Union’s Chums on Kickstarter

The folks at web design house Union are looking to Kickstarter to make their first vinyl toy design a reality with Chums, 4” shark figures that double as pencil/stylus holders.   While I’m not necessarily looking for a functional toy per se, Chum’s design is nice and has a certain bit of humor.  It’s a nice bonus that I can put my pen in it and hopefully not lose it over and over again (yeah… right).  And yes, it might be helpful for those with fancy Cintiq tablets too.

Now let’s talk about the Kickstarter side. Since we’re seeing more and more vinyl projects using the service, it seems like time to talk more about it.   Honestly, I’m still on the fence with Kickstarter.  On the one-hand I think its potentially a great way for indie artists to make toys with the support of the collector community.  On the other hand, potential funders are putting a lot of trust in the project founders.  Trust that if funded, the project will actually happen, and they will receive their rewards in a timely manner.  Protection seems to boil down to social circles and peer pressure.   So, it’s really up to collectors/funders to ask key questions before plunking down a funding pledge – how long will it take to complete the project, are the funding requirements realistic/fair, etc…  Got a thought on Kickstarter?  Share it in a comment.  Thanks!