The plushie guide: how to source and sell

In Insights by Accounts Amaze May 17, 2019

We’ve simplified the process to help you source and sell custom plushies seamlessly with TeespringGo. Check out the video below to see how easy it is to design and sell your very own plushie with Spring.

Our team will help you design your prototype and source inventory using the option that works best for you. We’ll also handle inventory storage, listing creation, order fulfillment + delivery, and customer support too.

How to create the perfect plushie

Learn more about each customization option below. Keep in mind, you can also request custom add-ons to your plushies (ex. accessories, collars, collectables, etc.) when you submit your request.

Concept

Before submitting a request you should have a clear concept of the plushie you want to create. The more details you provide the better. In most cases, creators will submit a design file (EPS or PNG) along with a graphic that illustrates what they want the plushie to look like once created. In this example we can clearly see the size, resting position of the plushie, colors, etc.

Example of an image featuring product specifications that should be submitted with a request

Stuffing + material

Most plushies are constructed using a soft velour/velboa plush material and stuffed with a special hypo-allergenic polyester material, which makes them super huggable! It is also possible to use beans (100% propathene) to stuff your plushie. Our team will recommend the best stuffing and material options available to help you achieve the overall look you’re going for.

Resting position

We can create plushies in any position. The most common positions are standing, sitting or laying. We may recommend a certain stuffing option in order to achieve the position you want.

Size

We can create any plushies in size. The most common range is between 6 to 16 inches. Keep in mind anything larger than 16” will incur more transport costs from production and increase shipping costs for fans.

Eyes & nose

Choose the eye and nose options best suited for your plush—we offer embroidery or plastic. Please note the use of plastic will lengthen prototype turnaround time by 1 – 2 weeks due to safety test requirements. We are not able to use additional plastic, metal or wire materials in other areas of plushies due to safety concerns.

How to sell custom plushies

Here’s a breakdown of how the process works once you’ve designed your plushie.

1. Submit request

Fill out the form with your plushie characteristics and submit your request. We aim to process all requests within 24 – 48 business hours.

2. Approve quote & prototype

Once we receive your submission we’ll send you a non-refundable deposit payment link for $250. This deposit will go towards the prototype cost and any leftover funds will go towards inventory costs. Once the deposit is paid we will process your request and follow up with a prototype mockup and quote for approval. It’s important to note that the quote includes inventory transport costs and the cost of safety certifications required to sell your plushie.

Once you approve the prototype* mockup and quote it can take up to 30 calendar days for the prototype to be created and shipped to you. *Please note if you require multiple prototypes due to design modifications this may require additional payment if the $250 does not cover the cost of all additional prototypes.

3. Source & sell

You have two options for sourcing and selling plushies.

Option 1: Pay for inventory upfront

When you approve the prototype the next step is to pay for the full inventory order (minus what’s left of the deposit). Once full inventory payment is received your plushie order will be processed and we’ll confirm the estimated delivery time for your plushies to reach our facility. Depending on the quantity of plushies, inventory will arrive within a few weeks or months. Please note we also recommend ordering an additional 5% of inventory for replacements and exchanges.

One inventory reaches our facility we’ll take product photos and create the plushie listing for you. We’ll make sure to set the listing to ‘private’ so you can make it public and start selling when you’re ready. You can sell your plushies until stock runs out.

Option 2: Run a pre-order campaign

The pre-order option is there for creators who are unsure how much inventory to order or would like to avoid paying for inventory out of pocket. This enables you to avoid the risk of sourcing too much inventory or having to pay thousands of dollars for the products upfront.
After approving the prototype, you’ll need to confirm the minimum order quantity (MOQ)—i.e. the minimum number of plushies you plan to sell. Note the MOQ must be at least 100 units.
Next, we’ll create a pre-order landing page for fans to reserve their plushie. Pre-order campaigns usually run two to four weeks.
We’ll inform your community of the estimated delivery timeline for their order on the landing page and within confirmation emails. We’ll also advise them of the minimum order quantity on the landing page so if the MOQ isn’t reached they’ll understand why their order is canceled.
After the pre-order period ends (and MOQ is reached), we will use the funds from plushie reservations to pay for the inventory. Please note we also recommend ordering an additional 5% of inventory for replacements and exchanges.
Depending on the quantity of plushies, inventory will arrive within a few weeks or months. At that time we’ll send the orders to your buyers. Once orders are dispatched your profit will be available for withdrawal.

Please note, if you do not achieve the minimum order quantity required by the end of the selling period, all orders will be cancelled and buyers refunded.

4. Get Paid

After all plushie orders are shipped to buyers, profit from sales will be available for withdrawal within your Spring account.

Pricing recommendations

Normally a plushie’s base costs range from $6 – $12 but keep in mind there are many factors that can impact price like the combination of size, accessories, materials, etc. Also, any custom add-ons you request (outside of what is available in our catalog above) will increase the base cost of your plushie.

You will decide how much profit you want to make per plushie. The most common plushie selling prices range between $15 – $30. Teespring charges a fulfillment fee which covers storing plushie inventory (up to 60 days from last sale), creating product mockups, fulfilling orders, and handling customer service for you. Our service fee is 15% of the selling price (minimum $2). Pricing should depend on the base cost of your plushie and how much you think your audience will pay for this custom product. Let’s look at an example of how much profit you could make selling plushies:

For example, you source 1,000 plushies with a base cost of $10 each.
You pay $10,000 total for the full inventory order.
The selling price for each plushie is $25.
Teespring’s fulfillment fee is $3.75 (because 15% of $25).
Therefore, your profit margin would be $25 (selling price) – $10 (base cost) – $3.75 (service fee) = $11.25 per plushie.
This means you’ll make $11,250 in profit once you sell all your inventory.