Genuinely lost as to what to do now. I come from a software background which is super easy to start selling. Do I need to protect the idea? Pitch it to…someone? Talk to marketers/manufacturers? How do people normally go from single prototype to store shelves?
I made a working prototype for a kids toy, what now?
byu/doodlleus inEntrepreneur
Posted by doodlleus
4 Comments
Not sure where you live, but file the idea somewhere (so you have prove you deposited the idea before talking to people), then; talk to people. Manufacturers, purchasers, investors in this specific field. Most probably outcomes;
– Manufacturers; you get a minimum kickback fee on every sold product (which is a win, because it could happen at scale)
– Purchasers; might go for it, but in consignation; you pay for production, they put in on the shelves and you get your money once its sold (big investment, big risk, possible high reward)
– Wholesalers; might want to take your prototype to purchasers of chains, if they want to purchase – investment is on you (expect they will start with low quantities but expect large quantity pricing – thats your risk)
– Investors; totally depending on your product and how they think it will catch on
Toys are literally 100% gimmicks, so its always a coinflip. It might become a hype, it probably won’t.
Most people overthink this part.
Before IP or pitching, show it to parents/kids and see if they’d actually buy it and then get quotes from manufacturers.
Then choose, either license it, or build it yourself.
Patents matter less than people think unless the mechanism is truly novel. Demand + cost clarity come first.
Patent first before you show it to anyone, especially manufacturers – they’ll steal your idea faster than you can blink
The toy industry is brutal but if you’ve got something good, start with small retailers or try crowdfunding to prove demand before going to the big players
Distribution! This is 2026, screw the store shelves. Build a simple / cheap digital store, and start an all out short form content marketing campaign. Everyone shops on social media now, put your product in front of the right digital traffic and you’ll make more sales than any store. Talking to investors, marketers etc comes after you already are making strong digital sales and getting feedback across platforms. Are you marketing on social media yet, and do you have a digital store?