Hi, folks!
I just posted an update to note that we are now at 99% for fulfillment! Whew! 😅
The remaining shipments are for backers who have not completed their surveys, have errored credit cards, or are now in the queue after updating their information. If you are still wait...
0
0
0
Mini Museum
14 days ago
Fulfillment at 99% Complete!
Hello, everyone!
Just a quick note to say we are now at 99% complete on fulfillment! Whew! 😅
The remaining shipments are for backers who have not completed their surveys, have...
0
0
2
Max
about 1 month ago
Fulfilment at 70% and An Update From The Warehouse!
Hello, everyone!
It has been another fantastic week of fulfillment here at Mini Museum! We are past the midpoint on fulfillment on MM5 and still moving quite quickly. It has b...
2
0
1
Max
2 months ago
Fulfilment Continues, Companion Guide PDF, and 10 Years of Mini Museum!
Hello, everyone!
Today marks the end of another week of MM5 fulfillment! We have been shipping pledges for the past three weeks and are already 1/3 of the way through. Better ...
4
0
14
Max
3 months ago
📦 Fulfilment Has Begun!
Hello, everyone!
Fifth Edition museums have begun to ship! Last week, we sent out our first wave of pledges to backers and we've gotten word that they have started to arrive!
...
2
0
8
Max
3 months ago
🔒 Locking Orders Today!
Hello, everyone!
We've got a quick and exciting update for you today!
As per our last post, we will be locking orders today! Once this begins, you will be given a final call t...
Just a quick note to say we are now at 99% complete on fulfillment! Whew! 😅
The remaining shipments are for backers who have not completed their surveys, have errored credit cards, or are now in the queue after updating their information. If you are still waiting for your pledge rewards, make sure to drop by the Pledge Manager to see if we're waiting for information from you!
It has been another fantastic week of fulfillment here at Mini Museum! We are past the midpoint on fulfillment on MM5 and still moving quite quickly. It has been wonderful to see them arrive in homes and we want to give a major thank you to backers who have shared photos of their new museums!
The Full Mini Museum Lineup from Backer David!
If you want to share a photo of your own, send it to us at [email protected]!
Now, we have a special word from our cofounder Jamie to share on the status of MM5! Take it away, Jamie!
An Update from the Warehouse
Hey, folks!
Jamie here reporting in from the warehouse with an update on shipping.
Right now, we are at 70% complete on shipping. The warehouse team has been working hard to inspect and prepare shipments, so I thought I’d give a behind-the-scenes look at the process.
Like everything we do, there are many little steps, each carefully considered to make each Mini Museum the best Mini Museum it can be. And, as you might expect, preparing Mini Museums for shipment is no exception. It’s all part of running a business where everything is handcrafted.
Before Mini Museums arrive at the warehouse, they are inspected twice: once after casting and polishing, then again during the laser etching process when they are individually wrapped and packed into small, white boxes for shipping. After they arrive at the warehouse, they are inspected yet again and then placed into their microfiber pouches.
An MM5 is placed in its pouch!
While this is happening, the team is also prepping Companion Guides and Certificates of Authenticity for inclusion in the final packaging. Each Guide and Certificate are slipped into clear plastic bags to protect them from scuffing during transit. This step also provides protection for the Certificate so that it doesn’t get bent by accident.
I can tell you from experience it is a little challenging to put the Guides and Certificates into their little bags until you get the rhythm. The Fifth Edition Guides are also a little thicker so that’s been fun too. :D
Safe and sound
Once all the components are ready, the Mini Museums are queued up for final packing. Display Boxes are inspected at this step, and each Mini Museum is carefully placed into the custom-cut foam insert.
We also make sure that the little cinch ball on the pouch fits into the knockout slot so that it doesn’t bang into the acrylic during shipping.
Perfect fit!
When I’m packing Mini Museums, I often think back to the First Edition when we designed this foam insert and the lively discussions we had with our manufacturer.
With the Mini Museum tucked safely inside, we add the pre-packed Guides and Certificates, seal the box using the magnetic clasp, apply a numeric label to match the Mini Museum, and then place the box inside a custom bubble wrap bag.
MM5 Large 1629 is ready to go!
Now the Mini Museum is ready to ship, but the adventure is just beginning because our warehouse is somewhat… remote.
A view from the warehouse's front door
This region of the Appalachian Mountains is home to dramatic rock formations showcasing the ancient Iapetus Ocean. Formed during the Silurian Period roughly 443,000,000 years old, the ocean floor was twisted 90 degrees through powerful geological processes similar to the formation of Uluru in Australia. Exposed through erosion, these rock faces run all along the mountains here, and the most famous is Seneca Rocks.
A dramatic shot of the Seneca Rocks I took on a warehouse trip in 2021.
Seneca Rocks is sometimes referred to as the Yosemite of the East. It is a beautiful place to visit and every Mini Museum leaving our warehouse pays this crag a visit as it heads over a very exciting mountain road.
I’ve driven this route myself several times, usually in the daytime, but two weeks ago I came over at night. It was absolutely spectacular, but also a little spooky since I didn’t see another car for nearly an hour.
I stopped on the road briefly for a picture when it was clear there was no one around for miles and miles.
This far-flung location wasn’t selected by design, but rather, it was the outcome of searching for a partner who cared as much for our Mini Museums as we do. As you can see above, just packing a Mini Museum is a careful process and it was important for us to find a partner who could treat our product with care and love.
We’ve been working together down here for almost ten years now and we really wouldn’t have it any other way.
-Jamie
That's all for now! If you have other questions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]!
Today marks the end of another week of MM5 fulfillment! We have been shipping pledges for the past three weeks and are already 1/3 of the way through. Better yet, we are picking up speed and expect shipping to move even faster next week!
As a reminder, when your pledge is ready to ship, you will receive a notification that your card has been charged for shipping, followed by a tracking confirmation email within the day!
We're also happy to see that the Fifth Edition has been delivered to a number of backers already!
MM5 joins the collection of backer Todd!
If you'd like to show off your new museum when it arrives, send us a picture at [email protected]. We always love to see Mini Museums out in the wild—backer photos are one of the best parts of crowdfunding!
Today, we'll also be distributing digital downloads for the MM5 Companion Guide PDF—you should receive this in a separate email, or you can download it at the link further below in this update.
That's all we have on the fulfillment side of things today, though we do have one more thing to share… it is our tenth anniversary! Jamie, one of the co-founders here at Mini Museum has a special message to share with all of you who have helped us on this journey.
Thoughts on 10 Years of Mini Museum
From Jamie, Mini Museum Co-Founder
Hey, folks!
This week I finally made it to the warehouse to pitch in on Fifth Edition shipping. I would’ve been down earlier, but unfortunately, I picked up COVID while in Tucson for our annual buying trip in January. It went through our entire household in February. It was pretty rough for a while, but everyone is better now!
The good thing is that the team in the warehouse is moving along well without me. As noted above, we are roughly 1/3 of the way through all shipments and we are accelerating. Funny enough, in terms of when pledges were actually placed, we’re still just 10 minutes into the campaign!
Fifth Editions Larges lined up for departure!
Shipping a new Edition is always a real joy for me. I love seeing all the familiar names and thinking about where our collections will go. Many of you have been with us since the First Edition, and I am so grateful that we’ve been able to continue this journey together for so long.
It was a true joy to work on the Fifth Edition, and I am so proud to share the excellent work of our team with all of you.
An MM5 Touch is prepped for shipping
Describing the last ten years of Mini Museum seems like an impossible task. So much has happened, I really ought to write a book. We’ve had adventures and fun, the thrill of discovery, and overcoming so very many challenges. There have also been so many deep moments of reflection and more than one or two instances of wondering just how I got into this in the first place :D
Working on the Benefactor’s Plate for the First Edition
I suppose this is all part of making something rare and unusual like the Mini Museum, but to me it feels like there is so much more.
How do I describe the feeling of spending weeks looking through a microscope lens at the surface of Mars? What picture do I share that conveys the way the night air feels when bandsawing by moonlight? What is like to look back on ten years and see your family working beside you just like they did during the First Edition?
Team Grove during the making of the First Edition. See if you can identify these wonderful humans in the “Creating of the Fifth Edition” Companion Guide essay.
These are incredibly special memories for me, and so is seeing all of your names once more. Frankly, I can’t imagine a better way to spend a decade of my life.
As always, thank you once again for your generous support and please do share pictures of your Mini Museum when it arrives!
Fifth Edition museums have begun to ship! Last week, we sent out our first wave of pledges to backers and we've gotten word that they have started to arrive!
Currently, our warehouse is fulfilling pledges on Tuesdays through Fridays. Keep an eye on your email inbox over the coming weeks, as you can expect a notification on when your pledge ships there. First, you'll receive a confirmation that your payment for shipping, tax, and add-ons has been processed. Then, the shipping confirmation email indicating your pledge is being packaged and sent out!
We are preparing waves of pledges each shipping day and we can't wait to see the museums in your hands!
If you'd like to show off your new museum when it arrives, send us a picture at [email protected]. We always love to see Mini Museums out in the wild–backer photos are one of the best parts of crowdfunding!
That's all for now! If you have other questions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]!
We've got a quick and exciting update for you today!
As per our last post, we will be locking orders today! Once this begins, you will be given a final call to make any necessary changes to your order. This window will only be open for 48 hours, after which all orders will automatically lock.
Once this is confirmed, we will begin charging cards for all post-campaign funds (shipping, tax, and add-ons). Once your card is charged, we will prepare your shipment! This will be done in waves and we'll have a further update once it begins soon.
If you have not completed your survey already please do so soon! We are still waiting on a few backers to submit their shipping information!
As we speak, the warehouse team is packing museums and getting them ready to go out the door! You can expect another update once shipping has begun!
That's all for now! If you have other questions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]!
The final component of the Fifth Edition has arrived at our warehouse! That's right, as of this week, the Companion Guides are in hand!
The guides look fantastic and have ended up being our largest ever in terms of page count. That's not unexpected though, especially considering this is our biggest edition ever!
Fifth Edition Shipping
We now have everything needed to begin final assembly and fulfilling pledges for the Fifth Edition!
The First Fifth Edition Large has been assembled!
This week, our shipping team will put the final touches on assembly. Next Monday (February 12th), we will begin locking orders and collecting charges for shipping, tax, and new add-ons. We expect to begin shipping later that week with pledges going out in waves over the next few weeks as the final batches of Large castings come out of production.
Don't Forget the Pledge Manager!
We're at 88% backer completion on the pledge manager surveys. If you have completed your survey already, thank you so much! If you haven't, there is still time.
Check your email for the message "Response Needed — Get your reward for Mini Museum 5." Open this message and click the button that reads "Click Here to View Surveys." From here, you can see the status of your survey. As always, you can also reach out to us at [email protected] for help!
We'll share another reminder later this week to complete your survey for all backers who have not done so. We'll also be back next week with another update to announce the order locking and the beginning of shipping!
That's all for now! If you have other questions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]!
The Pledge Manager for the Fifth Edition is now live! Check your email now for the link to your survey where you can enter shipping information, check out new add-ons, and confirm your pledge details!
In this update, we'll share step-by-step instructions on how to complete the pledge manager, photos of the new add-ons you'll find, and timeline details on shipping & fulfillment!
Note: The survey may take a bit to appear in your inbox, but if you don't see it before Tuesday (1/16), let us know at [email protected] and we can help!
New Add-Ons
We're always excited to go above and beyond for our projects and we have tons of new items to bring your Mini Museum to the next level!
Pins & Stickers
During the campaign, we ran a poll to see which specimens should get their own pin designs. We're excited to share these six incredible pins and stickers based on the backer vote!
These designs were made possible thanks to the work of friends of Mini Museum Ellis Nolan & Christian Baldo, as well as our guest artists in the crowdfunding world, the Snarky Company, Corviforms, Aspenhearted, and Jason Furie!
Solo Specimens
As with previous campaigns, we're releasing several specimens as individual collector items with a custom card and display case! You can find the Empire State Building, Kennedy Space Center, and Amelia Earhart specimens all available!
Left to Right: Amelia Earhart Vega 5B Specimen & Pin, Empire State Building Small, Empire State Building Large, and the Launch Pad 39-A Specimens
Coelacanth Cutting Board
This new acacia wood cutting board is laser etched with a coelacanth design based on a 3D scan of the same fossil in MM5! We were so excited to work with Carly K of Mythic Management to bring this prehistoric cutting board to life!
And Even More!
Check out the pledge manager for the full list of add-ons, like the Fifth Edition Crowdfunding T-Shirt, Large LED Stand, books, and more! These items are all offered at the special backer discount too!
How to complete the MM5 Pledge Manager
1.Check your email for the message "Response Needed — Get your reward for Mini Museum 5." Open this message and click the button that reads "Click Here to View Surveys"
2. Next, hit the "Fill Out Your Survey" button for the Fifth Edition Project
3. The first page of your survey will look like this. Select your country and region and hit the "Get Started!" button
4. Confirm any survey questions about your pledge and hit the "Next: Add-ons" button
5. This will take you to the Add-ons page, where you can select additional rewards for your pledge, including the ones we shared earlier in the update! Once you've selected your add-ons, hit the "Next" button
6. Enter your shipping address information. This is what we'll use to fulfill your pledge, so it is the most important step!
If you end up needing to change your address before your items are shipped, you can update your information on the survey or send us an email at [email protected]. You can change your address until we lock orders for shipping, and we'll give heads up before this happens!
7. Finally, you'll get the chance to check your items, confirm your address, view shipping and tax, and enter payment information.
Once complete, you can hit "Place My Order" and you are good to go!
P.S. A quick note here for backers outside the USA… we do not collect sales tax, VAT, or import duties on pledges for Mini Museums. Your import duties will be due upon receipt when your Mini Museum arrives. If you've backed a Mini Museum project before, you already know this.
We are still on target with the production and assembly timeline we shared in our update last week, so make sure to fill out the Pledge Manager soon. Once the shipping surveys are complete and the museums are fully assembled, we'll be able to start fulfilling pledges!
That's all for now! If you have other questions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]!
We have a lot of information to share with you here in the new year, including details on production, the release of the pledge manager, and our Coelacanth Cutting Board! Let's get started!
Production Update
Per our last production update, all MM5 Small, MM5 Touch, and MM5 Educational Museums are out of production and in our warehouse.
Here are the details on the remaining major components:
Custom Display Boxes and Microfiber Pouches - Complete. We now have all of our packaging in the warehouse, and what an adventure that was. As noted in the previous update, inspections looked good so we will be ready once the guides arrive.
MM5 Large - In Production. As noted in the last update, the first batch of MM5 Large Museums was scheduled just before Christmas. They arrived safe and sound and the second batch is due to arrive this week. We are currently at 500 units and expect to bring in an additional 250 per week going forward.
Companion Guides - In Production. While reviewing page layouts, we found a few technical errors with the book files. Thanks to some quick work by our designer, Christian Baldo, we were able to adjust the entire book and deliver it before our press date. The pages are now in the finishing shop for binding and will ship to our warehouse on 1/19. If that holds, we should have them the following week to begin final assembly and shipping.
Pledge Manager Ready for Launch
So, with all MM5 components in hand or scheduled for delivery, we're ready to open up the Pledge Manager and start collecting all of those final details!
The Pledge Manager will open in two steps:
The first step is a "smoke test" with a small group of randomly selected backers. This is just to make sure we have everything configured correctly. The smoke test will launch today (1/10).
Assuming a successful test, we'll roll the Pledge Manager out to everyone else next Monday (1/15).
Screenshot of the Pledge Manager Add-Ons Page
Inside the Pledge Manager, you'll provide your shipping address, pay for shipping and any applicable sale taxes, add additional Mini Museums and accessories, and get the first look at several brand-new add-ons!
Screenshot of the address form inside the Pledge Manager
Once the Pledge Manager is live for all backers, we'll share another update with step-by-step instructions to complete it. Many of you have been through this before but If you have any issues, please drop us a line at [email protected]!
P.S. A quick note here for backers outside the USA… we do not collect sales tax, VAT, or import duties on pledges for Mini Museums. Your import duties will be due upon receipt when your Mini Museum arrives. If you've backed a Mini Museum project before, you already know this.
Coelacanth Cutting Board
Finally, let's take a sneak peek at the incredible Coelacanth Cutting Board!
We worked with Carly K of Mythic Mgmt to help bring this board to life, and we couldn't be happier. The 16"x7"x1" acacia wood cutting board is laser-engraved with a rendering of a fossil coelacanth, based on a 3D scan of the fossil used in the Fifth Edition!
MINI MUSEUM FISH EDITION! The board will include an information card about the coelacanth and details about the original fossil we used to create the impression.
One side of the board features the Coelacanth engraving, while the other is a clean cutting surface. A leather hanging strap is also included on the cutting board's handle.
Stay tuned for more awesome add-ons available in the pledge manager, like our pins, stickers, single specimens, and more, all at a special backer discount!
That's all for now, keep an eye out for the full pledge manager update next week!
We're approaching the holiday times here at Mini Museum HQ and we've got a short and sweet update for you today on MM5!
Print & Fold Announcement Cards Available!
First, the print & fold announcement cards for MM5 are now available for download! If you are looking to share the MM5 as a gift, you can download one of these cards from the site, print it, and let the recipient know about the awesome collection headed their way!
The first batch of Large Fifth Editions is set to arrive at our warehouse this week for quality checks! The production photos have looked great, so we're excited to get our hands on the first complete MM5 collections! Once they are here, the museums will be inspected to ensure they meet our standards of quality and then prepared for packaging.
The MM5 companion guide files are in the hands of our publisher and we're expecting the books to be printed soon. This is the final component necessary for the Fifth Edition, which means...
Pledge manager opening soon!
Keep an eye on your inbox, because the pledge manager will be live soon! We have a few final checks to make to ensure it is all running correctly before we send out the "smoke test." Once we confirm everything is correct and the smoke test is successful, the pledge manager will be opened for everyone to confirm their pledges, select add-ons, and enter shipping information!
We'll also be collecting shipping costs & tax at this time, so we can start fulfilling pledges as soon as the museums are set to go!
That's all for now! We'll send out another update once the pledge manager smoke test is live and again when it opens to everyone, which will include step-by-step instructions for completion. For now, happy holidays from the Mini Museum Team!
As noted on 11/3, we're back with a quick update on production!
There are a lot of details here, so let's walk through where we are on all the major components:
Companion Guides - In Production. Per the last update, the text and layout are complete, and the book is with the printer for review. It still takes time to print, bind, and ship the books, but if all goes well, the books should still arrive in early December.
MM5 Small - Complete. The entire run is complete and in the warehouse, and they will be ready to ship when the Companion Guides arrive.
MM5 Touch - Complete. The entire run is complete and will be delivered to the warehouse after Cyber Monday. Like the Small, they will be ready to ship once the Companion Guides arrive.
MM5 Educational Edition - Complete. The entire run is complete and due in the warehouse within the next week. They will be ready to ship when the Companion Guides arrive.
MM5 Large - In Production. Based on the current casting schedule, we expect to receive 800 units by mid-December. This can and probably will change as each museum is assembled, cast, and polished by hand.
Display Boxes and Pouches - Partial Receipt. Since our last update, we've had a little adventure with the packaging. The delivery destined for our warehouse actually ended up getting switched with another company's shipment. The good news is that our shipment was safe and sound, and it is back on track. The first part of the shipment arrived with boxes and pouches at the warehouse this Monday, and we're expecting the next shipment in a few days. Inspections show the items look great and should be all good to go once the rest of the components arrive.
Given all of these factors, if you are planning to give a Fifth Edition Mini Museum as a gift for the holidays we advise you to make backup plans. MM5 Small, Touch, and some early Large backers have a shot at being shipped in December, but there are still a few components that need to be completed before we can say anything for certain. Hopefully, these behind-the-scenes details of crowdfunding are informative and perhaps a little exciting. We're always happy to share the steps of production as this is what crowdfunding is really all about!
To close out this quick update, we've got a photo of one of the newly arrived MM5 Smalls as well as some brief questions and answers!
Q: Will the Fifth Edition be shipped before the end of December?
A: Smalls, Touches, and some early Larges may be shipped out in the middle of December, though this will depend on the arrival of the Companion Guides and the assembly of the packages.
Q: Will you make a print-and-fold gift card like you did with past Editions?
A: Absolutely! As with previous editions, we will have a downloadable print-and-fold gift card. These cards will contain art of the MM5 specimens, which you can share to let your recipient know about the awesome new collection headed their way.
Q: What about the Illuminated LED Stands?
A: QA checks on the stands are complete, and they are beautiful. We noticed that the factory fitment of the top and the cradle is pretty snug on this batch. The first time opening these stands can be a little tricky, and there is a specific way to separate the top and cradle pieces, so we're going to make a little demonstration video and include extra instructions in the box. That will be ready before the Companion Guides arrive in the warehouse, so expect to see an update on that very soon.
Q: What about other Add-ons?
A: Pins have arrived at HQ and look phenomenal (check out our previous update for pics!) The Coelacanth cutting board production samples are on their way to us right now, and they look fantastic. Carly K of Mythic Mgmt has helped this part of the project come to life, and we couldn't be happier. You'll be seeing some photos as soon as they arrive.
Q: When will the Pledge Manager open?
A: Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for the pledge manager! We'll begin collecting shipping addresses and revealing some special new add-ons a little after Cyber Monday, so we can start the first wave of shipping as soon as the museums are ready!
That's all for now. See you soon in the next update!
We hope this message finds you well! We have a lot of updates to share with you!
Before we jump in, we should note that we’ve heard from a few backers who are planning to give MM5 as a gift for the holidays. Please know that we are doing all we can to make this happen, but frankly, it’s going to be very close.
At the moment, the earliest we might begin shipping is the week of December 4th. However, this estimate relies on a number of components arriving in time for us to finish the final QA and assembly. We’re doing all we can to speed these things along, but this is a complex project. We want to make sure everything meets our standards of quality, so let's walk through everything! 👀
MINI MUSEUM PRODUCTION UPDATE
First off, we're happy to report that many of the key components, including a number of Mini Museums are already complete. Our casting partner has completed the entire run of Small and Educational acrylic Mini Museums versions, and the team at MMHQ has assembled the entire run of Touch Mini Museums as well. These items will head to the warehouse very soon.
Fully Assembled Fifth Edition Touches, the entire Touch run is complete!
Speaking of the warehouse, the custom display boxes and microfiber pouches for the acrylic Mini Museums are expected to arrive next week. As you may recall, production on these components finished at the end of September, but we were concerned they might not arrive in time if we shipped everything ocean freight. So, we reworked the shipment and air freighted everything we would need for backers and sent the remaining boxes by sea. It was a fairly hefty expense, but better to avoid waiting for customs at this time of year.
Our main focus right now is the Companion Guide and the Large Acrylic Mini Museums. The Large is in production with our casting partner now, and with the Educational version experience (which has the same specimens) we expect they'll move along at a good pace.
The Companion Guide is getting a final pass-through and will head to the printer next week.
A look inside the MM5 Companion Guide
Producing the Companion Guide book has taken us a little longer than expected due to the number of specimens in this Edition. However, we print domestically here in the USA so there should be no transportation/customs issues, but it does take time to print and bind the books.
So all in all, we are very close to the finish, but there's still a lot to do. To make sure we're keeping everyone in the loop we’ll update on progress in two weeks regardless of status. This will enable backers planning on gifting MM5 to make backup plans (if needed.)
Illuminated LED Stands
In addition to the primary Mini Museum production, the new run of Mini Museum stands arrived at our warehouse yesterday! That's another box checked!
Please Note: We made a fair amount of extra stands so you may see them for sale in the public shop. Not to worry, we've set aside all of the stands for pledges and plenty more for backers who may have missed this item during the campaign. Extra stands will also be available in the Pledge Manager at the campaign discount price, so we recommend purchasing there once they are available!
The Illuminated LED Stand with an early MM5 production sample!
MM5 Pins
Pin production is complete and received! All 6 MM5 Specimen Pins arrived in the office last week and we are so excited to share the first look with you!
Top to bottom, left to right: Amelia Earhart - Snarky Pin Company, Oviraptor - Corviforms, Coelacanth - Aspenhearted, Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents - Jason Furie, Cooksonia - Ellis Nolan, Dunkleosteus - Christian Baldo & Ellis Nolan.
We want to thank all of our pin artists for helping us with this project. It has been fantastic to work with each of you!
Why yes, the Vega 5B's propeller does spin!
Extra Add-Ons
We are still working to finish a few MM5-specific add-ons. The main gating factor here is the glass-topped rikers that we use to house many of our single specimens. We manufacture these domestically and material shortages have been an ongoing issue since the pandemic.
Depending on the timing of the Companion Guides, we may launch the Pledge Manager without these items and then bring them to backers first once they are ready. It's not ideal, but rest assured we won’t let this stop us from shipping pledges once all components arrive.
Operations Staffing
As you may imagine, shipping (let alone assembly and QA) in early to mid-December is going to be hectic. This is the busiest time of year for shipping, so we’ve already made plans to stage more people in the warehouse. This will allow us to run two fulfillment lines, and our carriers also know to expect higher volume as well.
Last Call for the Companion Guide Collage
Want to be in the MM5 Companion Guide? We still have space for you! Email us a photo at [email protected] of you and your Mini Museum before the end of the day on Monday, November 6th. After that, we'll be finalizing the MM5 Backer Collage. Don't miss out!
Relax Below the Sea with a Monkfish
With so much to do, it's hard sometimes to remember to pause and breathe. So it was really pleasant to see this deep dive video from the Nautilus Exploration Program cross our feeds.
From Monkfish Sits on Geometric Columnar Basalt | Nautilus Live https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltmw5Md5aug
This dive captures the casual exploration of a dramatic basaltic column formation 1,700 meters below the surface of the ocean near the Hawaiian island of Molokai. There's even a special Monkfish visitor, taking a rest on these geologic wonders.
This fascinating and fun look at the world underneath the waves is also part of a serious scientific mission to map the hidden world of the ocean floor.
From: How We Use Seafloor Mapping Data to Guide ROV Exploration! | Nautilus Live https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOSmro6lXEI
Voyages like this inform our understanding of the world, and they are also the kind of hands-on adventure that makes the exploration worthwhile.
That's all for now. See you soon in the next update!
Let's jump right into this month's update! We have a lot of fantastic news to share on specimen production, packaging, and more.
SPECIMEN EMBEDMENT TEST COMPLETE AND SUCCESSFUL
Last month, we mentioned that the acrylic embedment tests of MM5 were underway. We're excited to say that the tests are complete, and all specimens successfully endured the hardship of embedment. And the results? Drumroll please...
Prototyping! This is the Large Fifth Edition Embedment test along with the approved prototype Custom Display box and Microfiber pouch.
Take a look at the first MM5 Large embedment sample! There are still some minor adjustments to be made to the text and spacing before full-scale manufacturing, but we're excited to share the beginning of the casting process in this update!
The acrylic casting process is very harsh. Solvents attack the surface of our delicate specimens, and everything has to endure temperatures over 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Still, it's a necessary step of the process to ensure everything is able to be included in the museum.
Preparing for this ordeal is a huge part of our specimen production process, and there are many rounds of testing. Even when we're confident everything will be safe, it is still a little nerve-wracking when you're waiting for the results. 😅 We're happy to say our preparations paid off though and every specimen was embedded safely!
SPECIMEN PRODUCTION COMPLETE
In addition to the embedment test results, we're excited to announce that we've completed the full specimens run for the crowdfunded versions of the Large, Touch, and Small Fifth Edition! 🎉
Wrapping specimen production is a huge milestone for each Edition of the Mini Museum, but MM5 was particularly challenging due to the massive number of specimens and all their varied materials.
In total, we produced over 120,000 specimens across wildly different materials. Each one was a mini project of its own with unique challenges and solutions. As always, we'll be detailing many of these steps in the Companion Guide's "Crafting the Fifth Edition" essay but as a celebration, we thought we'd share some behind-the-scenes photos here.
CASTING AND ASSEMBLY UNDERWAY
With embedment tests and specimen production complete, we're on to the next big phase: casting and assembly!
Small Mini Museums are first on the list. They are in production now and should be ready for QA soon.
Touch Mini Museum assembly is also well underway. We're at 90% complete on assembling specimens in their small acrylic containers. The balance should be ready next week so we can begin the final arrangement of all specimens.
Large Mini Museum production will begin once the Smalls are complete. This will allow us to balance production more efficiently as the Larges take more time to build.
We're also happy to announce that we ended up with enough Empire State Stainless Steel to upgrade the entire run of Small Mini Museums from the steel support to same the shiny surface material in the Large and the Touch. This will be a beautiful addition to the Small.
PACKAGING REVEALED
Manufacturing for Display Boxes and Microfiber pouches wrapped production this week and will be heading to our warehouse very soon. So feast your eyes on the Fifth Edition box design!
The MM5 Full Packaging Spread!
Bask in its glory, jump for joy, wallpaper your living room with it! (Don't actually do that last part. It will be in your hands soon enough.)
Our long-time designer, Christian Baldo, has really outdone himself this time. We couldn't be happier with how this turned out!
In other box-related news, we had a smaller run on the Small museums than predicted and the cost of producing a standard Small-size box turned out to be roughly the same as the Large box with full foam padding. So, we decided that rather than give a box with less art, we'd go for a big box with all the art. Yes, that's right all Small Mini Museums will be getting the same upgraded box as the Large, complete with magnetic enclosure.
ADD-ONS AND PLEDGE MANAGER LAUNCHING SOON
In addition to mainline production, we also have a large number of items in process for the Fifth Edition: Pins, Coelacanth Cutting Board, T-shirts, LED Illuminated Stands, and a few extra surprises too. Once the final details are set and we get a little closer to actually shipping, we'll load these items into the pledge manager and begin asking for shipping addresses.
IT'S NOT TOO LATE GET YOUR MUG IN THE COMPANION GUIDE!
We'd like to feature as many backers as possible in our Fifth Edition companion guide, so we're putting out the call for photos! Please share a photo of you and your museum with us and we'll include it in the gratitude section of the guide.
Please send your photos to [email protected] and let us know they are for inclusion in the guide. Our backers are the reason we are able to continue sharing these wonderful projects with the world and we'd like everyone to know it!
A 3.86 BILLION MILE JOURNEY
In science news, the NASA OSIRIS-REx completed a seven-year roundtrip to and from the distant asteroid 101955 Bennu, bringing with it 8.8 ounces of extraterrestrial geologic material. The unmanned spacecraft was launched in 2016 and caught up with the asteroid in 2018. NASA then spent two years orbiting and analyzing the terrain to find the best site for a sample collection.
Bennu is about 1,600 feet in diameter, or around 400 feet wider than the Empire State Building is tall. Scientists were particularly interested in the presence of hydrated minerals, indicating Bennu's parent body may have had water. When it was time to collect, OSIRIS flew to the surface of the asteroid and struck it with a robotic arm, sending several tons of material into the space around the probe. It used its collection chamber to capture some of the debris and then prepared to return to Earth.
After another 3 years of travel, OSIRIS finally made it back to our planet, where it jettisoned the collection capsule and flew off toward its next mission. Here on Earth, NASA prepared to retrieve the capsule from the Great Salt Lake Desert in Utah, where it parachuted down on September 24, 2023, at 8:52 a.m. local time. The seven-year mission span may seem like a long time, but as it turns out the sample landed three minutes early! Way to go, OSIRIS!
The choice of asteroid is actually relevant to Mini Museum 5–Bennu is a B-type carbonaceous asteroid, which contains primitive traces of the early solar system in a largely unaltered state. This may hold important clues to the origins of the sun and planets. The Muonionalusta meteorite, the very first specimen in MM5, is another extraterrestrial object with early solar system material. We're excited to see what more is learned from this first-hand sample!
As for OSIRIS, the spacecraft's journey has only just begun. As we speak, it is on its way to orbit the Sun for several years, where it will wait to rendevous with the asteroid Apophis. In 2029, OSIRIS will repeat its collection maneuvers on this new asteroid and send even more material to Earth.
This week we had a little celebration as the first set of 1,200 production specimens made their merry way to our acrylic casting partner! Per usual, we don't expect any issues with testing as we already have a rigorous process at MMHQ that replicates the production environment. Mainly we expect feedback on the template inside the museum with requests for adjustment to allow for more efficient assembly. At this scale, little nudges here and there can make a big difference!
So many specimens! Left to right: Woodstock Stage, Boeing 747, Amelia Earhart, and Conquest of Land!
The results of the test should be ready in the next 10-14 days, at which point we’ll move on into full production mode. We also expect to have the balance of specimen production complete at that time too. Roughly 80% of specimens are already above our quota and the remainder are those special few that require extra nips or secondary embedment (Amelia Earhart we are looking at you). We covered some of this extra special handling during our livestream event, but we’ll have even more details in a future update so keep an eye out!
Packaging and LED Stand Update
We’re also excited to announce that both LED stands and packaging for the Fifth Edition are in production. We are expecting a physical sample of the packaging from the factory in the next 10-14 days, at which point we’ll share the full design. In other words, no sneak peeks till we sign off! 😎
A quick note on the stands… We’re actually making a few extra for those of you who may have missed that option during the campaign. If you didn't reserve one at that time, you'll be able to add one once the Pledge Manager opens. Speaking of which…
Pledge Manager to Open in Mid-September
We’ve received a few questions from backers about supplying addresses. Don’t worry, you haven’t missed anything yet!
If you’re new to crowdfunding, it’s best practice to ask for addresses as close to shipment as possible to avoid any last-minute changes that could result in shipping errors down the line. We’ve found that 45-60 days is about the right mark so our plan is to open up the Pledge Manager in mid-September.
Per usual, we’ll have a few surprises, including a t-shirt design and [redacted]!
A special thanks to everyone who submitted an answer to our Add-On survey in our last update! This will let us know what specimens we should focus on when creating new add-ons for the campaign. If you still want to provide some feedback on add-ons, you can let us know here!
Naming the Tallest Mountain in the World
The challenges of climbing Mount Everest are staggering: storms that can freeze expeditions dead in their tracks, avalanches that can bury them, and air thin enough they can't breathe. The mountain is deadly, but its challenges are not just geographic. Mount Everest lies squarely between Nepal and China, a tense political borderland that has stopped some expeditions before they even begin. Many political entities have laid claim to Everest, the mountain going by many names in many languages as different nations have hoped to leave their mark on the tallest mountain on Earth.
Mount Everest’s exact height was first discovered by the English, during their occupation of India via the East India Trading Company. To assess their holdings, the company ordered The Great Trigonometrical Survey in 1802, to be completed in an estimated five years. The survey took six decades of arduous triangulation work, beginning at the southern tip of the subcontinent and ending at the border of the English’s holdings in the north. The English were unable to conquer the mountainous Nepali terrain during the Anglo-Nepalese War, but the size of the Himalayan mountains could be calculated even from hundreds of miles away.
Fitting for the tallest mountain on Earth, the story of the discovery of Everest’s height is itself the stuff of legend. As the story goes Surveyor General Sir Andrew Scott Waugh was sitting in his office one day in 1852 when Radhanath Sikdar, a computer on the survey, burst in, saying he had found the tallest mountain in the world. Waugh elected to name the mountain Everest in honor of his predecessor Sir George Everest, rather than use an indigenous name as was custom. Everest himself (pronounced “Eve-rest”) was against the decision, but Waugh was happy to brand the mountain an English discovery and the name stuck.
George Everest (1790-1866) was against having the mountain named after him.
The discovery of Everest’s height coincided perfectly with the Golden Age of Alpinism, beginning with Sir Alfred Wills’ 1854 summiting of the Wetterhorn. In these early days, it was assumed, including by Waugh, that the mountain was simply too high to climb, with no attempts made through the rest of the nineteenth century. That changed in 1921 with the formation of the Mount Everest Committee, a joint venture between the Alpine Club and the Royal Geographical Society. A reconnaissance mission followed that year that determined a viable route to the top of the mountain. Suddenly the race was on to summit Everest.
Eager to claim the mountain, the English launched several expeditions. A 1922 expedition set new altitude records with the first use of bottled oxygen on Everest (consider unsportsmanlike to some in the Alpine Club), but failed to reach the summit. Another attempt in 1924 ended in George Mallory and Andrew Irvine’s deaths, though it is speculated that they may have reached the mountain’s top. World War II halted England’s attempts to climb Everest, after which advances in oxygen equipment inspired other countries to join in. The English faced competition from Switzerland and Denmark, with other countries seeking permits.
Climbing attempts were hampered by the region’s geopolitics. When Tibet was assimilated into China with the 1951 Seventeen Point Agreement, access to the mountain was cut off along the northern approach. Around the same time Nepal, which had been largely closed to outsiders, began to allow mountaineers to begin their trek there. The reversal was fortunate for climbers, as the southern approach through Nepal is far easier than the northern approach via Tibet. It was from this approach that in 1953 sherpa Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary completed the first confirmed summit of Mount Everest as part of an English expedition.
Edmund Hillary (left) and Tenzing Norgay (right) in the equipment they wore to the summit.
Norgay and Hillary’s success came just in time to be announced alongside Elizabeth II’s coronation, symbolically winning the mountain for the English. Today, the Western world still knows the tallest mountain on Earth by its poorly chosen, mispronounced name, but Everest is not an English mountain and has been known by many other titles. The earliest known indigenous name for the mountain is the Tibetan Chomolungma (ཇོ་མོ་གླང་མ), but there is also the Nepali Sagarmāthā (सगरमाथा) and the Chinese Zhūmùlǎngmǎ Fēng (珠穆朗玛峰). Chomolungma’s translation is particularly striking: Goddess Mother of the World.
Here at Mini Museum, we are excited to include climbing ropes from the mountain in the Fifth Edition of our new museum. This is not the first time a specimen from the mountain has been included in an edition of the Mini Museum, but this time it will be titled in the collection by its Nepali name: Sagarmāthā.
The ropes used for specimens were collected by Hans on a trip to Nepal in 2019. They were originally removed from the mountain a year prior during a clean-up operation. The size of these ropes posed a problem though–how to prepare a thick cord to specimen size without losing their shape?
In order to keep the recognizable look of a climbing rope, we've unwound the fibers of the original cord and retwisted them into thinner segments.
These thinner cords are then pulled tight and coated with resin to seal them. From there, we can cut them down to specimen size while retaining their texture and color! It's always great when we're able to find creative solutions to specimen problems. We can't wait to include these in the Fifth Edition!
A quick update on the progress of the Fifth Edition. Right now, specimen production is moving along at a great pace. On quite a few specimens we are actually ahead of schedule, which is a fantastic sign!
Once the first test batch of each specimen is ready, they'll be sent off to our production partner for inclusion in acrylic. These will be our first pass at the new Fifth Edition's final look, so it's quite important to make sure everything fits within the display and takes well to the resin.
Mini Museum Helper Sam is working on the Early Modern Human tool core pieces. Headphones are crucial, both for ear protection and rocking out.
Pledge Manager and Shipping!
The pledge manager and shipping surveys will be ready to be sent out soon. Once they are, we'll share it in another update and you'll be able to update your information and also choose additional add-ons too!
As a note: please make sure your pledge has been successfully charged. You'll want to check your email for a message that reads "Your pledge for Mini Museum 5: The Fifth Edition has been processed." Since the crowdfunded Fifth Edition is a special limited edition, we want to make sure everyone who was a part of the campaign has been locked in and will be able to get their museum without issue.
If you don't see a confirmation of pledge processing, reach out to us at [email protected] and we can help.
MM5 Add-On Survey
While we're on the topic of pledge add-ons, we've got a survey question for everyone! We're working on making some exciting new add-ons, but we'd also like your feedback.
You can take this Google Form to indicate your interest in larger or single specimen versions of items in the Fifth Edition: https://forms.gle/A8cdrSiSpVGnnXA87
While we can't promise we'll be able to do all of this, your choice will help us know which items to focus on during the add-on process. If you have other ideas, let us know in the comments of this update!
See MM5 under the Microscope
At the end of the campaign, we ran a backer stream with specimens from MM5 underneath our new microscope. The video from this stream is now available to view on YouTube!
Come see the MM5 specimens under the microscope and let us know what your favorite is!
THANK YOU! To each and every one of you who has been a part of the exciting start of our next project, we say thank you! From around the world, the Mini Museum community has once again come together to help share science and history with the Fifth Edition.
It's been over 9 years since our first crowdfunding campaign. We are so proud that we get to keep bringing you new and astounding stories from our planet's past and we can't wait to get the Fifth Edition in your hands soon.
Thank you from everyone on the Mini Museum Team!
What happens next?
First, we're happy to say that in the last hours of the campaign we hit our 700,000 stretch goal! The Coelacanth cutting board has been unlocked! We'll have more news about this special item in future updates, so keep an eye out.
We've already been hard at work preparing specimens for the Fifth Edition. In the next 24 hours, your pledges will be collected and charged by BackerKit. The funds then go into a 14 day holding period before they are released. At that point, we'll move into the next stages of production!
Ancient bronze takes a dip in an acid bath to get clean.
In Early September we plan to open the campaign pledge manager and begin collecting addresses for shipping through BackerKit. At this time, you'll also be able to add new items to your pledge, like additional Mini Museums and extra add-ons.
Right now, we're on track to have the first full prototypes ready by the end of the summer. After that, museum production will kick off with an expected completion in November. Once production completes, shipping will begin!
Moon dust from the Starry Night meteorite!
In the meantime, we've got a productive looking summer ahead of us. Specimen preparation is already well on its way and ahead of schedule.
There's still plenty of news, production updates, research, and fun surprises headed your way during the fulfillment process too. Keep an eye out for future updates from us here!
A Little Help From Our Friends
It has been incredible to see the support and love you've shared during this crowdfunding campaign. Whether you've been with us since the beginning or if MM5 is your first collection, you're now a true friend of Mini Museum ❤️
To that end, we'd like to leave you with something from one of our Fifth Edition specimens: Woodstock, 1969. Everything we do, we do "with a little help from our friends."
