797px-Kickstarter_logo.svgKickstarter has become the hottest Internet sensation and the best use of crowdfunding for creative projects. Using an online threshold pledge system, creators set up a page displaying details for their product and prototypes. Friends, fans and strangers can pledge money to make the project a reality. In exchange, pledgers receive a reward based on pre-determined funding levels. Creators can only collect funds if the funding goal is reached by a predetermined deadline.

While some ideas soar, others fail in spectacular fashion. Check out these three Kickstarter ideas that worked— and three that fizzled.

Top 3 Kickstarter Success Stories

Veronica Mars Movie

Fans of the cult TV series “Veronica Mars” helped its creator, Rob Thomas, raise a mind-blowing $5,702,153 (well above his $2 million Kickstarter goal) from 91,535 backers. The project spread like wildfire through Twitter, helping it reach the most backers inKickstarter history. Funding levels ranged from $1 (reward: Rob Thomas’ external gratitude) to $10,000, which secured one lucky funder a speaking role in the movie.

Aluminum Plate Wallet System

Obstructres’ minimalist aluminum plate wallet system raised $45,241 from 778 backers, significantly surpassing its $6,000 goal. Pledge levels ranged from $20 to $164, earning backers their choice of one or more durable, minimalist wallets or passport-size wallets. Early buzz on the Gadgeteer and Twitter helped push the project well over its funding goal. The wallet works with a metal plate system and a rolling o-ring (like the type made by Apple Rubber) mechanism.

Spark Core

After Spark’s first Kickstarter project failed to get off the ground last December, the start-up tech company re-tooled their product and launched a new campaign in May. Spark Core is a tiny Wi-Fi enabled board that allows engineers or hobbyists to connect any object to the Internet. The campaign raised $567,968 from 5,549 backers, including $50,000 in the first day. This well surpassed its $10,000 funding goal. Tweets of support from TechCrunch, solidsmack and Hack Things helped Spark Core gain early traction among tech geeks. Pledge levels ranged from $39 for a first-gen Spark Core to $1200 for a private Spark workshop.

Top 3 Kickstarter Failures

Bjork’s Biophilia for Android/Windows 8 app

Not only is Bjork the most high-profile musician to undertake a Kickstarter project, but she also holds the dubious title of “Biggest Kickstarter Failure.” The project, an Android/Windows app, was canceled after it raised only 4 percent of funding in 10 days. The £375,000 goal (nearly $580,000 USD) for an app that already existed on iOS struck many as an unnecessarily large sum of money, sacring away potential supporters.

Please Love Me: A One-Woman Comedy Show

What happens when the “ex-wife of a rabbi goes off to Hollywood in search of her dreams?” If she’s counting on Kickstarter for funds, she’s coming up empty handed. Henrietta, a little-known stand up comedian, failed to raise a single dollar for her ambitious $6,000 one-woman comedy show. Her strange rewards, which included an autographed mug with a picture of her buttocks, were clearly part of the problem. Sorry Henrietta, but Kickstarter has no love for you!

Mysterious “Multi-Platform Video Game Release”

Trying to fund a new video game? It helps if you let folks know exactly what the game will be and what platform (Wii, PlayStation 3, iOS, Android) the game will run on. Unfortunately for would-be video game creator Paul Fullard, he thought leaving things a mystery would somehow boost the project’s appeal. Even worse, his odd rewards included remote capoeira lessons. Fullard canceled the project after raising only $13.37— far short of his $1500 goal.

Author: Alexander Fray

Alex took apart his first Nintendo at age ten, and hasnt stopped tinkering with techno gadgets since. He runs a small coding company from his NYC apartment and teaches kickboxing cardio on the weekends.