SpankyStokes.com | Vinyl Toys, Art, Culture, & Everything Inbetween - Seite 2 
GO NAGAI X MVH X UNBOX: Neo-Lash Devilman 'FINAL' edition!
It's here... and if you missed the drop (as most of you probably did), MVH x Go Nagai's 9.5" tall soft vinyl Devilman Neo Lash Final was originally released as part of Go Nagai's 50th Anniversary exhibition in Japan... and UNBOX will have limited stock available HERE this coming weekend, Saturday march 30th at 7am PST for $150 - good luck!
Created by legendary LA graffiti artist and streetwear pioneer, OG Slick, Happy Yellow is the final figure in the highly coveted 5-part SuperKranky series produced by Superplastic... and SP sent one out for me to unbox and check out in person, and that's exactly what I did... and I will be giving this away as well! Standing at 8-inches tall and finished in Superplastic soft vinyl, this limited-edition piece is giving all the sunny vibes. Figure features Slick's signature hands posed for a hug, a removable cap, and a true-to-life spray nozzle. Give it a shake to hear the real rattle sound! Overall, a super solid figure, love the QC on it, the paint is awesome, the pose, and gotta love that removable cap with rattle sound. Highly recommend this! Limited to 900 pieces worldwide, and retailing for $130 a pop... I will be giving this away, and all you need to do is a few simple steps. First, head on over to my YouTube channel and subscribe to it if you haven't done so yet, and then watch the video, listen for the questions, and answer them in the comments below. One lucky RANDOM winner will have this sent to them (if you agree to pay for the shipping cost). That's it... Good luck and thanks for watching!
SketOne's "Stay Puff" edition Ripple figure... now available for UVD Toys!
Bustin' makes me feel good... In celebration of a certain movie release, SketOne and UVD Toys have teamed up to launch a new colorway of Sket's iconic Ripple! The 'Stay Puff" edition infuses a bit of a pop culture in to Sket's classic character! This is a perfect mesh of Sket's artistic style... a chance to own a perfect example of his work. The 4" vinyl figure is available now from UVD Toys or your favorite designer toy retailer for $35 each. Limited to 200 pieces worldwide so don't miss adding this guy to your collection before it is gone!
This Birthday Cake is a DUMPSTER FIRE... literally!
New from 100% Soft... Here’s to a birthday that nobody wants to acknowledge! The Birthday Cake Dumpster Fire has a birthday candle flame, piped frosting details, and a slice already missing, making it ideal for when birthdays feel more like emergencies than celebrations. These are up for grabs HERE right now for just $30, the perfect b-day gift for that birthday you forgot about!
New from Fools Paradise: SUP. PRO ESNTL // HBL!
Look! Special agent F appears in Hong Kong again, carrying out the third secret mission in the local market - to camouflage himself, he dresses in a very local HBL coat. Fools Paradise x ZCWO presents to you SUPER PROFESSIONAL ESSENTIAL // HBL. The sunglasses and the shark missile gun match the color tone in a metallic means. This probably is the most stylish "red, white and blue" presentation ever! Standing just over 10" tall, you can snag this up via pre-order HERE for $145 a pop ( Available to ship within 7 - 90 days).
New from BLAMO... introducing CHONKO the catdog!
CHONKO is a new cat dog friend inspired by BLAMO's own catdog. Odd, quirky and loveable. They held an Instagram contest to help name their new Blamo buddy and it was decided that CHONKO won! This figure features a hand cast brass face, leather body, and measures 4.5" tall and 8" long and each one comes in a handmade cotton and leather bag! Pick one up HERE right now... and please note that all Blamo Toys are handmade and despite their efforts to create the perfect art figure, each toy is unique and may contain minor imperfections... or as they like to call it, character.
Bindlewood announces their SPRING SALE... with Celestial Glow Set & Mossy Smidgen!
Spring hs aprung... so to celebrate, Chris and Amanda, over at Bindlewood will be releasing the Celestial Glow set. These two swirly miscreants both glitter and glow... sunshine, starshine, storms and springtime all in one! Plasma Storm Weebeetle and Sunshower Beans will be available Saturday, March 23rd at 8am PST, only at Bindlewood.com. Figures will be available as a set and individually, in limited quantities. BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE! Introducing Mossy Smidgen! This verdant lil' champion is an edition of 36 hand-painted, individually textured, custom Smidgen with hand-cast teeny tiny snail. Mossy Smidgen will be available Monday, March 25th at 5pm PST, only at Bindlewood.com. Limited to one per household.
New from Toy Art Gallery - The TOASTED MARSHMALLOW edition sofubi Stroll!
Toy Art Gallery is proud to present a new edition of Spankystokes' STROLL... hey, that's me! It's been a minute since we dropped a colorway of my Stroll mascot, and Aaron over at Toy Art Gallery smashed this one outta the park - such a fun edition! The Toasted Marshmallow Stroll features a crispy gooey paintjob on luscious white soft vinyl... all you need to do is bring graham crackers and some chocolate, we'll cover the rest! The STROLL features articulation at the head and arms, and was designed by John "Spanky" Stokes (@spankystokes), sculpted by Shinbone Creative, and produced by Toy Art Gallery. The TOASTED MARSHMALLOW STROLL will be available for $85 this Friday, March 22nd at 12PM PST, only at toyartgallery.com!
DrunkkToys : Concept To Completion - Investing in the first production run!
Investing in the First Production: Overcoming Logistic Challenges: Explore the financial aspects of the initial production phase, highlighting the logistical hurdles that need to be addressed... after our previous posts HERE, HERE, and HERE... Igino aka Morticella of DrunkkToys continues to share his series on the experience he has had in creating his characters... and this is the fourth installment. So enjoy the read, and be on the lookout of the others! After completing the prototype, you're now pleased with your creation, feeling a rush of excitement. However, this marks the transition from the artistic phase to the business phase. While packaging may still require attention, your primary focus shifts to actualizing your toy. The initial step involves obtaining quotes, typically exploring prices for Resin and Vinyl. Determining the production quantity is crucial, but it's important not to overlook other costs beyond the price of the toy itself. The cost of a toy is determined by numerous factors, with key ones including dimensions, shape, painting complexity, materials used, and production quantity. As complexity rises, so does the price, while higher quantities generally lead to lower costs per unit. Achieving a balance among these factors is essential to find an optimal pricing compromise. As an example, resin toys typically incur higher costs compared to vinyl toys. However, with vinyl, initial expenses for the mold are higher. Yet, if your toys prove successful, subsequent editions can lead to significant cost savings. Many people are often misled by browsing Alibaba, where they may encounter vinyl toy prices as low as $1. However, in reality, genuine factories typically quote higher prices. For instance, with a minimum quantity order and for toys standing at around 6 inches tall, prices usually start at around $30 per piece for vinyl and $40 per piece for resin. Initial investments typically begin at $5000, but for most projects, a minimum budget of $7500 is advisable to initiate production, usually for around 150 pieces. Scaling up to 500 pieces can yield savings of approximately 15-20% per piece, but this would require a minimum investment upwards of $10,000. Bringing my Drunkktoys 8-inch tall toy to life with a production run of 200 pieces required an initial investment of approximately $12,000, which includes the mold cost. However, this initial investment is just the beginning, as there are additional expenses associated with selling the toys. This includes producing packaging, covering shipping costs from China to your location, potential import taxes imposed by customs, shipping costs to send the product to the final customer, and possibly investing in advertising to promote sales. But these additional expenses will be discussed in the next and final post. Packaging costs typically range from $2 to $12 each, varying based on factors such as quality, size, materials, and complexity. Sea shipping from China typically ranges from $3 to $6 per piece, depending on dimensions, while air shipping costs more and can go up to $12 per piece. Customs taxes vary significantly depending on the destination country. For instance, based in Prague, I've found customs expenses to be around $3 per piece. Additionally, customs clearance times also factor into costs, as delays can result in additional expenses. However, there's another cost that can catch you off guard: shipping to the final customer. If your base is in the US and your primary market is also in the US, this might not pose a significant issue. However, if you're situated in Europe and your market extends globally, you're in for a surprise. Shipping an express package from Prague to the US can easily cost at least $40 – almost the price of the toys themselves. It may seem outrageous, but this is the reality I'm grappling with. It's a situation where everyone involved in my project stands to profit, except for me! All these expenses compelled me to set the final price at $149. Initially, my aim was to sell it at $99, but that proved impossible. To reach the $149 mark, I had to enlist a fulfillment service for logistics (suggested by my guardian angel BalkongToys). Consequently, my art toys won't physically arrive in Europe; instead, they'll be shipped directly from China, where the standard shipping cost (with a 2-week delivery timeframe) ranges from $10 to $18 per item. While fulfillment services offer convenience, there's the risk of unsold inventory, which means paying for storage space. The fear of not selling my toys is a constant worry, but I understand that such risks are inherent in this business. Another issue I'd like to address is the return policy, especially concerning limited editions. Managing returns can be challenging, particularly given the complexities of communication with China as discussed in a previous post. It's a significant problem that I need to solve because maintaining customer satisfaction is crucial for building long-term relationships. While I haven't compromised on quality to save costs, the lack of direct oversight during production raises concerns. Selling the product is just the beginning; ensuring high quality is essential for customer trust and satisfaction. In this regard, I must place my trust in my fulfillment service partner to uphold quality standards. In this phase, numerous small challenges arise, one of which is hidden costs. Producing commercial pictures for your product can add an extra $2 to $8 per piece to your expenses. Quality visuals are essential for marketing and selling your product, but they come with a price tag. Unless you're a skilled photographer with experience, relying on amateur visuals after creating a masterpiece toy can be risky and may negatively impact your sales potential. Now that we've covered all the necessary steps, it's time for the final stage: selling the product. Stay tuned for the next article in this series, where I'll delve into how I'm tackling this crucial aspect. I hope you're finding this series helpful. Until next time!
New from Slingshot Supply Co. - “March Mini Madness” sofubi release announced!
Slingshot Supply Co. is excited to announce what they are calling “March Mini Madness”... this sale focuses on all things pocket-size; featuring the long awaited debut of the Pyscho Sofvi minis (standing 3"-4" tall) in a ceramic-inspired colorway. This is a set of 3 figures: Anxious Andy, Sad Sack, and Breaknik and will retail for $90! Finknik, stands 4.5" tall, in his first official outing since the launch, will retail for $60, plus a much requested 3.75" blank offering with the GID Krazy Eyes Gamuboru Fink for $30! This all kicks off HERE on Friday, March 22nd at 9am PST when the "Entry Form" button goes live. Get your entries in before Sunday, March 24th at 9am PST. If applications exceed stock, a lottery will be held to determine successful applicants. Winners will be notified by Monday, March 25th with invoices to be paid 48 hours after receipt.