We are also confident that the new factory can provide a better quality than what you've been used to from our previous custom-grade toys. This includes soft-plug valves (which I know some of you have been yearning for) and as far as we are aware, a better quality control for the printing finish. We are also considering air cargo for the new production to our distribution centres in Florida and Germany to make up some of the time we will lose through this process.
We will honor every order that was placed, for whichever of the Lizet-cats. You'll get them.
We started off the year with the delivery of the Lizet hyenas and Jack Darlington, and with Sofi by AyGee. At the same time we had got the Lizet cats (pre-orders from 2023) into production. These batches are made by two different factories - the first one makes the bulk of our standard toys, and the second one makes the more sophisticated ink-jet printed toys with thicker, softer vinyl, and flat seams on the bodies.
Even though we have long relationships with both factories, it has not always been easy to ensure specifications and standards of quality were met. This is not unusual for business with Chinese manufacturers. Sadly, this has come to a point where the nuisance factor outweighs the fun factor - for creators and enthusiasts. Both factories have now cut corners by using materials that were below specifications, both for the largest orders ever placed with them. Additionally, the current Lizet cats - due to be produced in January - have been unceremoniously bumped off the production line half-finished to make way (ostensibly) for an important production for Walmart (at least we know who to blame). Instead of an expected delivery in April, we now expect them to be delivered in/around June 2024.
We have therefore ended our co-operation with the first factory and we are also looking to replace the second factory. This is a time-consuming process and therefore you may see our pace of new projects (and overall responsiveness) slowing down a little over the next few months.
However, every challenge also bears opportunities. Changing gears means we will have to close the gap with the existing production-ready designs and manufacturers that we still have and the good news for some of you is: we will re-run the Flausi reindeer (SFW and NSFW) in an improved multi-chamber version with new valves. We will also re-run the black/brown heavy Warmblood horse as multi-chamber designs (also with new valves). Both will come from the factory that has previously made Flausi and that still makes our inflatable body pillows (to a very high standard). There will also be a new "mystery toy" for this year that we won't reveal yet and that is 98% ready-for-production. All will be made in a material that is stocked by the factory in large quantities and that has been used in a bull rider pool toy. Even though it is "standard" 0.28mm material, it has generally received good reviews and is also more robust than our 0.25mm material that we've used in the past. Production will be supervised by MythAnimalCreature, who have graciously accepted our request to project manage this production on-site.
More good news is that we've entered a formal collaboration with CandyCoatedSqueaks in the US and Grace Repair in Germany for turning our toys into inflatable suits as well as for repairs and modifications. Suits can now also be made in Germany and therefore no longer need to be shipped from the US to EU customers, which cuts out a lot of the taxes and duties. You can find examples for repairs/modifications and reference prices in our help centre. The inflatable suits can be found in the Kinky Stuff collection.
Finally, for the art enthusiast among you: the German artist duo Gott & Gilz have discovered inflatable art! Roman has made some excellent photoshoots for us back in 2019 and now Gordan and Roman have discovered not only that their art looks good on inflatables, but that inflatables look good on inflatables when you add some nudes and primary colours to them and don't take yourself too seriously. Stay tuned for more!
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Starting on 1 October 2023 we will open a new round of pre-orders for these in addition to a larger pair of cats - Sundara, the tigress, and Laini, the lioness, also drawn by Lizet.
You'll find ALL pre-order information on the respective product page for each cat. We will endeavour to maintain this updated. We will also post updates on the project on Twitter, Telegram and Bluesky.
The most important stuff in a nutshell:
The great cats are bigger than the snep and the cougar. It's why they are called great cats. The lioness and tigress are 165 cm long; the snep and cougar are about 150 cm long. This make a considerable difference. Please look at the product page(s) for reference photos!
Pre-orders mean that you will not get any personal update on your order status (after the initial order confirmation) until the cats are actually ready to be shipped to your address. You can follow the pre-order progress on the product page(s), on Telegram, Twitter, and on Bluesky.
Please be aware of the following when you pre-order the Lizet cats:
Do not order these items with any other stock or custom-made products, except for with the other Lizet cats pre-orders!
The price until 3 October 2023 already includes a EUR 10 'early bird' discount for every pre-order item over the 'normal' pre-order price. Other discounts cannot be applied to this pre-order!
FAQs (please read):
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Tarni is a typical project for us. It is based on a unique OC that we asked an artist to create for us. The idea to make it into an inflatable shark matured over a longer period of time, and as a result of other commissions and discussions with artists, friends and followers. Our most recent toy is based on Tarni, the shark girl, created by KittellFox in 2020. Tarni means "salt water" in the Kaurna language, an Australian aboriginal language. It was selected by Sparky aka The Big Poolcat.
The route to the inflatable shark toy from there was not straightforward and it took a detour via some inspirational art that we commissioned from Milvus Buteo. This actually convinced us to make an inflatable shark - a challenging project, given that there are already many competitively priced sharks on the market. This one had to be special. It had to be a girl. One of our girls.
In October 2021 we went back to Kittell with a request to come up with an idea for a shark toy based on Tarni, although she was free to choose the level of "realism", pooltoy-look etc. We quickly settled on a shape that was more balanced than the Intex 92" Wet Set shark, the holy grail of inflatable shark toys. Finding a shape that was rounder and shorter than the actual sand shark shape. On 6 November 2021 we officially made this a project internally, which means that we dedicated funds and personnel to it. The project team consisted of Kittell (artist), Distended Polygon (aka Poly - 3d modelling), Yupperz (vector reference sheet production, box art layout) and Taz (general tasks and US logistics).
The main effort in the early stage is to transfer the concept art into a 3d model and adjust printing details in such a way that they will look good on the finished inflatable. This is often a question of centimetres. Colour selection as well as other details that have not been a part of the concept art also take place at this stage. The model and the concept art also provide the basis for obtaining quotes from potential manufacturers. One of our unique solutions at this stage was Kittell's new logo, who updated it to an unusual vertical design. Placing it near the valve became a task that we found we could not resolve in an aesthetically pleasing way. Hence, you'll find the name, branding and artist logo on the pelvic fins.
By February we had received quotes and the vector reference sheet, which we normally ask manufacturers to use for printing, was complete. Two factories claimed they could produce both the required build and the gradient printing pattern that we had decided on for Tarni. The first factory took three attempts to get the shape right (a relatively normal amount - the arrangement of the printing details was pretty much correct from the beginning). These samples were produced in short order and reviewed only on the basis of the images in the course of March. However, once the samples were received in April 2022 (which is when you probably saw the first images of Tarni popping up on our Twitter), it turned out that the quality of the printing did not meet our standards. The colours were significantly off the pantone references and the ink-jet printing was susceptible to crease marks and scratches.
These problems seemed to be impossible to resolve for the factory, therefore we asked for the die lines and printing panels and provided these to the second factory. With the shape and the layout already in place they produced a sample that met our requirements for sturdiness, clean build and true colours. We requested "clean" (i.e. with corrected) samples and just as the Lizet cats were completing their long production process in the course of June, the factory offered a production slot at the end of their "low season" at the end of September 2022. Based on the final samples and this opportunity we decided to offer Tarni as a second pre-order for 2022. This is the reason why the pre-order period was unusually short. However, it also enabled us to turn this project around in good time, given the still lingering problems in global production and logistics.
With the production deadline looming, things became a mad dash for the finish line, with lots of little admin and logistics details still needing to be hammered out. We definitely wanted Tarni to have her own box art - or colour card, more accurately, since that factory does not make boxes for small quantities. It was too tempting not to reference the original shark girl OC in it. An inspired idea by Taz to base it on a pin-up design that was probably nose art for some military plane resulted in the artwork that you will now find on Tarni's colour cards.
Everything was completed just in time and pre-orders were closed in late September once the production commenced to avoid orders exceeding the production number that we had committed to. Another challenge that we faced and that required a suspension of pre-orders was the sharp decline of the Euro's value against the US Dollar, which, if it had continued, would have made the original pre-order price (in Euros) unviable.
We were fortunate to be able to show our clean samples at Megaplex and Eurofurence (EF), where some of the worries that she might be too small, slender etc. were alleviated (for most) and a first-hand opportunity was provided to check out the build and look. The Tarni that was shown at EF even went to the Tropical Island resort the day before, where she demonstrated that she could function as a fully-fledged pooltoy shark!
One of the key problems we had encountered with the factory in the past was their poor ability to quality-control production. We therefore went through all aspects of the assembly step-by-step with them to ensure nothing was overlooked - down to making sure the filling holes for the fins were correctly placed so as not to weaken the build. In early October the production was packed and loaded for ocean shipping (except for Asian orders, which were dropshipped directly by the factory). We prepared distribution during the sharks' short ocean voyage and when they turned up at our doorsteps in Germany and the US in early November 2022, we were ready to turn them around quickly and ship before the postal services typically collapse under the weight of Black Friday and Christmas sales.
Looking back at the 15 months it took for this project to mature from an idea to the inflatable shark girl being received by (hopefully) enthusiastic buyers we can say it was worth it. Not just because we got to put Kittell's art out there (and she does wonderful "pooltoy art" for those that are interested in it), but also because it gave us the opportunity to make a large, digitally printed toy. We hope that we have been able to lay the ground for more, artistically designed and printed toys of this kind in the future.
My thanks again to my fantastic team: Kittell, Poly, Arin, Yupperz and Taz for making this happen smoothly and with such a fun and aesthetically pleasing result! And, as always: I enjoyed working with you on this!
Finally: we get many questions and requests regarding the making of inflatable toys. A lot of enquiries are for OCs or other one-offs, many of which we unfortunately have to decline. Why? As you've seen, making an inflatable toy for us is more than just handing a design or a few refs to a factory and taking whatever comes out of it. It means applying dedication, effort, time and, yes, money to creating an inflatable toy. The cost of this process will typically exceed what most are willing to pay for such things. This doesn't mean though that we will not pick up interesting OCs that we think would sell to a wider audience. The Barados dolphin and cougar are good examples, and we hope that more will follow!
If you want to own a wonderful inflatable girl shark: get your Tarni here. She will become available for regular sale in early 2023. You can sign up for email notifications on the product page and make sure to get your shark as soon as it gets listed!
]]>Getting the right information out in time on projects, art & deliveries is not always easy. We still receive a lot of emails with questions that we thought we had already answered on the one or other social media platform. Replying to individual enquiries takes time - often that means a frustrating wait for a reply by those who have written to us, until we get around to replying or until the question has become obsolete.
While the mainstay of our public communication is still our Twitter account, we realise that even with the significant following we have there, we still fail to reach a lot of people with up-to-date news.
Therefore, we have set up a Telegram channel. The ease of maintaining such a channel and Telegram's flexibility in handling media means we will be able to update it at least as much as we update our Twitter. Whereas Twitter also has a bit of a "social" dimension for us, where we interact with other, friendly accounts and artists, we would try and limit Telegram to "hard" information on what is going on around our products, projects etc. We will post or re-post 3rd party information only to the extent that it has an impact on what we are doing. The channel will be free of politics. The channel is designed to be a one-stop shop for all information needs on Horseplay Toys - both SFW and NSFW.
Please feel free to share the link with people who are not on Twitter, or with those who are but are not enjoying it: https://t.me/HorseplayToys
]]>Please read this carefully if you plan to pre-order this item. Updates will be posted regularly. Please also follow us on Twitter for more.
Tarni is the friendly shark girl, based on the anthro sand shark girl design by Kittell Fox. Our shark design is an attempt to blend her female appeal with the looks of a classic inflatable pool shark. And make her big enough to float on her and more.
Tarni is a custom-grade inflatable. She is approximately 2.5 m long (8'4") and a single-chamber design. The toy is made from 0.4mm extra soft vinyl with a flat, reinforced body seam (and normal seams on the fins). Her printing is a gradient ink-jet printing to reflect Kittel Fox's anthro Tarni's original pattern.
Since I got quite a few questions regarding the size of Tarni - most people were under the impression that she is the same size as the historic 92" Intex tiger shark: first, the 92" (234 cm) tiger shark was only ca. 220 cm long when inflated. Tarni is 250 cm long when inflated, but has a bulkier and overall, more balanced body with longer and bigger fins. You can see the difference in a photo in the product page gallery as well as a reference photo with a person that is 177 cm (5'10") tall.
All photos are made with the sample for the "custom" version with flat seams on the body and pinch seams on the fins. The photos represent the final version, which is planned to go into production in September 2022.
Watch the walk-around video of the final prototype:
The price given is tentative. It may increase during the pre-order period due to the current global increases in transportation and material costs.
Pre-orders are expected to open on 6 August 2022. Production is expected in September/October 2022. Delivery is expected in January 2023.
If you have questions, please email us.
Please register for emails (button "email when available") to be notified once pre-orders open. Registration for emails is not a pre-order registration!
Please use bundle discount SEALIFE if you want to save 10% on your Tarni shark. Buy "Thar She Blows" - the orca by Dirty Bird & get 10% off Tarni.
FAQs
Update version: 5 August 2022
]]>Affordable, bouncy fun with these friendly equines - whether on land or in the water. Pre-order them now to support the project (more bouncy animals!) - receive them in January/February 2021.
Pre-orders are closed!
The factory floor & outdoor samples shown for the zebra, donkey and pony represent the final versions. The final versions will not have the vertical seam across the belly (this is only on the samples) and will, as always, be screen-printed).
Pre-orders are closed. Delivery is planned for January/February 2022. Regular sale will commence ca. Feb 2022.
Make sure to follow me on Twitter or check this blog for additional last-minute updates!
This information was last updated on 6. Dec. 2021.
]]>Needless to say that I can safely blame the disruptions experienced in early to mid-2020 on the Corona-crisis, but the world economy has now adapted to the situation (or in some respects hasn't). We're seeing the emergence of a "new normality" (to use that problematic phrase) that is bound to be with us for some time.
In a nutshell, the globalised economy, upon which much of what we make has relied over the past 3 decades, is being squeezed and transformed by protectionism and great power rivalry, which is now being aggravated by a sudden post-crisis increase in demand for resources, production and transportation capacities. Many of these had been wound down in 2020 and now new arrangements are now breaking up old patterns of global trade and with it the pricing models that went with the pre-crisis supply chain models.
How does that affect you getting your favourite inflatable or daki?
China will remain an important supplier in the global economy (and for anyone who wants PVC inflatables), but as their internal consumption increases and trade barriers eleswhere go up, things "Made in China" will increase in price. Alternatives may present themselves, but those too will carry higher price tags than what we're used to from the past. Some price increases will be inevitable, although I will work on creating tax exemptions for buyers outside the EU and the US to offest some of this.
Transport and especially air cargo capacities will remain scarce and expensive for the forseeable future. Although some services, like DHL, have already taken back part of their "crisis surcharges", mail services - particularly express services - will remain expensive and will get more expensive. "Standard" mail is now being shipped by sea for many long-haul routes with mail-run times from Europe to the US or Oceania exceeding 60 days in some cases. A lot of stuff gets lost in ocean freight too, so supply chain reliability is taking a hit as well.
The lockdowns in many countries have pushed many businesses online. The internet and tech giants are now in the comfortable situation that demand for their services/products is so high that they can set the terms and prices almost at will. Shopify (on which this store runs) and some of my payment providers have already indicated that transactions will become more expensive in 2021. Perks for sellers, like free-of-charge refunds, will disappear, so these costs too will have to be priced into the products.
If this sounds like less service at a higher cost, then you're right. That is, unfortunately, the new normal, and unless you have the weight or numbers of Amazon and the like, this is what small business will have to live with for a while until more solutions for SMEs come to the market at affordable prices.
Finally: we'll of course do our best to continue to bring unique, artsy, fun and sometimes kinky stuff to you for your enjoyment. Being creative means we'll be spending a lot of time working with our artists and designers - that is often time that competes with making all our processes perfect. It is not a circle we manage to square perfectly. So, please bear with us if things don't always go off hitch-free or if things take a little longer than you'd expect or than you are used to from earlier times.
]]>It is hard to to choose with whom to start for giving my thanks for being along for the ride... Perhaps with:
Arin, who keeps being a source of inspiration and often my last resort in all things artsy (in addition to designing a lot of my toys).
Finally, I'd like to thank my numerous followers and those who bought (and are still buying) inflatable animals, body pillows and dakis from me. Thank you for bearing with me, even when there were occasional hiccups, slip-ups or delays! I look forward to seeing you all in 2020!
]]>There are some complex and intersecting seams on the tail, where the entire tail assembly meets both the logitudinal seams and a horizonal seam on both sides that holds the internal baffles, which give this orca the squishy and wider-than-high look. Based on previous experience, this arrangement should be considered robust for most uses.
The only concession to price (i.e. affordability as an entry-level "custom" toy) are the normal pinch seams on the fins (though those are attached to the body by flare welds). However, both material and the seamwork are expected to be above average for this product and the risk of failure should be low.
If you're looking forward to following the genesis of this first Horseplay Inflatable "custom toy", then stay tuned. Make sure you get on the email list starting on 24 November 2019 to be amongst the first to place your order and secure a FREE blue whale along with your pre-order for the orca!
Shipping info (added on 24 Nov 2019):
There will be NO additional shipping or customs charges over the "regular" store's shipping fees for all buyers in the US and EU/EFTA member states. US customers will benefit from UPS domestic shipping rates - the only extra to the list price. All sales taxes and duties are included!
If you live in another country than those listed above, your local customs regulations may apply. In some countries, like Australia, the high customs value threshold may mean that you may get away with paying no duties on the item. All shipping outside the US will be by DHL and I hope that by applying commercial rates, the shipping charges should not exceed EUR 45 regardless of where you live. You will find your shipping charges when you check out for the pre-order on or after 4 January 2020.
]]>The two designs reflect both innovation and tradition of inflatable pooltoys.
Dirty Bird's massive, 2.2m orca with it's dramatically swept up tail will be an entry level-priced custom toy, made from well-known extra-soft 0.4mm vinyl to complement its squishy looks.
The classic 1990s blue whale - a sought after rare pooltoy these days, is an almost exact replica of the original that faded from the market in the late 1990s when first more garish and then "realistic" printing patterns became the norm.
Both products will be listed from 24 November 2019 onwards but pre-orders will only open between 4 January and 9 February 2020, during which time you will be able to secure great deals on both toys!
Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on Twitter!
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