What To Expect

Again, when I make your prototype I can give you the exact price.

My ballpark quotes are less accurate for incredibly simple toys (like a ball) or very, very big toys (24″ x 16″ x 15″). The reason my ballpark quote is less accurate at those sizes is because I do fewer projects that are very simple, or very large. I’ve done plenty over the past decades, but not enough to have a solid database to compare prices with.

For toys that fall in the 5″ to 14″ range my ballpark quote is normally very accurate, especially at quantities under 5,000 pieces. If you want an exact price before making a sample, nobody in the toy industry can really do that. They may say they can but will try to cut corners later if they under-quoted.

If you need to meet a total budget or come within a set price I can design the toy to meet your desired price (within reason). Some details will need to be left out, and the size and bulk will have to be kept a little smaller.

2 – You Place A Prototype Deposit

I call your investment in your idea a deposit because the $500 deposit is 100% credited towards production.  When I make a prototype I will deliver the services I have listed here.  Service Levels are based on the level you choose when you sign up.

A project manager will be assigned to your project.  They will contact you within 1 to 2 business days after you sign up for a Service Level and will update you every 7 days at a minimum (I get great feedback because of this because you’ll always know what is happening with your project).  Often you’ll have multiple emails or phone calls in a day or two when working out some details.  At times you’ll be waiting for a stage to be completed, so an update may simply be to remind you that we’re waiting too but working on it.  Your Project Manager is your best resource to make the project successful (be nice to your Project Manager, they get stuff done for you).

Having a set Service Level with specific deliverables is also fair to you so that you know what you’ll be getting and what is included in your deposit.  If you want additional services, there will be additional fees.  90% of the time you will sail through the prototype stage with $0 in additional fees and get the toy you had in mind.

Important – The prototype will not be a ‘perfect’ toy.  It will not have a sew-in label.  It will not have a hangtag.  It will not be safety tested, so don’t give it to a child (safety testing is done in the production of 900 pieces or more).  When you receive your prototype you may have additional changes you want to be made to the toy, and that is not uncommon.  The changes will be shown in a photo-edit which is included in your Service Level.  The photo edit will show (to the best of our professional graphic artist’s ability) the changes you want.  When you place a production order, I’ll make a new sample showing you the changes and send it to you. There is no charge for that new sample in production.

3 – I’ll Quote An Exact Price

When your prototype is completed, or nearly complete, I can provide exact pricing at various quantities.  If you need a lower price, the only way to do that is to significantly lower the size (a 12″ reduced down to a 7″ for example) or increase the quantity (1,200 pieces up to 6,000 pieces).

Adding a little detail or removing a little detail will not change your price significantly.  The Service Level deposit does not include going back and making a new sample at a different size to see if it will change the price significantly.  That would require an additional $500 fee which is not credited towards production.

5- You’ll Accept Delivery Of Your Order

When your toys arrive, please be sure to count all the boxes before signing the delivery waybill.  Signing the delivery paperwork means you’ve received the correct quantity in good shape.  It would be too expensive to use UPS or some other courier, so I use a common carrier.  Typically common carriers do not deliver to a residential address.  They normally deliver to a business that is open Mon. to Fri. from 9 am to 5 pm.  They are not very good at delivering to a residence where you have to take the day off work and need the delivery that day, or you’ve wasted the day off work.  I do make arrangements to deliver to residential addresses, because I have to do that a lot, but it’s not a perfect system.  The only solution is to ship to another location or have someone responsible available at your residence.  I have videos for clients explaining more about this, so ask your Project Manager about those when you get started.

As you sell your toys you may find a defective one.  This is normal.  Right in your Letter of Agreement (your sales contract) before you order, I state that there may be up to 1% to 3% defect rate which is normal for the toy industry.  I’m normally well below 1%.  The reason for there being defects is that the toys are coming directly from the factory floor to you.  If you go to a retail store, those products have passed through a wholesaler, distributor and retailers hands, with defects being pulled at each stage.  I’m sure you’ve seen the outlet stores for Nike, Reebok, and other big brands.  Those outlet stores are there to sell defective products, as well as the products that didn’t sell well.

It is rare, but if there is a more serious problem with your order, don’t panic.  There is no 30-day window in which you have to go through all of the toys.  Simply set aside any defective product, send us some photos and keep us updated on quantities.  I’ll work with you to replace, credit or repair those toys over the 3% allowed defect rate.  Thankfully that rarely happens.  I want you to be happy with your toys, and we can work together to figure out what that means.