https://vimeo.com/paperflock

This is the company Stern is partnering with to do the book. Read what Paperflock is all about. This is what they do and it seems like the Stern book is their first project. Interesting approach imo.

Think about it, a Stern history pinball book is a very niche product, the amount of money it would cost Stern to get it designed and a minimum run published which may or may not sell well would be a stupid business move and would never happen on its own.

I am going to pledge at least the $55.00. If it doesn't get funded, you get charged nothing. If it does get funded, you get a book. I spend more on shipping parts to Canada from Pinball Life then it would cost to possibly get a cool book.

Don't see the problem.

Why is this important? They aren't asking you for 50k. Think you might want the book, pledge $55.00 (not a high amount for an book like this). If enough people do, you get the book. Not interested, don't pledge.

Sometimes it is about gauging market interest, not just raising money. My guess is Stern thought a 30th anniversary book would be cool, but had no interest in spending their time and money arranging one, publishing, selling and shipping it. They are a pinball company, not a book company. If a Kickstarter like this is the only way it would get made, as it costs Stern nothing but some time arranging materials and interviews, then I don't see the harm personally.

Get out of here with your facts. No one wants to hear them, it detracts from all the crazy.

It is weird how confusing this continues to be for people. To simplify:

1) Want the book and want to increase the chance it gets made? Pledge 55.00, if it gets funded you just paid 55.00 for the book. Congrats.

2) Want the book, but don't like crowdfunding for whatever reason or feel you can't risk the $55.00 on the remote chance things get funded but the book never happens, then wait, hope it gets funded, and buy the book when it is ready. Possibly for $55.00, maybe more, who knows.

3) Don't like Stern, don't want the book, crowdfunding offends you so personally that it makes you feel ill, don't pledge, don't buy the book, and move on with your life.

The continued toxicity on this site is getting really tired. I don't find it surprising that some of the most negative comments come from people who don't own a Stern, have never owned a Stern and never planned to own a Stern.

I get not wanting to support this project, I don't get the tearing it down. And some people wonder why most manufacturers or anyone associated with the manufacturers don't post or respond on this site...

Well, unfortunately I guess Stern is a business, PaperFlock is a business. Profit is kind of part of the deal. Besides, I don't know how much it costs to gather materials, design and then print 1000 copies of a book, but I doubt anyone is going to be drinking expensive champagne and snorting blow off a hooker's a** with $50k minus all the costs.

A "passion project"? The PaperFlock guys like pinball. I am pretty sure the high level Stern guys, who have spent a good chunk of their lives in the industry, many of them going back decades, have plenty of passion. PaperFlock is working with Stern on this, not putting it out solo. I get that people don't like the corporate angle, but that has nothing to do with how well or crappy the book may turn out to be. If you know for sure how it will turn out vs some imaginary community driven project that does not exist, can you lend me your crystal ball? A lottery is coming up.

The "solicitation of content and direction" is a way to try and involve the community in the project. The vast majority of content is going to come from Stern, as you can tell if you watched the video about the project. I just don't think they realized how toxic the community can be.

They definitely need to communicate more, it has been lacking. But if you pledged, what updates there are get sent directly to you. Complaining that they aren't keeping everyone who didn't pledge notified of what is going on seems a bit crazy to me, especially as this thread started with bashing the whole project to begin with.

Who said it was supposed to be some sort of historical document? From the get go it has been marketed as a book celebrating 30 years of Stern. A "dazzling representation of the world of pinball through the eyes of the Stern company".

Who knows at this point if they are removing all mention of Trudeau, but what company in their right mind would release a new book celebrating/emphasizing an alleged child pornographer?

If you didn't get it I'd check your Kickstarter settings/account. I believe he is just posting the updates to the Kickstarter page and Kickstarter sends out the emails.

I think the layout looks fine, only so much you can do without either displaying fewer pictures or having an overlapping mess. I get the frustration though, the delay and lack of communication has burned so much goodwill that some people aren't going to be happy no matter what ends up getting delivered.

If I get a book, I will be happy as long as it has a good level of content. Don't see what difference it would've made to my life if I had it a year ago vs a year from now. Unless of course I die before the book arrives, but then I have a whole other level of problems.

Yes, because a several thousand dollar pinball machine is exactly the same as a $50 dollar book...

I get why people are upset, especially those that contributed hundreds. I don't excuse Paperflock and the giant mess they have made out of the project to this point. It's just for me personally a pinball book isn't just something I am going to stress out about.

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.

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.

I've been pretty patient with this whole project. But outrageous shipping charges really piss me off. I got a larger book shipped to me from Amazon US for $8.00. I know Amazon is in its own league, but 60.00 is just plain stupid.

Just sent in my $61 US for shipping.

I doubt I would be able to get a refund anyway. The card I used to pledge no longer exists. Not just that I replaced it, the card company no longer exists so getting the refund through Kickstarter would've been problematic.

It does make me feel at least a little bit better that they will refund people who want their cash back. I hope they deliver on that promise...

If I don’t get a shipping notice by end of next week I am reversing charges on my credit card.