Keychains: Virgin Islands Hand Sign

My name is Cristina and I am the founder and sole designer behind Frangipani Pins, a small business dedicated to highlighting Virgin Islands culture through pins, magnets, and keychains. I'm a Black Crucian woman, born and raised in the Virgin Islands, and I currently run this business on my own. This is FP's first crowdfunding initiative and I welcome your support, whether it be through pledging or sharing.

This keychain and sticker design holds deep significance. The pointer and middle fingers form a "V" and the pinky finger is the "I". It is a recognizable way that Virgin Islanders represent where we come from and express cultural pride.

Thank you so much for your support. As my people would say, "wheel bend and the story end".

How it works/Timeline:

(April-May) The campaign opens and you pledge for the reward you want. (Think of this as a pre-order.) You will be required to provide your payment information, but there will be no charge until the campaign closes and the goal is met.

(Late May) When the goal is reached, Kickstarter will release the funds to me approximately 2 weeks after the end of the campaign. During this time I will send out a survey so that you can choose your keychain/sticker color(s).

(Early June) Orders will be sent to the manufacturers producing the keychains and stickers.

(late June-early July) The products are sent to me, at which time I will do a quality check. Then I will package and ship your order.

By the end of July (or earlier!) You get your keychains/stickers!

I’ve already found a manufacturer and produced a sample, depicted below. Now I need help to move into production and distribution. Kickstarter support will fund inventory, packaging, and fulfillment so I can offer these at an affordable price.

Any delays in manufacturing or shipping will be communicated through Kickstarter and posted as updates on my socials.

Rewards:

FAQ

So I won't get charged immediately?

No, you can pledge now risk-free and pay later!  At any point during the campaign, you can increase, decrease or even cancel your pledge. You will only be charged when the campaign ends, if the goal has been reached.

What exactly am I paying for?

Funds raised will go towards production, packaging, and shipping.

How do I pick my keychains?

A post-campaign survey will be sent out once the funding period ends. You'll get to choose the colors of your keychains and stickers then.

What about photos of the other colors?

The photos you see here are of a sample keychain that I bought from the manufacturer. I was only able to choose one color. The rest will be made once the project is funded.

Why Kickstarter and not your usual website?

Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform, which allows everyone to chip in and pay for the cost of mass producing keychains so that I don't have to pay the money to the supplier up front. Without Kickstarter, I would've had to pay first for production/shipping then sell the items in the hopes of making a profit to pay off the debt. Also, this helps me to gauge interest and better estimate how many of each item I should order before they are mass-produced.

Any extras will be available on the website at a later time and a higher cost. But if there is enough interest, I may do another campaign like this one with the same prices.