Collector’s Early Access System - The Lessons Learned
- Agnes Horvath
- Mar 1
- 4 min read
When I first introduced the Collector’s Early Access (a.k.a. Miniature Reservation) system, I hoped it would help dedicated collectors secure their favorite miniatures without the stress of racing against time. The trial run was an incredible success—spots sold quickly, and it was clear that many of you appreciated the opportunity to reserve a place in line. However, with success came unexpected challenges, and I want to share my experience and the improvements I’m making based on what I learned.
If you missed my initial blog post introducing this system as a trial, you can check it out here to see how it all started!
What Went Well
The core idea behind the system worked beautifully: collectors who reserved a spot had the first chance to purchase before the public release. This approach reduced frustration and provided a more relaxed way to shop. Many of you loved the predictability and fairness of knowing you had a guaranteed chance to choose. Seeing how much excitement this generated was truly rewarding!
How Themes Helped Shape My Production
One of the biggest insights from this trial came from offering three different themes for miniatures I planned to make. Since I have limited time, I offered a limited number of spots to ensure I could complete all the pieces with extras. Initially, I planned to sell spots like this:
5 ham-themed miniatures
5 painted eggs
3 fruit baskets
As reservations started coming in, I quickly saw how important it is to let customers guide my production choices. The painted eggs sold out within an hour, while only one ham-themed miniature was reserved. Based on this demand, I adjusted my plan—reducing the ham-themed pieces to 2 and increasing the eggs to 8. In the end, all pieces sold out, including the fruit baskets, proving that this flexible approach ensures I make what customers actually want. If I had stuck to my original plan, I would have made too many ham-themed pieces while not having enough eggs to meet demand. This method will help me refine future releases, ensuring better balance between themes.
Customer Feedback
A total of 10 customers participated in this trial run, and afterward, I reached out to gather their feedback. They expressed their happiness with the opportunity to access the sale early. They truly enjoyed the experience and appreciated the fairness of the system.
Also, I hadn't mentioned it in the spot listings, but the pieces in early access were listed with a 5% discount—a surprise bonus for participants! This meant that even those who booked multiple spots not only got back what they spent on booking but actually saved even more.
The Unexpected Issues
Changing The Name
Calling it a "reservation system" misled some people, and I had to explain that in reality, they were reserving early access to choose from the available selection, however they can modify my production as explained earlier, but still not booking a specific pieces. To clarify this, I have now renamed it to Collector’s Early Access.
Multiple Purchases Per Spot
Some collectors who booked one spot ended up purchasing multiple pieces. This led to an issue where the last person to choose had fewer options than expected, which wasn’t entirely fair. While I always make some extra pieces beyond the reserved amount, the demand still outpaced availability.
To make the process fairer, I’m adjusting how the selection works next time:
Each reserved spot allows customers to choose one piece during the first selection period. If they reserved two spots, they can choose two pieces.
The private listing will open for early access on March 23rd at 9 PM GMT using the link and password.
They will have 24 hours to choose their pieces based on their reserved spots.
After this initial 24-hour period, the remaining 24 hours will be open for additional purchases. This means that after everyone has had the chance to buy their reserved amount, they can return and purchase extra pieces still on the discounted price if available. This ensures fairness while still allowing flexibility for those who may want more.
Improved Email Notifications
This was a requested feature from those who participated in the trial:
I send the email 24 hours before the sale with link and password to ensure those in different time zones have enough time to read.
Based on feedback from participants, I will now send a second reminder email one hour before the release.
Looking Ahead
Finding a balance between custom orders and creative freedom is an ongoing challenge for many makers. This system has shown me that a structured approach to early access can help both customers and creators by ensuring fairness while allowing for flexibility in production.
I’d love to hear from you! Whether you're a collector who participated in the trial or a fellow maker looking for a way to manage demand, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. What do you think of these changes? Have you faced similar challenges in your own business? Let’s discuss!
The next early access sale is set for March 23rd at 9 PM GMT, and I can’t wait to share the new collection with you! As always, if you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to reach out.
Thank you for being part of this journey—I couldn’t do it without you!
Comments