Custom Mini-Figs Help needed

monkey_roo

Hey
I am in the process of designing a Tinkerbell Fairy set for my daughter and have now reached the point where I need to create some minifigs to go with the set (something you can't do in the LDD). I have contacted a few 'companies' that specialise in that but the best quote i have is £60 per figure, which is a bit much for a figure that will get played with and eventually worn out. So does anyone have any suggestions of either standard parts I can buy to make these figures (I have trawled ebay/bricklink etc but nothing jumping out at me as even close) or of people/companies that might be able to help without busting the bank. Specifically I am trying to create Tinkerbell and an Terrence figures (see images) but obviously the scope is quite large. Failing that where is the best resource for having a go yourself (painting blank figs, creating wings & skirts (i think copyin the iceskater skirt in green would work well? etc)?
Thanks loads
matt

akunthita

This seller on Bricklink carries a custom Tinkerbell. A really excellent seller and his customs are very nice. He can also do other characters besides the ones listed in his store. You will really enjoy them and they are only $15 which is very reasonable for a custom fig. I have bought from him before thru his eBay store.

Bricklink Store: http://www.bricklink.com/store.asp?p=minifigDB

Here is the custom Tinkerbell from his store:

monkey_roo

Thanks
Saw this on evilbay, the wings are nice but overall i just didn't like it.

burakki62

Id certainly be interested in making one for you, im very into custom figs

monkey_roo

^Thanks loads for the offer. I would be interested to find out some details (cost, ideas etc) but I have also found a place online that sells individual parts - http://www.firestartoys.com/ - which for a nominal price can get me 75% of what i need, so i am now finding out how much it will cost to get a Tink body printed onto a plain yellow body (painting or stickers won't stand up to the hammering a four year old will give it) and how best to create wings (take them of the fairy keyring, or make them from a transulant plastic sheet). I think the skirt can just be a fiber paper cut out exactly like the iceskater skirt.
This is the first cutom fig I have ever looked into doing, i had no idea it got this complicated :)

MinifigsMe

I'd be interested in hearing what you find for printing. I've just started getting into this and been using decals, but I have no idea how well they'll last, even with a coat or two of spray varnish.

monkey_roo

I should have more by Monday. I am chatting to firestartoys and they use a chap in holland who prints onto bodies, exactly the same way Lego do, just a smaller unit. I am being told it is around £10 per body, which is pricy but that the quality will be identical to Lego's, in my case the cost may be higher as i want printing on the sides and back but that might be the cost of something high quality and unique.
As for the other elements I worked out i need boardcloth for the skirt but still playing around with wing ideas, again might need a specialised mould to do the neck joint?

monkey_roo

Ok, for anyone interested printing onto a 'blank' body is quite expensive, it was going to cost £350 for a run of 20 bodies, which is just too much, the price is high because I wanted print on all four sides, it reduces if you just print on the front. I am looking at total cloth based option now, which should be a lot less, might look very good as well.
Nothing new on the wing front.

monkey_roo

OK - Just to follow up (or round off, depends how you look at it) I have now completed my custom tinkerbell, by which i mean i sent my poorly crafted prototype of the the very nice people at firestonetoys who used their connections to find a cloth expert with access to a laser cutter (very critical that bit) and they were able to produce the following:
I beleive they will be selling this as a custom figure directly from their site at some point in the future, but i am just happy that my daughter now has a lego Tink to go with the Pixie Hollow Lego model i have designed for her