Maya
15 Years Experience
Kansas City, MO
Female, 27
I make dolls and stuffed animals by hand, and I'm learning to do wooden toys also. Sometimes I design my own toys! I've been making them since I was 12 years old. (And this Q&A has been running for 10.) I sell them at craft fairs, farmers markets, through word of mouth, and also (soon) online. Ask me anything! :)
That's a good question! I never consciously used one toy as an inspiration or starting-off point. But my interest in simple, often Waldorf-style toys is definitely due to my favorite childhood doll: a Waldorf doll that I still have today! I believe that growing up with a Waldorf doll has informed my knack and passion for making them, and it helps me understand what kids are drawn to in a deeper way. I can't thank my mum enough for that doll! :)
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All of them! Well, I should amend that to exclude the ones with lead based paint, and excessive plastic. I suppose some plastic toys are now also becoming old school.
Really though, I get nostalgic about toys that are far too outdated for me to ever remember from their glory days. Hoop and stick sets; whammy diddles; wooden frog noisemaker toys; wooden jigsaw puzzles that were actually cut with a jigsaw at home; dollhouses with real wooden furniture ... It's just all so lovely. I like toys that make you feel like you're in another world, both time-wise and imagination-wise. Modern toys leave less to the imagination. I can't pick just one old school toy. :)
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Yes and yes! I am going for my Bachelors in Holistic Health Sciences, and I make toys on and off as a side business or just for fun sometimes. It isn't very lucrative unless I take them to craft fairs, and I've just moved across the country so it'll take me time to find craft fairs worth vending in. So I'm in a bit of a lull right now.
I may also take a bit of a break from selling in the future, since my partner and I plan on starting a family in a few years - what little time I'll have for toy making will definitely be devoted to my own kids for awhile!
But ultimately, toy making will always be something I'm doing in my spare time, no matter who it's for or whether I make any money off of it :)
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Not usually, but once in awhile, and that's a large part of why I make them in the first place. I love to have confirmation of the little fantasies that I see while I make my toys, of them getting loved and hugged and ultimately dragged through the mud, getting time-worn in a way that can only happen when a child really loves a toy.
I remember there was one lady in particular, a rather new grandmother, who became my biggest fan in my early to mid teens and always loved to buy my toys for her little granddaughter. She loved them so much she gave me her business card and wanted me to let her know whenever I did a craft fair in the area so she could come see me and my toys. I loved hearing how her granddaughter loved my toys!
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Oh, a very good question! Over the past couple of years I’ve been busy designing my own line of knit toys - they can all be made in many sizes and they’re all made in one piece, so you only have to close up the stuffing openings, but there’s no parts to sew on and guess placement etc. So I’m very proud of the hard work it took to design those. I just finished the doll for that collection so I’m excited about that at the moment!
On the whole, more than individual projects I get excited about figuring out a new technique or design!
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Good question! There are basically three categories of toys I can/do make: originals, patterns by other small business artists, and big licensed characters.
Mostly these days I am using my own original patterns, so none of those things are an issue.
When I use patterns from other small artists, their own product listing specifies their wishes, which I honor: some say you may produce a small number for sale, some are strictly for personal use. Many ask for a mention in your listing/tag on the finished product. Most all do not want their pattern used for mass manufacturing (reasonable).
When I am making licensed characters (for me this is usually Paddington, Pooh bear, Pokémon, or the occasional Disney character) is where this issue would mostly arise. Different companies vary greatly in their attitude toward fan art. Some are very open and encourage it, since they realize it’s made from the love of their fans - but all-importantly, it does not compete with their products, but rather does free marketing for them! In some cases e.g. Pooh bear, it’s going to be very difficult to enforce a ban on anyone ever making yellow teddies with red sweaters.
Ultimately it’s not a matter that concerns me very much - licensed toys are usually only an occasional one-off and don’t step on anyone’s toes. The rest of the time, I’m using my own work. :)
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Unfortunately you assume wrong :) at least for now. Most of what I’ve done has been hand knit and takes quite a long time to do, so it is not very profitable. I am however considering branching out to sewn toys which I should be able to produce far more quickly, so hopefully that will increase the profit margin.Even if this were very lucrative though, I don’t see jealousy being an issue. Both in my homeschool high school community back then, and in my market community now as an adult, everyone is so supportive of smalltime artisans. We want each other to do well!
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