My fall purse collection
My fall purse collection is now available for pre-order on Kickstarter! The sale starts July 29th and will last for two weeks, ending on August 12th. I have a bunch of information available on the Kickstarter page but here are some details --
Some things to keep in mind
- I do not recommend using this bag to hold hot drinks.
- The lining is waterproof, but I recommend using a neoprene sleeve on non-insulated cups to prevent condensation.
- Make sure the lid on your drink is secure before placing it in the bag.
- Colors may appear different on each computer monitor or phone screen.
- Don't cry over spilled milk. I am not responsible for spilled beverages.
HOW TO ORDER
Click on the green button at the top of the Kickstarter campaign page that says "Back This Project." On the next screen you'll be able to choose how many bags you'd like to order. Your card will not be charged until *after the sale is over.* And at that point I will be sending you a form to ask which color you want. So if you're in a state of panic thinking "AHHHH! Do I go with the pink or the lilac? Or do I want the Halloween bag?? I can't decide!" you don't have to decide immediately, you can pledge to support my project today and make sure that I meet my funding goal, and then pick your color(s) later!
I cannot produce *ANY* bags unless I meet my goal, so backing today will help make sure that I reach the goal and you get to receive a bag. Be sure to share my page with your friends, family, and followers to help more people stay cute and hydrated!
WHY KICKSTARTER?
I learned a lot of lessons from my last two sales. First of all, I decided to host this one on Kickstarter primarily because it was difficult to reach all of the people who purchased purses during my last pre-sale to keep them apprised of the production process. I was posting updates on my social media channels and on a dedicated update page on my website, but I was not reaching most of my customers that way. With Kickstarter I can post updates that will go out to every person who gets a bag and keep them updated. This will create less stress for customers -- you'll be in the loop constantly about where we are in the production process -- and way less stress for me and for my mom, who handles my customer service. Also, Kickstarter has an established reputation as a website where creators can request funding for a project that has not been produced yet. I feel like hosting my sale on Kickstarter will reinforce the fact that this is a pre-sale and that it will take some time before the purses are in your hands.
I've also teamed up with an excellent fulfillment company to handle the shipping for me this time. When I sold over 5,000 purses this spring it was just me and my parents (and a couple of friends - shoutout to Kate, David, Julia, and William!) attaching bag charms to each bag, assembling boxes, attaching hang tags, printing shipping labels, etc. With very little sleep, and a diet consisting exclusively of fast food and caffeine, it took us about five weeks to finish shipping.
I'm confident that by hosting on Kickstarter and using a fulfillment company this time around we will all have a more pleasant, patient, and overall less stressful experience. You are supporting the dream of one person, not purchasing a cheap bag with 2 day delivery. So patience, understanding, and kindness are imperative to making sure this campaign is a success.
FAQ
Q: Are you selling the large Melisande bags this time?
A: I've decided to discontinue my Melisande bags. I may design a new large bag at some point in the future, but for now I will only be offering my Ella bags.
Q: How do I choose which color I want?
A: You will be receiving a form when my Kickstarter campaign has ended where you can let me know which color you want. Please note that if I do not receive your form response in a timely manner I will be sending a black Ella bag as a default.
Q: Can I change my reward tier? What if I pledged for 1 bag but now I want 3 bags?
While a project is live you can adjust your pledge by visiting the project page and clicking the “Manage your pledge" button. On the following page, select "Change your pledge". From here, you’ll be able to adjust your pledge amount or switch to a different reward tier (changing reward tier will automatically update your pledge amount). Additionally, you’ll have the option to add any add-on rewards, or give a little extra with bonus support. Remember, when changing your pledge amount you are not adding to your existing pledge, the new amount you enter will be the total amount collected if the project is successfully funded. Once a project has ended it is no longer possible to modify your pledge amount or reward selection.
Q: Why are you charging shipping this time?
A: I massively underestimated my expenses last time (live and learn, lol!) and I also have to factor in costs that have gone up (like postage) or changed since my last sale. The biggest factor is that I'm using Kickstarter and working with a fulfillment company this time. Kickstarter takes 5% of your total earnings, and I will also have to pay for fulfillment. I know that making this change could hinder sales, but in my opinion it is a fair trade after me and my parents were so physically and emotionally wiped out after doing all of the fulfillment on our own last time. My goal is to make my bags as affordable as I possibly can while still ensuring quality in production and customer service, and I hope that this current balance will be perfect.
Q: When will the bags be shipping?
A: The honest answer is I do not know for sure. But I can estimate that - if everything goes smoothly - I should be able to ship before January. Hopefully sooner, but maybe later. There are a lot of variables that could effect the timeline, but I will keep you updated here on Kickstarter every step of the way so you will always be in the loop. And you will get to see your bag go from just a dream to a real tangible item within a few months -- and how cool is that??
Q: How do I know if my favorite cup will fit in the bag?
A: The cup compartment is 4" x 4" wide and 7.5" tall. I've also done some fit tests demonstrating how well different brands and sizes fit on my tiktok here.
Q: I'm worried that the purse will be lopsided or that the straps won't support the weight of my water bottle.
A: The purse is not lopsided when you have a water bottle in it (I posted a video on my tiktok addressing this concern here.) I've used my bags daily for years now without any issues, but this round of production is also going to have newly reinforced straps to make sure they're even more sturdy to support the weight of your water bottle.
Q: What happens if I move between now and when you ship my order?
A: If you change your address please let us know about the address change BEFORE we begin shipping the bags. We are not responsible for bags that are returned because of a change of address that wasn't reported to us in time.
Q: Will my order arrive in time for Halloween or Christmas?
A: Because of the nature of production, the supply chain, and possible covid-related delays, I cannot guarantee arrival for any holidays. If you are ordering a bag as a gift and are worried that it won't arrive in time for Christmas, I highly recommend printing this FREE printable to give your loved one as a placeholder.
Risks and challenges
PRODUCTION I have confidence in my manufacturer and I have been so pleased with the bags they made for my previous sales! I am overestimating how much time it will take for production because I'd much rather be able to deliver them ahead of time than disappoint people who were hoping they would get them sooner. I will keep you updated on the production timeline here on Kickstarter but please keep in mind that I cannot guarantee delivery before any holidays (ie. Halloween and Christmas.)
COLOR DIFFERENCES The colors of the physical products may end up looking different than the colors on your monitor. I've tried my best to accurately depict the colors in the photographs, but the colors may look different in person depending on lighting (outdoors vs. indoors, white light vs. yellow light, etc.) Additionally, since these are just samples, there is a small chance my manufacturer could be out of a specific color when production begins. If this happens I will work with them to make something as close as possible to the color depicted in my sample photos.
FULFILLMENT During my last pre-sale me and my parents packed all of the orders in my house. It was so overwhelming and created a lot of mental and physical stress for all three of us, and our limited time/abilities contributed to a much longer turnaround time than I was hoping for. This time around I learned my lesson and I will be working with a fulfillment company to make sure that orders are packed as swiftly as possible. My fulfillment company will be sending tracking numbers upon shipment so you will be able to track your package when it is en route to you!
COVID-19 While we're still living through *waves arms around* everything, there is always a possibility that covid or the supply chain could interfere with production, and/or shipping may be delayed. I hope this won't happen but if anything causes a delay I will definitely let you know.
REFUNDS & CANCELLATIONS Once the campaign is complete, refunds or cancellations will not be issued for any reason. Please read my entire campaign text and only pledge if you understand that you will be waiting for the bags to be produced before shipment. You are supporting the dream of one person, not purchasing a cheap bag with 2 day delivery. So patience, understanding, and kindness are imperative to making sure this campaign is a success.
TAXES/VAT I will be shipping DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid) which means that it's the customer's responsibility to pay for any of the destination country's customs charges, duties, or taxes. These must all be paid in order for customs to release the shipment after it arrives. I am not responsible for packages that are returned because the customer failed to pay import taxes or customs fees.
