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Pebble wolf puppies would be amazing…especially if they were sitting down somehow so they could be posed near the adult. Oh dear. I don’t think I could get enough of those!
But they’re such CUTE little knick-knacks….. but if you are saying they can’t match the fantasy figures in the wow factor, I can’t argue.
I agree on the whole EXCEPT with the Pebble Cougar… it’s so detailed and lovely, it really did take my breath away when I opened it, even if it’s not as fancy 🙂
Sorry – in my view the pebbles are just knick-nacks. Not the direction I think Windstone should go long-term, though of course Melody can create whatever she wants!
LOTS of people here on the forum, eBay, and Esty like (even love) the pebbles. Myself included. Hence the big demand lately. Windstone’s pebbles are at an infinitely higher quality level than most “cute” things out there in the marketplace. Since so many people are asking for them (and in more colours and varieties, as well), Windstone is making the smart business decision of giving its buying public what it wants. Why would any company give up any part of a market share to anyone else when they are capable of filling that void?
Yes, I am completely enthralled with all my dragons, unicorns, kirins, etc., but these lovely little woodland creatures are a treasured addition to and slightly different direction from the rest of my collection.
The prices that the recent cougars and wolves have gotten on eBay certainly have moved them out of the “knick knack” (ie a worthless item according to one dictionary) into the category of prized possession.
IMO
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My 2 cents – My personal preference is for fantasy sculpts, not most of the pebbles (my son would disagree as he is obsessed with the foxes and wolves). HOWEVER, Melody started out sculpting animals and I think the only real reason she stopped was because they didn’t sell as well as fantasy figures.
So, if pebbles are selling well (they certainly seem to be!) and Melody is having fun sculpting them and painting them – it seems like a win/win for Windstone. Also, my wallet appreciates the break while the pebble lovers pick up the slack 🙂
That is the beauty of widening your product line. One line of products that may not appeal to one segment of your market may find a whole new market out there to be brought into the fold, so to speak. The fantasy figures are what caught my daughters’ attention years ago and brought Windstone onto our radar screen. But the pebbles, while they may not appeal as much to some of the old buyers, have an appeal all their own for others. I love both, but they are very different in nature. The beauty of this forum is to let Windstone know what some of the diehard collectors are after.
The grab bags were an idea that (from my perception) appear to have been almost a throwaway offering that resulted from a less than perfect casting batch – but look how they caught fire. – Please correct me if I am wrong in my history of the GBs. – And so Windstone has taken the grab bags and run with them, with demonstrable great success. In this economy, a company must be willing to adapt to the market and it would appear WIndstone has done an outstanding job of that. Another plus for the pebbles is that, overall, they are less expensive than the fantasy sculpts and so are easier for people to collect.
Yes, there are advantages to widening your product line, and yes pebbles are in high demand at the moment. Or at least new sculpts and special pieces are, not sure about the production pieces once the initial excitement wears off – see some of the foxes. However, I still question whether producing more entries in the ever-expanding universe of cute little animal figurines is a good use of time and company resources. Windstone is a small company!
An hour that Melody spends sculpting a new pebble is an hour that she does not have to work on new dragons (PYO orientals, anyone ?), rework existing pieces (flion ?), or create new fantasy creatures (how about that lion kirin? or hippocampus?). A day that the factory casts and/or paints pebbles may be another day that production flip flap cats don’t appear in the store. My point is that there are many creations that have generated just as much interest as the pebbles. It depends on what is under discussion at any given time.
Bottom line – this is all academic anyway. If Melody enjoys sculpting the pebbles, and if they make enough profit for the factory to be worthwhile, then so be it. I merely thought that I should give my opinion as a counterweight to the general enthusiasm, and maybe encourage others to speak up so that Melody has a more balanced picture. No offense meant to anybody (including Melody).
I like the pebbles, truly I do. But considering I always miss the grab bags (which are usually the only time pebbles come out with an affordable & interesting to me paint scheme), I’d also really like to see the PYO oriental, flion and lion kirin. Those are pieces that I’d definitely buy. I wouldn’t have to sit at the computer and HOPE to snag one and then when I don’t go…oh, well I guess I won’t be spending my money on a Windstone today…guess I’ll go buy something else off my list instead.
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https://www.redbubble.com/people/prezaurian?ref=artist_title_nameJoining in with etruscan…I keep hearing how hard it is for Windstone to get a smooth finish and clean paint job on the pebble sculpts, especially the tiny ones, which led me to assume that it might be harder for Windstone to make a profit when it takes them a disproportionate amount of time/effort to get the pebbles ‘right.’ Of course, other sculpts have their own issues (horns, need for stencils, pewter parts) but as they have a higher price point, they might be more worth the effort.
Like others have said, there’s nothing trite or ‘cute’ about that cougar sculpture. It is stunning, and I hope more come out in more colors.
I can certainly understand where Melody might want a break from sculpting so many scales and feathers, but I agree that the fantasy, detailed sculpts are a less overpopulated market.
Just my two cents.
Hey, it’s all good and EXACTLY what a forum is intended to be, a place for people to express their opinions. Customers being honest about their likes and dislikes is invaluable to a company in order to gauge how well they are meeting their customers desires and what directions they may wish to take in future.
Joining in with etruscan…I keep hearing how hard it is for Windstone to get a smooth finish and clean paint job on the pebble sculpts, especially the tiny ones, which led me to assume that it might be harder for Windstone to make a profit when it takes them a disproportionate amount of time/effort to get the pebbles ‘right.’ Of course, other sculpts have their own issues (horns, need for stencils, pewter parts) but as they have a higher price point, they might be more worth the effort.
I was under the impression that the reason it’s harder to make them ~perfect~ was also why they made good grab bags – Not having to emulate the same effect perfectly over and over, etc. The Goofball ones (curlie dragons, foxes) seem to be a good example of this!
Plus the profit for grab bags is higher, making the extra time spent on tiny sculpts more worth it, I would think?
They do seem to be putting out production colours at a pretty steady rate lately too, so personally I have no issues 🙂
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http://www.sarahjestin.com/feedbacklists.htmI’m not sure if this would work out in pebble form. But I would love to see a cute chameleon done. In pebble or any form really. Just imagine the colorful opportunities that sculpt would grant for a grab bag.
I’m with Etruscan also… they’re beautiful, but I haven’t had a problem not spending my money on them. I only have one- the original fennec release (though I got him for my mom and there he remains). I enjoy the netsuke feel of him, but wild paint jobs and bigger size kind of take from that. I’ll probably just wait until some new dragon is released (hoarder???). Their amazing detail and realism is what drew me in the first place.
That said, certainly Melody should create what her muse directs, and there’s obviously a market for the pebbles. Maybe after all these years she’s burnt out on hyperrealistic fantasies? And I have enjoyed watching the ‘post your …’ threads.Ms.Melody,We know you are a very busy lady but…I was wondering if you would/could consider making a couple of little pebble wolf puppies in the future? We know they would be absolutely adorable.Just a thought :bigsmile:
I’ve got tons of pebbles I want to make, just need to find time!
Suggestions welcome!Yay! More pebbles from the hands of the master! Woo hoo!!!
I like the sitting fox that’s in the works, wolf puppies, red pandas, bunnies, ferrets, etc. I love the smooth surface of them. Melody, if they’re “no nitpicking”, I haven’t found a “nit” yet on any of mine. They beat any competitor’s “cuties” paws down.
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