10 Best, Worst and Weirdest Philly Kickstarter Campaigns That Have Actually Been Funded
They funded what?
Thanks to Kickstarter, over 77,000 projects — from art and design to fashion and tech ventures — have been independently funded. Some of these projects are wonderful, admirable even, and others are odd (“Let’s crochet a house!“), odder (“a study testing the effectiveness of medieval warbows against medeival armor“) and, well, human skin wrapping paper.
Many Kickstarter projects — both fully funded and sadly unsuccessful — have been launched in our great city. Here are the best, worst and weirdest of the bunch, as well as updates on where everyone is now. (Spoiler: If you ordered a Smart Pen, you might be out of luck.)
KORDL 2
What: A tiny device that clips onto earbud cords and keeps them from getting tangled. Brilliant!
Funding: $18,943 of $7,500 goal.
Where are they now? Kordl has its own website, and the devices now come in a range of colors. They are available for $4.99 here.
TINY BOWLS
What: Very tiny porcelain bowls. That’s it.
Funding: $344 of $25 goal.
Where are they now? The creator, Dorian O’Connell, has moved on to stationery. Just two weeks ago, her second Kickstarter campaign was successfully funded. See it here.
BISON SOCKS
What: Socks made from American bison down, which is “warmer, better for moisture control, more durable and easier to care for” than wool.
Funding: $140,099 of $15,000 goal. You guys really wanted bison socks.
Where are they now? The socks are available at the United By Blue, the lifestyle shop owned by the campaign founder Brian Linton. Preorder them for March 2015 delivery here.
SpinFX LED HOOPS
What: “Dance technology.” Hoops (think hula hoops) and “poi” with customizable LED lights.
Funding: $16,689 of $10,000 goal.
Where are they now? After reaching its funding goal in January 2013, the company now uses its hoops and “visual poi” for live performance art. You can book them for events, or buy your own LED hoop for $495 here.
MIMOTO SMART PEN
What: A smart pen that records your handwriting in real time so you can easily digitize notes and sync them across multiple devices. It also works as a stylus, turning any computer into a touchscreen. Sounds cool, right?
Funding: $34,652 of $20,000 goal.
Where are they now? The Mimoto Tech Facebook page has not been updated since November of 2014. The tech company’s alarmingly archaic website has not been updated since last year. Not looking good.
HISTORIC ROBOTIC SPACECRAFT POSTER SERIES
What: Screenprinted posters that celebrate “the most popular and most notable interplanetary robotic space missions.”
Funding: $39,131 of $12,000 goal. I guess people are really into space.
Where are they now? In Brooklyn. Still making sci-fi and pop culture things. See them all here. And you can still buy the posters!
YIDDISH PLAYING CARDS
What: Playing cards. Each features an original image and the definition of a commonly used Yiddish word (‘schmear,’ ‘yenta,’ ‘kvetch’).
Funding: $6,641 of $5,772 goal.
Where are they now? You can still buy the cards here, along with Yiddish coasters. The campaign founder, a marketing exec, is more involved with his other venture, the Bacon Jams, a line of bacon-centric gourmet foods based in West Chester.
BLACK BOX CUSTOM DENIM
What: Started by two Penn students, the denim company makes jeans to your measurements.
Funding: $27,492 of $25,000 goal.
Where are they now? Up and running. You can order your custom denim here. Choose your style, denim color, enter your measurements, and your bespoke jeans will arrive (in a black box) at your doorstep. Cost is $145.
ICARUS SPACE SHIP MOBILE ART CAR
What: A “retro-space styled space ship mobile art car.” To take to Burning Man, of course. The spaceship car was built in Kensington. This campaign has one of the most honest lines in all of Kickstarter history which is why I like it: “We have finished designing and are already hard at work but this shit is fucking expensive so we need your help.”
Funding: $12,292 of $10,000 goal. Wow.
Where are they now? Well, they went to Burning Man.
BEARDO HD PRINTED SKI MASK
What: Fleece-lined ski masks printed with weirdly lifelike faces.
Funding: $15,063 of $4,750 goal.
Where are they now? Still turning out wacky winter gear. Go for their original design, a beanie with an attached knit beard (now also offered in full Viking glory), or get one of the ski facemasks.
