Nouns plush by Sun-Min + David, creators of Uglydoll
Nouns plush by Sun-Min + David, creators of Uglydoll
Hi, I am David Horvath, co-creator of character brands loved around the world. Some may know me from Bossy Bear and Uglydoll or my work here with Nouns Sofubi and Plush.
TLDR
I'm going to leverage my extensive knowledge in character IP brand development and 20+ years of global retail relationships to launch Nouns Plush worldwide, specifically by bringing Nouns into the realm of growing a lifestyle characrter brand from square one using the same methods we have deployed with much success through our own brands.
This will take some up front investment but will lead to a self sustaining business that proliferates Nouns and drives affinity (more powerful than attention alone) to Nouns so that it can be a brand built to thrive for generations.
From Snoopy to Miffy, lifestyle character brands do not survive for decades via nostalgia, but through very specific "brand story" choices and forms of culture building.
Some history
In 2023, to supplement my previous prop, Sun-Min Kim, creator of Uglydoll (our plush global lifestyle character brand) created Nouns plush from our original Uglydoll fabrics, produced in our Uglydoll factory. 100 of these dolls were sold alongside the other Nouns items we produced.
While all of the nouns items in this section at Ginza LOFT were well received and sold out faster than expected, all nouns plush sold out the fastest and received the most inquiries via the display model kept under glass for all of July to mid August 2023.
Those familiar with our work understand that plush is a mechanism for growing lifestyle character brands from zero as to become one with culture rather than marketing towards it.
The LOFT retailer, as well as FewMany / Marui department store in Shinjuku, desires reorders of the Nouns plush and will expand into the Shibuya 6th floor and other locations.
LOFT is 112 high end “everything creator stores” and a place of meaning for many. FewMany is a high brand character culture boutique in the high end Marui department store. (Our previous prop held the nouns sofubi launch at Marui FewMany in October of 2022)
What’s the plan?
We are bringing classic Uglydoll plush back through our specialty distribution network around the world at the end of 2024, with expansion and full capacity by mid 2025.
We wish to produce greater quantities of the Nouns plush, which had success in one of the toughest high end retail environments in character culture in Tokyo, and distribute into the same high end specialty and museum / high end dept stores we will bring Uglydoll back into through the US, EU / EMEA, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong and rest of Asia.
How?
Produce the Nouns plush at our Uglydoll factory, to be discovered in places of meaning, “made by the Uglydoll creators” at a time when Uglydoll will once again enter global high end markets and be in front of the high end specialty retail buyer and consumer.
We will offer Nouns plush to retailers at the ASTRA show (toy specialty retail) and US based museums and showcase at Wonder Festival, Tokyo Gift show, Design Festa, and the Taipei Toy Festival while working with our distribution partners with global reach into specialty stores.
We will take Nouns plush to our distribution partners in Japan and Korea for entrance into specialty retail, and exhibit at critical public facing and "buyer only" exhibitions, such as the Tokyo Gift show at Big Sight, Wonder Festival in Japan, Super Festival also in Japan by the Budokan,DCOn in Las Vegas, the ASTRA show, Spielwarenmesse, the international toy fair in Nuremberg, and the TTF Taipei show (which has great influence on the surrounding territories).
Nouns plush at global high end and museum can retail for $20.00 / mini bag clips for $12.00, via a network of a few hundred stores initially, then grow into 2000+ specialty stores, with focus on creating meaning through culture, rather than just “selling stuff”.
Plush serves as an attractant for character brands, and presents an opportunity to hold the brand in your hand and start a relationship, so the line isn’t viewed as “things we collect on a shelf” but as a brand we make part of our lives, which is the Uglydoll, Miffy, Snoopy and Sanrio formula. (In Japan and Korea we will supplement the plush with bags & wallets)
How much?
The plan is focus on museum and high end specialty.
We can produce the nouns plush for $3 to $3.25 each and wholesale at $10.
Clips cost 2.00-2.25 and can wholesale for $6.00
Costs drop with increased quantity as we succeed.
Distributors take 22 to 25%.
The pain point in the short term will be sea freight, as costs have been unusually high.
Costs also include insurance, safety testing, certification, and show attendance ( we can neighbor Uglydoll in shows such as ASTRA. Trade shows in Japan and Korea etc )
We will establish a responsible party and note such on SIL sewn in labels.
$135,000.00 for production, insurance, testing, freight, translator / assistance (one person) on the ground at each Japan show / booth space at shows where Uglydoll is not already present. Travel to industry events where I am not already present for Uglydoll. (In cases where Uglydoll is not present, coach flights, hotels sub $40 USD per night in Japan. No taxi, no meals.) All receipts and expenses scanned. The responsible party will cover all taxes in each territory and hire Above and Beyond Tax Services in Cypress, California for all tax purposes.
$180,000.00 for my time. I will need 24 months to get this where it needs to be and stay on as it propels forward, I will attend all trade shows in first 24 months and critical shows after. I will give this project my full time attention and commitment.
Total Cost of Propopsal $315,000.00 USD / USDC, in one payment. (One single payment needed to secure space at shows spanning a full year+ and commit to travel, on the ground help, and begin production.)
Additional Financial Information:
$3.25 per piece 10 inch size 5 colors, 3000 of each 15,000 plush dolls x $3.25 = $48,750 USD
$2.25 per piece mini clip size 5 colors, 3000 of each 15,000 mini clip dolls x $2.25 = $33,750 USD
Sea freight est: $0.30 ea to $0.50 ea $9000 to $15,000 USD for all 30,000 pcs if all to US (To Japan and Korea is less)
$91,500 USD to $97,500 USD landed.
$37,500.00 remaining for Insurance, testing, certifications, responsible party fees, translator / assistant (one person) on the ground at each Asia show / booth space at shows where Uglydoll is not already present. Travel to industry events where I am not already present for Uglydoll.
Profits will be used to expand exhibition space each year and present at a greater number of trade shows and public facing events, which will serve as a critical suplement to high end specialty retail and museum stores. We can also open nouns mini-retail in key areas of Seoul as we have with Uglydoll, as such carries a great opportunity to have meaningful impact in surrounding territories via specific tourism.
While we will cap our sales at a certain level to avoid saturation in favor of longevity, once profitable, I will purchase nouns as finances allow once trade shows for the year and factory orders are paid.
Then what?
The project will propel itself once funded with no need for further treasury draws.
Profits will be put into line extensions, expansion of exhibition space and global trade shows, retail and venue displays and promotions, and on the ground assistance at trade exhibitions.
Note: The industry / buyers are also going to be watching us, so it is important to at first show up with an understated table or booth, but to then show growth each year via exhibition space. Buyers love to recall being there "when you were just a small table."
Ultimate goal:
For the world to fall in love with Nouns. To bring all new people over to the protocol via organic discovery in places which already mean something to them, and create “shelf space” around the world for Nouns… not for endless “merch” but via specialty retail for other nouns creators to bring about culture immersion goods.
When we see success with our own brands and products, retailers, in general, often ask for more products of the same property. The community can fulfill the demand through other goods via shelf space we establish.
(We will also produce Uglydoll plush wearing noggles in small runs for specific high end retailers and museum stores to create an association at launch where we feel needed.)
Retail:
USA: Specialty retail/ museum stores / Uglydoll distribution network. (Astra member stores are just over 700 shops, another few hundred high end specialty shops (Giant Robot and similar) and top museum stores such as MoMA, LACMA, Getty, and similar… via our distributor.) Kinokuniya USA etc
JAPAN: 100+ LOFT stores, MoMA on Omotesando, high end dept stores (PARCO, Seibu, Marui) and create limited special run versions for BEAMS. Daikanyama and Ginza TSUTAYA Books, Kyoto TSUTAYA, then enter Village Vanguard's 350 locations across Japan, free standing and in AEON malls.
Eventually go to Medicom Toy for distribution, they have been our distribution partner for Japan.
KOREA: Hyundai Department stores, all locations. Kinkirobot all locations. Starluxe can distribute and insert into smaller shops in specific neighborhoods which have impact on buyers from retailers in surrounding territories , local fans, and key tourism.
TAIWAN: Will seek out distribution partners among those in our network while showcasing nouns at the Taipei Toy Festival. This will have high impact on surrounding territories.
EU: our distribution partners will respond positively to success in the above territories, full EU effort begins January 2026 via exhibition at Spielwarenmesse, need to begin USA and above territories first.
Can ship specific specialty high impact culture points piecemeal well beforehand.
Retail part 2: Once we use the plush to grow an audience aware of Nouns the protocol and grow a fan base who understands Nouns products as a property they bring into their lives (rather than merely “stuff” to be collected and put on a shelf.) we can move into Barnes and Noble’s pop culture section.
(This is where one can find Totoro, Pusheen and 100-soft in most small towns).
Trade shows:
Tokyo Gift Show (at Big Sight) by far the most important from day one
and also set up small understated tables or spaces at: Both Wonder Festivals (Tokyo) All 3 Super Festivals (by the Budokan) along with our nouns sofubi Design Festa (Tokyo) Taipei Toy Festival TTF DCON Las Vegas ASTRA show (show for 700+ specialty toy & gift retailers) Spielwarenmesse, the international toy fair in Nuremberg, Germany then in later phases, add on shows as displayed here:
⌐◨-◨
Our first prop brought Nouns Sofubi produced in exclusive factories in Japan to high end retail in Tokyo with much success, and this new project will build upon the very fast sales seen with the initial wave of nouns plush, which became the clear break away and source of much excitement for the retail buyers and their customers.
The goal is never to "sell more stuff", but to provide a point of discovery through beautiful physical goods found via culture touchpoints which already hold meaning for our future tribe members, so that feeling may be assigned to Nouns, as the subconcious is lead to understand that this is not a "thing" to collect, but a brand to bring inwards into our daily lives. This is the formula we have used to grow our own brands like Uglydoll from zero to millions of fans around the world who actually care vs merely "being aware".
In the US, we will build towards an assortment and add on a few new Nouns heads for future waves, while in Japan, Korea and surrounding territories, we will focus more on cloud in early phases.
Built to be self propelling, this plush line proposal will reach specialty retail and museums around the world, with hopes of opening wider shelf space for other nouns creators as the tags on the Nouns plush leads new people to discover the invitation to build on Nouns and join the ever growing community.
Yours Truly -David
Nouns plush by Sun-Min + David, creators of Uglydoll
Nouns plush by Sun-Min + David, creators of Uglydoll
Hi, I am David Horvath, co-creator of character brands loved around the world. Some may know me from Bossy Bear and Uglydoll or my work here with Nouns Sofubi and Plush.
TLDR
I'm going to leverage my extensive knowledge in character IP brand development and 20+ years of global retail relationships to launch Nouns Plush worldwide, specifically by bringing Nouns into the realm of growing a lifestyle characrter brand from square one using the same methods we have deployed with much success through our own brands.
This will take some up front investment but will lead to a self sustaining business that proliferates Nouns and drives affinity (more powerful than attention alone) to Nouns so that it can be a brand built to thrive for generations.
From Snoopy to Miffy, lifestyle character brands do not survive for decades via nostalgia, but through very specific "brand story" choices and forms of culture building.
Some history
In 2023, to supplement my previous prop, Sun-Min Kim, creator of Uglydoll (our plush global lifestyle character brand) created Nouns plush from our original Uglydoll fabrics, produced in our Uglydoll factory. 100 of these dolls were sold alongside the other Nouns items we produced.
While all of the nouns items in this section at Ginza LOFT were well received and sold out faster than expected, all nouns plush sold out the fastest and received the most inquiries via the display model kept under glass for all of July to mid August 2023.
Those familiar with our work understand that plush is a mechanism for growing lifestyle character brands from zero as to become one with culture rather than marketing towards it.
The LOFT retailer, as well as FewMany / Marui department store in Shinjuku, desires reorders of the Nouns plush and will expand into the Shibuya 6th floor and other locations.
LOFT is 112 high end “everything creator stores” and a place of meaning for many. FewMany is a high brand character culture boutique in the high end Marui department store. (Our previous prop held the nouns sofubi launch at Marui FewMany in October of 2022)
What’s the plan?
We are bringing classic Uglydoll plush back through our specialty distribution network around the world at the end of 2024, with expansion and full capacity by mid 2025.
We wish to produce greater quantities of the Nouns plush, which had success in one of the toughest high end retail environments in character culture in Tokyo, and distribute into the same high end specialty and museum / high end dept stores we will bring Uglydoll back into through the US, EU / EMEA, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong and rest of Asia.
How?
Produce the Nouns plush at our Uglydoll factory, to be discovered in places of meaning, “made by the Uglydoll creators” at a time when Uglydoll will once again enter global high end markets and be in front of the high end specialty retail buyer and consumer.
We will offer Nouns plush to retailers at the ASTRA show (toy specialty retail) and US based museums and showcase at Wonder Festival, Tokyo Gift show, Design Festa, and the Taipei Toy Festival while working with our distribution partners with global reach into specialty stores.
We will take Nouns plush to our distribution partners in Japan and Korea for entrance into specialty retail, and exhibit at critical public facing and "buyer only" exhibitions, such as the Tokyo Gift show at Big Sight, Wonder Festival in Japan, Super Festival also in Japan by the Budokan,DCOn in Las Vegas, the ASTRA show, Spielwarenmesse, the international toy fair in Nuremberg, and the TTF Taipei show (which has great influence on the surrounding territories).
Nouns plush at global high end and museum can retail for $20.00 / mini bag clips for $12.00, via a network of a few hundred stores initially, then grow into 2000+ specialty stores, with focus on creating meaning through culture, rather than just “selling stuff”.
Plush serves as an attractant for character brands, and presents an opportunity to hold the brand in your hand and start a relationship, so the line isn’t viewed as “things we collect on a shelf” but as a brand we make part of our lives, which is the Uglydoll, Miffy, Snoopy and Sanrio formula. (In Japan and Korea we will supplement the plush with bags & wallets)
How much?
The plan is focus on museum and high end specialty.
We can produce the nouns plush for $3 to $3.25 each and wholesale at $10.
Clips cost 2.00-2.25 and can wholesale for $6.00
Costs drop with increased quantity as we succeed.
Distributors take 22 to 25%.
The pain point in the short term will be sea freight, as costs have been unusually high.
Costs also include insurance, safety testing, certification, and show attendance ( we can neighbor Uglydoll in shows such as ASTRA. Trade shows in Japan and Korea etc )
We will establish a responsible party and note such on SIL sewn in labels.
$135,000.00 for production, insurance, testing, freight, translator / assistance (one person) on the ground at each Japan show / booth space at shows where Uglydoll is not already present. Travel to industry events where I am not already present for Uglydoll. (In cases where Uglydoll is not present, coach flights, hotels sub $40 USD per night in Japan. No taxi, no meals.) All receipts and expenses scanned. The responsible party will cover all taxes in each territory and hire Above and Beyond Tax Services in Cypress, California for all tax purposes.
$180,000.00 for my time. I will need 24 months to get this where it needs to be and stay on as it propels forward, I will attend all trade shows in first 24 months and critical shows after. I will give this project my full time attention and commitment.
Total Cost of Propopsal $315,000.00 USD / USDC, in one payment. (One single payment needed to secure space at shows spanning a full year+ and commit to travel, on the ground help, and begin production.)
Additional Financial Information:
$3.25 per piece 10 inch size 5 colors, 3000 of each 15,000 plush dolls x $3.25 = $48,750 USD
$2.25 per piece mini clip size 5 colors, 3000 of each 15,000 mini clip dolls x $2.25 = $33,750 USD
Sea freight est: $0.30 ea to $0.50 ea $9000 to $15,000 USD for all 30,000 pcs if all to US (To Japan and Korea is less)
$91,500 USD to $97,500 USD landed.
$37,500.00 remaining for Insurance, testing, certifications, responsible party fees, translator / assistant (one person) on the ground at each Asia show / booth space at shows where Uglydoll is not already present. Travel to industry events where I am not already present for Uglydoll.
Profits will be used to expand exhibition space each year and present at a greater number of trade shows and public facing events, which will serve as a critical suplement to high end specialty retail and museum stores. We can also open nouns mini-retail in key areas of Seoul as we have with Uglydoll, as such carries a great opportunity to have meaningful impact in surrounding territories via specific tourism.
While we will cap our sales at a certain level to avoid saturation in favor of longevity, once profitable, I will purchase nouns as finances allow once trade shows for the year and factory orders are paid.
Then what?
The project will propel itself once funded with no need for further treasury draws.
Profits will be put into line extensions, expansion of exhibition space and global trade shows, retail and venue displays and promotions, and on the ground assistance at trade exhibitions.
Note: The industry / buyers are also going to be watching us, so it is important to at first show up with an understated table or booth, but to then show growth each year via exhibition space. Buyers love to recall being there "when you were just a small table."
Ultimate goal:
For the world to fall in love with Nouns. To bring all new people over to the protocol via organic discovery in places which already mean something to them, and create “shelf space” around the world for Nouns… not for endless “merch” but via specialty retail for other nouns creators to bring about culture immersion goods.
When we see success with our own brands and products, retailers, in general, often ask for more products of the same property. The community can fulfill the demand through other goods via shelf space we establish.
(We will also produce Uglydoll plush wearing noggles in small runs for specific high end retailers and museum stores to create an association at launch where we feel needed.)
Retail:
USA: Specialty retail/ museum stores / Uglydoll distribution network. (Astra member stores are just over 700 shops, another few hundred high end specialty shops (Giant Robot and similar) and top museum stores such as MoMA, LACMA, Getty, and similar… via our distributor.) Kinokuniya USA etc
JAPAN: 100+ LOFT stores, MoMA on Omotesando, high end dept stores (PARCO, Seibu, Marui) and create limited special run versions for BEAMS. Daikanyama and Ginza TSUTAYA Books, Kyoto TSUTAYA, then enter Village Vanguard's 350 locations across Japan, free standing and in AEON malls.
Eventually go to Medicom Toy for distribution, they have been our distribution partner for Japan.
KOREA: Hyundai Department stores, all locations. Kinkirobot all locations. Starluxe can distribute and insert into smaller shops in specific neighborhoods which have impact on buyers from retailers in surrounding territories , local fans, and key tourism.
TAIWAN: Will seek out distribution partners among those in our network while showcasing nouns at the Taipei Toy Festival. This will have high impact on surrounding territories.
EU: our distribution partners will respond positively to success in the above territories, full EU effort begins January 2026 via exhibition at Spielwarenmesse, need to begin USA and above territories first.
Can ship specific specialty high impact culture points piecemeal well beforehand.
Retail part 2: Once we use the plush to grow an audience aware of Nouns the protocol and grow a fan base who understands Nouns products as a property they bring into their lives (rather than merely “stuff” to be collected and put on a shelf.) we can move into Barnes and Noble’s pop culture section.
(This is where one can find Totoro, Pusheen and 100-soft in most small towns).
Trade shows:
Tokyo Gift Show (at Big Sight) by far the most important from day one
and also set up small understated tables or spaces at: Both Wonder Festivals (Tokyo) All 3 Super Festivals (by the Budokan) along with our nouns sofubi Design Festa (Tokyo) Taipei Toy Festival TTF DCON Las Vegas ASTRA show (show for 700+ specialty toy & gift retailers) Spielwarenmesse, the international toy fair in Nuremberg, Germany then in later phases, add on shows as displayed here:
⌐◨-◨
Our first prop brought Nouns Sofubi produced in exclusive factories in Japan to high end retail in Tokyo with much success, and this new project will build upon the very fast sales seen with the initial wave of nouns plush, which became the clear break away and source of much excitement for the retail buyers and their customers.
The goal is never to "sell more stuff", but to provide a point of discovery through beautiful physical goods found via culture touchpoints which already hold meaning for our future tribe members, so that feeling may be assigned to Nouns, as the subconcious is lead to understand that this is not a "thing" to collect, but a brand to bring inwards into our daily lives. This is the formula we have used to grow our own brands like Uglydoll from zero to millions of fans around the world who actually care vs merely "being aware".
In the US, we will build towards an assortment and add on a few new Nouns heads for future waves, while in Japan, Korea and surrounding territories, we will focus more on cloud in early phases.
Built to be self propelling, this plush line proposal will reach specialty retail and museums around the world, with hopes of opening wider shelf space for other nouns creators as the tags on the Nouns plush leads new people to discover the invitation to build on Nouns and join the ever growing community.
Yours Truly -David
