Ok so I'm not sure if this is the right forum but here is my dilemma.  I have a few puppets from my first few days of trial and error.  There is one with a big line of stitches up his back where I had to cut a slit to fit the too big body fabric with the too small foam body.  There is a stuffed animal giraffe with a neck too small to fit a hand and a cardboard mouth rather crudely glued in.  A big turtle with a shell fabric cut ragged with foam pieces visible.  He is rather cool in the fact he has velcro legs and so if you pull them off and drop the head he goes "inside" his shell.  So yea, I have taken pictures and have come to terms they may be trashed and since I have no place to donate them to near me and my parents cannot store them when I go to college because they are moving....help me out with this, any ideas? Thanx!!

Alan I still have all the pictures of these puppets. Have you thought about donating them to the childrens section of your local Library. This would be a good opportunity to show them how you got started. It is hard to believe that you're ready for college. It seems just yesterday a young man ask us for help to build his first puppet.
I am so proud of you and your accomplishments with puppetry over the years. May you have much continued success in your new endeavors.

Billy D.

If you can't find them a home I would be proud to take them..... Would be kind of a trophy.

our library really has no children's programs besides read together groups they aren't very kid oriented.  But if you really want them by all means i can ship them out I would rather someone have them than in the trash, even if someone wants to cannibalize them for hair or foam or some such item.  I will try to post some pics and thanks to everyone on this board but especially Billy for starting my first puppet expedition and I now haveclose to 50 puppets if you can believe that, so now I have to start taking pics and selling/giving away.  so yea let me know any more ideas lol?

btw I love that puppet in your pic hes so professional looking and cute!!!

I have a suggestion.You could donate them to the children's hospital, a fire or police deparment to be used by them for kids in trauma cases.It's an idea I have consider and used for other things I have made.Not to take away from Billy I wouldn't want to do that.But if you have a lot to give away.The other suggestion would be the kids ward at the nearest cancer centre.It would be great for them to have "someone" to talk to about their fears and to share their secrets with.I know I gave a bear I had made to a young girl who was under going chemo,her mom told me that she never went any where with out Bear,even when she went off to University Bear went with her and  went with on the stage graduation day,it was even the ring bearer on her wedding day.Unfortunately the cancer resurfaced after 15 years,but she faced it with her best friend( Bear).When she was laid to rest Bear was with her.That was a number of years ago.Even if only 1 puppet becomes a best friend it really is worth it.

Brenda

Excellent idea Brenda............. I was just mentioning that I would hate to see them go in the trash. So I would give them a good home or find them one. Alan was one of my first online students you could say and has done very well for himself. Fifty puppets....................... I have'nt seen all those pictures, I only have seen a dozen or so. Alan worked with his church in many aspects of puppetry.

Billy D.

If you can't find a home for them Alan my home is still open. Just don't put them in the trash.

Contact Ministry Resources International, they accept donations of puppets to be passed onto people around the world who can't afford to purchase them. Headed by Dale VonSeggen in Colorado, MRI is an excellent organisation. I am in the process of filtering through my puppets to send the unused ones to MRI. Check out their website. www.2reachkids.org

Sue

Another excellent Idea Sue................ The missions field are always a great place to donate puppets. Alan Your church may have a missions program that would send them for you.

Billy D.

Yea those are all very good ideas I'm not sure of the resources needed in our area.  We live in a very small state and an area where puppetry is still a very new resource that many places don't use or even know about.  Also, I'm not sure how great these puppets are just because they were some of my first and they are really the worst ones I ever made very almost sloppily done, although at that time they took a long time and alot of work.  I'm cleaning up the rest of my stuff and will have to chat with my parents do some research into what I could do around here.  Worst comes to worst (not worst obviously but you get the idea) all in all I can send them to Billy and he could decide what would be best.  I use the worst comes to worst expression as if I can't decide and I'm off to college sort of deal, not to say you are my last choice Billy.  I realize sincerity is hard on a message board but I hope that makes sense.....  Thank you so much for starting me off on my puppetry journey!!!!  Best wishes to all, especially Billy!!  Thanks again to all!!

It doesn't need to be a cancer hospital.Any hospital with a childrens' ward would probably be very happy to recieve them.Trust me kids don't look at how it's made.Kids don't judge.They imagine.A puppet can become a dragon slayer,a policeman,a ballet dancer,and an astronaut all within an hour.
Brenda