How To Successfully
Manufacture Toys In China

There are several steps before you decide to manufacture toys in China.

Toys come and go as fast as the latest trends in the fashion industry.  One day a toy will be in high demand, and the next day it will stay on the shelves no matter how low the price.

Initially, the questions to ask are pretty basic:

• Does it have long-lasting play value?
• Will the consumer get his/her money’s worth?
• Is it fun?
• Is it safe?
• Is there growth potential (e.g., through brand extensions)?

But that’s just the beginning.

While most toy inventors get excited when a toy looks good at a basic analysis of the market, going deeper will provide a more realistic picture of whether or not the toy will actually sell.

Here are some things to consider:

• Toy designers have two customers: the adult caregiver /purchaser and the child/ end-user.  These two customers tend to have very different needs and preferences.
• Toys are required to pass a variety of international safety standard tests related to choking hazard,  sharpness,  magnets,  chemicals,  moving parts, strangulation hazard, projectiles, drowning hazard, and so on.
  Every piece of  a toy must undergo  a series of tests and prove that the product does not represent a threat to a child’s safety.
• The toy industry is seasonal.  Most toys are sold in the fourth quarter of the year.
  Popular trends/brands/properties/characters are constantly changing, so the timeline from concept to shelf is very tight if you want to have a new product ready for the holiday season.
  This seasonality makes it difficult to plan inventory and get realistic feedback during the year.
• Most toys are inexpensive compared to a consumer electronics item.
  Relatively expensive toys  that are marketable tend  to be large (for example, ride-on vehicles) or electronic gaming systems are not typically considered toy products.
• Currently,  there are not many toy company options for licensing ideas.
• There are fewer small-sized toy retailers today than there were in the 1970s. This makes it more difficult for an independent toy inventor to get their product onto store shelves.

In order to be successful in the toy manufacturing business, you have to be innovative, provide a toy with a lot of value, at a low cost and appeal to both parents and children.

Not only that, since the toy industry changes quickly, you have to be able to go through the toy-vetting process quickly enough to take advantage of the small window of opportunity as the market changes.

The trick is to find the right team to help you go through all the steps in the toy design and manufacturing process…quickly!

The China Toy Manufacturing System

China is the largest manufacturer and exporter of toy products, manufacturing over 70.0% of the world’s total.

Almost all the largest toy manufacturing companies go through China.

Thousands of small and medium sized toy companies also get the manufacturing done in China.

Because of this, China has developed a robust infrastructure to support the designing, prototyping and manufacturing of toys.

There are toy manufacturing companies in China that can design the most sophisticated electronic toys to the simplest of toys for babies and small children.

Once the design has been finalized, you can get a prototype made to show to your investors.  If you want to do market testing, you can get several prototypes made, very inexpensively.

Rolling out the product is also very practical.  Initially, you may want only a handful of toys.  If you see sales happening, you would want the ability to scale up the quantities quickly.

Chinese manufacturing companies know the drill.  They are willing to work with you at every level of the toy manufacturing process.

How To Find The Right Toy Manufacturing Company In China

This is where most companies get stuck.

There are literally thousands of toy manufacturers in China.  Each manufacturing company has different specializations, capabilities and requirements.

How do you know which one to hire?

The Arcadia Sourcing Advantage

This is where Arcadia Sourcing can be of help.

We have over thirty years’ experience in the China manufacturing business.

Many of our clients manufacture toys in China.

Arcadia Sourcing agents will set you up with the right toy manufacturing company for YOUR specific requirements.

In addition, we will work with the manufacturer on your behalf to make sure they understand what you want.

We will oversee the process to make sure you are getting quality products.

Next, when it comes to shipping, there are a lot of regulations and potential hurdles.  Arcadia has the connections to get your shipment through all the roadblocks and to your destination, on time!

If you want to successfully manufacture toys in China, you will need a partner who speaks the local language and has the connections to make it all happen.

Give us a call today to discuss your toy manufacturing project.

Also read Toys Manufacturing In China – The Secret Network Behind The Big Names