7. Manufacturing a Doll

Up until this stage, I had prided myself in the amount of knowledge I had gained over the years in getting these prototypes completed. And while I thought there was nothing that could be as complex as producing the prototype doll, nothing could have prepared me for the next step I was faced with – manufacturing the dolls.

My original wish was to have the dolls made in the United States. I was told point blank that it would be too cost prohibitive to do so here, but I wanted to give the business to one of the few struggling doll manufacturing houses left here in hopes that a successful product might breathe new life into a dying industry. I contacted Middleton Dolls and worked with them for over a year, only to have my project rejected because of so many layoffs. My attempts with other small dollhouses were also unsuccessful and I was forced to seek manufacturing options in China.

My long-time friend, Tony Gianadi, referred me to an agent in Massachusetts who had been working with a Hong Kong manufacturing client for over 20 years. This manufacturer produced dolls for several high profile doll companies. My husband and I decided to move forward to work with this man and the company, First Union Industrial. I sent off my precious prototypes, now seeming like children to me, as well as the original master molds. I was assured by our contact here, as well as First Union that they could duplicate the quality and appearance of our prototypes.

In February 2006, we signed a contract with First Union Industrial and wired them money to complete the molds for Athena and Demeter. They committed to a product delivery date of mid-September.