For this weeks edition of Crowdfunding Mailbox we have three great crowdfunding campaigns to share.  I think rewards based crowdfunding is at the best when products take an old idea and create something new and unique.  Each of these campaigns embodies that spirit today.

First of all I would like to share a piece of advice though.  If you have launched a crowdfunding campaign and a week or two in you have zero backers you need to rethink not only your pitch but approach.  Crowdfund  Insider continues shout the message that crowdfunding is not the field of dreams.  You know – if they build it they will come… Far from it.  Do not forget the 30% rule.  Your probability of success leaps dramatically if you have 30% of your crowdfunding goal committed prior to launch.  That may seem like a lot but well run crowdfunding campaigns adhere to this approach.

Something else new.  We have had a couple of companies reach out to us about reviewing products.  If you have a prototype and would like a “candid” review – bring it on.  Just email us at info@crowdfundinsider.com and we will let you know where to ship your next big thing.

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The Pandora Carryall describes itself as the “Swiss Army Knife of Bags”.   After I watched the pitch video I was thinking more along the lines that Bad Wolf Outfitters, the creators of this bag, have created a portable office.  These days I set up and plug in anywhere I am.  The Pandora pretty much does it all.  From solar charger  to back up battery to locator dongle – you name it.  Add a set of speakers and you are ready to go.  I just wonder if I will be able to check this on my next flight.  Road warriors will want this. Let’s see if Bad Wolf can get this put together in time to ship by January 2014.

These Cthulhu Bicycle playing cards are designed by Dann Kriss with art by Ian Daniels.  This crowdfunding campaign had a goal of raising $12,000.  Well that is a distant image in the rear-view mirror as of today the campaign stands over $30,o00 with almost three weeks to go.  These limited edition cards are guaranteed to protect you from the “Old One” and hopefully will bring you some luck at the poker table at the same time.

The 1215 Pen / Letter opener – Homage to the Quill – is another item I wonder if I could get past the x-ray machine at airport security.  Perhaps this one is better left at home as this stylish pen looks more like a piece of art.  1215 is a reference to the signing of the Magna Carta.  Definitely will sharpen up the look of any desk – anywhere.

 

 

The Pandora Carryall:It’s Like The Swiss Army Knife of Bags – Indiegogo

This isn’t just a tech bag, this is The Pandora Carryall. Finally, a bag that’s as smart as the gear you put in it!

Bad Wolf Outfitters & The Pandora Carryall: A Short Summary

The Pandora Carryall, with all its features and function, is outfitted to be the leading example in digital survival in this technical age. For every possible daily obstacle, the Pandora Carryall comes equipped with a highly technological (and covert) solution.

• To prevent unexpected power downs, our carryall comes equipped with a back-up battery and a solar panel to revive fading electronics.
• USB ports and a complimentary thumb drive store back-up data and connect to your gadgets to prevent loss of important work.
• An audio jack hooks up to speakers and can be activated via Bluetooth for impromptu office parties or an after-work dance session.
• A screen installed inside the bag gives the user information on battery life, data storage, and audio.
• And a bluetooth locator dongle on the bag lets the owner locate it from their smartphone, in case its location is forgotten after a long night of networking.

In addition to function, The Pandora Carryall will be miles ahead of its competitors in form and design.

Because The Pandora Carryall is still in the prototypical phase of production, Bad Wolf Outfitters is offering backers an opportunity to not only fund The Pandora Carryall, but to customize your ideal carryall.

 “We cannot stress enough how much we want feedback from backers and potential users in order to make The Pandora Carryall the highest quality and most ideal “smart” satchel.” -Rebecca Chappell, The Pandora  Carryall Project Manager

NEW Cthulhu Bicycle® Playing Card Decks by Dann Kriss – Kickstarter

Limited Edition Great Old One Bicycle® Playing Card Decks – NEW from Dann Kriss Games, with art by Ian Daniels

56 beautifully illustrated playing cards from Dann Kriss Games, printed by the United States Playing Card Company (USPCC), designed with a Lovecraftian 1920’s theme and a haunted Victorian flair, each edition bearing the Bicycle logo and Dann Kriss Seal of Quality.

Packaged in two separate extremely Limited Editions, the Elder Sign Edition and the Necronomicon Edition. Only 3,000 decks of each edition will ever be printed, this deck will never be printed again… ever!

Pen/Letter Opener – 1215 – Homage to the Quill by Stopher Christensen – Kickstarter

1. 1215 – The Inspiration behind

In today’s rapidly changing digital world I find comfort in having a few fine objects in my life that are tactile and sensual to the touch. I would like to share this object with you, the Twelve-Fifteen. It has been designed as a modern interpretation of the Quill and Ink well from a time not so long ago.

Quills were the writing instruments of our forefathers for hundreds of years.  When I am writing, sketching, creating with this pen, it reminds me of a romantic time when information was transferred at a much different pace. One with intimacy and meaning. For me there is no better way to capture my thoughts than with a pen. The flow of ink onto paper, has a tactile quality that slows down time, allowing me to gather my thoughts, questions and Ideas.

Twelve-Fifteen “1215” the name given to this object is derived from the year that the Magna Carta, written with a Quill, was presented to King John of England by the Barons of the land. They had had enough of his oppressive ways and demanded change, using the pen to trump his swords. This Magna Carta, or Great Charter has been referred to by historians as one of the leading documents to shape the western world we live in today. In fact the American Declaration of Independence, is said to be built upon some of the same rules put unto King John back in the Thirteenth century.