How much time would you give a crowdfunding project?

It depends on your opportunity costs. What is the cost of leaving it open? Maybe give crowdfunders the option of saying how long their pledge lasts and when more people drop off in a week than join you drop the concept?

At this time of year I think a lot of people have just got used to the idea that they can stop spending money for a while so don't be TOO quick to pull anything.

You said previous crowdfunders would run for 60 days. That's a reasonable starting point but if the pledges come in gradually why not keep it open for a while. On the other hand if there's zero interest after a month or two why not announce "if you want it tell us now or we'll bin it"?

The Landwehr progressed quite gradually I think that shows there was interest there but also a bit of resistance to crowdfunding.

Good evening,
To me a crowdfunding project includes deliverables as well, meaning that if the customer is actually funding it, it should expect a quick return on investment, a commitment on a due date from the beginning of the advertisement. This could help bringing more people to commit since they know when to expect for it. Along the same lines, you could establish phases such as:
1/ enough initial money for a Awi British line infantry marching
2/ more money then firing line
3/ command staff
And so on.
Have a nice evening.
CPN

If you look at other kickstarter type crowd funding they have a preformed idea of what they are going to make,and more importantly a delivery date. This date doesn't always work out but at least at the start you have some idea of the time frame. None of us are getting any younger since most of us started collecting in the sixties!

I agree with this. I won't financially back a project unless I have some idea to time scales so I can then plan what I'm doing/buying in the mean time. It's also quite difficult for some people (me included), to commit a large amount of money in one go. For some sets (such as AWI/SYW hint hint) I'd buy 10+ sets of each. But it would always be a struggle to pay for them all in one go as under normal circumstances I'd buy one at a time, paint them (badly) and then go buy the next set.

That said, I do commend Hat for trying something different in order to create interest and generate demand. Would I crowd fund if it was the ONLY way of ever seeing some sets made (SYW British&French / AWI hint hint again...), reluctantly, YES.

Either way, keep up the good work with new ideas, it's really interesting to follow.

At least a 1.5 months because I plan to buy in with 6 boxes in March

No less than two months, I think, to give time for folks to learn, skull it out, budget, then take the plunge. There have been some good points made. On the other hand there are good arguments not to take too long to do your business and move on, so to speak. There comes a point when HaT can see the trickle of contributors grows to a flood and then ebbs back to a trickle and realizes the venture is either a "go" or not.

Several have mentioned having a "Time Scale" or projected completion date/time, I guess when the product will finally reach our hands. I believe establishing a set contribution time moves us a long way toward meeting that goal. I also think now that the trail has been blazed, so to speak, we can look forward to a shorter time from beginning to end of a project. Of course there are always those unforeseen events.

I don't know if this has been addressed or not, and if so, my apologies. But what are the possibilities of setting a date to determine whether the project is a go and then once the minimum amount has been reached to move the project ahead it might be possible to allow others to contribute? Perhaps there be something like extra bonus figures or special price for earlier investors as an incentive to get in on the ground floor?