Note:
The toy figure images shown on our website are intended solely as references for customization and are not available for purchase. As a professional ODM/OEM toy manufacturer, we focus on customizing and producing toy figures of comparable style. If you have an original figure design you’d like to produce, please reach out to us for a quotation.
| Material | Weight (2 m figurative) | Relative cost | Finish range | Outdoor life | Impact behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⭐ FRP fiberglass | 60-90 kg with steel skeleton | $$ (low for life size, competitive for monumental) | Gelcoat colour, paint, patina, metallic leaf, mosaic, glow, mirror | 10-15 yr gelcoat cycle (temperate), 5-8 yr (coastal/tropical) | Tough laminate; localised denting on hard impact, field-repairable |
| Cast bronze | 350-500 kg | $$$$ (Cire-perdue process, foundry scale) | Patina (chemical / applied), polished, gilded | 50+ yr with periodic patina refresh | Hard, brittle at thin sections; cracked limbs require re-welding |
| Carved marble / stone | 800-1,200 kg | $$$$ (master sculptor, transport, install) | Polished, honed, bush-hammered | 100+ yr if sheltered; chips on thermal shock | Brittle; chips propagate, very hard to in-situ repair |
| Cast concrete / GFRC | 350-450 kg | $$ (form-heavy, labour-heavy) | Painted, stained, exposed aggregate | 20-30 yr with re-seal | Brittle, prone to crack along form seams |
| Solid cast resin (polyurethane / epoxy) | 90-140 kg (no fibre reinforcement) | $$ (small parts only) | Paint, faux finish, embedded objects | 5-10 yr; UV yellowing without UV-stable resin | Brittle on impact; not recommended for public touch |
| 3D-printed PLA / PETG / resin | 40-80 kg (thin-wall) | $ for small, $$$$ for monumental | Raw print, sanded, painted | PLA biodegrades outdoors; PETG / PU resin 2-5 yr | Brittle, layer-line weakness, vandalism-prone |
| Process | Tooling cost | Surface quality | Best for | Lead time | Unit cost tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⭐ Hand layup (HLU) | $ (sculptor's master on its own support) | Excellent — gelcoat against master, hand-painted finish | One-offs, monumental, complex sculpt, art editions | 49-64 days for 1-5 pcs | $320-$2,400 (tabletop); $4,800-$158,000+ (life size to monumental) |
| Spray-up (chopper gun) | $$ (master + chopper rig) | Good — slightly higher fibre print-through, requires more surface prep | Medium-run figurative work (10-50 pcs), simple geometry | 35-49 days for 10-50 pcs | 15-25% lower than hand layup at 30+ pcs |
| RTM (resin transfer moulding) | $$$ (matched metal mould + clamp press) | Very good — both faces moulded, lower gelcoat touch-up | 50-500 pcs edition runs, brand IP series, gallery editions | 60-90 days including mould build | 40-60% lower than hand layup at 100+ pcs |
| Vacuum infusion (VARTM / SCRIMP) | $$$ (rigid master + consumable vacuum bagging) | Excellent — high fibre volume, void-free, premium structural | Large structural FRP (over 3 m), high-load installations | 60-80 days for 5-20 pcs | Comparable to hand layup; chosen for strength not cost |
| Filament winding | $$$$ (CNC winder, mandrel) | Limited to rotationally symmetric forms | Cylindrical / vase / column sculptures | 70-100 days mandrel build | Lowest unit cost in symmetric form, niche applicability |
You send character art, IP reference, dimensions, finish reference and intended site (indoor / semi-outdoor / outdoor). We confirm MOQ tier, process family and finish family.
We sculpt in ZBrush, scan your maquette with photogrammetry, or adapt your supplied .obj / .stl. Two rounds of digital revisions are included before moulding.
A sculptor's master is 3D-printed or hand-finished in clay, then moulded in plaster, foam or fiberglass. Multiple mould parts for undercuts, bonded joints planned in.
Pigmented gelcoat against the master, then glass fibre + resin laminate, then internal steel or aluminium skeleton bonded in for life size and above.
Demould, trim mould seams, fill and sand, then apply the specified finish family (gelcoat colour, paint, patina, metallic leaf, mosaic, faux finish, mirror polish, glow-in-dark).
Visual QC against approved reference, structural QC on internal frame, custom-built ISPM 15 crate, shipped FOB Shenzhen or CIF your port. On-site install supervisor option.
Unlike injection-moulded plastic toys, FRP statue MOQ is governed by sculpt and mould cost rather than per-piece tooling. Below are the four MOQ tiers we operate, with the mould-economics logic behind each.
Soft brush or microfibre cloth; avoid abrasive pads that dull gelcoat sheen. Work top-down so debris does not re-settle on cleaned areas.
Warm water with pH-neutral soap, soft sponge, rinse with clean water. Avoid solvent-based cleaners that attack gelcoat.
Isopropyl alcohol on a soft cloth for grease, marker or sticker residue. Test on an inconspicuous area first; do not soak.
Graffiti wipe with a manufacturer-approved gelcoat-safe remover; immediately follow with clear-coat refresh if finish is breached.
Visual inspection for hairline cracks, especially at mould seams, mounting points and thin projections (ears, fingers, antennae).
Light wet sand, compound polish, marine-grade wax or fresh clear coat. Schedule shorter for coastal / tropical, longer for temperate.
Hand-painted finishes need refresh on the same cycle as gelcoat refresh; UV breaks down paint binder before it breaks gelcoat.
Check internal steel / aluminium frame for corrosion at weld points, especially around base flange and any water-ingress points.
Re-torque base anchor bolts to engineering specification. Ground heave and thermal cycling can loosen fixings.
For pieces not rated below -20°C, plan either protective winter wrap or relocation to sheltered storage for the freezing months.
Every FRP statue ships with a 30 ml colour-matched touch-up kit, 50 g filler, application instructions and the gelcoat / paint recipe reference for ten-year re-order matching.