AboutShiniGami Expertise I can answer any question about Action Figure and Toy Design, Prototyping, Manufacturing and Production Management. Over 20 years in the Toy business with clients including Bandai US/Japan/Europe, Hasbro, Kenner, Mattel, McFarlane Toys, Playmates, etc., and also specialty companies including Toy Tokyo, The Showroom NYC, Kid Robot, Wheaty Wheat and many others.
NOTE: I travel A LOT, so during overseas travel (Japan, Hong Kong, China), I do not check for questions. Thanks.
Experience
Past/Present Clients: Designers including : Gary Baseman, Ron English, Frank Kozik, Pete Fowler, Futura, Stash, David Horvath. Companies including : Bandai Japan, Bandai US, Dark Horse, Hasbro, Kenner, Lucas Films, Maharishi, Marvel, Mattel, McFarlane Toys, MTV, NIKE, Playmates, Reebok, Sony, etc.
Expert: ShiniGami Date: 8/27/2007 Subject: Where to get your work produced?
Question QUESTION: I would like to know if you have any recommendations for those of us who
want to
produce smaller runs of their work. I am a sculptor and I have what I think is
a solid sculpture and idea, so I am hesitant of handing over the project to say
"Monkey King" or "Toy Robot". I would like to produce a small run of
500-1000 copies. Thank you for your help.
Doyle
ANSWER: Monkey King or I guess Toy Robot would be middle men. They use factories like mine or others and just mark it up. I don't know if they even use project managers or they just leave it to the factory. I think I did a project for Monkey King a few years ago. I have a few small run projects running right now, and then a few middle sized like Ron English items for Toy Tokyo, and then other jobs that are larger runs (30,000 pieces to 500,000 pieces), these are all licensed projects.
I'd have to see the sculpt to give you an idea of what steps need to be done. Tooling master, tooling, production, etc. This can usually run from $6,000.00US to $8,000.00 for 500, or $8,000 to $10,000 for 1,000 pieces.
I have been doing project manageing and toy design for over 20 years. I go to China to the factories a few times a year. I don't know of anybody that isn't just a middle man, that just puts you thru to some factory.
I also have worked with the same factories and people for many years. Alot of the newer people trying to do this jump around from factory, and you're not sure what you're going to get, quality, are bootlegs being made, etc.
Thanks
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you for you quick and thorough reply.
I used to work for a toy company as a sculptor, so I'm familiar with tooling,
and painted copies and how to produce them for china.
The problem is finding a company willing to offer more than a 3-5 percent
profit margin like the companies before mentioned. Is it possible to send
images through this site for more specific advice? I have an image up at this
address of the work:
The last image on the page titled "H.U.T.A." is the name of the piece. If this
oversteps the normal bounds of your assistance then I apologize.
Thank you again for your help.
Doyle
ANSWER: I'm not sure what you mean by a 3-5 percent profit margin. Where they going to pay for everything, and then give you a royalty or? 3 to 5% as a royalty is a joke. It's minimum of 7%, and can run as high as 20%, depending on the artist. If you're paying for production, and they're telling you they only mark up the work 3 to 5 %, that's never true, especially as they are just acting as middle men.
So if you can give me a more clear image of what they and you wanted to do, I can comment further.
Thanks
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: I was referring to the royalty when I wrote about the 5 profit margin. I most
likely used the wrong term, but a low royalty and the capitulation of rights, or
ownership over the artwork, is what has kept me away from companies like
"Toy Robot" or "Munky King".
I think all I am asking now is how to get a more substantial financial return on
a limited run (which is all I can afford probably), without handing over the
rights of your project indefinitely. Granted a place like Monkey King will pay
for the costs and have some sort of distribution already in place.
If the royalty is 15-20 percent, and everything is taken care of I guess its not
a bad deal is what you are saying. Is it worth trying to do projects like this on
your own, (when you were younger perhaps and still learning the business,)
or is it better to sell out to a company who will handle it for you for the price
of your intellectual property, albeit lower overhead on the part of the artist?
Thanks for the help,
Doyle
Answer 1) You NEVER give away rights to a property. They are simply licensing them for a certain time period for a certain product. Wheaty Wheat did this with Joe Ledbetter. He didn't know any better, and he signed away all rights to several of his characters. If a company is trying to get the rights from you, they're trying to pull a fast one.
I did the Ron English Rabbbit with Dark Horse. They only licensed the property to make a vinyl toy, they don't own any of it, and can't use it for anything else, without a seperate agreement.
If you make it yourself, then you just have to sell cases of the items to stores, like Kid Robot, Toy Tokyo, etc.
