Backed Or Whacked: Ignoring The Little People
Editor’s note: Ross Rubin is principal analyst at Reticle Research and blogs at Techspressive. Each column will look at crowdfunded products that have either met or missed their funding goals. Follow him on Twitter @rossrubin.
The period leading up to the New Year is often a time of self-reflection. Resolutions often relate to people wanting to create a better version of themselves or at least a thinner version of themselves. Many also want to be more giving. Following through on these challenges often helps if you have support.
Likely taking inspiration from the success of Foldable.Me, three recent Kickstarter projects sought to step up production of various miniature versions of you. Apparently, though, someone was sticking pins in dolls of the project owners. All fell far short of their backing goals, leaving them nothing but resolve to try again in the future to realize their dreams of Lilliputian likeness.
Alas, the mighty models’ faces showcased in the video suffer from a lack of detail and the high price of $70 per action figure; also offered were an iPhone case for $50 and a keychain for $25. Bowen defended the prices explaining it took from 20 to 30 hours to create each figure. Villainy carried the day at the end of November, however, as only two backers offered a total of $35, far short of the $1,500 requested.
Whacked: LittleClone.
The answer to whether LittleClone could succeed on a broader and more northern American scale was sought via Kickstarter, where the pliable puppets were offered up at $100 per pop, even more than the custom-printed JB Figures. For that sum, though, you would get a companion box frame for your little you and a set of clothing accessories. Or, rather, two people would have. LittleClone’s campaign ended in mid-December collecting only $130 of its $5,500 goal.
Because of its simplicity, the Carnegie dolly was available at prices well below those of the other vanity dolls: $25 for a 12” version and $40 for a 20” one. But the 30-day campaign could not beat the doll drums, attracting a single backer contributing only $25 of the $3,000 sought.