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Kino
about 16 hours ago
First batch is here! Locking addresses!
Hey guys! I'm happy to announce the first batch of backpacks are here! Well... 33 boxes out of 202 haha. The other 169 boxes are being sent out now, so they'll hopefully be here in 3-4 weeks. I'm quality controlling what I can so I can start sending out backpacks to those who paid for split shipping. Also, the alien backpack inserts were printed at a really low quality for some reason so those inserts have to be remade. I won't be able to send out any alien backpacks for that reason until I get the new inserts in. The enamel pins haven't come in yet, so I can't start sending out backpacks to anyone else. I have a convention next weekend (Anime Blues Con for anyone around the Memphis area), so after that is probably when I can start sending out Conpanions! In the meantime, I'm going to lock addresses so we can start getting ready to ship. You will have 48 hours to update your address, after which the address you submitted will be locked and that's what I will be mailing to!

33 boxes


One more thing, I think I forgot to mention that we decided to go with a white handle for the unicorn backpacks so it better matches the trimming! I think it looks nice!

white handle
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Kino
25 days ago
Charging cards tomorrow! EDIT: JUNE 10TH!
Hey guys! I wanted to reach out and let everyone know first that tomorrow (June 9th EDIT: JUNE 10TH) I will be charging the cards on file for your shipping fees and any other add-on fees. I won't be locking addresses until probably sometime in July, as I get ready to ship out rewards. As a reminder, if you have plush in your pledge, you're welcome to add split shipping if you want me to ship out your backpack as soon as possible once I get them in while we wait for the plush to arrive at a later date. Also, I should have clarified earlier (and that is entirely my bad), but this is only for domestic shipments (within the US). Any international shipments WITH PLUSH will not go out until I receive the plush so you only have to pay customs/duties on just one shipment.

QUICK EDIT: I have locked orders with a 48 hour notice, so you have 48 hours to make any changes to your pledge. After that, it will automatically lock your orders, after which I will charge the cards on file on June 10th!

That's all for now, keep an eye out  on June 10th for your cards to be charged for shipping costs and whatever you added onto your pledge. Thanks guys!
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Kino
29 days ago
Production delay
Hey guys! I have another update for you. My manufacturer just told me that they have nearly their whole production team working on the backpacks, but because they're a very complicated product and this is their first time making them (plus the fact that I'm making nearly 1400 backpacks), it's going to take a little longer than they anticipated. She originally gave me the date of June 9th, but when I asked her about it this evening she said they're going to need more time. I don't know if this means a week, a month, or what, but it sounds like they're doing their best and I don't want to rush them and deliver an inferior product to you. I'm still hoping to get them sometime in July, but I will let you know the moment I know more details.

Thanks again for your patience, and if you have any questions or concerns, please email me! 
15
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7
Kino
about 1 month ago
Option for split shipping now available!
Hey guys! Thank you everyone for commenting on my last update and letting me know that you're OK with helping me with the cost of shipping the conpanions to you sooner. I have added an add-on in the survey for $8 that tells me you're opting in to have your Conpanion shipped ASAP and your smaller items (plush) sent at a later date when they're finished.

If you have already completed your survey, it's very easy to edit your completed survey by selecting the shipping add-on.
1. Locate your unique survey link from your original BackerKit confirmation email, or log in directly to your BackerKit Account.
2. If you are on a computer, click the Edit your order button at the top of the page. If you are on a mobile device, tap the drop-down menu in the top right corner and select view confirmation.
3. Make the necessary changes to your survey questions, add-ons, or shipping address. The split shipping option is all the way at the bottom. 
4. Click Next and make sure to click Place My Order or Submit Address to finalize your changes. 

As for bringing stock to my shows, after consulting with my pintopia peers they helped me come to a decision that I will be bringing very limited stock to Metrocon and Otakon after the initial shipment of conpanions is sent out to you. For those who opted for split shipping, you will get your smaller items (most likely plush since those are delayed) when they arrive to me. For those who would rather wait, your backpacks will most likely be sent out sometime in August once the plush arrive to me. 

If you guys have any questions, please let me know! Thank you for your support and thank you for helping me out with shipping costs! 
16
0
29
Kino
about 1 month ago
Split shipping?
So here's the thing. After I published my last update a few hours ago, I started thinking about ways I could get shipments out faster. As it is, it costs me about $15-18 to ship out each backpack, and about $5-8 to ship out each smaller item. There's over 900 backers I need to send rewards to--not all have backpacks and not all have smaller items. 

What I'm thinking is, what if I just quickly shipped out every backpack FIRST, and then later when I get in the plush/pins, I can ship those out separate? But I would be eating an extra $5-8 per shipment to do that to several hundred people. Would you guys want me to split shipments, or would you prefer to wait for the entire shipment to come together? I have several large conventions at the end of July and into August that I would like to bring the Conpanions to (Metrocon, Otakon, Fan Expo Boston), but I won't be able to if I haven't shipped out all rewards yet. So I'm thinking it might just be worth splitting up shipments and getting all the backpacks out as soon as possible, so that y'all have your backpacks for con season AND I can bring them with me to my cons. It would cost me an extra $1.5-2k in shipping fees, but... 

What do you guys think??? 
21
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54
Kino
about 1 month ago
Finishing soon!
Hey guys! I have another update, I've been told the backpacks will finish around the 9th of June! They'll take about 30 days to ship to me, so this means I'll be getting them first or second week of July. After quality control I'll start sending everything out by the end of July! 

I also have an update on the other items--enamel pins are still in production, jet tags are finished and will be coming in with the backpacks, and plush are also still in production. There's actually been a delay with the plush and my rep is telling me they won't have them done til the end of June. I asked about air freight to get them in faster, but it's about $3000 to ship via air so I opted for sea shipping instead 😭. So they will hopefully be coming in by the end of July. This means Conpanion collections will start shipping out first week of August if things go well.

Thank you everyone for your amazing patience and thank you for helping me bring the Conpanion to life! As always, let me know if you have any questions and I will send more updates as I have them! 
11
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4
 

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PROJECT UPDATE
Kino
CREATOR
🧙
about 16 hours ago

Project Update: First batch is here! Locking addresses!

Hey guys! I'm happy to announce the first batch of backpacks are here! Well... 33 boxes out of 202 haha. The other 169 boxes are being sent out now, so they'll hopefully be here in 3-4 weeks. I'm quality controlling what I can so I can start sending out backpacks to those who paid for split shipping. Also, the alien backpack inserts were printed at a really low quality for some reason so those inserts have to be remade. I won't be able to send out any alien backpacks for that reason until I get the new inserts in. The enamel pins haven't come in yet, so I can't start sending out backpacks to anyone else. I have a convention next weekend (Anime Blues Con for anyone around the Memphis area), so after that is probably when I can start sending out Conpanions! In the meantime, I'm going to lock addresses so we can start getting ready to ship. You will have 48 hours to update your address, after which the address you submitted will be locked and that's what I will be mailing to!

33 boxes


One more thing, I think I forgot to mention that we decided to go with a white handle for the unicorn backpacks so it better matches the trimming! I think it looks nice!

white handle
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PROJECT UPDATE
Kino
CREATOR
🧙
25 days ago

Project Update: Charging cards tomorrow! EDIT: JUNE 10TH!

Hey guys! I wanted to reach out and let everyone know first that tomorrow (June 9th EDIT: JUNE 10TH) I will be charging the cards on file for your shipping fees and any other add-on fees. I won't be locking addresses until probably sometime in July, as I get ready to ship out rewards. As a reminder, if you have plush in your pledge, you're welcome to add split shipping if you want me to ship out your backpack as soon as possible once I get them in while we wait for the plush to arrive at a later date. Also, I should have clarified earlier (and that is entirely my bad), but this is only for domestic shipments (within the US). Any international shipments WITH PLUSH will not go out until I receive the plush so you only have to pay customs/duties on just one shipment.

QUICK EDIT: I have locked orders with a 48 hour notice, so you have 48 hours to make any changes to your pledge. After that, it will automatically lock your orders, after which I will charge the cards on file on June 10th!

That's all for now, keep an eye out  on June 10th for your cards to be charged for shipping costs and whatever you added onto your pledge. Thanks guys!
user avatar image for Kino
18
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PROJECT UPDATE
Kino
CREATOR
🧙
29 days ago

Project Update: Production delay

Hey guys! I have another update for you. My manufacturer just told me that they have nearly their whole production team working on the backpacks, but because they're a very complicated product and this is their first time making them (plus the fact that I'm making nearly 1400 backpacks), it's going to take a little longer than they anticipated. She originally gave me the date of June 9th, but when I asked her about it this evening she said they're going to need more time. I don't know if this means a week, a month, or what, but it sounds like they're doing their best and I don't want to rush them and deliver an inferior product to you. I'm still hoping to get them sometime in July, but I will let you know the moment I know more details.

Thanks again for your patience, and if you have any questions or concerns, please email me! 
user avatar image for Kino
7
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PROJECT UPDATE
Kino
CREATOR
🧙
about 1 month ago

Project Update: Option for split shipping now available!

Hey guys! Thank you everyone for commenting on my last update and letting me know that you're OK with helping me with the cost of shipping the conpanions to you sooner. I have added an add-on in the survey for $8 that tells me you're opting in to have your Conpanion shipped ASAP and your smaller items (plush) sent at a later date when they're finished.

If you have already completed your survey, it's very easy to edit your completed survey by selecting the shipping add-on.
1. Locate your unique survey link from your original BackerKit confirmation email, or log in directly to your BackerKit Account.
2. If you are on a computer, click the Edit your order button at the top of the page. If you are on a mobile device, tap the drop-down menu in the top right corner and select view confirmation.
3. Make the necessary changes to your survey questions, add-ons, or shipping address. The split shipping option is all the way at the bottom. 
4. Click Next and make sure to click Place My Order or Submit Address to finalize your changes. 

As for bringing stock to my shows, after consulting with my pintopia peers they helped me come to a decision that I will be bringing very limited stock to Metrocon and Otakon after the initial shipment of conpanions is sent out to you. For those who opted for split shipping, you will get your smaller items (most likely plush since those are delayed) when they arrive to me. For those who would rather wait, your backpacks will most likely be sent out sometime in August once the plush arrive to me. 

If you guys have any questions, please let me know! Thank you for your support and thank you for helping me out with shipping costs! 
user avatar image for Kino
29
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Bluesky

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PROJECT UPDATE
Kino
CREATOR
🧙
about 1 month ago

Project Update: Split shipping?

So here's the thing. After I published my last update a few hours ago, I started thinking about ways I could get shipments out faster. As it is, it costs me about $15-18 to ship out each backpack, and about $5-8 to ship out each smaller item. There's over 900 backers I need to send rewards to--not all have backpacks and not all have smaller items. 

What I'm thinking is, what if I just quickly shipped out every backpack FIRST, and then later when I get in the plush/pins, I can ship those out separate? But I would be eating an extra $5-8 per shipment to do that to several hundred people. Would you guys want me to split shipments, or would you prefer to wait for the entire shipment to come together? I have several large conventions at the end of July and into August that I would like to bring the Conpanions to (Metrocon, Otakon, Fan Expo Boston), but I won't be able to if I haven't shipped out all rewards yet. So I'm thinking it might just be worth splitting up shipments and getting all the backpacks out as soon as possible, so that y'all have your backpacks for con season AND I can bring them with me to my cons. It would cost me an extra $1.5-2k in shipping fees, but... 

What do you guys think??? 
54
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Bluesky

Facebook

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