Guide
Custom Plush Costs, Samples And MOQ
A quotation is a set of decisions, not a number. This guide explains what is priced, what a sample costs and why, and how quantity changes the unit price before you ask for a figure.
Why No Price Is Published Here
A published price would be wrong for almost every project, and a ‘from’ figure misleads more than it helps.
Custom plush is priced after the specification exists: size, construction, materials, decoration, packing and quantity. Two projects that look alike can differ by a factor because of stitch count, pile, attachments or packing.
This page therefore explains the structure of a quotation and the decisions that move it. It does not state rates, because the rate depends on the project, and a figure published here would not survive contact with a real brief.
The one number that is always worth giving is the quantity split: units per style, colour and packing variant. That single input moves the unit price more than any other.
Order scope: custom only, from 1 piece, no ready stock. A one-piece order also requires sampling or production; development, sampling, testing where applicable, packing and freight are quoted for the project.
What A Quotation Is Made Of
Six lines explain almost every difference between two quotes for a similar item.
| Decision Point | What To Confirm | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern And Sampling | Pattern development, a physical sample, and the revision rounds included. | A complex character needs more pattern work than a simple shape. |
| Materials | Surface fabric, filling, trims and any special component. | Custom colours are quoted per project; a small order can make some material combinations impractical. |
| Labour Content | Number of pattern pieces, sewing time, hand finishing. | Small items are not automatically cheap: handling dominates. |
| Decoration | Embroidery stitch count, print area, applique pieces. | Stitch count is the usual surprise line on a detailed design. |
| Packing | Individual bag, labels, barcode, inner box, carton. | Retail-ready packing adds material and handling per unit. |
| Testing And Inspection | Third-party testing, third-party inspection when requested. | Quoted as separate lines, not absorbed into the unit price. |
What A Quotation Should List
What is included and what is charged separately depends on this quotation; the table shows what to look for, not a default package.
| Item | Scope To List In The Quote | Possible Separate Charges | Confirm Before Approval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pattern and sample | Pattern development quoted with the sample | Extra rounds beyond the agreed scope | Number of rounds and revision limits |
| Materials | Quoted fabric and filling for the approved sample | Special fabrics, custom colours | Whether a colour or fabric has a workable source |
| Decoration | The agreed embroidery or print method | Additional positions or colours | Artwork preparation and approval |
| Testing | Not included unless stated | Laboratory fees for the scope | Which market and which tests |
| Packing and freight | Standard packing quoted with production | Retail packing, air freight | Carton marks, shipping method, duties |
Sample Cost And Revision Rounds
A sample is a development step with its own cost, not a free preview of the bulk price.
Sampling consumes pattern time, material and machine time. It is normally quoted as a separate charge, and the scope of revisions included is stated in the quotation rather than assumed.
Revision rounds are limited because each round re-enters the same queue. A revision that changes construction is closer to a new sample than to a correction, and is priced accordingly.
The approval itself matters commercially: once a sample is approved and sealed, bulk is produced against it. Changes after that point re-open both cost and schedule.
Ask for the revision scope in writing before approving a sample, so the boundary is clear on both sides.
How Quantity Changes The Unit Price
Volume helps, but the split usually matters more.
Material purchasing, machine set-up and packing preparation are largely fixed per style, colour and packing variant. Spreading those fixed costs over more units is what lowers the unit price.
That is why a single large order of one colour is cheaper per unit than the same total split across several colours or packing formats. Mixed colours are checked against the fabric available for the sample, and the result is quoted with the project.
Custom orders start from 1 piece. There is no ready stock, and a single piece still needs sampling or production, confirmed for the project, so cost and lead time come from the scope rather than a price list. A small promotional run and a retail run are different questions.
Send units per style, colour and packing variant; a single total will produce a conditional answer.
What Makes A Quotation Usable
Five inputs turn a query into a quotable brief.
- Design or referenceArtwork views or a physical sample, with missing views declared.
- Size and construction notesFinished size, and any structure that must hold, such as standing or sitting.
- Quantity splitUnits per style, colour and packing variant, plus spares.
- Market and age groupDecides labels, warnings and whether testing is needed.
- Target date and termsWhen the goods must be usable, and the Incoterm you expect to quote against.
Questions About Cost And MOQ
Four answers before a budget is set.
Why Can’t You Give A Price From A Photo?
A photo does not state size, materials, construction, stitch count or quantity, and each of those changes the price materially. A short brief produces a real figure; a photo produces a range wide enough to be useless.
Is The Sample Fee Deducted From The Bulk Order?
That depends on the quotation and is stated there rather than assumed. Where a deduction applies, the condition is written into the offer.
What Is The Minimum Order Quantity?
Custom orders start from 1 piece. A single piece still goes through sampling or production, and cost and lead time are confirmed for the project.
Can Several Designs Share One Order?
They can ship together, but each design has its own pattern and sample, so each is quoted separately. The split is quoted explicitly so the arithmetic is visible.
Send The Brief, Get A Real Figure
Design, split, market and date. With those four, a quotation can be specific instead of conditional.