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It's both, I think, depending on the conventions around the thing being group-bought. What you describe is unquestionably a group buy, but in, for example, the
by wlonkly 2y ago
It's both, I think, depending on the conventions around the thing being group-bought.
What you describe is unquestionably a group buy, but in, for example, the mechanical keyboards community, a "group buy" is paying the designer of a thing (keyboard, keycap set, etc.) for the expense of third-party production up front. It's really more of a preorder that requires a certain volume to proceed. But regardless, they're called group buys in that hobby.
(With expected mixed results, I should add -- plenty of keyboard "group buys" never come to fruition, and since they're not backed by a Kickstarter-like platform, the money is just gone. The /r/mechanicalkeyboards subreddit has many such stories.)
- IgorPartola 2y agoHah I was recently looking at that subreddit and yeah that’s why I don’t like the idea of that kind of group buy. It’s a gamble on everything working out and everyone doing the right things. I also would argue that requesting a known designer/manufacturer to make N of a specific item is different than asking an unknown designer to do so for the first time. Terminology aside, this is my original point: that is a risky way of doing things and communicates to the consumer that the product is unlikely to just get made and be available.
- wlonkly 2y agoAbsolutely. If one was uncharitable, one might suggest the reason that some of those group-buy-powered companies run their own storefront instead of Kickstarter is so that their customers associate them with "buying" and not with "funding".