The idea
The Mould Is Retired
Every commission produces exactly one object, and then the design is gone.
Four or five good photographs is enough to tell you whether this will work, what it costs, and how long it takes.
What retiring the design actually means
Once your piece is cast, the design is not used again. There is no second edition, no smaller version sold later, and nobody else receives the same animal in silver.
It is not a marketing position. It is the practical difference between commissioning something and buying something, and it is the only real reason to do the former.
What you are actually paying for
Three things, and the metal is only one of them.
- The design work, which is done once and for you.
- The metal, which is a real commodity at a real price.
- The hand finishing, which is where a cast object becomes a good one.
- And the fact that none of it is repeated for anybody else.
Why it suits this subject
A pet is already one of one. Buying a generic figure of the right breed puts a category on the shelf where an individual should be, and everybody who knew the animal notices.
That is the entire argument for commissioning, and it is why the design being retired matters more here than it would on almost any other subject.
FAQ
Common questions
- Could you make a second one later?
- No. The design is retired after casting and there is no mould to work from.
- What if we want two?
- Tell us before casting. Two from one design is possible; two after the fact is not.
- Is the design ours?
- It is made for your animal and not reused for anybody else.
- Do you keep the photographs?
- Only as needed for your commission. Tell us if you would like them removed afterwards.
Next step
Run it both ways before you decide.
No credit check and no obligation. Tell us what you hold and what the money is for, and if selling is the better answer for your situation you will be told that first.