28mm Indian and Pakistani figures

[EdDowgiallo]

Please help me get out the word.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1607794842/modern-28mm-south-asian-wargaming-figures

[Brummie]

An interesting conflict to do figures for, and the two on show are very nice looking.

Shame its not had any extensive advertising/fore warning mind you. Has it just started or did it start on the 28 days time limit?

Best of luck!

[juergen c. olk]

Great figures ,hope you do well.

[robh]

This KS is premature. No concept art, no advertising or lead in and no priming of the market on actions from the war or images of the troops involved. No identification of further sources of reference, just a summary copy/pasted from wikipedia of all places.

I think you need to put out an awful lot more information about your figures and the conflict, especially with such a large $$ funding level. You have nothing there that suggests you have researched the uniforms, equipment, forces or have any real passion for the conflict. Nothing that says you are at all invested in the success of the project.

Compare what you have put out with the Empress Miniatures project from last year:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/535186969/empress-miniatures-devil-dogs-and-dragons-28mm-fig?ref=live
There is a world of difference.

[Arrigo]

The figures shown... they are greens fro Ebob for Radiodishdash... quite embarrassing way to start a Kickstarter... the thing does look a bit vapourware at the moment. I sincerely hope no one will be drag inside because this has a potential to turn uglier than the up-front KS...

Arrigo

[commissarmoody]

I wish then the best, but as sated earlier. They need to have pics, stated goals and would help if they already had a few figs already completed to show case there product.

[NurgleHH]

the view on this KS is too foggy for me. Two pics, nothing more. I can't believe, that this is well planned. Sorry, my oppinion. Interesting, but to risky for me. Empress was better, I think

[Arrigo]

the view on this KS is too foggy for me. Two pics, nothing more. I can't believe, that this is well planned. Sorry, my oppinion. Interesting, but to risky for me. Empress was better, I think

and the pictures are from another company... 

[carlos marighela]

Please give me 20k, I want to kickstart my retirement dream of a wargaming holiday centre. That's what the KS actually says doesn't it? In return I will show you photos of a model by my proposed sculptor for another company, one that's actually making a product and wonder of wonder in this modern age, in the old fashioned way, making the stuff then selling it.

No, unlockable thingummies to appeal to the Pokemon generation and know real indication of what that 20K is actually going to buy.

Sorry, but this has to be one of the worst conceived bits of marketing I've seen in a while. Good luck with it all.

[EdDowgiallo]

Gentlemen,

The stated purpose of Kickstarter is to raise funds for artsy oriented projects.  Their original guidelines stated that finished product should not be available at time of launch but sketches were suggested.

Empress Miniatures and Spectre Miniatures decided to launch projects to drum up interest in lines that they were/are committed to producing.  Lines which included American and Commonwealth figures for which there are well established markets.

I am attempting to launch a line of Indo-Pakistani figures.  Mongrel Miniatures did a line of Pakistani figures before Ben Checota bought them and effectively took them off the market.  AFAIK, no company has done modern India.  A major purpose of the Kickstarter is to attempt to assess if there is a viable market for these figures.  If there is not a viable market, I will not produce the range and move on to another subject.

What is the $20K for?  That's a reasonable question.  Here is what it is for:

• The largest cost item is sculpting of 40 different miniatures.  20 miniatures of Pakistani troops and 20 miniatures of Indian troops.  The bids I received from 12 sculptors ranged from $7,200 to $20,000.  $12,000 is the amount budgeted for the sculpting.
• The second largest cost item is to bundle shipping costs into the figure packets being offered.  Flat rate shipping to United States destinations is a minimum of $7.25 and to Europe is just under $25.  At $6,000, I under budgeted this amount to make the offerings more affordable.
• The remaining $2,000 is for the production of molds and the actual casting of the figures.

The financial goal for this first project is to come close to breaking even on the introduction of a line of figures for an unproven market by a brand new company.

I appreciate the comments, but wish they would be a little more helpful.  Yes, I am very new to Kickstarter.  Yes, I would appreciate advise on specific places you think I should be advertising the project.

No, I am not going to pay out for concept art or test sculpts on this particular project.  As some of you have noted, I decided to go with eBob, a very experienced sculptor.

One of the few backers asked that I post an example of the work done by the sculptor.  I did.  A pair of modern NZ figures done by eBob for another customer.  The fact that he did it for another customer seems beside the point to me.  It shows the high quality of his work.

If you have other questions, please post them and I will do my best to answer them.

If you have suggestions for proceeding, I would really like to hear them.  I am considering:

• Reoffering the project with fewer figures, perhaps one fire team for each side to really lower the initial goal.
• Going the route of Empress and Spectre and reverting to more popular subjects with well proven markets.

Thank you,
Ed

[Arlequín]

Thanks Ed. 

To be honest I think you have the price and quantities pretty much right, although personally I would have no use for a whole company in 28mm... I'm not everyone though.

I can understand some of the guys being wary, but if e-bob is on technically' on board, that will calm some people. However KS generally start with some commitment from the people running it, even if it is only commissioning and showing one or two figures. The old adage 'speculate to accumulate' rings true.

You're asking people to commit to investing in your idea basically, an idea which you yourself have not invested anything in, beyond talking to a sculptor... at least that is how it seems, whatever the truth of the matter.

There is also just over two weeks remaining of the KS, which is very little time to 'spread the word', or for people to decide whether they want to pitch in. The time for initial suggestions and feedback has passed by somewhat.

I'm sure there are far more people that would be interested in your project than you seem to have attracted up to now and all things being equal, as a forum, I think I'm safe in saying that you would typically get far more support and interest here than seems to be the case right now.

However we all live and learn and if it does turn out you need to re-think things, I think you'll find you'll get plenty of friendly and valuable input here too.

If you do go down the road of 'popular subjects' - it's the 50th Anniversary of the formal deployment of American ground troops to Vietnam next year and e-bob has been slowly making figures for what he calls 'Recon 28' set in that conflict. A joint effort by you both to get that project and your company off the ground might be worth talking about to each other.

From a gamer's point of view there is a gap in the market for 28mm figures that cover the pre-1966 period, especially in terms of U.S. Marines with M-14s, ARVN, Ruff-Puffs and all that, most ranges cover the later 'M-16' period.

However... I don't want to write your current project off before its over and I think it's an original enough idea to attract people. Sadly it's not something I'd game myself. I do wish you luck with it though!

    

[EdDowgiallo]

Thank you Arlequin.

[worrywort]

Well,

When I have read the first message, I'm immediatly going to see the KS page.

I'm not sure to play one day a pakistano/indian war, but, seeing more different  modern troops  and unseen nations is a good argument to give money for a project.

But, when I saw the few days before the end and the few money which is given... I think it's too late.

I know the good work of E.Bob, but I prefer see a model for the project.

SUrely if you have a range later of modern miniatures I will be very interested to buy some models.

[EdDowgiallo]

Thank you worrywort.

There will certainly be at least a small line of moderns by Autumn.

Ed

[NurgleHH]

I think a good kickstarter should show a little bit more than your kickstarter. An example is X-Over-Miniatures or Empress. Back for the unknown is too dangerous. Ebob is a good name, but his recon28-never ending story is not good advertisement for his name. A lot of gamers wait for this for so long time.
So I wish you good luck, but I do not see a big chance for it.