Shipping was never included but after all this time it should be waved IMO.

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I think we can count on some "ebay style" shipping charges to generate some positive cash flow.

I hope not as it says actual shipping costs

Oof...I feel sorry for Austrailian backers. Shipping costs overseas have skyrocketed recently.

Lots of pinball flyers on sale on Ebay, and this is like a bunch of flyers in one place, so...

Actual shipping costs of this book are not $13 for the US. They simply aren't.

Media Mail for 2 pounds domestic US zip presorted is $2.63.
https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm#_c156

Add a generous $1 for the sleeve (it's likely $0.70) and that's $3.63:
https://www.uline.com/BL_1302/White-Easy-Fold-Mailers

There's no way there's $9+ of labor to ship each book.

True...optimistically maybe they averaged the estimate for the poster and tshirts and other perks in that $13 price. If you only bought the book it should be what you priced.

I wonder if they are going to charge me retroactively for the Christmas Ornament I received? At least j_m_ doesn’t have to worry about that

You left out gas for post office trips, wear & tear on the car, lunch for the escor... I mean interns. Whole lotta ins & outs & what-have-you's.

Post office will pick up commercial presort shipments.

Escorts, well, I don't think that's related, unless it's categorized as breaks.

Shipping is nominal or included. "Handling fees" can be pricey...

Just bring yours to the VFW. If the crew doesn't buy them, well, we're low on toilet paper after the batch of mini-shows and can use the books. And don't try the bidet excuse, Mr. Happy hasn't bought new batteries for the control units since 2019.

You understand my pain. You're my friend.

No the backer kit surveys are standard even for an anything but normal KS. As an example I recently filled out another backer survey for a large book based on the videogame "Eve Online". The survey is meant to confirm your address (which very likely has changed since this book was announced. ), add extra items you want, etc. For more information go here: https://www.backerkit.com/features/survey

Now typically they don't share S&H costs until the end because it's based purely upon how successful the project is, how heavy the item is, etc. A fantastic example of a reputable KS project is the very large and heavy Street Fighter Boardgame I will be receiving: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1821440755/street-fighter-the-miniatures-game/posts/2936899 That should give you an idea of what a typical KS goes through with Backerkit (sometimes called Pledge Manager) and shipping. They usually give estimates closer to shipping however they did it at the start because Joe was partnered with Dameon Guess "who has been in printing and publishing for many years". That mayyy have changed. I'm not sure where Dameon is but my guess is since Joe neglected any mention of him he dropped out of the project many years ago, maybe isn't in the print industry, may not be cost effective, who knows. In fact the Ghostbusters game that Joe bought I feel has already been sold and pinball was somewhat of a fad for Joe. I mean if he was REALLY into pinball he would have gone to Pinburgh, expo, met with backers, etc.

I have done my fair share of funding websites and I consider myself lucky I suppose as I have only been burned by 2 projects. Technically it was 1 as the Dragons Lair pitch was supposed to entice a film company to back Don Bluth to create a fully animated film. The pitch worked so technically it achieved the project goal. However it wasn't announced to backers that the pitch worked, announced year's later after silence, and apparently Netflix is making it live-action with Ryan Reynolds. So somewhat salty over that BUT it's Ryan Reynolds with Netflix. It's sorta like the Oculus Rift backers and after they were funded Facebook bought them out.

OH WAIT, woah, woah. The questions in this Backerkit are WAY suspect and I totally see now why you folks are concerned. A question like "What is your education level?" should never be part of a KS WOW! For non-backers that are curious: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BDMVHZN *It's also done with Survey Monkey...WTF! **Yeah I highly suggest not to respond to this and wait for a response from Joe on this. This is unacceptable.**

Yeah, this survey is a "pre-survey" to the backer kit survey. Not sure wtf it is for other than to further annoy people who are already pissed off.

Why.....why would they do a thing like this?? They made it sound like it was THE BackerKit which it should be at this point. I mean they are encouraging everyone to fill it out ASAP and they normally do that to get an accurate count of how many to print, extras, to get a cost estimate going. Oh man....

Ok, glad that is cleared up. It's just Joe being shitty again.

I won't be filling it out.

From the email:

"How it will work:

1. First we have a survey we would like you to fill out before we start shipping. It is only 9 questions and should only take a few minutes to fill out.

2. We will use that info to create our Backerkit surveys.

3. You will receive your Backerkit surveys in your inbox!

4. Once your Backerkit surveys are filled out, and shipping fees paid we can start shipping books!

5. Celebrate!"

The question will be, will they send out the Backerkit survey if you don't fill out their bs marketing survey? I don't know, at this point I just filled out the marketing survey. Not like it is secret info, but it is a complete bs step imo.

Stating the obvious but shouldn't a survey be done AFTER the customers received their product?

When they ask for which age bracket you're in, I have to wonder whether they mean (A) the bracket you were in when you signed up, (B) the bracket you are in today, or (C) the bracket you will be in when the book arrives.
.................David Marston

LoL! We’ll all be dead before this thing ships

I hate that this is relevant.

They should include a “3” sticker for the cover so we can decide if we want it to say 30th or 33rd anniversary.

I was listening to "The Super Awesome Pinball Show" and Eric Meunier created his first whitewood of GnR when this book was announced. Slash helped create and got his game shipped with JJP before this coffee table book was finished. Wonder how awkward it was to sign a Stern book while his game was close to being shipped with JJP?

Pinball Magazine September podcast interviewed Rob Berk who mentioned Joe from Paperflock would be giving a talk at the virtual expo this year.

It’s not on the schedule yet. Given Joe’s track record for timely production I bet it will never happen. http://pinballexpo.com/showschedule.html

Not sure what sort of sage advice Joe can give anyone.......how to hire hot interns?

If this is all done and ready to go, what is the hold up?

Probably in the process of interviewing the shipping interns I imagine.

Anyone receive theirs yet? It’s been so long that I’ve moved and even though updated the address on the website as instructed, that would really su— if after so many years it got sent to the wrong address!

I'm fairly confident he will talk about "the book almost being ready to be shipped" how "it was so hard to document and photograph all these games" and finally unleash a whopper that he "wants to do another book or create a deal with the Stern store to sell them".

I think they are emailing each of us to clarify shipping details first. I'm guessing around Easter...

the schedule came out today. no sign of joe on it anywhere.

I'm guessing that joe will have to interview yet another intern to fill that position for scheduling events

I think they should hold off on printing until they add in all the great games that have been released since they announcemented the kickstarter.

Ducks...

The "books dropped" announcement was 45 days ago. Wow...

Joe has cured me from doing any future biz with him and anything involving interns or Kickstarter.

I have supported over 30 projects on kickstarter and for me it's only been 2 projects that have not delivered or delivered fully: - both pinball related
- Propinball Digital Table and the supposed extras
- this book

everything else was delivered, some a little longer but all delivered - pinball and tech ones seem to be the fails

They were waiting for Slash to be in town to sign the special edition copies.

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That's what auto-pen is for.

They should have sent the books to the JJP factory.

This is yet another Kickstarter that I will be backing and is another model example of a future successful Kickstarter. It's backed and supported by Jack Danger, Imoto Harney, Zombie Yeti, etc.

Meanwhile my other Kickstarter that I have been waiting for called "INSERT COIN: INSIDE MIDWAY'S 90s REVOLUTION" is now out for backers to watch. They are screener copies and you are allowed 5 viewings before November 7th. They mentioned they would send out Blu-Ray discs next month.

Please don't let Kickstarter be a deterrent to you folks. There are good ones out there but looking on this project in hindsight, it wasn't really supported nor did they clearly have the means to make the project become a reality.

Hmmm surveys/feedback are normally best done “after” you have received the goods.

Looks like more delay tactics if imo, their own survey with BS questions, what’s your education level? Knowing Joe that’s probably cryptic for “are you smart enough to take legal action against us”, what are are group are you in? “How much money do you have to take said action”.

So a bullshit survey of theirs to complete, to then create another survey which you “must” fill in and pay your shipping fees, before your book is shipped? Why do I smell more of Joe’s bullshit here??

Actually, it was the lack of motivation by Joe to execute once he had funding that was the issue. Stern was reported to have been working with PaperFlock to provide exclusive access to art, designs, and photos so plenty of access to material. It was being advertised at pinball shows, and many Stern employees including Gary Stern and George Gomez were featured in videos encouraging folks to sign up for it. So even in hindsight, it was fully-funded, had plenty of pinball enthusiasts supporting it, and seems to be straight-forward enough to produce despite Joe's ineptitude.

As you said, I won't let this one bad experience ruin it for the rest of them. Time to check out that Arcade Dreams kickstarter you highlighted...

I don't think you understand. The survey that you must fill in is standard for all crowdfunding campaigns. It's not a feedback survey, it's a questionnaire where you give them all the info necessary so they can fulfill your reward. This first survey they're doing through Survey Monkey though is definitely super weird. Never heard of anything like that before...

I actually did a Kickstarter a few years ago for a video game. It released this summer, but there's still about 400 backers I've been unable to send download codes to because they haven't filled out their survey, which asks what platform they want the game on. Without that info I literally can't send them the codes.

Sorry probably didn’t type out my post that well, I ment it’s bollocks for them to do their own survey to then formulate and create the second survey (which is standard) just seems like more steps to delay things.

And delayed it's been. How long since we saw the photos of the books?

Yet another week since you asked your very good question!

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Interesting that Joe's Kickstarter "This is The Big One!" earth-shaking post has elicited nothing but indifference and yawns from Pinside. At this point, Joe, I don't think anyone much cares--just waiting to see how much you are gonna gouge us for shipping this monumental tome. Oh, and good luck selling those spiffy $25 (plus shipping) left over T-shirts, and on your next epic pinball book...

"We also learned that 85% of you are interested in more books on the subject of pinball! So more on that in the future!" Yeah, who is ready to go on this ride with Joe again for volume 2

I also found it funny that, "After all of the Backerkit surveys are filled out we can start production on the apparel items, which we expect to take about 2 weeks." So another month putting off shipping for my non-existent interest in a t-shirt. Like Billy16, I can't wait to see how much shipping on this larger than life, heavier than original spec, dramatically better final product will be...

My "Empires of Eve: Volume 2" came in!!! This only took 2 years and the first volume was Kickstarted a few years back. I got them both though and he did a second revision on the first volume to boot. I expect this quality, NOTHING LESS!

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