Backerkit is LAUNCHING!
over 1 year ago – Mon, May 15, 2023 at 12:24:47 PM

Hello Friends,

If you're new to Kickstarter and Backerkit (pledge managers) please check out Update #48 for an in-depth overview of how it will work. It's vital that you fill out the Backerkit, as it's the only way we know where the heck to send your stuff!

The estimated date of the launch is THURSDAY, May 18th! 5% of you may have already received your surveys as the re-smoke test has just started!

Also, please note that areas outside of the US, UK, and EU may have taxes, import fees, or duties due upon delivery. Unfortunately, there's just too many countries each with their own rules and regulations for us to accurately assess those fees and charge you now. US, UK, and EU fees are pre-programmed into Backerkit, which is how we're able to know those fees and get you charged up front.

Another update to update #48: we initially said that cards would not be charged until orders are locked, but we're testing out a beta feature with Backerkit's support that will charge cards the moment you checkout. This is huge, as we know delayed charging causes a ton of headaches for people. If you don't see the email that the charge is coming you can be hit with an unexpected charge at a terrible time, by the time we charge cards your card could have expired, and so many other things. By charging cards immediately upon checkout, all those worries disappear.

Now, for you savvy Kickstarter/Backerkit folks who have done this many times before, that does mean that your order will LOCK when you checkout. You'll still be able to change your address at a later time, but you won't be able to add items or remove items by yourself. DO NOT WORRY! We're here to help, just contact us at https://maestromedia.com/pages/contactus and say "yo yo yo, I need to add/remove something from my pledge, help!" (or something like that).

This can also help people who may want a bunch of stuff, but don’t necessarily have the funds to get it all at once. By checking out, and then messaging us to add stuff later, you can spread those charges out a bit!

We'll be back soon with more shiny stuff to show off!

~The Maestro Team

Backerkit Pause for Perfection
over 1 year ago – Thu, May 04, 2023 at 05:44:48 PM

Hello Friends,

Quick update today to let everyone know that we're still working on perfecting the Backerkit so emails will not be sent out this week. We were not 100% satisfied with some of the testing and want to ensure an easy to navigate experience for everyone. We have a high percentage of new Backers who have never used Kickstarter/Backerkit before, so our focus is on perfection!

Don't worry, there are no issues beyond our satisfaction that the site is perfect. As soon as it is, we'll send out another update letting you know when to expect it to launch. This does not effect any game timelines. Speaking of the game:

Files are continuing to be delivered and we're slowly getting more fun stuff back from the merch manufacturer. Check out all the latest cool things below:

Some more amazing figure pulls from the factory to watch above, and below we have the box art cover for both the game and the Tarot deck!

That's all we have for now, but we'll be back soon!

~The Maestro Team

The Backerkit Update
over 1 year ago – Fri, Apr 28, 2023 at 02:11:48 PM

Hello Friends,

Thank you for your patience while Backerkit and our team (we say our team but we really just locked Dustin in a closet) were building the site. It will be ready next week, probably Thursday or Friday, per our previous update! We're just waiting on final approval from Backerkit and all agree we want our team and the Backerkit team on deck to assist with any issues.

Backerkit Walkthrough

In just a few days you'll get an email from "Maestro Media and Steve Gabry" (Backerkit) with your personal link to the site. Once you click the link, you'll be able to start managing your pledge!

The Landing Page tells you the Tier you pledged for. If you are satisfied with your pledge level, click Get Started!

If you'd like to change your pledge level, there is a hyperlink below the big green button. This is only to CHANGE YOUR PLEDGE LEVEL, do not click this if you'd like to add on a second tier. Selecting Switch your pledge level will enable a pop-up that will allow you to select any of the available tiers. 

From there, you'll be led to the survey questions. Everyone will see at least one "question" explaining how Backerkit works. If you pre-committed, backed at a tier of $40 or more in the first 48 hrs, and/or backed at a tier of $150 or more you will get a second question showing you the incentives that are automatically included in your cart.

If you have a tier that includes at least 1 shirt, you will get questions asking you about the sizes for the shirts. The sizing chart is included to help you make your choice! Once you're through the questions, you'll be taken to...

Add-ons

The add-ons are grouped into: Games, Tiers (for those who want to add a second or third tier), Shirts and Wearables, Figures, Plushes, Pins and Keychains, Extras, and Retailers.

*Please remember, this is for add-ons. You do not need to select the item you pledged for if you do not want a second copy*

Once you've selected your add-ons or if you do not want add-ons, click NEXT. On the next page you will enter your...

Shipping Info

In this section, please type in the address you'd like your pledge and add-ons sent to. Please avoid special characters as couriers seem to have issues with them. 

If you know you are moving or think you might move before delivery, you will have plenty of time to change your address and pay any additional shipping, make sure you keep the email with your link so you can get back into Backerkit!

Review/Confirm

On the final page you can verify everything one last time. If you decide you need to add or remove add-ons, you can scroll to the bottom and do that there. You can also change your shirt size from this page.

Once you are satisfied, enter in your payment and place your order!

Please note, when you click PLACE MY ORDER you will not be charged. Backerkit does not charge cards until we mass lock orders. You will be reminded that the charge is coming in an email before it happens on July 1st. For backers who select the Strange Boxes Quarterly Subscription add-on or a tier with Strange Boxes, your backerkit will lock on June 1st.

You're now all set to receive your pledge when they ship in June 2024!

Remember, keep the email with your Backerkit link so you can make changes if you need to!

If there's any Backerkit questions, make sure to ask them below and we'll be back soon! We’ve also included some common questions/comments we anticipate you having below.

Common Backerkit Questions

I pledged using an Apple Relay Email

If you pledged with an Apple Relay Email or any other type of email fabricator including logging in through Facebook, you may not get the email from Backerkit letting you know that the pledge manager is open. Please reach out to us here: https://maestromedia.com/pages/contactus if you fall into this camp so we can update the Backerkit email for you!

How do I know I'll get the Gizmo bonuses or the bonus for backing in the first 48 hours?

If you pre-committed to the Kickstarter before the project went live, and you used the same email address to back the pledge as you did to sign-up your Gizmo bonuses will be automatically added.

If you backed in the first 48 hours of the campaign, before 23:59 (11:59pm) PST, your bonus for backing early will be automatically added.

If you backed at $150 or more during the campaign, your bonus will be automatically added.

You'll be able to see either/both of these in your cart in Backerkit once it opens and you'll see a "question" at the beginning letting you know which incentives have been added to your pledge.

I pre-committed using a different email address!

As of today, there is nothing we can do. Once Backerkit opens, we'll have access to the pre-commit list and your pledge manager. We can verify that you did pre-commit with one email and then backed with another. Please do not email us until Backerkit goes live as we will be unable to assist you until then. https://maestromedia.com/pages/contactus

My Pledge failed in Kickstarter, what do I do?

This one is coming up a lot, which is why we're saying it twice. Your unpaid pledge amount will still filter into Backerkit and you will still have the opportunity to pay for your pledge there.

When will I get my Backerkit Invite?

There are a few thousand backer emails to send out. Backerkit will go out in batches over a 72 hour period. Please be patient and check your Spam/Junk folders for an email from Maestro Media and Steve Gabry. If you haven't received your email by May 5th, please search sallyface.backerkit.com for your link.

How long will Backerkit be open?

Backerkit will remain open until July 1st. You will have plenty of time to go back in and add additional add-ons. We will send another update giving ample notice of the closing date of Backerkit.

How long will quarterly shipments of Strange Boxes be Available?

Seeing as Sally Face: Strange Boxes will officially launch on Maestromedia.com on June 1st, we will need all orders for the quarterly shipment option of Strange Boxes to be in Backerkit by May 31st so we can charge cards on June 1st. This will also mean your Backerkit will be locked on June 1st instead of July 1st. From there we can transfer those orders to our fulfillment center so they can prepare them to be shipped alongside other orders. After June 1st, quarterly shipments will no longer be available so if you’d like both a Kickstarter-discounted price and a third shipping option that isn’t monthly or annual, we highly recommend grabbing Strange Boxes in Backerkit while you can!

Until next time!

~The Maestro Team

Finishing up Game Files & More
over 1 year ago – Wed, Apr 26, 2023 at 07:31:01 AM

Hello Friends,

Three updates for everyone:

• Game Files
• Backerkit
• Merchandise Prototypes

Game Files

We're working diligently to get the game files complete for delivery to the factory and get the game printed. In fact we've delivered the first wave to the factory already! Take a look at some of the updates we've done to the game cards. These are still awaiting final approvals so they may change slightly, but WOW!

Backerkit

The team is busy building out the Backerkit page so it's easy for everyone to use. We're estimating to begin our smoke test, meaning it sends out to a small percentage of people to see if there's anything that breaks, this weekend! Followed by rollout to everyone next week! We'll be back shortly with an update explaining everything you need to know about Backerkit

Merchandise Prototypes

The factory is beginning to work on prototypes of all of the merchandise. As soon as we have them, we will take photos so everyone can see the amazing merchandise in finalized forms!

Our friends at Jellop helped make this project a success and wanted us to let you know:

Don't Miss Out On New Projects
Our project was featured on the First Backer Newsletter, and we'd like to invite you to join its growing community of Kickstarter backers - You'll receive fresh Kickstarter projects, and amazing early bird offers, as well as awesome freebies delivered right to your inbox. Click here to subscribe.

~The Maestro Team

WE DID IT! What's Next?
over 1 year ago – Fri, Mar 31, 2023 at 12:02:38 AM

Hello Friends,

That… was amazing. We could never have anticipated the level of support we received from you all. We ended at $306,947 and 3,025 backers and every single one of you made this possible. We want to thank you for your incredible support! We couldn't have done it without you, and we are so grateful for each and every one of you who contributed to make this project a reality.

Over the course of 30 days we unlocked

and you amazing people flooded social media with your posts unlocking a grand total of 56 cards for The Nightmares Deck.

So what now? Well, Steve and the team are gonna go into a small hibernation so we can make up for lost hours of sleep (I don’t care what science says it definitely feels like I can do that).

After a nice nap and with some propped open eyelids, we will be moving to bi-weekly, and eventually monthly, updates as the campaign continues its advance towards fulfillment. At times we will have a lot to share, and sometimes we won’t have much outside of a quick “Hi, we are still here, we promise”. In these updates, we will talk about everything from development, to manufacturing, to shipping! We will also chat about and show off the merchandise samples we receive from the manufacturer. Make sure you keep an eye on this Kickstarter page and stay subscribed to emails from Kickstarter so you don’t miss anything!

Additionally, in about 4 weeks, we will be launching the pledge manager, Backerkit. We will be back to chat about that soon. It will remain open for a few months, though items may go out of stock early, so make sure you add what you want early. You can continue to add add-ons as long as it is open, and the stock remains available. If you have or plan to purchase a quarterly subscription to Strange Boxes, bear in mind your pledge manager will close before June 1st 2023 so we can begin shipping you the first of your packages!

After that, we play the waiting game for a bit for backers, while there is lots of work behind the scenes for the team. We will finalize the art and graphic design for the game, work with the factory on the design of the game box so everything fits nicely, deliver finished files to the factory, get the game manufactured, assemble the games, and freight ship to the fulfillment centers before the games can ship to you. It’s a long process and we’ll be sending updates out as we clear each stage. For this project, we plan to deliver the game on or before June 2024 (we definitely think before, but world events keep happening). We will always keep you well-informed every step of the way with at least one update a month!

This is only the beginning of another exciting chapter in the game’s creation. As always, we thank you for your time and continued support.

Catch the replay of the final livestream HERE! 

~The Maestro Team