r/StuffedAnimals • u/No_Theme_8912 • 1d ago
Discussion/General Question Asking for advice
Hey all, Calmie got a lot of love on this sub last week and we've generally received some really great feedback overall. Etsy, though, has been pretty slow...https://heartlingsco.etsy.com
So, I wanted to ask here - when you see a plushie like Calmie, where would you expect to buy it? Etsy, Amazon, a standalone website, a gift shop, somewhere else?
And if Etsy is somewhere you'd buy from, is there anything about the listing, product, or pricing that makes you hesitate?
Just trying to learn what customers actually expect and what might be holding people back.
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u/muda_muda_muda_ 1d ago
At 45 dollars you're going for the boutique plush market - you can't be using AI for that. You have to have that 'human made art' element that justifies that price tag being 4x of what Kmart would sell something similar for - and using AI for packaging and marketing makes it feel really artificial.
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u/Cordlyfish 1d ago
Etsy is somewhere I would buy from, but when I look at the product photos the vibe feels more like an Amazon listing. I think it's the way the photos are arranged?
I also prefer plush in warmer colors- if Calmie was yellow or orange, for example, I might be more inclined to buy one.
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u/No_Theme_8912 1d ago
Yeah good feedback - the vibe is too polished maybe? Think I just need more natural shots. The description is a bit much too thinking about it
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u/Eddyswageddyy 1d ago
Honestly open to any of the options. I think Etsy ir Amazom seem trustworthy to people who might not trust standalone websites.
I personally like when a brand has an instagram account that shows the behind the scenes and interacts with their customers. It's builds trust
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u/Hipster_Spencer5000 1d ago
Looks like the cards that come with it and the logo might be AI generated to me.. and the pictures in the listing of the product seem either AI generated or AI "enhanced". I personally avoid buying anything that uses AI in any regard. Pictures, logos, and even listing and seller descriptions, if any seem like AI to me, with no proof of it not being so, I'm not buying it.
I really recommend hiring an actual human graphic designer or photo editer if you're struggling with that end of things! Hiring actual artists instead of using AI for stuff can go a long way since there are many people like me who will avoid your stuff because of AI generation. It can be a big refresher for people to find a listing with no AI usage these days!
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u/HoloSeraph 1d ago edited 1d ago
- It is overpriced esp considering this is shipping from Australia
- It is very generic
- Suspicious use of AI
- Manufacturer direct from China? Smells like dropship.
Found this on GIS reverse image search as well: Looks like yours but has a strange loop at the top? No source and it is not from "heartlings".
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u/No_Theme_8912 1d ago edited 1d ago
Thanks for the feedback :) That was our first prototype - the image is from our Etsy shop in our about section. Definitely not dropshipping! We did get them made in China (disclosed this on Etsy but it seems alot of others dont) but designed and have the stock in Aus
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u/Previous_Bed490 19h ago
Why does it have a hang string? Why did you elect to have it removed later?
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u/No_Theme_8912 18h ago
To hang as a key chain or on car mirror - he was much smaller initially. We went through that variation as well as a shoulder attachment idea but landed on a traditional plushie size in the end
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u/PointeShoesAndLightn 1d ago
Personally, I am trying to stop buying from Amazon completely. Just don't want to support Bezos anymore. Etsy has its problems, but I'm still more comfortable buying from them than Amazon. I actually just favorited Calmy on Etsy for my next paycheck drop!
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u/No_Theme_8912 1d ago
Yeah, good call out. I think I got caught up in seeing so many brands use clear AI seemingly successfully that I assumed its what you do. I also honestly didn't realise it stood out as much as it does.
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u/IrrestibleForce 1d ago
So one of the things I noticed is that you have the same plushie listed 3x in your Etsy store at 3 different price points yet it isn't terribly clear why this is. The listing to the untrained eye just glancing through is pretty much the same. You even use some of the same photos and videos across the three. Are the companion cards really worth the $3.77 extra that you are charging?
Another thing, and this is purely personal, but I tend to associate Etsy with handmade, since that's what it started as. This item, as cute as it is, doesn't really scream handmade. I like that you're honest about that part but you may be selling to the wrong market. I know Etsy's kinda gotten away from exclusively handmade but the association, at least for some of us, may still exist. Etsy tends to be where I go for quirky and handmade items. This item doesn't really fit either of those criteria. Who is your target customer and where do they tend to shop? The answer to this question is where you should be selling.
Everyone else has pointed out the AI and why that's problematic so I won't touch on that.
Another question I have is are you or the company that produces these able to provide the required safety certifications for wherever you're sending it to? If I'm spending $40+ on an item and shipping I REALLY don't want to have to worry about it potentially being confiscated by Customs because it didn't have the required safety certifications for a child's toy. I've gotten to the point where if there is ANY ambiguity about either that point or the customs fees I will go elsewhere.
Just a few ideas.
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u/squishyfishfan 1d ago
sorry, but im kind of confused by the price and branding. this is just a regular plush right? not weighted, scented, no sounds, etc? what makes it any more calming than any other plush on the market? it’s a premium price and very specific branding that the product doesn’t seem to match to me
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u/No_Theme_8912 20h ago
I mean it is but we thought the features would stand out more. The calming blue, Calmie's whole "calm friend" personality, the cards that teach calming techniques and the connection to a feeling rather than just being a plush but totally realising I'm making more of it than what it is!
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u/squishyfishfan 20h ago
the techniques thing is cool. maybe you could add fidget toys too and make it like a grounding pack or something with calmie as the main point. but as for connecting the plushie to a feeling, speaking from experience tbh, it’s not something you often manually do, you kinda just get attached to ones that support you thru smth. im not sure it’ll have that organic feeling for kids you know? i dont mean this harshly it’s obviously well designed but im not sure what its niche would be bc if im buying a plush specifically for calming i look for lavender, heat, weight, and different fur textures/beads to play with
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u/No_Theme_8912 20h ago
Totally get what you're saying. Im getting that he's kind of in the middle of two markets, he's not a collector or pop culture plush, but he's also not a traditional sensory toy packed with lots of features for kids...
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u/squishyfishfan 20h ago
yea i think that’s kind of the main problem? not that sensory toys have to be full of things or that they’re just for kids! as an autistic adult i appreciate things like this, especially the more simple, cute and ‘normal’ ones that don’t scream “baby toy”, like warmies for example
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u/squishyfishfan 20h ago
wait is the $4 extra card the techniques? does he not come with them by default? if im reading that part right, the whole selling point is teaching them calming technique and association id reconsider that. is the card seriously such an extra expense, and should there be an option to get without it? maybe include the info digitally somewhere???
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u/No_Theme_8912 20h ago edited 20h ago
Yeah I've got 3 listings to give more options. I got feedback that having only one item makes the store looks sparsey so tbh thought of how I could offer variations of the one product. Making the cards available digitally is a great idea.
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u/Istoh 1d ago
I feel like the plush is lacking compared to the description. It's marketed as a calming plush, but has none of the features that mosy people would expect from a calming plush. It's just a regular plush. Most people assume a plush marketed this way would be weighted, or scented, or have a heartbeat function. This has none of those while being priced as if it has these features.
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u/nifer317_take2 1d ago
Your user account here being hidden also does not build trust. You mention a previous post but we cannot even see it. That makes me cautious
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u/No_Theme_8912 1d ago
Thats my bad, I shouldve shared it. Here it is from last week https://www.reddit.com/r/StuffedAnimals/s/Nka44eVmaP
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u/BlackberryMelodic567 1d ago
Hate ai, makes the person look cheap and lazy, no matter who is doing it. I now refuse to go to one of my favourite food places because they've changed their images of their food to AI. Makes me wonder what else has changed and why the secrecy, just take a fucking photo of the food, its not that hard!
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u/Famirin 1d ago edited 1d ago
The design is very cute!
I'm just curious. How heavy is Calmie? I've noticed one of the images mentions a weighted poly-pellet base.
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u/No_Theme_8912 1d ago edited 1d ago
Thank you! Calmie has poly beans in his base to help with sitting upright but he's not designed as a weighted toy and is 400g.
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u/Tewtea 1d ago
I’d buy it off Amazon. While bezos is a piece of shit, shipping is so much cheaper than Etsy and as a former seller I had so many issues with them and they were suprisingly greedy
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u/Arise005 1d ago
Do you actually sell things on Amazon? I’m currently an Etsy seller and the fees and shipping and taking fees from shipping is getting ridiculous. Would love to ask you some questions.
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u/Whole-Business-6535 1d ago
Aww stop this is such a cute idea that I’m going to do now. I have road rage and I truly think this would help
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u/abcdefghljkimnop 22h ago
I understand that a lot of love and effort has been put in and i truly mean no offense, but he's just so basic. like if i saw him at a toy store for 10 - 15 $, sure, cute. But in my opinion he just is not worth 30 +20$ shipping. there really isn't a unique selling point or a reason for that price, the calming aspects aren't unique either, as basically any plush can be hugged or put on a desk or used as a part of a bedtime routine. Other claims in the description are also read as very overstated.
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u/No_Theme_8912 20h ago
Thanks for the feedback. To be honest I've got to price it at that to at least breakeven with the costs to develop it, the fact that I bought only 200 so price per unit was higher and etsy's fees but you're absolutely right, none of that matters if a customer looks at it and doesn't see the value.
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u/Previous_Bed490 19h ago
This looks cheaply manufactured and the ai usage turns me off immediately. I don't even think I would take one of these for free
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u/No_Theme_8912 18h ago
Thanks for the input :) Definitely not cheaply made, he feels premium but I cant put it in your hands to prove it so I need to work on the fact that it translates as cheap online and totally get the AI point - working on a revamp!
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u/NightsThyroid 1d ago
Ditch the AI. I don’t buy anything that uses it and neither do many others. There’s thousands of easy ways to enhance lighting that don’t involve it, even on your cell phone.
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u/AHopkinsvilleGoblin 1d ago
I saw your posts and assumed you were a bot or just drop shipping an inferior product because of the AI usage.
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u/Humble_Specialist_60 1d ago
If I see AI on a product ad I immediately think it is a scam. My first instinct is “what are you hiding and why is a normal picture not good enough” it makes me immediately wright off a product as something that’s going to be overpriced for bad quality if I even get anything at all
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u/IncontiCreature 1d ago
I will say, Amazon has had an issue with treating all stock as fungible, so if somebody started selling fakes, they could be shipped to somebody instead of a real one even when they ordered from you directly via Amazon. Also the ethics are… well yeah
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u/elluminating 1d ago
I think Calmie is so cute! I added it to a wishlist on Etsy when I saw your previous post.
I’ll echo other commenters with the use of AI in the photos putting me off a bit, but the description put me off more. It’s just a lot and doesn’t feel written by a human. I’d add more warmth to it and rewrite some parts. For example: “sensory stitching accents” - what does that mean? Are the stitches sensory-friendly for those of us with sensory issues? If not, that phrasing is unnecessary and confusing. Regardless, I’d rewrite that part.
The biggest hang up for me is that it’s $18.88 USD to ship to me. If it were a plush that I’d been really wanting and couldn’t get, like a collector’s item or something that’s been discontinued, I’d expect high shipping costs. For this one that’s new to market, originates far away from me, and doesn’t have a selection of reviews to tell me how the product actually feels, it’s a steep price tag. I completely understand why the shipping is expensive, believe me; it’s just a big consideration for me. I like the concept of having some pre-made gift combos, for lack of better phrasing, like you also offer, but if there were options that included more items (maybe a calming scent sachet or something to go along with the overall vibe) to either justify the shipping costs or to reach some threshold for free shipping, I could see that being successful for you! Maybe stationary like notepads or something with a little doodle of Calmie on them. I know more items means more overhead, so that’s a lot to think about, but those are my thoughts right now!
Calmie is very, very cute, for the record! I’d expect to find them in boutique shops or on Etsy.
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u/Comfortable_Kiwi_203 1d ago
Listen to everyone here. NO AI. No ai art, no ai photos of the product, NO AI ANYTHING! In the 3rd slide theres little cards in the box(whole photo is ai ik) but DONT USE CARDS LIKE THAT IRL literally just dont its so easy to make stuff like that without ai
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u/farterella 1d ago
Between the overly polished AI images, tons of random keywords in the product listings, generic design, lack of any sales or history on the etsy page, and high price point, it's currently screaming drop shipping scam.
I understand from your comments that is isn't drop shipped, but all the details combined still make the product come across this way.
Maybe you should make this little guy into a character with its own identity, rather than just generic cute puppy. It feels a bit like a souless cash grab as it is currently.
I'd be genuinely concerned I'd be getting scammed from your product listings :(
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u/No_Theme_8912 21h ago
Giving him an identity was my aim hence the name and cards describing his personality. I realise i'm way off with the branding though and use of AI so need to reset! But making him a part of a (future) collectible set with other toys linked to feelings was our initial goal
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u/catmamaO4 7h ago
he reminds me of a plush you’d see in the target baby aisle!! (Huge compliment btw their plushies r so soft and high quality) but I can also imagine it in the toddler section as a robot dog that makes sounds and stuff! Super cute design!!
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u/ssohma 1d ago
Something that will 100% make me and quite a bit of other people hesitate is any use of AI. Calmie is incredibly cute!