Design Context: October 2009

Saturday, 10 October 2009

Mini-Mass Production: Starting Your Own Toy Line

Link from Delicious Drips

1. Work on multiple toys at a time that all share a similar palette or theme. For example, when DLi$h does his antique copper finish he lays down a layer of black on all the toys. Sometimes he might work on as many as ten toys at a time.

2. Working on multiple toys at one time will allow you to set them down and dry before you work on a different place. While this is helpful, make sure you go back and do a thorough check of all the toys you make ensure that you don’t miss a spot.

3. Marketing your toys: When you make entire toy lines, it actually helps brand yourself as an artist. In doing so, your art develops a more distinct direction and your work can be easily recognized. Without limiting your artistic direction, you want to show that you are continuing to grow as an artist while also giving your fans what they crave most. It’s a delicate balance.

4. Add a Personal Touch: Since you are still doing hand made art, this allows you the flexibility to do something slightly different on each toy you come out with. In our opinion, this enhances the value while making mass-production art a little bit more fun and less repetitive.

5. Buy in Bulk: This goes with everything that you’re going to use regularly including art supplies and toys. Delicious Drips will support artists that develop toy lines, so if you’re looking to do an entire set, we will support your efforts by offering a bulk discount. If we like your stuff, we may even help you market it!!

6. Pick a toy platform that is easy to paint. The Egg Qee is a good example of a toy that doesn’t have many lines, so it’s easy to lay down the paint.

7. Use a design that doesn’t take a lifetime to make. Think about what your average collector is willing to pay for your designs based on your previous work. Now take your target price minus the cost of materials and divide it by the amount of hours you spend on the piece to get your hourly rate as an artist. It’s really up to you how you value your time. For a lot of artists, they just don’t care and they just want to make the hottest toy possible, but if you’re trying to make a living off of it, time is money

Now before going out and making a 100 Do-hicky Mini Toys figures and pissing away 2 weeks of your life, try making a couple one-off designs and getting some feedback on it. When you’ve found the design that’s hot, pull the trigger and crank a bunch of them out. Mass production art is super hard work, but it can be extremely fulfilling. With enough practice, you can make it a legitimate source of income.