"Baker Company \ Winter War - another KS Fiasco?" Topic

Starting to look like something has gone wrong with the Baker Company \ Winter War KS. Now 16 months behind schedule and lots of unhappy punters (me included) with part orders or worse, and a string of emails promising shipments that never arrive, updates reassuring everyone, then silence for more than a month.

Anyone shed light on things?

No inside information but from I've seen, it seems very likely that the money ran out and the packages that are going out may well be funded from other sales.

I'd guess at similar – the sheer number of free stretch goal add-ons really was beyond generous, and I suspect that the increase in work he ended up having to outsource for it made it a loss-maker. To be honest I'm happy just to wait for mine though – some kind of progress report would be nice, but at a basic level I still think Gav will come through eventually, and frankly the total that it got to was ample warning that there'd be big delays on this one.

From what I've understood, shipping costs can torpedo a lot of projects like this.

I have run four Kickstarters and shipping costs are murderous. You want to make as few shipments to each backer as possible (one ideally). I backed this Kickstarter and when offered the minis in waves or all at once at the end, I chose the latter because I understood the implications for Baker Company. I don't mind waiting as long as I get my minis in the end.

I've been pondering a way out for Gav.

What if I placed an order (in particular, some tanks that he's having produced by Ainsty), and offered to pay shipping + so long as he'd throw the KS promises all into one big box?

Would it help? Could the problem be fixed? Or am I just shooting good money after bad?

Do we know if he's showing up at Salute?

Recent Kickstarters I'm backing are typically saying "shipping at costs", so you're updating your pledge after they send you actual shipping costs, based on amount/weight of your pledge.
For Bones II shippping to Moscow was like 60 USD I think, but at least I've got everything…

@thosmoss

I agree it would be in everyone's interest to get this sorted out. Part of the problem is no-one outside of BC really knows what the situation is.

I will put some rumours down if I can here.
Ainsty are producing 10 different vehicles for this Kickstarter.
The funding is not an issue with the production of the KS products. Gav is up to date with payments for production. the sheer volume of vehicles all being made by hand by myself ended up way over what either of us thought it would be. this is the only reason that the kickstarter has not yet been fully fulfilled. I am currently working through the vehicles each week, with around 4000 multipart vehicles to produce this was always going to be a big project. despite both our best intentions, things have been delayed at times by events etc. We have even switched mastering to 3D for some of the vehicles to speed up their availability for casting.
All of the materials, Rubber and Resin/plastic was purchased upon funding being released so everything is in place physically to produce the models, time is the only factor left to tackle
I haver emailed Gav a revised production schedule today and rest assured that all of the vehicles will be produced but some of you will have to continue to be patient. You have my apologies for some of the delays.
As mentioned above some of you realise that the amount of stretch goals meant that this was always going to take a lot of work to fulfil, you are getting a lot of kit for the pledges made.
I will always be honest when responding to questions etc. (that wasn't an invitation for a flood of emails) If I can help out anyone who is desperate then please let me know and I shall work with Gav to get your product to you. I have posted out last week some vehicles direct to customers as I know Gav is getting some heat from backers.
We are always open to fair comments and hopefully everyone will be fulfilled shortly.
I will be at Salute so if anyone wants to collect vehicles from there I will do my best to have them ready, please email Gav direct as I don't have everyones pledge requirements at this end.

Andy

Gav could save a lot of hassle by answering emails with a frank explanation like this ….

Could Ainsty give us any estimates? Even something vaguely accurate -- how many have been done, how many to go, would be SO MUCH MORE information than we've ever gotten from Gav.

I can understand why Gav has never given this as a reason for the delay in public (given it would have been seen as shifting blame on to a third party) but me this would have been a useful thing for him to have been able to supply as an update. I'd suggest Gav & Andy urgently issue a joint statement as an update on Gav's Kickstarter page, as it might go some way to keeping the baying mob off Gav's back.

I would happily post on the KS forum to try to give backers some peace of mind, however as I did not back the project I cannot post on there. Gav is free to use my previous post if it helps. I have emailed him the link.

I have run four Kickstarters and shipping costs are murderous.

Which is why you have to build the costs into your business model. All it implies is that the KS has not been properly developed before the start; you should know the production costs and shipping. If you have to produce a lot, calculate the time period so you can bulk ship and COMMUNICATE with your backers. I am very wary of KS and I have only backed two KS projects to date.

Looks like the project organisers have same space to improve in.

I got the rest of my pledge Tuesday, so I'm happier. I say happier because there are still some problems – miscast wheels on the field kitchen, lots of flash, some pretty horrible mould lines, some details miscast too, such as the ammo boxes on the Quad AA-MMG, which should be rectangular but look like sandbags. I get the impression the metal was cast in a hurry (no Sherlock – Gav must be running the casting machine every hour God gives). I'd be upset if this were the standard quality of Baker Company figures.

The resin bits are spot on.

I'll contact Gav and I'm sure he will replace the suspect bits when he gets the chance, but on balance I think this Kickstarter has highlighted the problems with oversubscription and offering free postage options. Gav offered phased release or one big box. With hindsight this was a mistake as the phased release option meant some backers like me received part of the pledge while others got nothing. To make matters worse those of us with phased releases increased the pressure on Gav by chasing the bits they were "missing", pressure on Gav is building and he's rushing to fulfill orders and quality is suffering. Meanwhile the one box crew get upset because they see others getting stuff when they don't, leading to a vicious circle. I think we would all have been better if the only option would have been one box, and Gav could have taken his time ensuring the production standards are kept up, then sent everyone everything. Of course that would mean backers would receive their pledges much later than some of the items were available in the webstore…..

These Kickstarters are bloody messy

I've read this thread with considerable interest. Not be cause I backed this project, but because I backed Alien Dungeon's All Quiet on the Martian Front project. And it seems that this one is having exactly the same problem as All Quiet: casting a zillion metal and resin parts takes a LOT of time! It's not like injection molded plastic where you just turn on the machine and the parts pop out. Here, each and every part is molded by hand. Very time consuming! And as AD informed me, there just aren't any large high-volumne resin casting companies in the US. They are all small operations operating out of someone's garage and have trouble filling really big orders.

Which is why you have to build the costs into your business model. All it implies is that the KS has not been properly developed before the start; you should know the production costs and shipping.

Given that shipping costs will shift as you add more of the backer freebies, you may have some issues predicting that!