Hello again Adventurers, 

Well, a lot has changed since the last update.  

As you might be aware there have been a lot of changes going on with import tariffs to the US. At Midnight tonight the new base import tariff on goods coming from China to the US will be 104%  It is actually more than that depending on the specific good, but I digress.

This is an issue because enamel pins are almost exclusively made in China.  I started my business in 2017 and while I continue to search, I have never found a US pin manufacturer, only middlemen who lie and then have the pins made in China like everyone else does.  So domestic production is not an option for me or any other pin designer.

Well, for you, hopefully it won’t mean anything.  My sincere hope is that in about two months I will receive the pins, give them an inspection and begin shipping them out to you.

It is a bit of a different story for me though.  This tariff situation basically means that the cost to me to have the pins produced and shipped to me has unexpectedly doubled.  I know when you see a bigger campaign like this one the numbers look impressive, but the profit margins on pins are relatively thin to begin with.  If I am very lucky this project will end up breaking even now.  The only real positive is that I order extras to account for production flaws, and I can likely sell those extras in my shop later for a very small profit.  

I don’t think I have much more to say about it for the moment.  I will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you might have.  

Kindest regards, 

Joshua R Pinkas

Hello again friends,

I wanted to make a dedicated post for the proception update as I know some folks don't read the video updates as closely.  I also have a special announcement...

The pins are still in production.  I expect them to take at least another month or so to be completed.  This is because this is a very large order of pins, and I always make a point to remind my production partner that quality is my highest priority, not speed.  On the plus side, this slow production process helped me dodge what I hope was the worst of the tariff situation.  

In the mean time while we wait I am packaging up all of the add-ons that I already have in hand, so that I will only have to deal with packing the new designs once those arrive.

Speaking of add-ons...  I am doing something VERY unusual and adding another add-on option in the Pledge Manager for this RPG project.

Please note that I JUST put this design into production TODAY.  This design will be completed AFTER the RPG designs, as a result adding this design to your pledge manager WILL delay your receipt of the rest of your pins. 

It is now available in the Pledge Manager for this project.  I have also added it to the Pre-Order Store for those who did not back Black Cat RPG 5.

This design will be available in my shop once I get them, but I had a few people ask if I could add this to the Pledge Manager to save on shipping cost and environmental impact of shipping separately.

I call this design 'Screaming for Justice'.  It depicts a screaming opossum dressed as Lady Justice holding a sword and scales while an orange snake is pinned down underfoot.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns please let me know and I will be happy to address them to the best of my ability.  

Kindest regards, 
Joshua R Pinkas
[email protected]

Hello again friends,

No news on the pin front, They are in production and that takes a while.  I am always sure to tell my production partner that I am interested in quality, and that speed is not a priority for me.  So we will basically just continue being patient until they are completed.  Also keep in mind that it is a very large order. 

In the meantime, here is another design video: Living Barbarian

Kind regards,
Joshua R Pinkas

Hello again Adventurer!

Today I wanted to share with you the design video for the Undead Barbarian!

Have a wonderful rest of your week!

Kindest regards, 
Joshua R Pinkas