How Pre Sales Work - General Info

Pre-Orders: What they are and how they work

Over the last few years we’ve seen the sky-rocketing costs of manufacturing, importing and warehousing have a huge negative impact on the toy industry with many brands and shops closing down entirely. But we’ve put new system in place for ordering and shipping which means we can keep making great products at the best prices possible.

We love providing top quality play dolls, costumes and accessories for our customers and we are excited about building a better brand for you in now and in the future.  
That's why at the start of the pandemic, we implemented our new system of PRE ORDERS. Preorders are the time-period in which you can purchase/place your order on a specific doll, before they are manufactured. This means you will not be disappointed when a product goes out of stock, and you are guaranteed your item once it is made. 
We get lots of questions on when. Preordered items will arrive, so here is an outline of the process to help you understand how it all works. 

TYPICAL PREORDER TIMELINE

  1. When the preorder starts:
    The Pre Order starts on a certain date and for a specific product. Pre Orders are clearly marked on the website, usually with additional red text in the description and an estimated date of delivery. During this period orders are only taken in but not yet placed with the factory. We need a minimum number of dolls in order to place the pre order with the factory. 

  2. The order is then sent to the factory:
    Once we reach the pre order minimum, I then send the order onto the factory. The factory then confirms the schedule for the order back to me and  I pay for the production of the dolls in advance. Now the factory schedules our AGAT order behind all the other orders they get from other companies that were ahead of us in the queue. 

  3. The factory can now start the process! 
    The factory now can start production of the dolls. This process takes between 3 - 9 months depending on the size of the order and how far down their schedule we are. 

  4. Finishing the dolls:
    When all the dolls are finished being cast, then they can be 'finished'. We hand finish our dolls and this is when the hand painting and wigging takes place. Because our processes are hand finished, this takes time and we inspect all our products before we move onto the testing phase. 

  5. The dolls are tested, then shipped to our US and UK warehouses:
    After the dolls are finished,  the dolls are then safety tested which can take up to 2 weeks. Once they pass inspection, then we can schedule their shipment to our warehouses. This can be a 2 week wait because we have to wait until the freighter is full and ready to leave port. Then, once the dolls  are put onto the freight ships they depart port and are sent to the UK and the USA. The actual sailing takes at least 4 weeks arrive at their final destination. Hopefully they don't get stuck in customs - or the Suez Canal! 

  6. The dolls are sent to the warehouse
    Once the dolls clear customs, they are sent to the warehouses where they have to be processed and counted in. This can take two weeks - we have to check that there has been no damage and make sure that they are all processed through correctly. 

  7. Finally - your dolls are ready to ship! 
    Finally!  After all of these checks, more checks and final checks, your dolls are ready to ship out to you. You will get a notification from the warehouse with a tracking number and estimated arrival date. Now your dolls are home! 

So how long is that?? 

So if everything goes well and there are NO delays, we can usually ship out 8-9 months from our initial pre order opening. However, with current logistics issues it is more likely to be 9 - 12 months because there is often a delay - Covid might shut down a factory for a month, customs delays at the departure or destination port, or even courier delays at the final stages.

The timeline description above is the best case scenario, when it all goes amazingly smoothly. 

Pre orders are still the best way to bring you high quality product at the best price.

We are keen to keep our prices as low as we can, but with the rise in cost of raw materials and labour costs we have to come up with other areas to save on costs. This is why we are offering pre sales - a pre sold doll means that we do not waste precious resources on warehousing or marketing. We know that a pre sold doll does not need further spend from us to help get it out the door. 

But pre sales is not just good for your wallet - it's better for the planet as well. Pre sold dolls have a smaller carbon footprint because we don't waste energy warehousing longterm and we know that we can manufacture only what we have sold. No long term storage, no end of season deep discounts, no chance of any of our products going to landfill because they have not been sold. 

I hope this answers some of your questions but you are always welcome to drop us an email if you need any further help!

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