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• I need to finish Anniversary before I can move fully into Nautical.
• I am now handling work that used to be handled by two people.
• I am very strapped for time and never expected to be running this completely solo.
• That is not an excuse, but it is the reality I’m working within.
• I no longer have the same funds available to keep everything moving.
• Sales have slowed dramatically.
• Etsy is currently down to around two dozen orders per month.
• Even with heavy discounts, sales are not enough to cover ongoing costs.
• I am still paying storage costs for a large number of decks.
• I am also covering Etsy-related expenses, including fees, shipping issues, and replacing lost packages.
Shipping itself has become another hurdle.
• I also need to determine the most cost-effective way to fulfill them internationally.
• Right now, I simply don’t have the cash flow to pay for printing, fulfillment, and shipping all at once.
• That’s why my focus is on reducing overhead and raising the funds needed to complete the project in the right order.
• Use those funds to pay down storage costs and reduce overhead.
• Finalize exactly how much is still needed to complete Anniversary.
• Move Anniversary into final production once the funds are in place.
• Then move fully into Nautical with a clearer structure and plan.
• Others launched later and were able to build those higher costs into their pricing or shipping.
• Anniversary and Nautical landed directly in the middle of those changes.
• That made both projects much more expensive to complete than originally planned.
• I can’t provide print-ready files due to artist licensing agreements.
• I do want to give you something you can view and enjoy while I work through the physical production side.
• Unfortunately, it is not as simple as paying postage.
• I would still need boxes, labels, packing material, and other supplies.
• Right now, I do not have the funds to do that at scale.
• I also do not feel right asking anyone to pay additional money for packaging materials.
• I am still trying to work out a realistic solution.
• Continue cutting storage and overhead costs wherever possible.
• Continue working on digital versions of the deck and guidebook.
• Finalize the amount needed to complete Anniversary.
• Move Anniversary forward first.
• Then move fully into Nautical.
• Share another update once I have finalized costs and a production path.
- We are currently negotiating with my warehouse to figure out how to get the inventory out. The issue is that there are pallets upon pallets of inventory, and I’m not sure yet where we can put it all. My husband and I are working through this together. If we can get this overhead down to a more reasonable cost, I can start saving money again for the projects that are currently in limbo.
- I’ve received many emails about add-ons. I’m working on compiling a list and figuring out what shipping will cost. Once I have that information, I can send invoices for those costs.
- I’ve also received multiple offers from people who want to help financially. I’m incredibly grateful, but this is something I’m not comfortable accepting right now when I have so little to contribute myself. Until I’m in a better position, I can’t ask that of anyone, even those who are willing to help.
- The digital files are almost finished. I should be able to provide those files next week for Anniversary.
- The printer we are working with has not gotten back to me since my last email, so I don’t have any new information on that front. The moment I hear from them, I’ll update again.
- International warehouses are much more expensive than I can afford right now. My husband, who is far better at math than I am, is helping me figure out the best path forward financially.
- I’m completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support. I do plan to write back to everyone who has contacted me. I’ve just been trying to get things done while also taking care of my two children, who are nearing the end of the school year, which means I have less time than usual.
- It has also been hard for me to keep up with comments, and I’m sorry about that. You can always email me so I don’t lose your message. Comment threads can get very confusing, and email is much easier for me to track.
I’m incredibly grateful for the offers to help with UK fulfillment. I do want to be transparent that fulfillment is a very large job that requires a lot of space, time, and coordination. The last deck I fulfilled myself (Animal) took about two full weeks of daily work. While UK quantities would be smaller, it’s still something I need to carefully evaluate before committing.
Our campaigns were run before the major rise in production and shipping costs. Many campaigns after that either increased pricing or passed those costs into shipping. We fell in between those shifts, which has made completing production much more challenging.
Managing multiple fulfillment centers such as China and the UK isn’t something I can realistically take on right now. I am personally fulfilling orders within the US, and adding international fulfillment centers would significantly increase the workload. As a one-person operation, I have to be mindful of what I can sustainably handle.
If you’d like your add-ons shipped sooner within the US, you’re welcome to email me at [email protected] and I can arrange that. I do want to be transparent that I’m only able to ship these in small batches as Etsy sales come in. Right now, the business is not yet covering its operating expenses, so I have to pace outgoing shipments carefully. As sales pick up, I’ll be able to send more consistently.
We are committed to our current printer, as a significant portion of the project has already been paid. The remaining balance includes final printing and shipping. Moving production to a different printer would significantly increase costs and isn’t a viable option. Once the remaining balance is secured, production will be able to move forward.
I will be creating web-quality versions of the deck and guidebook that I can share via Dropbox. Due to contract restrictions, I’m not able to provide print-ready files, but I will make sure you have something accessible to view.
I will not be asking backers for additional money. I am committed to finding a way to complete and deliver this project without putting that burden on you.
I will be updating both BackerKit and Kickstarter backers moving forward. I held off on posting until I had a clear plan in place, rather than sharing updates without meaningful progress. With a path now set for completing Anniversary, I’ll be outlining next steps for Nautical as well.
• Research global shipping warehouse options to find the most cost-effective way to ship internationally
• Create and share digital versions of the deck and book via Dropbox
• Continue reducing overhead including subscriptions, ads, and storage while rebuilding funds through Etsy sales
First, I want to apologize that this update is later than usual. I chose to wait because I did not want to post without clear and accurate information. With production costs, freight pricing, and import variables continuing to shift, I felt it was important to gather as much clarity as possible before updating you.
The original project funds have now been fully allocated. To complete printing with our current manufacturer in China, we need 6,000 dollars to cover the remaining production balance. After that, we will need to cover freight, import duties, and receiving costs in order to bring the decks into fulfillment.
We did explore moving production to the United States. However, even with reduced domestic shipping, the total production cost was nearly double. Because 17,500 dollars has already been invested into the current manufacturing run, completing production where it stands remains the most financially responsible path forward.
Revenue from remaining inventory sales has not been sufficient to cover both ongoing operational expenses and the additional production costs required to complete this project. As a result, additional fundraising will be necessary in order to move forward.
Because international freight costs continue to fluctuate, I am currently gathering updated quotes before announcing a final fundraising total.
Here is the projected sequence once funding is secured:
1. Pay remaining production balance
2. Printing completion
3. Arrange freight and import
4. Receive inventory into storage
5. Begin fulfillment
To stabilize operations, I have consolidated storage, shifted fulfillment to my home, reduced overhead wherever possible, and allowed one storage unit holding older inventory to go to auction in order to prevent further debt accumulation.
78 Tarot is now being run solely by me. Despite the challenges, I remain committed to completing this project responsibly and transparently.
I will share the confirmed funding plan once freight estimates are finalized and the full amount needed is clear.
Thank you for your continued patience and support.
Kayti
Kayti
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Project Update: Project Update: Current Status and Next Steps
• I need to finish Anniversary before I can move fully into Nautical.
• I am now handling work that used to be handled by two people.
• I am very strapped for time and never expected to be running this completely solo.
• That is not an excuse, but it is the reality I’m working within.
• I no longer have the same funds available to keep everything moving.
• Sales have slowed dramatically.
• Etsy is currently down to around two dozen orders per month.
• Even with heavy discounts, sales are not enough to cover ongoing costs.
• I am still paying storage costs for a large number of decks.
• I am also covering Etsy-related expenses, including fees, shipping issues, and replacing lost packages.
Shipping itself has become another hurdle.
• I also need to determine the most cost-effective way to fulfill them internationally.
• Right now, I simply don’t have the cash flow to pay for printing, fulfillment, and shipping all at once.
• That’s why my focus is on reducing overhead and raising the funds needed to complete the project in the right order.
• Use those funds to pay down storage costs and reduce overhead.
• Finalize exactly how much is still needed to complete Anniversary.
• Move Anniversary into final production once the funds are in place.
• Then move fully into Nautical with a clearer structure and plan.
• Others launched later and were able to build those higher costs into their pricing or shipping.
• Anniversary and Nautical landed directly in the middle of those changes.
• That made both projects much more expensive to complete than originally planned.
• I can’t provide print-ready files due to artist licensing agreements.
• I do want to give you something you can view and enjoy while I work through the physical production side.
• Unfortunately, it is not as simple as paying postage.
• I would still need boxes, labels, packing material, and other supplies.
• Right now, I do not have the funds to do that at scale.
• I also do not feel right asking anyone to pay additional money for packaging materials.
• I am still trying to work out a realistic solution.
• Continue cutting storage and overhead costs wherever possible.
• Continue working on digital versions of the deck and guidebook.
• Finalize the amount needed to complete Anniversary.
• Move Anniversary forward first.
• Then move fully into Nautical.
• Share another update once I have finalized costs and a production path.
Project Update: Project Update: Inventory, Add-ons and next steps
- We are currently negotiating with my warehouse to figure out how to get the inventory out. The issue is that there are pallets upon pallets of inventory, and I’m not sure yet where we can put it all. My husband and I are working through this together. If we can get this overhead down to a more reasonable cost, I can start saving money again for the projects that are currently in limbo.
- I’ve received many emails about add-ons. I’m working on compiling a list and figuring out what shipping will cost. Once I have that information, I can send invoices for those costs.
- I’ve also received multiple offers from people who want to help financially. I’m incredibly grateful, but this is something I’m not comfortable accepting right now when I have so little to contribute myself. Until I’m in a better position, I can’t ask that of anyone, even those who are willing to help.
- The digital files are almost finished. I should be able to provide those files next week for Anniversary.
- The printer we are working with has not gotten back to me since my last email, so I don’t have any new information on that front. The moment I hear from them, I’ll update again.
- International warehouses are much more expensive than I can afford right now. My husband, who is far better at math than I am, is helping me figure out the best path forward financially.
- I’m completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support. I do plan to write back to everyone who has contacted me. I’ve just been trying to get things done while also taking care of my two children, who are nearing the end of the school year, which means I have less time than usual.
- It has also been hard for me to keep up with comments, and I’m sorry about that. You can always email me so I don’t lose your message. Comment threads can get very confusing, and email is much easier for me to track.
Project Update: Follow up to last update - answering comments
I’m incredibly grateful for the offers to help with UK fulfillment. I do want to be transparent that fulfillment is a very large job that requires a lot of space, time, and coordination. The last deck I fulfilled myself (Animal) took about two full weeks of daily work. While UK quantities would be smaller, it’s still something I need to carefully evaluate before committing.
Our campaigns were run before the major rise in production and shipping costs. Many campaigns after that either increased pricing or passed those costs into shipping. We fell in between those shifts, which has made completing production much more challenging.
Managing multiple fulfillment centers such as China and the UK isn’t something I can realistically take on right now. I am personally fulfilling orders within the US, and adding international fulfillment centers would significantly increase the workload. As a one-person operation, I have to be mindful of what I can sustainably handle.
If you’d like your add-ons shipped sooner within the US, you’re welcome to email me at [email protected] and I can arrange that. I do want to be transparent that I’m only able to ship these in small batches as Etsy sales come in. Right now, the business is not yet covering its operating expenses, so I have to pace outgoing shipments carefully. As sales pick up, I’ll be able to send more consistently.
We are committed to our current printer, as a significant portion of the project has already been paid. The remaining balance includes final printing and shipping. Moving production to a different printer would significantly increase costs and isn’t a viable option. Once the remaining balance is secured, production will be able to move forward.
I will be creating web-quality versions of the deck and guidebook that I can share via Dropbox. Due to contract restrictions, I’m not able to provide print-ready files, but I will make sure you have something accessible to view.
I will not be asking backers for additional money. I am committed to finding a way to complete and deliver this project without putting that burden on you.
I will be updating both BackerKit and Kickstarter backers moving forward. I held off on posting until I had a clear plan in place, rather than sharing updates without meaningful progress. With a path now set for completing Anniversary, I’ll be outlining next steps for Nautical as well.
• Research global shipping warehouse options to find the most cost-effective way to ship internationally
• Create and share digital versions of the deck and book via Dropbox
• Continue reducing overhead including subscriptions, ads, and storage while rebuilding funds through Etsy sales
Project Update: Project Update and Timeline - 4/3/26
First, I want to apologize that this update is later than usual. I chose to wait because I did not want to post without clear and accurate information. With production costs, freight pricing, and import variables continuing to shift, I felt it was important to gather as much clarity as possible before updating you.
The original project funds have now been fully allocated. To complete printing with our current manufacturer in China, we need 6,000 dollars to cover the remaining production balance. After that, we will need to cover freight, import duties, and receiving costs in order to bring the decks into fulfillment.
We did explore moving production to the United States. However, even with reduced domestic shipping, the total production cost was nearly double. Because 17,500 dollars has already been invested into the current manufacturing run, completing production where it stands remains the most financially responsible path forward.
Revenue from remaining inventory sales has not been sufficient to cover both ongoing operational expenses and the additional production costs required to complete this project. As a result, additional fundraising will be necessary in order to move forward.
Because international freight costs continue to fluctuate, I am currently gathering updated quotes before announcing a final fundraising total.
Here is the projected sequence once funding is secured:
1. Pay remaining production balance
2. Printing completion
3. Arrange freight and import
4. Receive inventory into storage
5. Begin fulfillment
To stabilize operations, I have consolidated storage, shifted fulfillment to my home, reduced overhead wherever possible, and allowed one storage unit holding older inventory to go to auction in order to prevent further debt accumulation.
78 Tarot is now being run solely by me. Despite the challenges, I remain committed to completing this project responsibly and transparently.
I will share the confirmed funding plan once freight estimates are finalized and the full amount needed is clear.
Thank you for your continued patience and support.
Kayti
Previously backed this creator's crowdfunding project
Engaged with this project 20+ times 🌟
I did not ask for a refund but just that the add-ons be sent since they are available for purchase in the 78 shop. I received a lovely response from Katie saying yes, they would be sent. When I hadn't received them I email Katie again just asking if they were sent. If so, then they were lost in the mail. If not then they aren't lost. I never received a reply. I am also not wanting to stir up anything but thought you deserved an answer.
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