The pricing seems like a complete rip-off, to be honest. $10 for a sticker? $40 for a t-shirt? $1000 for a skateboard?
For comparison, you can buy a top-of-the-line longboard for $200, full kit. An essentially equivalent product [1] is selling for $500 a pop, half the price. That's more in line with what I'd pay for a luxury product like this.
Also, I'm not sure how comfortable this would actually be to carry around. Most longboards are around 7 pounds... this says "12 to 15" in the description. So, basically, this is going to feel like I'm carrying two skateboards around, not one.
I think describing that linked product as "essentially equivalent" is a bit misleading. It takes 5 hours instead of 2 hours to charge, the top speed is 15mph instead of 20mph, and it weighs 37 lbs. instead of 12-15 lbs.
I think you hit it on the head with the weight issue. 15 pounds isn't light, but it's manageable for most people -- about the same as an 18 pack of canned soda/beer. The $500 board listed above is a whopping 37 pounds... much heavier than an ordinary person can carry comfortably.
$10 for a sticker? $40 for a t-shirt? $1000 for a skateboard?
You are not "buying a sticker" or a t-shirt. The offer is "donate to this project and receive a 'thank you gift'." This is referred to as a "premium" and can be seen in the USA in Public Radio fund drives: "Give $60 and get an NPR mug" they are not "selling really expensive mugs," they are soliciting donations and giving gifts or "premiums" in exchange.
A premium is, basically by definition, worth much less than your donation. Giving a premium with a $100 cash value for a $100 donation would not be a good way to raise money. ;)
actually I'd like to hear more about this because it looks like a donation platform to me and I'm confused about this. You give money -> don't necessarily get anything in return, this alone fits the definition of "donation" to me. When you do get "premiums", they are typically worth far less than the value of your donation (stickers for $20, eat lunch with the team for $5k etc.). Again this fits the donation model.
I'm referring to "donation" model vs. "goods/services exchanged for money" model. I think both of those can be "funding." Anyway I am very interested in this perspective and in particular why someone wouldn't consider giving money in exchange for as little as nothing a "donation."
You are not buying a sticker. You are interested in a product and decide to help them out. In return, as a token of gratitude for your help, you get a sticker. If the sticker would cost as much as the pledge it would be completely pointless.
For comparison, you can buy a top-of-the-line longboard for $200, full kit. An essentially equivalent product [1] is selling for $500 a pop, half the price. That's more in line with what I'd pay for a luxury product like this.
Also, I'm not sure how comfortable this would actually be to carry around. Most longboards are around 7 pounds... this says "12 to 15" in the description. So, basically, this is going to feel like I'm carrying two skateboards around, not one.
[1] - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1645804961/the-zboard-th...