll out! Even though I will not be charging for a while, I need y'all to fill out the surveys ASAP so I know for sure that the quantities per sizing that I've submitted to the manufacturer are satisfactory. 

Let me know if:

• Something seems really off/there is a goof that I need to fix 
• The shipping seems really unrealistically high (however, all overages will be refunded if I am able to get a significantly lower rate than anticipated at the time of shipping). Shipping costs include the price of the label, AND the price of packaging. 
• You did not receive your survey link after 2hrs from this post (midnight EST)
• You need any other help with filling them out 

Please remember I will NOT CHARGE until Halloween for anyone who adds new add-ons or gets items from the preorder store, and shipping will be charged even later than that, near December. 

Unfunded items in the preorder store will only be charged if said unfunded designs in there meet funding. This actually includes the R18 shirt with the mesh side paneling; I decided to add them as stretch goals on there, since the design is not one that I feel needs any changes made to it to add to appeal. I think it's great as-is and may stand a chance as its own preorder. Other items in the preorder store WILL be charged for, since they're in stock items, so be sure to only pledge for them if you would be happy to get them even if the sweaters (or "R18" shirts) do not make it.

A few other things I need to mention: 

•  USPS replaced First Class service with Ground Advantage recently, which has insurance built-in! So, all domestic customers are getting insurance built-in right now, for light packages and priority mail packages over 1lb (those already had insurance). International packages still do not have insurance built-in, so there is an insurance add-on option! 
• The sweater dress shipping is actually higher than expected, starting around $16. The XL-2XL tier even has different costs per colorway, because the darker knit is heavier than lighter knit, due to the dye concentration I believe. That had completely slipped my mind until I asked my manufacturer about it. The prices raised recently, July 9th, for many packages over 1lb.
• I haven't been able to pay for production yet because my manufacturer has been oddly-busy. Once I have, I'll know how much I have that I can put towards the crop sweaters already.

• Backerkit's preorder function doesn't work based on amounts, which is annoying as I'll be including any purchases in the preorder store towards said stretch goals, it instead works based on item count. So, x number of garment purchased, and it considers it unlocked. I have set it to the max needed to reach the goals, and will adjust it as we go. 
• For example - with all fees and highest anticipated shipping, it would take 70 preorders of the crop sweaters to unlock both colorways at all 4 sizes, and that's if people only get them and nothing else. 

Y e p. 

• They cost a lot because of the labor to include the zippers, more than the dresses. I'm basically undercharging for both the dresses and these until they are "retail price" once in stock. I can't get any less than that amount of funding if I want them to agree to all 4 sizes. However, because of their system, I had to put 70 as the stretch goal number on the single crop sweater listing, and 35 on the double crop sweater listing, because I have no idea how many people will go for each. The reason it wouldn't have taken that many to reach the goal on KS is because people kept backing for other things/tiers as well.
• Comparitively, it would cost only about 33 preorders of the "R18" design to get it made in both colorways in all 4 sizes.
• Since BK's stretch goal system works per individual item like this, instead of linearly, it is now possible that the "R18" design could be funded while the other is not.

That's all I can think of right now that needs to be mentioned. I don't think I'll need to update again until I have sample (purple zipper sweater)/production updates. 

Thank you!

Goth earmuffs!
over 1 year ago – Wed, Aug 23, 2023 at 03:22:32 PM

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Small survey delay
over 1 year ago – Wed, Aug 16, 2023 at 10:57:27 AM

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Aaaand we're done! Plans + please review errored pledges!
over 1 year ago – Mon, Aug 14, 2023 at 12:27:16 PM

We did it!! Sort of. So, we didn't make it to the crop sweaters. That's okay, because I have a gameplan.

• Backerkit is being used for shipping, yes, but the surveys will also allow for anyone to add anything available to their pledge that they didn't before, any time before Halloween (which is when I will lock surveys). The only exception to that is add-on-only backers, solely because I have your things in stock and will just be shipping them out as soon as I have all payments from you (shipping + KS funds both). Those will be staggered charges because of that, but I'll send emails to each person at least 24hrs before I will charge.

• I will be utilizing the Backerkit preorder store as a storefront solely for raising funds for those crops, and any other stretch goals for this campaign if those are met. That does mean we will probably have to go back to needing the full bulk of around $5k to unlock all of them because I won't be paying for all 3 things (both types of sweaters + earmuffs) all at once, which definitely would have made them happy, but it's still a good thing that should get organic traffic and I can also continue to promote directly, as... 

•  Backerkit card charges are ALL MANUAL. That includes preorder store pledges, so anyone who preorders for them won't actually be charged until I close the preorder period, which will be at the end of October. I will send many reminders so no one gets blindsided, 2 in September and 3 in October. So this way, anyone who wants to pledge for them but won't have funds right away can still do so. I'm sorry if this is annoying, but I myself have horrific ADHD and know how freaky it is to be slapped with a charge I completely forgot about, so I want to give other people ample warning.

• I chose the end of October because it seems like a reasonable heads up to give the manufacturer in order to still have them made in the same timeframe as the rest, so they could still ship together. If we still have not met the goal by then, I can edit surveys from my end after locking them and ensure that no one is charged for a crop knit sweater. 

• I will be getting a final-final sample of the black one (with the fixed zipper track lengths) as well as finally getting a purple one sampled, so that they both can have proper photos and more marketing on social media can be done. Those will be paid with the rest in 2 weeks but will ship to me independently whenever they're done, well before December.

• I've messaged backers who pledged for crops to see whether they'd like to keep the funds going towards this preorder, or if they want an immediate refund. 

The most important thing in the immediate future is that we have $786 in errored pledges. If that isn't significantly cut down on by the end of the 7 day grace period, we will be in pretty big trouble. There's $490 in crop sweaters that maybe needs to be refunded, but only 1 of the errored pledges is for one of those... so that means the rest are going to put us under if they aren't fixed. I'll send out a reminder in a couple of days, and another before the week grace period ends. It's a pretty significant deficit that I cannot cover with the built-in buffer if it does not go down.

I estimate that I will send out Backerkit surveys on the 16th or 17th. Funds will arrive in my account approximately at the end of the month, at which point production of the sweater dresses and earmuffs will be paid for and begin.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please let me know! Thank you again so much for your support! 

Hey all! We reached the finish line!
over 1 year ago – Sun, Aug 13, 2023 at 03:08:08 PM

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