Toy Brands
A brand order is a development project as much as a production order. This page sets out how the development runs, what we need from you at each stage, and what stays yours.
What a brand needs from a factory
Brand buyers are rarely asking for the lowest unit price. They are asking whether the factory can hold a design, protect it, and repeat it a year later without the product drifting.
- Development capacity. Someone who can read a drawing, produce a sample, and tell you when a design cannot be made safely for the age grade you have chosen.
- A stable production reference. An approved sample that is held on file, so a reorder eighteen months later is the same product.
- Material control. The paint, the board and the fittings specified per item, so the compliance file stays valid run after run.
- Confidentiality. Development carried out to an agreement rather than an open brief, with your drawings and tooling not reused for other customers.
How a brand order runs
| Starting point | Your design, a category you want to enter, or an existing product you want to improve. All three are workable starting points. |
|---|---|
| Development | ODM: we develop from our own range. OEM: we build to your drawings and specification. The difference is who owns the starting design. |
| Sampling | Custom sampling takes about 10 days per round. Most projects settle in two or three rounds, and the approved sample becomes the production reference. |
| Exclusivity | Available by item and by market on request, subject to volume. We confirm the terms in writing before development starts. |
| MOQ | 50 pieces per item on the in-stock range. Custom and private-label items are quoted per product, because the minimum depends on how much is customised. |
| Lead time | Around 30 days after order confirmation, subject to complexity, material and quantity. |
OEM, ODM and the difference in time
The two routes cost different amounts of calendar time, and the right choice usually depends on how much of the design you want to own.
- ODM starts from our own range and adapts it: colour, finish, size, packaging and branding. It is the fastest route to a first order, because the tooling already exists.
- OEM starts from your design. It gives you a product that is yours alone, and it needs drawing review, sample rounds and, where relevant, new tooling.
- Mixed projects are common: an ODM base with an OEM modification to a panel, a mechanism or a printed component.
See OEM wooden toys for the customisation scope and private label wooden toys for branding-only projects.
What we need from you to quote and plan
- The target market, because it decides whether the item is tested to EN71, ASTM F963, or another programme, and how the labelling has to read.
- The age grade, because the same design is a different test programme for a two-year-old and a four-year-old.
- The quantity per item and the number of items, so the lead time and the tooling position can be confirmed.
- Branding and packaging artwork, including the importer details that have to appear on the pack.
What you receive with a brand order
- The approved sample as the production reference, and the material and paint specifications behind it.
- Third-party test reports for the item and material combination, and a manufacturer’s declaration naming the standards applied.
- Private-label packaging printed to your artwork, including instruction sheets in the languages you need.
- FSC chain of custody where FSC stock is specified (certificate ESTS-COC-240650), and BSCI social audit documentation for your own supplier audits.
The market documents are set out on the CE marking, ASTM F963 and CPSIA pages.
Related: OEM wooden toys · Private label wooden toys · Solutions by buyer type · OEM wooden toys · Private label wooden toys · Wooden toy manufacturer · Request a quotation
Frequently asked questions
Can you develop a product from our design?
Yes. Send the drawings or a reference sample and we will review it for manufacturability, age-grade safety and cost, then produce a sample. Custom sampling takes about 10 days per round.
Do you offer exclusivity?
Exclusivity is available by item and by market, subject to volume. We confirm the terms in writing before development starts.
Will our design be shown to other customers?
No. Development is carried out to an agreement, and your drawings and tooling are not reused for other customers.
How many sample rounds does a project usually take?
Most projects settle in two or three rounds. The approved sample then becomes the production reference, so a later reorder is compared against it rather than against a description.
Can we use our own packaging and instructions?
Yes. Packaging, instruction sheets and branding are produced to your artwork, and we can print in the languages you require for each market.
What is the minimum order for a branded item?
50 pieces per item on the in-stock range. Custom and private-label items are quoted per product, because the minimum depends on how much is customised.
Send us your product list
Tell us the items, quantities and the market you sell in. We will come back with a quotation, the documentation we can supply, and the next step.
Request a quotation