plush?

[bladespark]

Awww, it's cute!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5040815

And if they can get $15 for three inches of FELT, I'm certainly not overcharging for twelve inches of nice fur.

What is it with the felt anyhow? I'm on a heap of plush and crafting communities now, and I NEVER see actual plush plushes, it's always the felt! Why? Is felt trendy just now or something?

Comments

[thalass.livejournal.com]

aie! so emo!

:P

[2dlife.livejournal.com]

I think it's a typo, but it does actually say 3 feet by 3 feet.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

Definitely a typo. You can see the stiches. Unless she's sewing on some kind of oversized industrial machine that uses yarn for thread it's not three feet.

[jilinn.livejournal.com]

Na, Loonakits are much cuter than that...besides even with my mate gone I have enough emotional nuts in the house. :p

[silveradept]

I think felt happens because felt is pretty easy to work with, for both beginners and experts alike.

[gungho-squirrel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, pretty sure that says three feet of felt both ways. XD

I personally think felt is dumb. I guess maybe it's easy to work with and you can get some simple, cute designs... but I wouldn't want to cuddle felt. Or regular fabric, for that matter. I like to cuddle fuzzy things.

But y'know... it would be oh so awesome if Loonakits were only $15. Upon recieving mine I do honestly think that'd be a more reasonable price for them. I understand they're handmade and that definitely holds some merit to cost, but they're like the size of a cheapo $5 plush (I'm not calling Loonakits cheapo! ^^;;) but I'd say $10 over that is a good labor fee. Or say they're $10 worth plushies and a $5 labor fee... just me musing. I'd love to buy more of these things- a lot of my local friends love them. But they told me they would never spend $25 for it, even if it was custom built. And I don't think I'd be fond of paying $50 just to get 2 of them for Christmas gifts or somesuch. *shrugs* Just some thoughts.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

*nods* I do know what you're saying about the price. I may, from time to time as I have them in stock, have sales and sell them cheaper. But for now, the price is what it is. I kinda like being able to buy food, and eat out once in a while, and sometimes get Windstones, and all that. I HATE having to pinch every penny. So I'm going to sell things for as much as I can get, you know?

[rahball.livejournal.com]

You go, don't you put your prices down for anyone! :)
Soft toys take ages to make, and blood sweat and tears (do you know how much I wish it was possible to sew without thread?) and we must reflect that in our pricing or go insane.

*nods*

I think I said something like this in Support recently, but never mind, I've said it again.

[rahball.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, and felt's just.. nuh. Actually, I wouldn't dare make anything entirely out of felt because you'd see all those mistakes that fur disguises so nicely...
But when I write a How To Make Your Own Soft Toys tutorial, I'm definitely going to recommend using fur and not felt, or that blanket material. Real animals are furry, where's the benefit in making a naked one?

[pet-tiger.livejournal.com]

Just felt like throwing in my two cents here.

On the matter of felt plushies: I suspect it's that felt is dirt cheap and requires less skill to work with and create a good-looking finished product.
Personally? I hate felt. Mostly cause it feels nasty.

And the matter of your Loonakits: I think $25 is a very reasonable price. And I'm saying this as someone who adores plushies, looks at every plushie she ever sees anywhere and collects plushies somewhat seriously.

For a handmade, high-quality plushie $25 is nothing. Considering that high-quality mass-produced plushies (such as Gund, Ty and Russ) are in that same price range or more. (Granted the ~$20 ones are probably a bit larger than your Loonakits, but size seems to have less to do with price than quality does)

Heck, the really collectable stuff (Like those.. what are they called? The bears that are all dressed up? Stief maybe? or something like that, I don't know.) is way more expensive than that. (And ugly as sin, but that's just my opinion. ^^;; )

Honestly, I would adore one of your tiger Loonakits if I had the money to spare right now, and I wouldn't bat an eye at the price. (I already spent too much on plushies this month as it is 'cause I got Jared a white tiger plushie for $22 for Christmas)

[graydown.livejournal.com]

Felt is so nasty... and so cheap. Literally cheaper than dirt, in some cases; my mother is still working on a bolt of red felt that she got for free. I tried using it to practice on, but it's too different from real fabric.

Felt bad, fur good.

As for the price, I dropped the price of my sock monsters from $25 to $20 in order to make them sell, but I have a day job, and, most importantly, socks are cheaper than fur. I think you're being very reasonable.

[streakthetiger.livejournal.com]

The only reason I can think people like felt, is the same reason the tweed is liked for some reason in classic car upholstery.
Both are nasty as hell. Uncomfortable. Ugly. And just plain cheap.

BUT someone, maybe famous or maybe not, made something out of the material that looked amazing. Since then, everyone thinks if they use the same material, it will look amazing, or at least they will be compared to that one person.

And I think $25 is great for your Loonakits. Imma buy one too when I get back home. Heh, in June, but i`ll still get one. A cute little tiger one too.