Hello I'm very new to the world of puppetry but I've always loved it in TV shows film and stage production and after a recent use of it in my drama class i can't lie I'm now hooked on it! It's like the puppet brings the beast out of me it's awesome.Anyway the reason I'm posting this is i was thinking of doing puppetry as a hobby but I have one major question

Where can i get a puppet? where should i buy from and what should i expect to pay?

other then that if anyone out there has any tips for a beginner it would be greatly appreciated
PS: as far as a type of puppet I'm talking about I'm talking about double or single rod puppets

 

Glad that you signed up and welcome.  I would say pick your puppet based on the look and the character you envision...it really is hard to say what the prices could be they vary from 10 bucks up to 800+.  I would say set a price you can afford and find the puppet you want to perform with...hey you can always throw up a picture here and we will give you feedback before you put out the money?

Hope this helps...

StiqPuppets

great idea  the picture i'm posting is of a genaric monster puppet it's like one i've used before so somthing like it should work well for a start

Search 'Monster hand puppet' on ebay and this guy pops up, plus a lot of others. Looks like good quality, and most under $40 US.

An in-depth explanation of costs of puppets:
http://www.schoolofpuppetry.com.au/tutorials.php/how-much-does-a-puppet-cost

There are a lot of puppet 'superstores' that sell generic (read: factory produced) puppets. For more hand-made characters that are a little different try Etsy or Ebay. There's also probably puppet sellers/makers in your own country that can be found via http://unima-canada.blogspot.com/

Hi there onegamer. If you go to our website, across the menu bar you will see a "more" heading. Scroll down the "freebies" heading and you will find 4 pages of tips for beginning puppeteers. I have been involved with making and performance for 22 years, being mostly self-taught. All the best. Debra Clewer.

Welcome to Puppets and Stuff!  You've gotten some good advice already where you can buy puppets. We also have quite a few members here who make them and sell them. If you browse around I am sure you'll end up finding them. Most folks who sell puppets have a link in their signature like Clewer Puppets does or if not you might see the small world icon under their name and avatar that shows up next to their post that is a link to their site.

Not all but some puppeteers not only perform but they also make their puppets. That might be an option for you. The beauty of that is that you can get exactly what you want and it is unique. Often it will cost you a lot less in the long run if you continue in this as a hobby.

I have to correct you on something first. I am surprised someone did not catch this already.   The type of puppetry you are looking for is called "Hand" or "Hand in Mouth" not "Rod" puppetry.  A rod puppet does not require you to put your "hand" up into the puppet.

That's funny, I totally thought he meant one or two arm rods.......

It's a question I've had more than once from a customer as to if I supply a rod for both arms.

That's funny, I totally thought he meant one or two arm rods.......

It's a question I've had more than once from a customer as to if I supply a rod for both arms.

that is what i ment maybe thats not there official name but when i said single rod hand puppet i was reffering to the number of arm rods

Welcome to Puppets and Stuff and the awesome world of puppetry! I am one of those members that Shawn was alluding to in his comment that maintains some puppets for sale. You're welcome to check out my link (the little world icon under my name) and as he said there are quite a few other folks here who also have puppets for sale. Whatever you choose I'm sure you'll have fun! Who knows? Maybe you'll decide to make your own!

Sorry about that oneupgamer... I totally miss read that.

Sorry about that oneupgamer... I totally miss read that.

No problem Shawn Sorrell btw looked at your website, Nice work on the puppets

I know I'm probably a little late to put my say in, but i would suggest that if you are serious about persuing puppetry as a hobby or possible job, then you buy a reasonably decent puppet to get you started, i mean i know that people have suggested buying a cheap puppet, but unfortunately this might not help you in the long run.
Having a reasonably decent puppet to work with will help you to develop your skills as a puppeteer, but don't worry, this doesn't have to be an expensive puppet, just one that will function how you realistically need it to, meaning having a puppet with good flexibility and movement that appeals to you. For example, a fabric neck that is attached to the base of the puppet, rather than the shoulders will allow for better movement, also a puppet with rod arms that are either removable from the inside of the hand or are permanently attached will give you better control over the puppets arms movement, allowing you to manipulate the puppet more easily, etc..... i don't mean to over complicate things, because at the end of the day, once you have reasonable skills in puppetry, you will be able to make anything come to life, and i mean anything!! but i have been running puppetry workshops for almost 6 years now and believe me, if you are serious, then you will need good tools to work with to enable you to get a good start in puppetry rather than having to struggle using a puppet that does not move well and gives you painful cramp in your hand!!
OK, I'm not trying to freak you out, its really easy to be honest, i just want you to have the best start that you can, and maybe this means making a simple puppet yourself, check out pasha romanowski's www.projectpuppet.com and take a gander at the 'glorified sock puppet' pattern, its not only cheap, but is an amazing base to build a really easy, simple, but effective puppet that wont cost the earth, but will give you a great start and the satisfaction of building your own puppet, but as the others have already said, there are people on this forum that make puppets like myself to sell and don't forget that between the lot of us, we have literally hundreds of years of experience and knowledge, so we are here to answer any questions you may have!!

have fun,

Ben.

No problem Shawn Sorrell btw looked at your website, Nice work on the puppets

Thank You!

check out pasha romanowski's www.projectpuppet.com and take a gander at the 'glorified sock puppet' pattern, its not only cheap, but is an amazing base to build a really easy, simple, but effective puppet that wont cost the earth, but will give you a great start and the satisfaction of building your own puppet
have fun,

Ben.

hmm interesting looking puppets reminds me of kermit the frog kind of. This definetly looks like somthing that would be cool to build but is there an online tutorial or somthing on how to do somthing like this? I usually take better to those...not sure why