About two years ago I began collecting vinyl figures, mostly small ones. It all began with a gift from Kid Robot, an art store in Soho, NYC that sells all types of vinyl figures. Since then it has become a passionate addiction; pushing me towards the direction of creating my own artistic interpretations of my art through toys and figures. I would like to  eventually sell my own figures and develop my own art gallery to display my work.

The history of vinyl figures goes back to Japan in the 1990s. It became most popular in the early 2000’s once vinyl figures began to represent pop culture icons in Japan. ABS plastic was the plastic used to create them.  In 2004 Kid Robot opened in New York and San Francisco, causing a wave of customer demand, especially when the customizable Dunny and Munny dolls were introduced. I want to not only make my own designed vinyl figures but also plain dolls for others to customize. The first vinyl figure I was gifted was a Munny doll. It was such a fun experience.

Many of these vinyl toys and figures are outsourced in China or other countries where the cost is low to mass-produce them. The cost can be anywhere from as low as 5 cents to as high as  $15 per item, depending on the size of the vinyl. However there are minimum orders usually of at least 1000 to 5000 vinyl. This can be expensive if you are ordering more than once, and this is not including designing, shipping, and packaging. 

3D printing is a disrupter in this area as artists and designers who want to take the next step in becoming entrepreneurial can easily acquire a 3D printer because the cheaper end of the initial investment is anywhere between $200 for a lower end DIY kit or around $350 for an already assembled 3D Printer. Printers of higher quality can be between $1,000 and $5,000, with the best 3D printer used by large manufacturers costing six figures. Currently, one way artists are going about this production process is by first getting a prototype through a 3D manufacturer like Maker Bot and then sending it over seas to get it printed. Vinyl toys can be sold for as little at $5 to up to 25,000 depending on the size and availability. The 3D scanner also disrupts this industry as people can scan their clay models and print their prototype or final product in plastic.

I have decided that I want to invest in a printer to start working on this business. I’d like to further explore whether people prefer to have more custom designs to color in versus pre-designed figures. I also want to see if limited edition really makes an impact on purchasing because they can cost more. This will help me focus my business to what people want.

 

http://www.alibaba.com/countrysearch/CN/vinyl-toy-manufacturer.html

http://genshi.com/apstoydesigner.pdf

http://www.tomopop.com/a-collector-s-take-a-brief-history-of-vinyl-15184.phtml

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/15/magazine/cult-figures.html

Process of making vinyl toys – YouTube

http://www.3ders.org/pricecompare/3dprinters/