Query for Soft Toy makers

Lagnagoushee

I would like to contact some soft toy maker out there who would be able / willing to make a particular type of soft toy for me. The toy in question is a full size "SLR Camera & lens" similar to the one in the photo below. The reason for my request is as follows. I take family photographs including photos of small children. I think that if I could give the camera soft toy to the child to play with prior to the photo shoot it would help them to overcome their fear of being photographed by the real thing. There doesn't appear to be any of these available out there and I think there could be a market for these in the Photography family portrait stream if they were properly made and marketed. Any advice / comments would be welcome.
thanks, luke

ztoical

There are a few people who make camera plushies, some more detailed then others. If you have a look on sites like deviantart or etsy you'll find some like here ...some of her designs are very cute but more cartoony using buttons and bright fabrics but her polaroid camera is pretty good plushie version of the original. They wouldn't work for kids as the buttons could come off and choke them but most people on etsy take custom orders if you want to find someone who'll make what you want.

neelyohara

Go straight to etsy and put in an alchemy request. Basically you post an advert requesting what you want and how much you are willing to pay. You put in a time limit to accept offers... then sit back and wait for the offer to come in.

People will make a 'bid' on completing the project for you - they'll provide you with prices, information on the materials they'll use and a timeline. They'll normally offer you some samples of their work. You can also look at their stores to see the quality of their work.

Definitely give it a go.... I've used alchemy before and I've loved all the items I've received!