Everything Sucks (when it comes to our factory)
7 months ago
– Wed, Sep 10, 2025 at 12:47:55 PM
Dear patient backers,
We wanted to give you an update regarding production. Unfortunately, there is going to be another delay because the factory we've been working with keeps stalling, making excuses, and not treating our project as a priority. Despite setting clear deadlines, they continue ignoring them, which has been extremely frustrating for us, and we know it's frustrating for you as well.
On top of the delays, they have been making arbitrary changes to the figure without approval and not following instructions, which has only slowed things down further. The irony is that this isn't some random factory we found online; it is a factory that produces collectibles for many well-known companies and was highly recommended to us by several people.
The factory seems to be dragging things out in the hope that we will simply approve the flawed version so they can move into production. That is not something we are willing to do. We will not compromise the quality of this figure just to get it out the door.
The good news is that we have already contacted another factory and have started a conversation about transferring the molds so they can take over production. We believe this will put the project back on track and ensure the final figure meets the standard we expect and that you deserve.
As of now, we do not have a new timeline to give you. But as soon as we have one, we will let you know.
Thank you again for your patience and support while we navigate this. We know delays are frustrating, but our priority is delivering the best figure possible, not settling for less.
A Small Delay (But for Good Reasons)
9 months ago
– Mon, Jul 14, 2025 at 08:13:38 PM
Hey everyone,
Just wanted to check in and let you know there’s going to be a slight delay with the Milo figures. Here’s what’s going on.
A few months ago, I made some last-minute adjustments to the hands and accessories so they’d better match the 3D renders we’ve been sharing. The prototype looked good overall, but a few of the accessories sat crooked in his hands or had to be carefully balanced to stay in place. That didn’t sit right with me, so I reworked the grip on the hands and adjusted the thickness of a few accessories. I thought it would be a quick fix and that the factory would stay on track, but they didn’t. It took way more time than expected, but the changes were necessary.
After we finalized those revisions, the factory chose to upgrade to a more efficient super-duper mold that produces more figures per cycle. It was the right move long-term, but they didn’t tell us it would cause another delay. The larger, super mold ended up taking seven weeks to complete instead of the three we were originally told.
Then another delay hit this weekend. The vinyl test pull prototype arrived, and there are still a few things that need to be fixed. That’s going to push us back a little more. With all that in mind, we're currently aiming to have the figures ready by late September. That timeline includes adjusting the mold, pulling new prototypes, pouring and producing the figures, painting, packaging, shipping, and sample approvals. All together we’re running about two to two and a half months behind our original shipping window.
If you move before or around mid-to-late September, please log in to BackerKit and update your mailing address. If you can’t find your link, send me a message on any platform, and I’ll make sure you get one. Just to be safe, we’ll also send out reminders closer to the ship date to confirm your address.
One silver lining is that while all of this was happening, we avoided the steep tariff increases that hit a lot of other companies. As you may know, some companies paused production, raised prices, or asked collectors for more money. We didn’t. We stayed the course, and things eventually leveled out. We're not asking for you to cover the added cost of bringing the figures to the US… we’re handling that ourselves. The only delays we’ve had are the result of making this figure better. So, yeah, the revisions and adjustments were a blessing in disguise.
But since we hit a few delays, I’m putting together a couple of bonus surprises to include with your packages. It’s a small thank-you for sticking with us.
Apologies again for the delay. I’ll share more updates as we get them. Thanks again for ALL your patience and support.
David Stowe
Co-parent at Encore Toy Co.
Quick Reminder: Have You Filled Out Your Survey Yet?
9 months ago
– Sun, Jun 29, 2025 at 09:47:22 AM
88% of you have already filled out your BackerKit survey. Woo hoo!
The other 12% probably missed the email, or it ended up in your spam folder. I won’t blame procrastination because I know none of you would do that. Right? RIGHT?!
If you’re part of the 12% who haven’t filled it out, please take a minute to check your spam, junk, or promotions folder for your BackerKit survey. We need it to lock in your pledge and, most importantly, to make sure your rewards get to the right place.
If you pledged but didn’t get the survey, no worries. Leave a comment here or message us directly, and we’ll send you a direct link to the survey.
Speaking of BackerKit…
We just added a limited edition DESCENDENTS screen-printed poster to the pre-order store. Don't procrastinate—we only have 16 prints available for purchase! As a bonus, each print comes signed and numbered by artist Dave Perillo.
Tap the image below to order.
Thanks again for your support.
Your pals at Encore
Survey Reminder for the Last Few Stragglers
10 months ago
– Fri, May 30, 2025 at 03:05:27 PM
Holy smokes! 81% of you have filled out your survey. That’s awesome!
However, 19% of you haven’t. Okay, stragglers... if you’re one of those 19 percenters, please take a moment to complete the survey so we can get your pledge locked in.
If you didn’t receive a survey from Backerkit, check your junk or spam folder first. If it’s not there, leave a comment here so we can confirm your email address and send you a link to get you taken care of.
Thanks again for your support. Have a great weekend.
Your pals at Encore
Surveys Are Starting to Roll Out Today
11 months ago
– Mon, May 19, 2025 at 09:59:25 AM
Well… turns out Kickstarter’s newly launched pledge manager only works if you set it up before your campaign goes live. Lame. So, we took that as a sign and went back to BackerKit. It took a lot more work, way more than should be humanly necessary, but surveys through BackerKit are officially going out TODAY.
However! Only 5% of you will receive the survey today because it’s a soft launch to make sure everything’s working. If ALL goes well, everyone will get a survey by Wednesday or Thursday. Keep an eye on your inbox, and don’t forget to check your junk/spam folder just in case.
“What’s a survey?” you say? A survey is a data collection tool you’ll use to submit your mailing address, pick your shirt size (if you ordered a shirt), and add something extra in case you want to grab another figure for yourself or a friend. You can also use the survey to update your address if you move within the next two months.
We also added a Pre-order Store, and you might see that in the survey, but you do not need to use it. You already locked in your stuff back in December or January with your pledge. And since you have special access, you can add extras directly through the survey while filling out your info. There’s no need to use the pre-order store.
So yeah, if you want to add more stuff to your pledge, use the Add-On section in your survey. Not the pre-order section. The pre-order store is strictly for people who missed the campaign but still want to grab a Milo figure, a shirt, or a sticker pack before we lock ALL orders early next month.
We haven’t officially announced the pre-order store yet and probably won’t until the middle or end of this week. If you have a friend who missed out, feel free to send them the link so they can grab something before it becomes public.
That’s ALL for now. Thanks again for your patience. Have a great rest of your week.
Your pals at Encore!
