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LuxembearsHi everyone.
I am passing this along in case anyone might be interested. I am not in any way involved in this, I am only a messenger.
This was presented to me over the phone from a very enthusiastic, entrepreneur.
He sounds very serious and is looking for an artist who would be able to do some design work on some really neat ideas. All of the details need to be dealt with between you, the artist,and the owners of this business.
I myself, am simply to committed to other projects to take on any more work.
Here's some info and anyone interested can contact Craig and Alex. 
Good luck!
Judi,
Here is the ad. Thanks again for all the help.
Experienced Teddy Bear Designer Wanted
We are looking for an experienced stuffed animal designer to assist in making prototypes for our new line of high quality stuffed animals. The designer will collaborate with our in-house artist on a contract basis to produce the product prototypes and patterns. Ideal candidates will be knowledgeable about plush materials and design costs. Please send a resume and an example of prior art if possible.
Craig Lund
clund@fanzanimal.com
Newcastle, OntarioHi Judi,
Thanks for posting and although this could be a great opportunity for the right person, and don't want to turn anybody off - just wanted to add my two cents. I designed several pieces for Deb Canham a while back, and although she was a lovely person and it really helped me get my name out to the public, the designing part was no fun. You are working to someone else's specifications and deadlines. The creative spirit is squashed and it doesn't matter if you aren't feeling well of the baby has the flu - the deadlines are there. Just something to think about.
hugs,
Brenda
Judi,
I know, you don't want to get involved in this 
But I can't find any reference to this guy or his company on the internet. I'm not saying I'm looking, but I understand freelance design. In my past life(before the cats) I had designed for North American Bear Company, Pee Wee Herman Toys, and I worked with Henson when he was alive. Do these people have any experience with freelance designers?
Karen
KJ Lyons Design
Back Road BearsOK, well then I can add my two cents too..... I've only done a one time thing... Mimzy.... but it was an experience I won't jump at again. Working to someone else's specifications is so... er... unartistic... stiffiling.... debilitating... unless you like to be dictated to. And the contract and money... make sure you get what you want and deserve and don't expect to get much else done but work for these people..... changing deadlines..... enjoy working with plush (NOT necessarily mohair). And copyright..... who gets it.... if its not you will you get royalities.... will they pay you up front to make the prototype and hand over the pattern and that's it? (I wish someone had been around to advise me when I accepted the job with New Line Cinema.... might not have gotten so used!)
I too looked for them. Their web address was purchased in 2005... they are out of Scottsdale, AZ. At least the IP address the website is registered to is in Scottsdale. The site is undeveloped so that didn't help. I couldn't find anything else either. Karen is right.... if they don't have previous experience and this is a "testing the waters" type venture anything can happen. Its a risk.
Just things to think about.... could be fun and exciting.... could be the next Beanie Baby crazy.... you never know... but its important to approach it with eyes wide open and cautiously.
Newcastle, OntarioHi Daphne,
I hoped you might jump in and give your experience, as well. I kept the copyright to my patterns and got paid royalties, so I definitely made out better than you. It could be a golden opportunity, but the down side needs to be spelled out too, especially if it's not a good company. Fore-warned is forarmed, for sure.
hugs,
Brenda
Back Road BearsRubbing it in, Brenda?? :crackup: 
LuxembearsYou guys do have some really valid points.
I think it would be hard to work with someone else's specifications...I only wanted to share this "just in case" it could work for someone. This is my only intention. I have nothing to gain or lose ...
"Eyes wide open" is always a good approach to anything.
Karen, from what I understand this is a new company and I don't believe they have a website This is all I know.
If anyone did work on designs for another company then perhaps it would be good to protect your self/art by having lawyers involved with some kind of a contract.
Actually I think this is a good topic to discuss for any future propositions that may come up down the road.
Daphne you sure have a very useful experience on this subject. I have never worked with anyone else on a project other than The Theodore Society. But that was a pretty small number of bears from a trusted business...TBR.
Brenda, Thanks for your input too. You're so right about knowing every possible side of a venture like this.
Has anyone else designed for a company other than their own?
Past Time BearsI designed a bear for The Franklin Mint (Holly the Holiday Bear) and it was a pretty cut and dried experience. They sent me a contract, I signed, and they manufactured the bear. I did have to send them several prototypes before they were satisfied. They kept bringing up changes they could've mentioned before I made the first one, but then it was a fairly straightforward and okay relationship. Then, as Judi mentioned, I designed a bear for the Theodore Society . . . that was a very pleasant experience. The Steiff bear was a little different because it was a competition, but the terms of the agreement were set in the contest application. I've been approached by several other companies, but we didn't work anything out. Just read the fine print of the contract and anything you don't understand - ASK. Be sure you know what you're getting into and the demands that will be made on your time, plus the financial aspects.
LuxembearsGreat advice Sue Ann. :thumbsup:
I think working with another company could be a good thing if all the details work out on both sides and the artist knows, and had read, ALL the fine print.
BTW- I have one of your lovely Franklin Mint Bears. She adorable. 
Bears by EdieThe only design work I have done for another company was also for Franklin Mint - The Heart of Hope Bear for breast cancer research. It was an interesting experience and I felt I was well enough paid and everything went smoothly - I had to make them two protypes but I knew that right from the start, and didn't have any problems with unreasonable deadlines. The only think I was disappointed about is they did not use my name in the advertising or promotion of the bear or give me any credit at all for the design - and actually having the credit and my name out there with it would have been more important to me than getting the money. I did ask about the credit bit up front and they just kind of evaded it and I wasn't smart enough to make that part of the deal. They printed advertising that they sent me using my name as the artist and then some where they left my name off and said they didn't know at that point which they would go with but for some reason used the ones without my name. It didn't make much sense to me as I was well enough known at the time that I felt having my name on the design would have been an asset not a hindrance. A number of my collectors and friends in the industry were even more upset than me that I didn't get credit and contacted Franklin Mint to ask why they hadn't said that I was the designer and the company told them that I had not wanted my name used!!! 
Back Road BearsEdie, good point.... credit. Like you, I received absolutely ZERO... not even a credit line in the movie..... yet when you see the list of those who did you have to wonder why someone like a limo drivers for a star got a credit line but the woman who made the main movie character and the movie's namesake got nothing! I did ask up front as well and was told by the property master who hired me that HE didn't usually get a credit line so I certainly wouldn't but that he's put in my request. Yeah, right. His name was among the first 20 in the credits. Jerk. 
However, I'm THANKFUL my name isn't on any of the manufactured Mimzies put out. Going forward I'd want to know WHO was manufacturing the critter I designed and really check out their quality and abilities to replicate..... don't want to be associated with or got to all that work for the end result to be of poor quality.
Newcastle, OntarioHi Daphne,
Nope, not rubbing it in 
- I'm just really miserly and wasn't going to give up any rights to my patterns. If I hadn't retained ownership and got royalties, I wouldn't have done it. I think that was the difference between your experience and mine. Deb Canham called me after she had seen my toys. I had created them already from my ideas and she liked them. You were asked to design to someone elses idea and maybe they felt that it was their creation, even though you did all the hard work.
I was also extremely lucky to know Lorraine Chien well enough from the One-of-A-Kind Craft Show in Toronto, to phone her up first and got a lot of questions answered and she gave me great advice - even offered to give me the name of her lawyer. Lorraine was a designer for Cottage Collectibles by Ganz for several years.
But even after all that, I wouldn't do it again.
hugs,
Brenda
Melbourne, Australia:doh: Never again! Working to someone else's specs and deadlines is the pits,
no matter what field you're in! Takes all the fun out of creating.
Posts: 3,540And yet some people thrive on the challenges of meeting deadlines and tweaking patterns and designs at the last minute. It really depends on a person's abilities and what floats their boat. 
I've been following all of this closely. I've absolutely no interest in doing something like this, but it is interesting to hear how you can do this to better protect yourself as an artist, and certainly for getting credit.
Daphne has an extemely valid point by checking out the quality level of the manufacturer. You certainly do NOT want to get stuck with some junk out there attached to your name. 
For anyone considering such a relationship, my own advice, for what it's worth, would be:
1.) Hire a great lawyer to help you draft a rock solid contract and work hard to protect and guarantee your interests even if you feel "selfish" doing so. Put every last little thing of importance -- what you will, and will NOT, be doing for the hiring firm -- into the contract, in writing, in crystal clear language that can't ever be disputed. No point is too small to make at the outset, and even if you feel you are being "annoying" with numerous revisions it's important to get every last paragraph absolutely right up front BEFORE you begin, or you won't be protected. It does not behoove you to think about others in this aspect. Don't allow yourself the luxury of being "starry eyed" over the compliment of their attention. Instead, proceed at every step by asking yourself, "What is the worst thing that can happen, if I don't create a contract to ensure it WON'T?" Think only of yourself as you develop your contract, and NEVER accept the first draft you're sent unless, by some miracle, it's a perfect fit. Trust me, though... it won't be. Except to the company that developed and sent it. If things go sour, the other guys will be thinking of themselves... not about you. That's the harsh reality of it.
I took this approach in my own dealings with a manufacturer and it served me amazingly well, to significant financial advantage, even though none of my bears were actually produced due to factory limitations.
2.) Keep ALWAYS in mind that it's not fun and friendship and fellow bear artists you're dealing with... it's business, and business people. They really don't much care about how hard it is to make a symmetrical face; how much time it takes to design a pattern; how time consuming it is to find "just right" materials to best make their prototype; how much a perfectionist you are; that your background is as a OOAK artist and you have a learning curve in manufacturing; and so on. The bottom line is not how nice you are, or how beautiful your artwork might be, but rather, cashflow. And even if you explain this all upfront and the company appears sympathetic, don't count on sympathies and humanity when deadlines come into play!
In the end, it doesn't matter how good a person you, or they, are, or how hard you're trying for them, or how earnest and well intended your efforts. What matters is, how soon can you get them product... and will your product profit their company. ?? And that's ALL that matters. In the end, if your designs are such that the company can't produce them at a price point that will net them a profit, no matter how hard you worked or how beautiful your product, it won't get made. Period. In this respect, you have almost zero control and oversight.
3.) Make absolutely CERTAIN you have the power to approve and disapprove factory prototypes. Even if everything else is lined up perfectly, if the factory produces work your name will be on that doesn't meet your expectations, YOUR name is sullied. Protect your branding!!
4.) Be very clear about who gets what permissions. In my case, I sold specific patterns/concepts to a manufacturer and created prototypes for those concepts. That's ALL they bought, though. They did NOT buy the use of my name, my company name, or any of my other concepts or designs, past or present. SPELL THIS OUT in the contract. Protect yourself and be smart.
5.) Make absolutely CERTAIN that a production calendar, or at least some very clear suggestion of what that calendar will look like, is included in your contract. That way, you won't be surprised -- or enslaved -- when the company asks you to create twenty prototypes in a two week period. Which they may be able to legally do, if you're not careful to explain otherwise in your contract! I had a contract which stated I'd make AS MANY AS "X" number of prototypes per month (a small number), and possibly less. Find a number that's reasonable for you and stick to it, or you'll end up burying yourself in a workload you can't manage.
6.) Find out who your ONE contact person is going to be and communicate ONLY with that person about issues and problems, even if others in the company keep sending you notes or calling to monitor progress and check in. Ideally, your contact person will be in the design/production department... and not a marketing or strategy guy. When the company sets you up with too many contact points, confusion ensues, because the one hand doesn't always know what the other hand is doing or saying. A situation like this can quickly become confusing, then frustrating, then downright impossible to work with, especially if you're hearing conflicting stories from each party.
7.) Insist on percentage (not time) based royalties from every last item produced and sold which is based on your work, whether that item is a precise copy of your submitted designs, or a derivative item like a greeting card.
8.) Remember that working for a company takes you away from your regular customer base and sales market(s)... and make sure you're compensated accordingly for your absence. Make sure what you're paid by the company -- for prototypes, in royalties -- exceeds, or at least matches, what you'll lose by stepping outside your usual sales circle(s.) Otherwise, you're giving your time and talent away for cheap. Value yourself!
9.) Realize that if the company won't agree to these terms, you likely don't want to be working for them, because their ethic is likely unfair and might aim to take advantage of you. These are FAIR terms. Be objective and remember... charity begins at home. Pay yourself first.
10.) Expect the worst. That way, if/when it lands in your lap, you won't be surprised, and can turn it to your advantage.
11.) Hope for the best! In the best case scenario, you might not only increase your name brand recognition and customer base, but you might get richer to boot! And unlike what the rest of us are sharing (how odd, and sad), you might have a heckuva good time, too.
And for the record, in case anyone is wondering... I'm the kind of gal who never says never. Stilll, I feel pretty confident in saying that unless the business world somehow reinvents the manufacturing wheel, I'll NEVER work with a manufacturer again.
Good luck!
Past Time BearsSuper great advice, Shelli! Don't think it could've been said better. :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
Thanks Sue Ann. 
I don't want to discourage people from participating in what might be an excellent opportunity. I just hope folks will protect themselves and work smart.
I'll be curious to hear where this goes, and whether or not anyone here at TT, regular or lurker, pursues this opportunity.
Posts: 1,836Super advice Shel, really good specifics!! :clap:
I think you'll find this funny. I think it's one of your all time favs too...I totally had flashes of a You've Got Mail scene while reading your post.
." And the answer to your question is "Go to the mattresses. It's from The Godfather. It means you have to go to war. It's not personal, it's business. It's not personal it's business. Recite that to yourself every time you feel you're losing your nerve. I know you worry about being brave, this is your chance. Fight. Fight to the death."
I love that movie
:hug:
~Chrissi
Newcastle, OntarioShelli,
Great information! I didn't know whether to comment after Sue Ann's original post or not, but I'm very glad to see everyone conveying their opinions and experiences. It's good to see all the possible pitfalls, when dreaming of making cash from a manufacture, because all they are thinking about is making money off of the artist And boy does creativity go down the tubes. I almost quit bearmaking after my experience, and it really wasn't that bad, in retrospect. It just dulled my creative spark. It's funny, because I haven't really made any of the push toys since, either. Now and then I make the odd one, but it sure took the sparkle off them LOL!
hugs,
Brenda
I think you'll find this funny. I think it's one of your all time favs too...I totally had flashes of a You've Got Mail scene while reading your post.
." And the answer to your question is "Go to the mattresses. It's from The Godfather. It means you have to go to war. It's not personal, it's business. It's not personal it's business. Recite that to yourself every time you feel you're losing your nerve. I know you worry about being brave, this is your chance. Fight. Fight to the death."
Oh yeah! Absolutely one of my faves, and completely applicable here. And also the part where they dialogue something like this:
Tom Hanks: It was just business.
Meg Ryan: It was business to YOU. To ME... it was personal.
Amen, too, to what Brenda said. In retrospect, my own manufacturing experience was also fair to decent. But it absolutely killed my creative spark for bears -- beautifully worded, Brenda! -- at least temporarily (and more than a little of my ability to trust and believe), which hurt me personally and professionally. A lot. It's all coming back around, though, for me, and I'm feeling that hunger again. Although like Brenda, I'm re-designing at least some of the ways I'll be making bears from now on. Somehow, it has to have a "newness" to it, to help me move on.
Back Road BearsI'm guessing we've talked just about anybody right of contacting this guy about creating his plush line!!!
Sorry, Craig!
Absolutely, positively everything Shelli said with and emphasis on #3. I designed for Enesco for three years. I loved everything about designing for them except for the fact that I had absolutely NO control over the materials used in the final product. That ultimately ended the relationship. The reproductions looked like a really bad copy of my originals. Sloppy! They still pop up on eBay from time to time......with my name on them. UGH.
Ultimately, it was a great learning experience. Like Shelli, I can't say I'll never do it again. Hey, the royalties were really good! I think I'd be a much smarter chickie the second time around though. At least I hope I would be!!
Best wishes to whoever takes on the challenge!
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Newcastle, OntarioHey Daphne,
I had to laugh when I read your post! Poor Craig! Do you think we ought to forward this page to him, to help him when he tries to deal with whoever he hires. :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
hugs,
Brenda
I'm guessing we've talked just about anybody right of contacting this guy about creating his plush line!!! :whistle:
(hee hee) You may be right, Daphne, but I feel like I KNOW everyone who's commented here, and so I feel like I KNOW that talking people out of this opportunity really isn't anyone's intent.
So yeah, sorry Craig... but we're really just trying to be supportive of one another here, which is one of the things TT does best. I hope it doesn't have the outcome of biasing people against manufacturers, but instead, possibly opens their eyes to the things they might watch out for; protect passionately; and think about, before arranging such a partnership.
I have a question for all you knowledgeable people who have dealt with designing a pattern to have it manufactured I read where you received royalties but were you also paid for the initial designs? If you had to choose between being paid for the design versus the royalties what would you choose and why?
Thanks
Hugs
Gail
