Journal: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/6225236/
The toy: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14285059/

I don't usually do this, but i'm plugging an inflatable toy project (by  DeRG_Inflatables) that's about to close for orders very soon. I think it's a really interesting and promising design. It's got the benefit of having been prototyped (hence the photos), so can see exactly what you're going to get. This is their second toy project, the first one being the Plesiodrake - I do actually have one of these (though i've been too lazy to make a video about it yet). Suffice to say, i'm really happy with it :)

For those who maybe haven't got experience with custom inflatables, I should explain: Basically, it's infeasible to just drop tens of thousands of dollars on a project like this upfront and have a large number of toys made, taking the risk that a) people will actually want to buy them, and b) that you'll correctly estimate the number of units you need. What happens in practice is that the people running the project will put a certain amount of money down in order to design and prototype the toy, then they'll open for orders. This way, they can gauge interest and make sure exactly the right number of toys are produced. The money still has to be paid upfront, of course, but since the orders are confirmed and have been paid for by that stage, the production risk is almost completely eliminated.

The downside of this model is that it can be hard to generate enough enthusiasm and interest in the brief window that orders are open for. It can be hard to communicate the project, and those who are interested don't always have the means to find the money in time. What often happens, then, is that the project doesn't get enough orders - which drives the price up - and when the toys do ultimately ship, people who missed out get frustrated and wish they'd ordered the toy while it was available. (This is exactly what happened with my inflatable cow project!)

I'm not going to force you to buy this toy, even if you're very interested in it. This is just to generate a bit more awareness about the project and its imminent deadline. Full disclosure, I have placed an order for one of these myself already. If you want the toy and can afford it (without having to survive on just noodles afterwards) then, by all means, go for it :D You'll get something awesome and it'll help these guys run more toy projects in future.

Stay squeaky, everyone!