Starting Out...

[Jim Warfield]

Are you the artist? If not, find one, hire one, they work for money.
Sometimes a smaller sum if they get some future percentage of the sales, the arrangement may even inspire more inspired work coming from that artist?
Take a mask for instance, the sculpting is half the work, the paint job really "sells" the look of the work and makes all the difference in the world as to how potentially valuable the finished product will be.
Once you send a mask mold across the border there is no saying if they will produce the same mask and under sell you!

[HauntedWebby]

How does a product line with artistic needs get manufactured?

Distortions started by designing/molding/making their own stuff. Now they are too large to make everyones, so they still make some ... and contract out for cheaper copies. You can tell the quality of work is different. It's not their fault, not everyone holds the same standards they do. Theirs is high, contracted out is low.

Not that that answers your question, but you should produce your own until you have to contract out.

[robos99]

Thanks for all the info, but I was actually thinking of doing the opposite. Manufacturing for other people until my own designs have been perfected enough to sell, and then start making those too. Any thoughts on this?