Alex Furmansky was inspired to make Budsies after witnessing his sister cuddle with one of her plush animals. It was not a surprise that Alex’s younger sister enjoyed drawing. Alex came up with the idea of making her drawings come to life by putting them in an old box she had kept them in.
When he first built a Budsie for his sister, he kept things as simple as possible. He’s working as an employee at a company that specializes in hypoallergenic fabrics.
Now the question is, how does Budsies work? You can email the designers an image of your child’s artwork; they’ll select colors and construct a pattern based on the image. The toy will be built, stuffed, and shipped to your doorstep. The ability for children to watch their drawings come to life in three dimensions is an additional advantage of the experience.
Budsies toys are pricier than their counterparts; however, the customizability makes them well worth the price. These playthings can be purchased from the company’s website for a reasonable price.
Now that we know what Budsies is all about, let’s see how the deal at Shark Tank turned out for the company.
Mr. Furmansky pitched his startup to the Sharks in an attempt to secure an investment. He aimed to acquire their help in growing his retail business.
He started his pitch by describing his business. He said Budsies came about by chance, as is often the case with major discoveries. He became aware of his younger sister’s artistic prowess while spending time with his family. She drew creatures.
He said that Budsies is a corporation that could help turn a picture into a real-life stuff toy. People can now have their artwork turned into swish animals with the help of the Budsies. When the team receives artwork, they employ their in-house design team’s creativity to turn it into something every child can enjoy.
Company called Budsies turns children’s drawings into stuffed animals. Alex Furmansky and his team at Budsies will create a custom stuffed animal out of a child’s photo that they upload to the website.
Children can publish their artwork on a website established by him for them. Designers were brought in to make plush versions of the drawings. They produce allergy-free Budsie toys because of the hypoallergenic materials used.
Before he debuted on Shark Tank, Budsies was already producing money thanks to his innovative and compassionate approach. When it comes to starting and running enterprises, Alex Furmansky is no novice. He said he also operates the dating website Sparkology, which caters to young professionals seeking love.
The Sharks began to take Alex’s idea seriously when he offered $100,000 for a 5% stake in his heartwarming business. He displayed a custom Budsies set up and offered freebies to the Sharks. He went into great depth about the design and construction process. On sale for $69.00 per unit, the product costs $35.
The Sharks didn’t like the idea that it takes four weeks for a product to be delivered. Moreover, the deal went further down when he mentioned that he only raised $94K in seven months.
Mark thought the idea was too duplicable, so he’s out of the game. Lori said that if the system could not be scaled, she would be on board.
Even though Mr. Wonderful has no idea how to create money out of this particular, he offered $100,000 in exchange for 50% of the company.
According to Alex, the company Budsies makes both pet and soft human toys.
Daymond offered a 40% ownership in exchange for $100,000. It spiraled out as Alex said that he needed more money to gain a larger share of the profits. As a result, Daymond excused himself.
Budsies could not strike a deal with the Sharks because neither of the parties could reach a mutually beneficial deal.
However, Alex’s business was not jeopardized, and he didn’t require a bailout. Budsies are now being sold at a profit margin of four to five weeks. The output has increased due to his company’s expansion into new products and services. Customers can now purchase stuffed creatures picturing their pets and selves.
Our Review of Budsies
Budsies designs are widely famous among children. Image having a toy you drew? How incredible does that sound! These designs can be purchased at budsies’ official website. Several media sites, such as Hallmark and Buzzfeed, have covered Budsies.
However, third-party review sites like Yelp give Budsies items a lot of one-star ratings even though the company’s website has a lot of positive reviews of its products. The main cause of bad reviews is late delivery.
The Budsies website says that a stuffed animal takes six weeks to produce; however, the owner said that it takes four to produce the toy on Shark Tank. It would have been better for Budsies to invest in their plant rather than outsource production to a random facility in China, which would have allowed them to better control the output.
Budsies is still going strong as of this writing. Founder and CEO Alex Furmansky stepped down in March 2021 after eight years of service to the organization. Scott Meier took over as CEO after him. This has resulted in little to no change in the company’s primary business of converting children’s artwork into plush toys. Plush pets, selfie-themed stuffed animals, and personalized photo cushions are now readily accessible to buy.
Pros
- More than 100,000 customized toys have been made for customers around the world.
- The company claimed to produce an exact replica of the design you offer.
- The company has donated toys to sick children through partnerships with children’s hospitals.
Cons
- Many buyers have complained that their plush animals don’t match the descriptions they provided.
- Budsies didn’t arrive for some customers for months.
- The cost is too high considering the results aren’t satisfactory.
Who is it For?
Budsies is made for children who draw and want a similar toy. Their dream can now turn into reality with the help of this website. Say hallelujah!
Are There Any Alternatives?
A similar concept is used in Make My Plush, allowing children to design their items for an additional price. Walt Disney has also given them an endorsement for Pete’s Dragon Make My Plush. You can design your drawing online at Bespoke Plush, or you can get a custom drawing from them.
Our Final Thought
Budsies should be your go-to choice if you want to gift your child a stuffed animal similar to what their children made. Approach them and get your toys delivered to you at your doorstep.
