Also, this GB thread was in the SP sub forum. I don't know, but would it have been allowed in the normal GB forum rather than the sub forum?
Additional publicity from having it in the main GB forum might have helped too, for those who didn't see the photos in the signatures.
So if you needed another $250 to help you across the line, if I put forward another set, and at least another person did, would that help, or is it not that simple.
Granite I think has a different kind of appeal, PBT, DSA, generic colour (or lack of), huge range of sets (which in a high volume set works in your favour), and something that already has a mass following.
Yellow is not a common theme, the iPhone 5c is selling the least number of yellow units, by far... most cars don't even come in a yellow option, and for those who love yellow (like myself), they tend to be very picky about the type of yellow, or what goes along with it. Granite was not an option for me, but this yellow set was the standout choice, but its unique nature might not help too...
Personally, I am very sad to see this set miss out, as yellow sets are so rare, but probably understandably due to the lower popularity of yellow (But i remember the polls that put this colour way ahead of the other branded typewriters). Even the bumblebee yellow set by key pop is Still in stock a year later. I absolutely love that set, and will be buying another from them as its the perfect yellow to suit me. Yellow, DSA, Its something I wanted to try. If you had gone DCS, I would not have picked it up as the bumblebee set was the competing set for me. The only thing I wasn't so sure about initially was grey vs a darker grey, but on a silver or grey case, it could have worked, and it grew on me (also running the black forum theme doesn't help). Oh and the 60% stripe, I was not so keen on. I ordered it because I wanted to help the set, but it was the item I was deliberating hard on, and probably wouldn't mind if it wasn't there.
So what to do next time? How did the sets distribution pan out?
22 Ordered, 19 Tenkeyless, 11 60% stripe, 15 Numberpads, 9 Tsangan
Given those distributions, the only significantly lower figures are the 60% and the tsangan (
)
For the case of simplicity, would it be better to combine the sets into a
1) Base set = (Base + ten keyless + number pad)
2) Tsangan set
3) 60% stripe
4) ISO??
I don't know how SP works, but would that lower the total cost of buying the Base, ten keyless and number pad? If it achieves this, then it could help bring in buyers by reducing the (Total) entry cost for the majority of buyers. This needs to be weighed up against allowing people to not buy a number pad for hardcore 60% and TKL users. This would be similar to the Nuclear set thats running currently.
And the ISO set, has tipped at 15 units, which seems more doable than 25, but still pretty high, but it might help net a few more buyers.
Another method would be to combine even more sets
1) Royal Apollo GT10 = (Base + ten keyless + number pad + tsangan)
2) 60% stripe??
3) ISO
I personally prefer this (because I bought everything...) But like the CtrlAlt Minibuys, its option free and single price, and as long as this is below the $100 mark, it could be very attractive to buyers as a cheaper set that is no more expensive than picking and choosing sets, and the lack of options is not necessarily a bad thing if at the end of the day, the cost to the buyer for a set that includes what they need is not any more expensive.
Buying everything there (minus 60%) is $114. Will buying the listed sets as one big set reduce that total? If it is sub $100 at the first tier of 25 then you might have a deal. The advantage of this I see is that the smaller sets would be subsidised buy the main sets. The risk is that people might not appreciate that, and will not buy because if the fact that they are buying number pads and things they don't want, and feel that they are not getting the same value.
Apart from 3D renders, I think the 2D mock-up needed much high resolution, especially on the graphic keys. The slightly oversized and pixellated logos were a bit scary, in the event they get made like that.
Well, food for thought... I want to see this set make it to reality.
Hope I didn't scare you off this yellow colour, as I really wouldn't have bought any of the other sets.