General Advice - Kickstarter (1 Viewer)

[eadorin]

So I'm thinking about making a Cthulhu Poker Chip Kickstarter. I already have a lot of the art but the *real* challenge is that I want to do a custom mold. Ideally I would also do clays but I'm thinking ceramics might just be infinitely easier and cheaper. I'm curious -- if you were to *back* a poker chip kickstarter, what would you look for? What kinds of things would you want as stretch goals? Playing cards? Matching felt? Custom Trays?

I haven't seen too many real poker chip KS's so I'm wondering if there's also an example of a "Don't be these guys" that I should look at? Just trying to avoid mistakes.

Thanks in advance for suggestions.

 

[tabletalker7]

Ok ...... Gonna be honest here (and by that I mean you won't like what I have to say). This Kickstarter is a Nonstarter.

There are two kinds of consumers in the home poker chip market, the chipper and the nonchipper.

The nonchipper is going to see this as too expensive, because they are buying the cheap plastic injection molded plastics they sell on Amazon for next to nothing. Using ceramics, you can't come close to those prices. They don't see value in having something unique. They only see a price tag.

The chipper is going to like your artwork, want to buy your artwork, and then have brpropoker, sun-fly, or the cards mold manufacturer make their custom chips and be thrilled to be the only ones to have them. The chipper isn't into ceramics for something that is mass produced. They like ceramics for the complete custom options, so their set is their set and only their set. That is why so many new chippers think they did good buying DDLMs, and then 3 months later those same chips are in a for sale ad here.

Sorry to say it, but there is a reason why poker chip Kickstarter projects are few and far between, and their Kickstarter success rate is extremely low. The smart move here would be to produce artwork people like, and sell the artwork.

 

[Josh Kifer]

I won't touch kickstarter

 

[LeLe]

@tabletalker7 point is spot on

You may have better luck kick starting poker accessory like unique Poker case etc or Poker card but to a lesser demand

 

[BGinGA]

So I'm thinking about making a Cthulhu Poker Chip Kickstarter.

I haven't seen too many real poker chip KS's so I'm wondering if there's also an example of a "Don't be these guys" that I should look at? Just trying to avoid mistakes.

Hard Candy Gangsters.

 

[eadorin]

Hard Candy Gangsters.

Yikes. This was painful to read through.

 

[eadorin]

Ok ...... Gonna be honest here (and by that I mean you won't like what I have to say). This Kickstarter is a Nonstarter.

There are two kinds of consumers in the home poker chip market, the chipper and the nonchipper.

The nonchipper is going to see this as too expensive, because they are buying the cheap plastic injection molded plastics they sell on Amazon for next to nothing. Using ceramics, you can't come close to those prices. They don't see value in having something unique. They only see a price tag.

The chipper is going to like your artwork, want to buy your artwork, and then have brpropoker, sun-fly, or the cards mold manufacturer make their custom chips and be thrilled to be the only ones to have them. The chipper isn't into ceramics for something that is mass produced. They like ceramics for the complete custom options, so their set is their set and only their set. That is why so many new chippers think they did good buying DDLMs, and then 3 months later those same chips are in a for sale ad here.

Sorry to say it, but there is a reason why poker chip Kickstarter projects are few and far between, and their Kickstarter success rate is extremely low. The smart move here would be to produce artwork people like, and sell the artwork.

Thank you for taking the time to post this. I absolutely see your point, and it is in the same vein as my primary concern -- that the price/appeal will be very narrow -- Lovecraft folks who will just buy anything because you put a freakin tentacle on it. pretty sure I demand higher quality than that myself, so personal customs + sell the art is probably the best route to take.