[Metalab] Crowdfunding

[Andreas Monitzer]

On 2015-01-21, at 15:11, leopold zyka <leopold.zyka at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> So weit ich mich erinnere geht es unter anderem darum dass sehr viele auch nach erfolgreichem crodfunding scheitern weil sie zu wenig Geld haben.

Ich hab gestern eh grade von einem Projekt wo ich gepledgt hab ein Update bekommen, dass sie zu wenig Geld haben, um ihr Produkt (ein Boardgame) produzieren zu lassen und zu verschicken… Wird bei Elektronik vermutlich auch nicht viel anders sein von der Finanzmathematik dahinter.

Das Update ist leider private, aber hier ein paar relevante Ausschnitte:

MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price) is a term many people dismiss as a magical number plucked from the æther and randomly slapped on a product. While that certainly can be the case for some projects, in the mainstream world of board gaming, everything should apparently be priced a 4 to 5 times the cost to manufacture it. This is due to the way the market is set up and the numerous middlemen required to get a game to your door. With anything priced below 4 times cost, you are in for a world of hurt–there’s not enough pie to go around for all the required hands.

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BREAKING DOWN A $75 BASIC PLEDGE

Core Game (1-4 players)  
MSRP $80

So far so good. But you’ll notice I didn’t mention a lot of stuff that you might be expecting, like metal coins, the 5-6 player content, and a boatload of plastic miniatures. Yet we’re already at $80. To continue:

Expansion Pack 1 (5-6 player addition)
MSRP $40

Yep, we’re up to $120 MSRP and have yet to add the metal coins, dice bags, and Quest Markers. These had to be shuffled around so as not to completely blow out the MSRP of the products and kill any shot it has at attracting all the potential buyers needed. 

But wait, there’s more! The basic $75 pledge also included 10 massive, detailed, complicated miniatures that have to be spincast in hobby-grade material to accurately recreate what was shown on Kickstarter.
MSRP: $210-240 (depending on if we can optimize the sorting/packaging process)

But wait, there’s still more! Canvas bags! Metal Coins! Patches! Everyone gets a parrot! Wait, what?
MSRP: $35

IN SUMMARY  

The $75 basic pledge  

	• $80 Core Game (1-4 players)  
	• $40 Expansion Pack 1  
	• $225 Miniatures  
	• $35 Goodies  
TOTAL MSRP: $380 Plus free shipping to the US.  

For $75.

Let me repeat that: The $75 basic pledge is looking to contain $380 MSRP of product, which was sold for $75, and $15 of that was earmarked for shipping. We’re talking $60 for $380 MSRP. Oh, you might say, I often get my games on Kickstarter at 30% off with free shipping! Fair enough, but how does 80% off with free shipping sound? Crazy? No. Absolutely stark-raving bonkers with a dash of elderberries on the side. There is no built-in profit with these numbers. Your pledge was for the cost to simply create it. And THEN there’s shipping. Bonkers really doesn't even begin to describe it.



Schöne Grüße
Andreas