Do you think that the Custom Plush market is shrinking?

[Skeen]

It is harder to stand out, but I think the cool thing is, if you give 6 people the same pattern you'll get 6 very different ponies out of it.    Everyone has their own way of doing things, even the "standard" things!

I wondered what I would be making if I charged my state's minimum wage per pony, and guessed at 20 hours total to make (I usually end up doing a LOT of hand sewing, especially on the hair because opposing curves are hard for a novice! But I can bang one out in much less time if I've got all the patterns already), spread over several days.  That alone would be something like $145, not counting materials charges or shipping, and no one is willing to pay that for one of my plushies (I sold one for about that much, one time).  I'm making a Feathermay right now and I've already spent about half that time on her and I don't even have her hair cut out yet!  Embroidery takes a deceptively large amount of time, my pattern is new so I am still tweaking and adjusting, I had to make another pattern for the hair, etc.  Basically, no one will be willing to pay me minimum wage for the amount of hours going in to this thing, so I just try to get what I can get for it and take pride in the fact that (I think) she looks awesome and maybe made someone's day, you know? 

Plus people are NOT willing to pay to ship these things either.     You'd think if you pay that much for a stuffed animal you'd be happy to get it shipped like it's worth that much!  I think people assume I'm going to just cram them into a jiffy bag and send them economy or something! 

Galactica - yeah, the Fair was rough for me this year.  :/  I realized the people saying that crap were ignorant at best but it still wore on me hour after hour.  It sucked having people pick up and coo over my work and then carelessly toss them back down after seeing the price tags.  Like, you saw my Luna plush, right?  That thing is HUGE and people wanted to give me $50 for it. 

[Rainbowrific Renia]

Thanks to 4DE (whenever they get their act together and start sending plushies out on time) I'm not too interested in getting a custom plush of a character from the show.  In all honesty, I'd rather pay $20+ for a well made Rainbow Dash as opposed to $100+ for a custom one. 

Now, I would pay $100+ for a custom plush of my own OC pony, since that isn't something I'll ever be able to buy in stores.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way.  I just can't justify dropping a ton of money on something that I can get that's mass produced, but that isn't to say that I wouldn't make an exception if, say, someone were to make a plush of a character from FiM with interchangeable outfits and accessories, or something like that.  Or if I was paying for a really, really, REALLY big plush!  Like... two feet tall or something!  I'd definitely fork over big bucks to a plush maker for that.

There are still a ton of people who commission custom plushies though, and I don't see that market dying any time soon.  You just have to make your designs stand out from the rest so that people will notice! 

[Artemesia's Garden]

Joking aside, this is just my opinion but I think artists should always be paid for their work unless they are deliberately doing it as a marketing/audience engagement/publicity piece. If I bought a OOAK plush I would expect to pay £150 that's only fair.

I know I was short of cash at Ponycon this year so I just looked for baits and materials as planned. I did not go up to anyone's table and complain about the prices! I did enter a lot of raffles though but no luck. If people prioritise other things over artist's work that's up to them but I choose to spend all my expendable income on collectibles and supporting artists. I try to support local businesses and do skills swaps with friends and I don't own a car or go on foreign holidays.  For me, people's work is more interesting and people should be supported to do what they do best.  Faceless consumerism and travel get a complete thumbs down from me.  Of course, I wish more people thought like me 

[Tilas]

But I can bang one out in much less time if I've got all the patterns already), spread over several days.  That alone would be something like $145, not counting materials charges or shipping, and no one is willing to pay that for one of my plushies (I sold one for about that much, one time).

And why wouldn't they be? I my normal range for ponies is $180-$210, and they have sold at that price. You're plushies are good! My most expensive custom was $400.  People will pay if they want your craft and like your work. At least, they should, but when people see things like 4DE, they just don't get the difference between a custom and a bootleg.

Embroidery takes a deceptively large amount of time, my pattern is new so I am still tweaking and adjusting, I had to make another pattern for the hair, etc. 

Now one thing I don't do is charge out for pattern making time if it's a pattern I place to re-use. OCs yes, because that's a one time usage. But my pattern for say Trixie? I don't, because it will pay for itself in usability.

Galactica - yeah, the Fair was rough for me this year.  :/  I realized the people saying that crap were ignorant at best but it still wore on me hour after hour.  It sucked having people pick up and coo over my work and then carelessly toss them back down after seeing the price tags.  Like, you saw my Luna plush, right?  That thing is HUGE and people wanted to give me $50 for it. 

This is why I don't bring my plush to smaller fairs, because it's a totally different clientele. They usually want things much cheaper and either don't understand or won't pay, where as when I went to Yukomicon (Yukon Comic Convention) no one asked about the prices and I sold a few. Sad thing is you have to pick your retail locations and keep an eye on the type of customers that are there. :\

Thanks to 4DE (whenever they get their act together and start sending plushies out on time) I'm not too interested in getting a custom plush of a character from the show.  In all honesty, I'd rather pay $20+ for a well made Rainbow Dash as opposed to $100+ for a custom one. 

This is what kills the custom industry. Overseas companies who use essentially slave labor to pump out cheap plushies. It's a big difference between one artist working on a plushie, and a factory of workers who maybe get $1/day for their wage. Which is why I'll never support bootleg companies like 4DE. To me they're dirty. If others want to, that's their choice of course.

[Artemesia's Garden]

This is what kills the custom industry. Overseas companies who use essentially slave labor to pump out cheap plushies. It's a big difference between one artist working on a plushie, and a factory of workers who maybe get $1/day for their wage. Which is why I'll never support bootleg companies like 4DE. To me they're dirty. If others want to, that's their choice of course.

A fair point. I just bought a Dischord plush. Now I feel bad.

[Skeen]

4DE isn't a bootleg company, are they?  They're under license, I thought.  Their stuff is official.  Onlyfactory/123cosplay/frontwinner are the bootlegs.  And I'm a hypocrite because I have several of their plushies, mainly because I am too busy to make plushies for myself. 

As for the pricing on mine, well, I think I'm lucky to get what I get because there are so many plushies that are "good enough" to whoever is looking at the time.  I have never sold a plush for more than $150, and that was a two-sided TAF mare last year.  I don't know where people are selling them for more than that, honestly, but wherever it is I'm not there.  I've never made an etsy sale, and my ebay stuff doesn't go for more than my opening bid, if it goes at all.  People just aren't willing to pay that much for my work, for whatever reason (probably because I only advertise here and at the TP - I'm not a member elsewhere).  ::  I'm not upset about it, that's just how it is.   

I charge for custom patterns, yes, but what I was talking about earlier was just the time involved, not the pattern itself.  Every time I make a new pattern I have to test and adjust it, which takes extra time.  I rarely ever get a pattern right the first time.   

[Galactica]

But I can bang one out in much less time if I've got all the patterns already), spread over several days.  That alone would be something like $145, not counting materials charges or shipping, and no one is willing to pay that for one of my plushies (I sold one for about that much, one time).

And why wouldn't they be? I my normal range for ponies is $180-$210, and they have sold at that price. You're plushies are good! My most expensive custom was $400.  People will pay if they want your craft and like your work. At least, they should, but when people see things like 4DE, they just don't get the difference between a custom and a bootleg.

Embroidery takes a deceptively large amount of time, my pattern is new so I am still tweaking and adjusting, I had to make another pattern for the hair, etc. 

Now one thing I don't do is charge out for pattern making time if it's a pattern I place to re-use. OCs yes, because that's a one time usage. But my pattern for say Trixie? I don't, because it will pay for itself in usability.

Galactica - yeah, the Fair was rough for me this year.  :/  I realized the people saying that crap were ignorant at best but it still wore on me hour after hour.  It sucked having people pick up and coo over my work and then carelessly toss them back down after seeing the price tags.  Like, you saw my Luna plush, right?  That thing is HUGE and people wanted to give me $50 for it. 

This is why I don't bring my plush to smaller fairs, because it's a totally different clientele. They usually want things much cheaper and either don't understand or won't pay, where as when I went to Yukomicon (Yukon Comic Convention) no one asked about the prices and I sold a few. Sad thing is you have to pick your retail locations and keep an eye on the type of customers that are there. :\

Thanks to 4DE (whenever they get their act together and start sending plushies out on time) I'm not too interested in getting a custom plush of a character from the show.  In all honesty, I'd rather pay $20+ for a well made Rainbow Dash as opposed to $100+ for a custom one. 

This is what kills the custom industry. Overseas companies who use essentially slave labor to pump out cheap plushies. It's a big difference between one artist working on a plushie, and a factory of workers who maybe get $1/day for their wage. Which is why I'll never support bootleg companies like 4DE. To me they're dirty. If others want to, that's their choice of course.

Tilas- 4DE is definitely not a bootleg company, they are paying for a license to make the Hasbro characters. I suppose if we are being fair, 4DE has more of a right to make the plush than custom makers, who do not pay for the license

But I think you are thinking of the Chinese fakie company that is pumping out assorted ponies and Discord (I forget the name of it at present) Those ponies LOOK like they might be fabulous, but their prototypes are much MUCH cuter than what you actually get, which is a tiny, poorly constructed plush. 

The 4DE Ponies on the other hand are very nice, and 4DE is a very nice small company. The problem with them is that after their first release of wingless Twilight in early 2013, they only managed to squeeze Pinkie out and then production ground to a halt. Currently, it looks like the Fluttershy they had planned for early this year, won't even be here until 2015. They are tragically slow...  Probably 4DE would be more of a danger to plushie custom makers if they ever produced ponies in any quantity, but the tiny Pinkie and tiny Twilight they have made probably only hurt the custom makers making those two products.

It's possible the Chinese plushie makers hurt the custom makers- but my guess is only those custom makers who are just beginning and whose plushies look a little wonky. They might look a far cry better than Funrise Plush (which is sad) but they are a far cry from a decently made custom plush.  You get what you pay for with those.

[Tilas]

Tilas- 4DE is definitely not a bootleg company, they are paying for a license to make the Hasbro characters. I suppose if we are being fair, 4DE has more of a right to make the plush than custom makers, who do not pay for the license

I stand corrected then on 4DE, but I am aware of multiple other companies that are bootleg and you see the plushies pop up constantly. I can't remember their names, but I remember the ones you would "vote" on what you wanted and they would make it, and even some OC's were popping up, and tons of people were buying from them. I remember seeing a topic here at the arena about them and how many different ponies they were making.

[rosierjay]

i don't believe 4d is a bootleg. my local comic shop is willing to order them in for me, and they don't order bootlegs. they are located in europe. or at least that's the best place to buy them.

i personally have only purchased 4 pony plushes.
custom Flash sentry i bought from Tilas
Custom OC i bought from skeen
custom OC i bought off etsy seller,
and 4d regular twilight sparkle.

i have a very limited number of characters i'd be willing to buy, and the one plush i really want to get, i know will be super expensive because of her details etc. so i started making plushes to build up my skills to make her myself someday.

because i do everything by hand i don't make any unless its for a swap, present or myself. i have one premade pony, that i'm trying to sell, and still haven't found a home for her. it's been an uphill battle. so sad. i'm only asking 30$ for her, so it doesn't seem unreasonable. but still she sits.
oh well. but i think the quality and size fits the price, and it's close to what i paid for the customs i bought compared to quality detail etc. if i can sell two with the pattern i bought it will cover the cost of the pattern and materials. then i'll consider myself even, so everything after that is a bonus.

[Galactica]

Tilas- 4DE is definitely not a bootleg company, they are paying for a license to make the Hasbro characters. I suppose if we are being fair, 4DE has more of a right to make the plush than custom makers, who do not pay for the license

I stand corrected then on 4DE, but I am aware of multiple other companies that are bootleg and you see the plushies pop up constantly. I can't remember their names, but I remember the ones you would "vote" on what you wanted and they would make it, and even some OC's were popping up, and tons of people were buying from them. I remember seeing a topic here at the arena about them and how many different ponies they were making.

I know just the bootleg company you are talking about- they sell under (as Skeen noted) Frontwinner and 123cosplay- and are all over ebay. Those plushies LOOK good in their picture, but the pictures they use are of the hand-sewn prototype so of course they look awesome! What you actually get is a different story...

As for why I buy fewer custom plushes- it's the SPACE!  Plushies take up a surprising amount of room (although they are at least lightweight to pack!)  so I only will commission a plushie now when I really really want it, and have to really think about what needs to be put away in order to make room...

[Roogna]

g1 plush - I have my childhood Windy and probably about 1/2 of the others, but they've been in a closet b/c no room for years. I'm debating on whether to keep or sell all but Windy and some real favs
also have the pajama pals from the UK (3 total)
I don't collect G1 characters custom plush, though I have been tempted by a few

g3 plush - I have all the yarn hairs (they line the back of a full sized couch), and 4 of the GIANTs from Australia and the Frilly Frocks mail order, and a couple of the smaller ones
I don't collect g3 custom plush

G4 plush - I have 2 different Trixie plush (That were sold at walmart) b/c I wanted more Trixie and they were cheap (and on sale at that!). Part of me wants plush of a few FiM villains like Nightmare Moon and Chrysalis, but I haven't seen one I *have* to have -  a couple from china have tempted me, but they haven't looked quite *evil* enough for my tastes. Or a better trixie with hat and cape, but money has been tight and there have been actual ponies I've wanted over plush...and when I do have $ for custom plush I get my OC (all that being said, if I find the *right* Nightmare Moon or Chrysalis, I hope to be all over that!).

I'm not interested in BaB, though they are nice quality, it's not a style that appeals to me. I look for unique styles. That means that while I've seen tons of AMAZING custom plush in the FiM style that are FiM/show/toy accurate, even with "unique" aspects between different artists...many just look like "FiM style" to me and less "artist interpretation". I hope that makes sense. I'm also not saying I wouldn't like to own some of these, but my actual *money* ends up going towards non-plush or my OC

I bought my first plush of this year just a few weeks ago from an artist on etsy. It's my OC, and it was crocheted and not in any "style" or gen

other that my OC plush army, I own 1 custom plush - a Princess Luna Smarty-Pants style crochet plush from last year's plush swap (Which I love)


so, on topic - I would say what I've seen is a shrinking of the custom g4 plush market, definitely
custom OC, those that offer a unique style, and some g1 custom plush I still thriving (imo, the g1 b/c less "fad" than g4)

and @skeen - that sucks, but not totally surprising either. I have never been able to sell my customs well to MLP Collectors. I mainly sell to non-collectors and 99% of my commissions are to non-MLP collectors. I don't get it, but I love the customers I do have. MLP Collectors say they love my stuff -they just either don't love it enough to want it or to pay for it (I've had some people say they would rather wait and take a chance getting me as a partner in a swap than paying for a commission...that was a while ago, but it has stuck with me and was one reason I pulled back my swap participation some)

[StarSwirl05]

I think part of it may be due to Hasbro cracking down on this sort of thing as I recall one user was told to stop.

[Tilas]

I think part of it may be due to Hasbro cracking down on this sort of thing as I recall one user was told to stop.

I was one of those users. I got a yank down from Hasbro's legal eagles on etsy. All of my plushies, pins, magnets and key chains were removed. I'm not thew only one, I've talked to a few people on DeviantArt who reported similar experiences on Etsy.

[Kiwi-bunny]

I don't have much input on whether or not the demand is dropping because I have only been making plush ponies since September. But I can say after material costs I make about $0.75 an hour making them. But if I charge any more people look the other way. :/ I do believe it is because I am not as well known.

[Skeen]

But if I charge any more people look the other way. :/ I do believe it is because I am not as well known.

Yep!  When people think of custom plushies they think of Whitedove, ERC, etc., not me.  And that's cool and all, because she/they deserve the recognition. 

I just had 5 plushie auctions end.  Only 1 sold, the cheapest of the lot.  I know my ponies aren't bad, it's just that the price point for my work caps at about $80.  I would LOVE to get more for them, don't get me wrong, they just don't sell for that much.  That's just how it is.  I can either sell them for $80 and enjoy the small(er) amount I get for them (plushie money right now goes toward dental surgery for my baby cat), or I can stuff a room full of them and keep them forever.  Right now I'm choosing dental surgery for the cat.