Hi P&Sians,

This may be a ridiculous question but I'm going to pose it anyway... 

I am relatively new to the puppet building scene having always been a cloth doll maker. Whilst I understand the principles of puppetry, I have kind of merged the two arts when making my puppets and don't necessarily construct my puppets in the manner other builders do.

So, my dilemma. I have had a number of people ask to purchase some of the puppets I've made recently. As these people have found them through my Facebook page, I don't actually know them. This is awesome but has got me thinking about the professionalism of my puppets. I am unsure for what purpose these people intend to use them and I am quite concerned that if purchased for use by a working puppeteer, I cannot guarantee their longevity or their quality compared to other puppets. I would hate to give someone a dodgy product and of course doing that could potentially impact on the success of the other arms of my business. I went to the only local puppet shop here for comparison but the puppets are mass produced plush type characters and not at all similar to the awesome creations you guys share here every day. So, how do I test the quality of my puppets and their ability to survive multiple performances? Are there specific features puppeteers would expect of a professional puppet and do they expect to do any maintenance on puppets?

Thanks

Lizzie

How do you test the quality of your other works of art?  I wouldn't worry too much about this really.  I have the feeling your skills are up to it. Strong stitching and clean work should give them a good product. 

In regards to if a professional would expect to do maintenance.  If they don't then they are crazy!  Would you buy a car then expect for it to last for ever if you did not take care of it and do regular maintenance!  Sorry I guess I am getting on my soap box a bit but I really hate the idea that folks think a puppet should last forever. The fact is that they won't. They are made of materials that wear down. Yes if you take good care of them they can last years but if you are using them really hard they are just going to have to be replaced at some point. 

Ok practical information. Do you make your stitching clean and strong perhaps reinforcing any stitching that may have stress on it? The mouth plate gets a lot of work out so if you use solid materials there then they should hold up. Things like leather or casket rubber would hold up better as hing points for mouth plates instead of fabric but I've had heavy cottons last for a long time as hinges. 

Again I really don't think you have anything to worry about. You are confident in the quality of your dolls right.... the you should be confident in your puppets!

You have to think of a puppet as just a really fancy tool. It's a hammer, or a drill... it's designed to do certain things. Because it's designed to be used, it has to be more durable; at the same time, tools break down over time, and there will be natural wear and tear.

I try to 'test' my puppets out before selling them, and this may mean doing a little video. However I'm totally certain that I don't get in as rigourous a test of movement, etc as you would get from an actual performance.

Don't forget too that it depends on the care of the person using it. If they treat your work with disregard for wear and tear, then they will find it lasts less than someone would who follows basic care advice. Remember, a toy is usually just as breakable no matter how much it's tested, simply because one kid may kick it around - as compared to the kid who treats it gently.

(PS. The mass produced puppets are usually made by toy manufacturers - Folkmanis is the biggest one - and not only aim them at children, but have the dough to do lots of testing)

When it comes to testing I just try and use the puppet the way it's expected to be used. You know the best how the puppet should move and what it's designed to do; so practice with it. You'll likely want to do some form of advertising with it, so if practice means creating a short video or something, go for it.

You also know how best the puppet will last anyway. Don't forget materials break down over time even without use: so offer a repairs service. I do this free of charge, because I know that people won't find parts or repairs anywhere else. You may wish to charge for it, that's up to you. But offering to do repairs is a good idea anyway. I've never had anyone request it, but then I've not actually sold many real puppets (patterns yes, puppets not so much - yet).

I also include with the receipt a print out that has info on care, repairs, storage, how to perform with the puppet, etc. A lot of people won't know straight away how to use the puppet when they receive it, so having some info about use and care is a great way to lessen the wear and tear they might make from incorrectly using the puppet. (This stuff can also be made available on your website/Facebook page/whatever or via email)

Might be worth using, is my puppet commission checklist:
http://www.schoolofpuppetry.com.au/tutorials.php/puppet-commission-checklist

I also recommend you visit
http://www.productsafety.gov.au
and your consumer affairs state website for info on product safety in Australia. I spent some time there last year doing research for my future products and what requirements I would have to comply with. Unsurprisingly there's nothing specific about puppets, but my guess is they would come under 'toys'. There's a lot of excellent info on what kinds of requirements you'd have to follow (surprisingly not a lot) and testing.

Interestingly enough, from what I gathered, they tend to assume that if one is making and selling toys, one can afford a testing facility to certify your products. They do briefly mention that you can test at home (for those working out of home), but I specifically remember - and don't quote me on this, double check it - that testing should cover any reasonably expected use of the product. In other words, they were pretty vague as to how much testing and what needs testing. I guess that's in part because toys come in a variety of shapes, sizes, etc.

Lastly, if you're worried about the durability, then do what I am doing: check your materials are as durable as can be and upgrade where necessary (I'm going from laminated cardboard to polypropylene sheets); ensure each part of the puppet is to your high standards before using it or sending it out; develop a better system for testing; keep back any work that looks good in pics but doesn't work well on stage; change your building methodology; etc.

Don't forget that the Sesame St and Muppet puppets have been rebuilt over the years due to use and natural wear and tear. Just because they're made by pros and look fab doesn't mean that they won't need replacement over time. (For an interesting side issue, go to Muppet Wiki and check out the pics of the different Miss Piggy's and Kermits over the years. You can see how they change as different materials are sourced, design is refined, and different makers have their hand in. Even those staples of puppetry are *greatly* different than how they started off)

Thanks Shawn and Na. I feel a bit of a fool now for posing this question but sometimes having that little bit of confidence makes the world of difference. The stitching is clean and strong so I'm not concerned there. All my mouth plates however are joined with fabric. I think they're okay but I'll consider this aspect for future puppets - thank you.

I think the difference between the puppets and my other works really is use. I can assess the quality of the dolls etc as it's purely aesthetic. None of them would be safe for use by children and at the end of the day, they sit in  someone's home and just need to look good and have balance. Having sustained use is a whole new world to me, but your feedback has put it in to perspective. As for the maintenance, the car analogy is a good one so perhaps I'll structure a care sheet around it.

And Na, I find consumer affairs a mine field, but perhaps it's time to re-visit it and work out what my obligations really are to customers.

Thank you both for your responses.

Lizzie

Don't be silly - I think I probably asked the same question a few years ago. It's really hard to judge whether or not something like this will be durable because usually they're one of a kind and you've not necessarily made something like it before.

I do recommend consumer affairs. If you're going to be selling something, you want to know you're doing it legally. Again, there's not a lot of requirements (mentioning your stuff isn't for kids is probably one of them), at least as far as I can tell. Better to check you're doing things within the law than have someone complain one day and end up with them investigating you.

Thanks for bringing this up Lizzie. This was one of the things I had been thinking about lately. I've had a few people ask me about making them some puppets, and I was thinking that what I have made so far are fine to give to friends/family, but not necessarily to sell.
And as always, we get some great insight. Thanks for sharing that checklist Na.

No problems - that checklist has been really handy for me. I always remember now to find out stuff that I usually forget. And it helps to have a sort of 'usual method' when it comes to commissions, because I've found in the past that I might not ask something that turns out to be really useful to know later... or asking something too soon (ie. it's more important to ask about budget than to worry about eye colour).