Our Process

The Process

First, please contact us. In order to better serve you, a written transcript of our communications is necessary, so email correspondence is preferred. Please include several good, clear, photos of your toy. I am unable to provide any pricing, estimates or discuss your toy until I have seen pictures. Please also include the size of your toy, measured using the greatest measurement. If your toy is sitting, please lay the toy out flat, and measure from head to toe. If your toy is made in a “lying” position, please measure from the tip of the nose to the back of the rear foot. Photos allow me to determine the type of fabric your toy was made from, the overall construction, and time frame needed to complete the work. Though it is nearly impossible to give a 100% accurate estimate without first being able to see and hold the item, the photos are crucial in the initial assessment. I will provide you with a “rough” estimate, but I may need to revise it once I see your toy, as there are sometimes things I cannot see in the photos. There is a minimum charge of $90.  I will put your toy on my schedule, and provide you a date for shipping. I do not have room to store toys until I am ready to work them, and this way I only have your toy here for a relatively short period of time.

When shipping your toys, use whatever carrier you prefer, but I highly recommend insurance regardless of your choice.  It is a requirement that you include in the box a card with your name, address, email, phone number. This is for insurance purposes, and should be included in the box, not sent via email. Also, a deposit of 50% of the estimated repairs are due when the toy is shipped. I accept payments through Zelle, and Cash App, in addition to checks and bank drafts. I no longer accept any type of payment that charges me fees, so if you would like to pay via Venmo, you will be billed the associated fees. The cost of shipping your toy to and from my workshop is your responsibility.

Once your toy arrives, it will be carefully inspected and the final cost confirmed.  When working on a toy, it is important that I do the restoration work that I feel is necessary to preserve a toy in the best condition possible, so I do not perform partial repairs. If I were to only do part of the work – even at the customer’s request – it could be detrimental to the overall longevity of the piece. In addition, while you may prefer your toy looking a certain way (ie. missing an eye, a hole not patched, etc.), someone else looking at your toy may just feel that the restorer was unable to complete the job, which would not have been accurate. I require that a toy be cleaned as part of the restoration work. If cost is a concern, I am very willing to work with you. I work very hard at maintaining the special character of each toy I work on. Once I receive written approval from you (via email), I will start to work.

The time to complete a repair varies from toy to toy. While I know that many people don’t like to be without their toys for any length of time, the work cannot be rushed. When the work is completed, we will send you digital images of the toy in its finished state, and a copy of your invoice, showing the balance due, including return shipping. (All shipping costs, including any insurance costs, are the responsibility of the customer. Even if you choose to send me stamps or pre-paid postage, there is still a small handling fee.)  The bill is due upon receipt, and while I prefer Zelle payments (a secure bank-to-bank transfer) you may pay via check, money order, or bank check.

Here is the part of the process that I must share: While I love my job, it is not a hobby, it helps to pay the bills. If you cannot pay your balance when the work is completed, just let me know so we can work out a payment plan. If no payment arrangements have been made, and I have to store your toy for more than 2 weeks time, I will need to charge a storage fee.

Canadian and foreign shipments must incur a surcharge of $15 for additional forms and packaging. Once your final payment is received, we will then ship the toy back to you via Priority Mail, or Registered mail. or UPS. A hard copy of your invoice will be included with the shipment.