Hippo Noto Ivory Books Almost Ready To Ship!

[dsmallc]

Here's the update I got this morning (Spoiler Alert: the books are in customs, so should be ready to ship any day now):

 

The entire #hipposquad hopes this update finds you well. The Hippos are on island! However they aren't done with their journey yet, they are awaiting a customs release. We have checked with our customs broker and everything has been submitted, a final release should follow soon. Once that occurs delivery to our warehouse will be scheduled and we can enter the long awaited fulfillment process! We will release more details about that as soon as they become available.

Address Changes: That being said with fulfillment on the horizon we would like anyone who needs to make an address change to do so by 3/27/18, at which point KS address changes will be closed. If you have a Late Pledge on our Shopify platform, please email your change of address to shipping@hipponoto.com.

To Update your KS Pledge: Login to Kickstarter from a computer and use the pledge manager. It will be open until 3/27/18.

Late Pledges: We will have the Kickstarter late pledge price of $33.00 available on our Late Pledge Shopify platform until the hippos are delivered to our warehouse. At that point we will be moving to our retail price. So if you were planning to add a hippo, there is still time to get the discounted pricing.

KWZ Hawaii Blue: We are proud to introduce this beautiful Hippo Noto exclusive color to the world. It is meant as part of our shop opening celebration, but we received it sooner than expected and couldn't wait to share it with the world.

Survival Books: A few people have asked about what the Hippo Survival Books are. The Survival Books will be given to every KS Backer who has "Survived the Ivory Hippo Delay" with us! It is a 68GSM TR paper companion book that fits into the back pocket of your Hippo Noto. It is our way of saying thank you, and showing our appreciation for your support.

Hippo Noto Survival Book

We have lots of things planned for 2018, but nothing is more important than getting the Ivory Hippos home. We hope to bring you another update soon with news of delivery into our hands and the start of shipping to our backers. By no means did we make the July 2017 ETA that we anticipated, but we hope that you will all love your hippos when they do arrive. Thank you and have a great weekend!

[IndigoBOB]

So excited.

 

I was a late pledger so I haven't had to wait so long nor do I get the Survival Book.

 

But these Hipponoto's look solid! I hope the delays made sure they're up to snuff. Seven Seas notebooks set a high level of standard to compete with.

 

But I'm honestly not worried and am optimistic!! Very excited for these and what is to come out of this company. There's aren't enough lined stitchbound Tomoe River notebooks available out there.

[fountainpenlady]

Is this hipponoto still in business? I have sent two emails/messages and nothing. I am afraid to send money and end up not getting anything in return. She does not respond to emails so I am wondering.

[liston]

I was an early pledge, and I received mine 6 weeks ago.

[fountainpenlady]

I was an early pledge, and I received mine 6 weeks ago.

Thank you. She (the maker) was at a recent pen show with less than six books totally and had I known she would be so hard to get ahold of or to find out information, I would have simply purchased the display book. I'll wait, I am not young, I have plenty of tomoe river journals and it does not seem as if she is reliable. Glad though you received your book and since you did not say anything else, glad you enjoy it. Thank you though once again for responding.

[Lloyd]

I'm still waiting for my Kickstarter fulfillment

[fountainpenlady]

I'm still waiting for my Kickstarter fulfillment

Not good news at all.

[LizEF]

It's a kickstarter project. You should assume it will take 6+ months longer than claimed. She is active on facebook and instagram. (Facebook is where I saw updates about technical problems where they had to switch manufacturers a while back.) I got the original cream hippos, and they arrived safely, if expectedly late. Commenting on facebook seems to be a good way to get a response (I recommend civil and professional rather than complaining - honey, flies, and all that).

 

That said, if your order wasn't included in part of the kickstarter project, unless it can be covered by overage, I'm not sure what the deal is - I know she wants to continue making these, but I don't know if there's enough business (and patience for a new business) to make that happen. I'd guess if their website says they have it, you can safely order it and you will get it, eventually. If their website says it's out of stock, I don't think it's knowable yet whether it will ever be in stock.

[fountainpenlady]

It's a kickstarter project. You should assume it will take 6+ months longer than claimed. She is active on facebook and instagram. (Facebook is where I saw updates about technical problems where they had to switch manufacturers a while back.) I got the original cream hippos, and they arrived safely, if expectedly late. Commenting on facebook seems to be a good way to get a response (I recommend civil and professional rather than complaining - honey, flies, and all that).

 

That said, if your order wasn't included in part of the kickstarter project, unless it can be covered by overage, I'm not sure what the deal is - I know she wants to continue making these, but I don't know if there's enough business (and patience for a new business) to make that happen. I'd guess if their website says they have it, you can safely order it and you will get it, eventually. If their website says it's out of stock, I don't think it's knowable yet whether it will ever be in stock.

Thank you for clarifying. I may not have said originally, but I encountered the young lady at the recent Atlanta Pen Show. I had never heard of the kickstarter, hippo noto. Simply she was at a table being shared during the show and I am a lover of journals. She had one displayed which would have been great, she did not offer to sell it to me. She had other colors of the version I was interested in but I don't do blue, and I no longer do anything green. Simply, I thought for some unknown reason such as weight, she did not want to carry too many along with her to the Pen Show. She seemed to have less than six with her. After attending the Pen Show, I did some preliminary research, reading reviews, etc. and also found her site.

I was still interested as she has not only the version I was interested in purchasing but another color (blank version) which also interests me. However, as I sent her two or three emails and there has been no response, I thought I would come here to find out what the deal is with her. Although she charges no shipping fee purchasing two of her journals will cost way more than say three or more field notes. My sincere appreciation. Now that I know how Kickstarter works, I will certainly stay away. I don't mind helping people who have an idea and want to sell it to others. However, I am a writer, collector of fountain pens and journals, among other items, not a philanthropist. Yes, familiar with how to order online. Her site does say in one place the ones interested in are out of stock. However, in another section of the site, the same ones can be put in a cart for purchasing so quite confusing. Once again, thanks for the information.

[dapprman]

I'm going to ping here else where, but my understanding are that she made/had made the number required with a few extra only. The ones at the pen show may have been for collection as I know she's done that in the past.

[fountainpenlady]

I'm going to ping here else where, but my understanding are that she made/had made the number required with a few extra only. The ones at the pen show may have been for collection as I know she's done that in the past.

Thanks. Usually, the saying goes "you snooze, you lose." Guess in this case I should have asked for the shirt off her back, or the journal on display. Oh, well. back to Life.

[mhguda]

I'm also still waiting for my kickstarter fulfillment. To be clear, we have been waiting for more than a year. And communication has been less than stellar.

[fountainpenlady]

I'm also still waiting for my kickstarter fulfillment. To be clear, we have been waiting for more than a year. And communication has been less than stellar.Ou

Ouch! Makes it even more suspect she would be at a Pen Show selling a few when she should probably be back in Hawaii trying to fulfill the orders for those who already paid her I presume. We can often be a gullible bunch. I am nearly not so patiently awaiting word on something else. The inability for someone to correspond back when they have your money or item and you simply want a timeframe or some response as to when you can expect the saga of waiting to come to an end. How is that good business to not respond back at all when someone has corresponded to you concerning your product or service being offered? Wow!

[LizEF]

I've kept up with her updates. She had issues with a manufacturer not providing acceptable quantity on the ivory notebooks, and had to cancel the order and find a new supplier, get samples from them to see if their quality was good, and then issue the go-ahead for the order. (At least, that's my understanding.) These samples are likely what she had at the show. By showing what you would be ordering, folks could make a better choice than sight-unseen. Her sitting in Hawaii isn't going to speed the production process. Her getting more orders is going to increase the chance that HippoNotos will become a sustainable business.

 

IMO, you are expecting the performance of an established supply chain, but the HippoNoto folks are trying to establish a supply chain in order to fulfill kickstarter orders. (And yes, kickstarter is an investment risk.)

 

From everything I've seen, the orders will get fulfilled eventually. (I understand worry and frustration, and I'm not trying to argue whether it's justified, I'm just saying my experience and what I've read suggests that the orders will be fulfilled.)

[fountainpenlady]

I've kept up with her updates. She had issues with a manufacturer not providing acceptable quantity on the ivory notebooks, and had to cancel the order and find a new supplier, get samples from them to see if their quality was good, and then issue the go-ahead for the order. (At least, that's my understanding.) These samples are likely what she had at the show. By showing what you would be ordering, folks could make a better choice than sight-unseen. Her sitting in Hawaii isn't going to speed the production process. Her getting more orders is going to increase the chance that HippoNotos will become a sustainable business.

 

IMO, you are expecting the performance of an established supply chain, but the HippoNoto folks are trying to establish a supply chain in order to fulfill kickstarter orders. (And yes, kickstarter is an investment risk.)

 

From everything I've seen, the orders will get fulfilled eventually. (I understand worry and frustration, and I'm not trying to argue whether it's justified, I'm just saying my experience and what I've read suggests that the orders will be fulfilled.)uU

Understood on my part, but then I have not invested my money or time waiting. Her books are $40.00, which to those of us who purchase fountain pens for much more than the cost of them, it should be no problem helping her to establish her business. However, I am learning a wealth of information in the few posts myself. I am not a gambler by nature, do not play the lottery even if it is three figures. What I require is simple enough. I pay you and in a reasonable amount of time, I expect what I paid for to arrive. If not, I want to know why and if it is going to take a long time, I want the option of my receiving my money back. She was selling those journals, someone has even done a review on one she purchased the final day of the Pen Show. It may not be so but that means she got a journal, and if I had thought to ask since money talks, I could have also gotten a journal before anyone who participated in the Kickstarter and still waiting I think Kickstarter might do well for those who participate on the end of needing funds to fund it to ensure they have what they need to follow through first before reaching out for money. Those who participated surely thought she already had it together, or at least if it was not together they would not have to wait long. I think somewhere on her site it tells you her turnaround time, I thought months, which I believe it says was long. I have gotten journals made with tomoe river from Japan and it did not take months to receive. Oh, well, hope all goes well with it for everyone concerned. The review was a positive one.

[dapprman]

One thing to be aware of - there were two types of paper she was doing - white and ivory - are you sure the one she sold at the pen show was not white? Those arrived when expected and went out around the expected time or not that much later. it's the ivory paper all the problems have been around.

[Barkingpig]

I think the original choice was between "cream" or "ivory" with the cream books being completed first; I had chosen ivory & was hence one of the later fulfillments.

 

I can easily understand a customer from the Kickstarter pledge being upset by the books being offered for sale, if they had not received their pledge. I hope everyone will soon receive their journal & enjoy it's use.

[mhguda]

I'll admit to being a little upset, especially since, after she posted on Kickstarter that the (ivory) books had finally started shipping, when I asked for an estimate of when I could receive mine, she still (three weeks later) has not replied. I paid for two books plus shipping and it was a hefty sum, since I'm not in the US and shipping is always more expensive for me. I am still expecting fulfillment, but I do think she could be a better communicator.

[Lloyd]

I'll admit to being a little upset, especially since, after she posted on Kickstarter that the (ivory) books had finally started shipping, when I asked for an estimate of when I could receive mine, she still (three weeks later) has not replied. I paid for two books plus shipping and it was a hefty sum, since I'm not in the US and shipping is always more expensive for me. I am still expecting fulfillment, but I do think she could be a better communicator.

Did you email her or just post at Kickstarter? Emailing her directly was much more successful for me...in getting a response, not in getting my products.

[mhguda]

IIRC I did both, and initially, both worked. Lately though I've mostly gone through Kickstarter, since she did respond there fairly quickly earlier on... but not lately.

I will dig up the email address and try that again, thanks for the reminder.