Frequently Asked Questions
You can be sure whether you are a new stuffed toy inventor or a toy business expert, that I will be clear and up front on what we can and cannot do to take your ideas and turn them in to great selling toys.
Whether you will be selling online, through traditional sales channels or both, I have solutions for you that will benefit your toy ideas greatly.
My team is here to help you to succeed with your stuffed toy idea. Heck, if you succeed that will mean that we have succeeded and that is what this is all about. |
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Rob Bishop and Friends - Owner - Binkley Toys Inc. |
Q: Can you help me sell my idea ?
A: Yes I can. I have put together services made for individuals just like you. I have been working with individuals and very small companies trying to invent a new stuffed toy idea for well over a decade now. You have issues like; What do I do with the toys after I get them? How can I sell my toys over the internet? I have taken hundreds of questions from people just like you and put together specific packages to address all of these. These services are explained in our quote. ( get a quote here ) I can provide you with some excellent marketing tools which will prepare you to face that retail buyer or Big Box Toy Store representative. Or, with our help you will be selling your toys online in no time. You will look like a pro! Depending on the Service Level you choose, I can have you set up with your own website, accepting Visa, Master Card, American Express, and all other major credit card over the internet. Your website will be setup and look exactly how you want before your toys even arrive. These services are based on my years of award winning online experience and I have hundreds of customer's selling their toys online right now.
Q: Can I get a sample to show around to buyers?
A: Yes. I have developed different levels of services to accommodate these needs. You will be thrilled with the simple way we walk you through the steps to end up with a prototype just for you. We have a great system available that will allow you to show off your new prototype, leave some information behind to remind the buyer about your product, and direct them to a professional website that highlights the benefits of your idea. You will look like a professional toy company, with our top level of service. Also, if you do invest in your idea, we will ensure that you can be taking orders even before you place a production order. Just imagine having the majority of your first batch sold even before you pay for them. We have the steps to get you there. Get a quote now, to learn more about this service.
Q: How do I protect my idea ?
A: The first step to protecting your idea, is ensuring that the manufacturer you work with signs a NDA ( Non Disclosure Agreement ) This means that we cannot reproduce your product without your permission. We have built our company over the last 20 years on the fact that we only manufacture goods for you. We have no interest in stealing ideas, and we are happy to put that in writing. You can get a free NDA here.
As soon as you have chosen Binkley ( CustomPlushToys.com) as your manufacturer, you can choose a service level that includes a detailed Copyright trail. What this means is that every step of the way, we will document the creation and improvement of your ideas. These documents will be dated and signed by the artists, designers, project manager and the owner of the company. The documents will state that the ideas belong to you. When your toy becomes the next big blockbuster hit, you will have thorough and legal documentation that shows the dates and ownership of all ideas belong to you. When someone tries to say that your success was based on their idea, you can be confident that there is a historical detailed trail of your idea to prove that it belongs to you.
Q: How much does my idea cost ?
A: "Get a Quote" and we can tell you. That is a big question. There are a number of factors that effect a toys price but the basics are:
Quantity - as you increase the quantity, the shared costs to produce your project, is spread over more pieces, therefore lowering your price. In general, the more you order the less you pay per piece.
Size- this affects your price as you choose larger toys. Common sizes that we use now are 4"-6" for beanie type toys, 8"-12" for smaller stuffed toys, and 12" and above for everything else. A bigger toy does not just mean more material. The greater size, adds to labor and shipping costs as well.
Quality - we can choose from hundreds of furs and materials, all ranging greatly in price per yard, to create your toy. Inexpensive furs can be as little as $2 - $3 per yard, while rich looking mohair can cost $115 per yard
Complexity - this is similar in quality but more from a design and labor aspect. A good example of two varying complexities in a toy are ;
- a beanie type dog that is simple in shape and the look
- a realistic looking German Shepherd stuffed toy that exhibits many of the characteristic associated with that breed
We have an excellent way which will walk you through 15 questions you MUST ask yourself before giving one penny to anyone. I have seen so many people over the years get ripped off by people preying on the poor inventor who is excited about their idea. It really sickens me when I receive a phone call from a woman who is on the brink of tears because she is out thousands of dollars and she has one piece of paper to show for it. Ug. Now you must understand that I not telling you to scare you, or to make you fearful of getting in to the toy business. You will learn over time that this not my style. I am here to make money, but I make more money, the more money you are making. So to be up front with you, I am not giving away great service, and great information just to be a nice guy, but the nice guy in me has made me be more vocal to inventors like you, so that I don't get another phone call from someone getting ripped off. Q: Where do you manufacture my toys ?
A: All the toys I make for you are designed locally on computer. Your prototype and production run is made in China.
I did manufacture everything locally up until the end of 1998. At that time I developed what we now refer to as the SEED system. This is where my unique process literally grows your idea in to the best toy possible. The big toy companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to bring one toy to market. That is just not economical for a small inventor. The SEED system ensures that your toy idea belongs to you, is developed at a reasonable expense (as little as $750) and the system allows you to tap in to proven talent all over the world. I have developed strong relationship with small factories in China, designers in Asia and Europe and artists in several other countries including the US and Canada. All of these experts share my desire to bring good quality products to people at reasonable prices and low quantity levels.
The SEED system allows one of my specially trained Project Managers right here in my office, to have at their finger tips all of these experts spread across the World. Your PM (Project Manager) can monitor and adjust at each and every stage of your toy development based on your ideas and approvals.
Q: What happens if my sales exceed our expectations, can Binkley keep up?
A: Yes. I have not had one customer exceed our manufacturing capabilities. When your orders get in the hundreds of thousands of pieces per year I can escalate our system so that a container or two full of your toys is shipping out every few weeks. Your main focus should be on selling as many toys as fast as you can, and let us worry about keeping the shelves stocked up. For sales levels below this there is a similar lead time required for each order you place of approximately 12 weeks. We can deliver 500 to 50,000 pieces in that time. Each contract is unique so we will advise you in detail at that time of an exact delivery date. Anyway you look at it, I'll be there to take care of your needs.
Q: Where do I send my ideas, payment ?
A: You can get your project started, and submit your investment securely online here.
You can get a fax order form which you can fill out and fax in to us here.
Email or courier your ideas and investment to our address in New York, NY, or our Ontario, Canada address. You can find our detailed contact information here. Or simply call the toll free number found in your quote, and any emails you have received from us after your quote. That is our direct hotline to our offices here.
Q: What is your minimum order?
A: 500 pieces is our minimum order. You will find that the economics are more in your favor as you order 1,200 pieces or more. Most of our clients like you look at the first few production runs as test runs. They work out the bugs with the design and sales with an order of 500 pieces. And then there second order of 1,200 pieces has some finer changes to both the design and sales techniques and then their orders grow from there. For more complex projects that include sound or other special features minimum orders are listed in our clients only site. You can also get a quote and I can help you from there. In the end the more you order the cheaper it is. 500 pieces is a good starting point to see if your idea will sell. Get a quote and additional information on your idea now.
Q: Is your price your final price?
A: Yes, and No. I have spent years developing detailed formulas to predict what the cost of a toy will be. If you think about it, I have to quote on your toy idea even before it is created. So any quote you receive before I make your prototype is a ballpark quote. These approximate prices are based on thousands or projects I have done in the past though, so you will be amazed at how accurate they are. You may be thinking "But my idea is different." Rarely do I find that our quote is more than 5% - 10 % out which is easily absorbed in the higher quality the toy will be. That means you can easily charge more for your toy idea. In developing a unique product, there are dozens of decisions which need to be made in order to establish your price. You will get to decide on the quality of materials, the complexity of the design and the speed at which it will be produced. I can guide you and help you reduce or increase any of these factors in order to re-quote and alter your final price. I believe that if you deal with us you get more than what you pay for. You should get a quote, choose an investment level, and we can discuss your toy in detail. If it becomes clear that I cannot make your toy, or you want way more than is possible at the quoted price (which I can identify easily within the first few emails/ phone calls) I will refund 100% of your investment with no questions asked.
Q: How long does it take to get my product?
A: Approximately 12 weeks. Shipping times vary contract to contract. A timetable is provided along with your quotation. Normally the biggest factor in completing a project is the up front collection of information and details. The better we work together on the initial stages of a contract the quicker it will go. The typical steps and duration are:
- Prototype Stage - within 4 weeks approximately
- Pre Production - within 1 to 3 weeks approximately
- Production Stage - within 12 weeks approximately
- Delivery ( local ground shipping ) - 3 to 8 days
Q: Are your toys safe?
A: Yes. I have been designing and manufacturing toys for over 12 years. All of our toys meet or exceed international health and safety standards. I pride ourselves on our high level of customer service, exceptional quality, but before any of these traits, #1 is Safety. Some of our clients are international corporations who take the international safety standards, and divide by two. So if normally we are allow 20 parts per million of heavy metals in a printing ink, these companies insist on 10 parts per million. We meet and beat these ultra strict safety guidelines.
Q: How do I know Binkley is a reputable company?
A: Our Contact Us page has links to our Dun and Bradstreet number, our Better Business Bureau membership, our Chartered Accountants contact information, and more.
Don't take our word for it ! Read comments from our customers just like you in their testimonials here.
Get A Free Quote On Your Idea Now !
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