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Work at home making miniatures-tiny details


Sherry

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I ran across this last night on google. It's a company that pays you to assemble miniatures at home. Anyone familiar with it? I know a stay at home mom who might be interested, but she can't afford to get scammed. The name of it is Tiny Details.

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I've seen that a lot of people consider Tiny Details to be a scam, but I'm not so sure. I think their problems stemmed from the fact that their miniature work just wasn't up to par, many of them were just people trying to make some extra cash, and they don't have the patience or dexterity to glue the tiny parts together without making a mess of them.

You can find people's opinions of Tiny Details by googling tiny details reviews.

Here's one site that has some well balanced ones and not just a page full of rants

http://www.workathomenoscams.com/2007/09/1...details-a-scam/

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If I remember this correctly from another board, you pay for the supplies, put them together and send them back. You are then paid for the ones that pass inspection. They will send the rejected ones back so you have a chance to fix them. This discussion was a year or two ago, so I may have the details wrong. I remember some people saying it was a great fit for them and others thinking it was a rip off. HTH.

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I think if people are experienced in making miniatures, they may not have a problem. I'm sure there are many, many people who think making small things is easy and it would be a quick and easy way to make money.

Personally, I can only imagine what some of the stuff they get back looks like!!!

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LOL Sally...me too:)

I looked into this a few years ago. If I remember right,you start with sending them $50. (security deposit) then they send you your choice of products youre interesed in making. Theres quite an extensive choice,depending on your skill level. I suspect that in our HBS catalogs wherever there is a small American flag next to the name of the product, it comes from either this company or another home assembly company. Not everywhere that thers a flag...some flag items are glue...wallpaper paste,etc.....but others look like they could be home assembly.

I had read quite a few reviews and it seemed legit to me. At the time I was thinking of doing it, I didnt have the $50. though,lol;)

Also,it sounded like you would have extras from whatever you were making that you get to keep for yourself:)

Maybe someone could get the nerve up to ask Ernie if he carries their products. I always feel good buying Made In America,no matter who is doing the assembling,if its quality work.

FYI...I used to be an Avon Rep.....not anymore cause I never sold anything,just bought stuff for myself and went even more broke....lol...but Avon is really really cheap to start and you get a great discount;)

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Next time go right to the BBB. You can now search the BBB using web addresses & phone numbers. :horse:

They are NOT BBB accredited, not that they have to be, but I take that as a red flag. They are based in NY / FL.

I remember reading a complaint about a company like this - a woman said the company kept refusing her work - finally she sent back the sample & they still refused it !? (the sample that they said - "this is the way it should be done!) LOL!

Your friend might try selling her stuff on Etsy.com, no auctions, just pennies to dislpay each item for 4 months. Esty takes 3% of the final fee. Very simple. I've enjoyed doing business through them & I've had a lot of luck selling there... :)

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I would be interested to know if anyone who does miniatures for a hobby (and therefore is used to working with such tiny kits!) routinely has their stuff rejected during the inspection. That would be a red flag to me.

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I don't know, but I just finished doing 3 HOM tea tables and I still couldn't get them the way I wanted them to be. My opinion is the work can be done to exacting standards, but I think you are going to need some equipment to do the job. A magnifying glass, a way to hold your projects while you're working on them, a very high quality straight edge ruler, and needle nose tweezers, among others.

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I seen the Tiny Details and did not do it because I did not have the $50. to let go of.

I would LOVE to try out Etsy... but have not done it yet... I would love to try it I have several things I have made that I would love to sell there.!! Just afraid !!

Kellee

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I remember reading a complaint about a company like this - a woman said the company kept refusing her work - finally she sent back the sample & they still refused it !? (the sample that they said - "this is the way it should be done!) LOL!

I haven't tried miniatures, but I did try making earrings this way once. That is exactly how they work, you pay them for the supplies, then when completed mail the items to them and they will pay you for your work, if they accept it. I remember working very hard to make exactly what they wanted and they returned all of them saying they were not up to their standards.

I wouldn't do it.

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Handley House distributes Tiny Details items, so they're available everywhere. An awful lot of the little doodads like mini tissue boxes, calendars, games, etc that you see in miniatures shops in your towns and online are from Tiny Details.

I can see how many people might think they duplicated the original perfectly, even though to a trained eye it might look messy and earn a rejection.

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  • 2 years later...

I built small furniture years ago for this company. I loved it. As a stay-at-home mom, it was perfect, and added enough funds in the budget that we could afford some really fun things.

The way it works is that one sends them a $55 deposit and lets them know what kit you wish. All the kits have the same $55 deposit. Before one orders a kit, one knows how many are expected, what the pay is and a good idea how much time will be required, i.e. the more money paid, the more time will be required, and so, the higher the pay. They also send you more materials than you will need to make the required number of product. Some kits require special tools - like a little bowmaker for the bows. This they also send you.

Tiny Details also advises you practice, and send them your best piece, which they will evaluate and return to you with comments. The first project I did, I did not wait for the sample piece to come back. I had a couple errors which couldn't be fixed on the pieces I had made. I sent in a request for more materials - which they sent me free. I then completed the pieces, and they sent me a check very quickly. It was a wonderful experience.

The deposit was refunded as was the postage - I think they are up to $5.00 now on that. I also had a choice to let them roll over my deposit for another kit. But I loved making the furniture piece I was doing, so opted to have the deposit refunded.

I am starting with them again.

I am in the process of building my first doll house, and very excited. When I got the kit, I was advised this was not a beginner's house. But I was pretty brazen about it, based on the fact that I have built 2 53' wood catamaran sailboats, and because I had built so much furniture. HA! The joke was on me!!

Building the sailboats, I had a large - VERY large workshop. Building the furniture, all I needed was a little table. The dollhouse is somewhere in between a HUGE workshop and a little table!

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I tried a company like this quite a few years ago when I was a caregiver for my uncle (unpaid). I figured it would be something I could make some money at and enjoy doing. But, as someone said ealier, they are VERY demanding. I was accustomed to making miniatures, and I am rather exacting in my work - and nothing I made was ever good enough for them. NEVER! And what I was making was not actual minis for dollhouses - it was small log-cabin candle holders, open-roofed for the candle to sit in; so precision should not have been so important. They did not provide the supplies, just gave a list of what was needed, and I had to find a craft store on my own.

But I now have some cute candle holders, and a great pattern for a miniature log cabin :)

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I am gonna have to keep an eye on this, and maybe look into it. I did a home assembly thing once, making cross necklaces. I don't intend to sound cocky but I am a GOOD crafter, the company kept 7 out of 100! Everyone said that if they wouldn't accept mine then it MUST be a scam. And no one has use for 100 cross necklaces at once! I could have sold them at a craft show or something but didn't want the bother. I ended up giving them away.

However, I am a SAHM, so extra money is always needed, and I think I could get rid of tons of minis easy enough, even if I just sold them on ebay in a lot.

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I think you see a common theme here. The accept part is the key. This is how they can legally do what they do. It may not be morally correct. I, too, know someone who did something similar. Every unit was rejected. Your best bet is to do something on Etsy as was mentioned earlier. I find myself buying more and more from Etsy and I see a lot more people at craft fairs that have "Etsy Shops."

I would also be cautious of one of the comments in this post. We can wait and see, but I think one might be a fake profile.

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The more I even consider the possibility the more I think I'd rather make whatever I want, to the standards I set, enjoy doing it, and then sell it on Etsy or elsewhere for a price I set. Rather then make 200 folded paper books (boring!!) to risk having them rejected.

Easier and more fun in the long run!

I noticed the profile issue too. :) We shall see!

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I thought I'd read somewhere that these "work-at-home" craft deals are a scam! When you see the quality of what comes out of the Far Eastern sweatshops (with the possible exception of the Bespaq knockoffs), IMO that's the giveaway.

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My two cents: having done Etsy, it is worth a shot for those of you who said you would like to give it a try. I have been doing it since spring of this year and have made some sales. If you want to do it for an income, it would likely become a full-time marketing and promoting venture (as would any other work-at-home business), but just to see if something sells? It never hurts to try! :) You may be pleasantly surprised. Other than the 20 cents per listing, there's nothing to lose if you don't sell anything.

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I ran across this last night on google. It's a company that pays you to assemble miniatures at home. Anyone familiar with it? I know a stay at home mom who might be interested, but she can't afford to get scammed. The name of it is Tiny Details.

Tiny Details is legit, I have some of their products in my ebay store. They are all made in America which is nice. Anyway I am sure you could do it, ..........it may take practice on certain things. I once ordered stuff from Cottage Industries.......it may be the same company just changed their name? It has been a while. I ordered stuff to do the wooden jewelry boxes, but never did them. I didn't have a small table saw for minis, which I still don't and I just didn't want to cut the wood with an xacto knife.......so I still have the materials.....but the wood is awesome and I will make something out of it someday. At that time, you could make them and keep the stuff and sell it yourself.

Personally if I were you, I would make minis at home (not Tiny Details) and sell them on ebay under dollhouse miniatures artist offerings. You do then have the option of building a customer base and learning more and more. check out the artist offerings section .......if you need a link let me know.

Tiny Details may be a good way to start, but start with something simple, like books? unless you are already skilled and have some good tools.

here is a link for active on ebay artist offerings US only. The second one will be completed items......

http://www.ebay.com/...ml?LH_PrefLoc=1

completed: (if you do the drop down menu, and do highest price, you will see the potential! Good luck!

http://www.ebay.com/...1&LH_Complete=1

p.s. They do also have a Handmade section, but most list under Artist Offerings it gets more traffic!

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