When I set out on this bizzare task of recycling mannequins – I was interviewed in depth by one of the Dragons of the Den. The best advice he gave me was to find more ways to use mannequins.
In my latest attempt, artist Dawn Williamson and myself have made a stress busting game, that can happily sit in any office. Stay tuned for more news, but here are our first attempts.
When searching for a mannequin to buy – what should you consider first? Here are our top 5 tips to help you decide how to purchase a mannequin.
1. What do you need a mannequin for?
There are a variety of mannequins available, from cheap and cheerful and fit for just a few uses to those that stand the test of time. Therefore, before you buy something – think about what you will need it to do. A cheap £30 job off the Internet probably comes with poor reviews and likely to end up in landfill within a month – might be good because it is cheap. But if you want your mannequin to have any kind of longevity, you are better off investing a bit more money (in some cases quite a lot) to ensure that the mannequin has the durability to be undressed and redressed month after month – even years.
2. When do you need the mannequin to arrive?
Most outlets provide the quick next day option – but if you want quality – you can be waiting for up to 3 months, depending on where the mannequin is being manufactured.
3. Which type should I choose?
This really depends on budget as the fuller bodies will cost more than the ‘body on a stick’. Once you actually start to look at all the types of mannequins – you will be suprised at just how many there are. Our mannequin hire catalogue is a good place to start, if only to learn about the different kinds.
4. Is there such a thing as a recycled mannequin?
Yes there is! Our ethos totally thrives on recycling mannequins and sustaining and keeping good the mannequins we (mainly) hire. But we also supply a fantastic range of ex-hire mannequins for sale. All mannequins are recycleable because of the nature of their raw material – it does not biodegrade. If you are throwing any mannequins out in the trash – best think again – just like we all are now with all our ‘rubbish’.
5. Where can I get the best advice about buying a mannequin?
Well if we didn’t say via our contact form then we would be lying through our teeth. We have years of experience and so many mannequins pass through our hands each week. We are always happy to chat and see where we can help you best.
We have a few different options of stands for our range of busts and dress forms. They are as follows ::
Chrome Wheels
White Wooden Square
Black Wooden Tripod
We also have counter top stands – will update visuals shortly.
Retail needs an overhaul. I’ve been saying this for a while now. Like anything really – it all goes a bit stale until the next craze comes into play.
Aside from having a bricks and mortar shop – it was being online with a website that changed and is still changing retail. The traditional high streets are a mass of charity, phone and coffee shops. Once you know your high street, it is pretty much done and abandoned unless mundane tasks are the order of the day.
Pop up shops however are far more exciting. You can potentially leverage your planning skills into your own event that cements the relationship between physical shop, online presence and your tribe of customers.
We are totally geared up and dedicated to helping achieve these plans and of course our mannequins are very willing to help.
I’d like to compile a guide to creating a pop up shop. If you are a company or individual working in this field and would like to be included, please get in touch.
Have you got an environment that requires mannequins on a long term basis? Our ‘Club Mannakin’ package might just be the perfect thing for you.
Our package is suitable for shop windows, instore promotion and within showroom environments.
Requirements change and the mannequins you might hold or purchase now, might not be fit for requirements in the future.
Club Mannakin gives you access to a wide variety of mannequins for an annual fee of from £99 + vat for a full bodied renovated mannequin. Extra costs include shipping and a respray should you require it.
Please get in touch to find out more.
We were recently asked by a client if we stock Environmentally Friendly or Sustainable Mannequins.
We can easily presume that this is a mannequin produced from natural materials which will naturally biodegrade or able to be recycled once it’s life is over. Or perhaps you have a different outlook.
This is possibly unachievable in the true sense – anything manufactured has some element of not being environmentally friendly.
But we have always believed differently.
Our mannequins, to us, are truly Eco. This is because we look after them, we fix them when broken and when they really are ‘kanackered’ we sell bits to artists through our open yard days to create something amazing to enjoy.
We rarely purchase new mannequins for our own requirements – instead we are constantly looking after our own large collection, funded by our wonderful hire clients.
We hope you agree with us that by taking this approach – not only shall you be presented with a quality recycled product for hire or purchase, but that we tick a box for your business to be sustainable.
