Makie Labs is moving... to the USA!

Kind of makes you think.....who ever is really running things seems to be just sort of "flying by the seat of their pants".

It would be interesting to know just how much experience and business acumen that person actually has..... Because frankly, from what I've seen lately.......

Ok, i was heading to the website to check on the new accesory packs again and this is what i find... What a huge mess, really dissapointed with the direction the company is going. I must read all the comments here to catch up on the drama because i feel really lost right now... Disney????? WTF! 

I cherish my classic Makie more than ever now ...

I'm getting really depressed and more than a little pissed-off. Last summer Makies handled things with the new bodies in such an underhanded sort of way that I debated a long time before even committing to buy my very first Makie. Who I got and fell in love with even if she is an IM body. I am so glad that I didn't trust them so save my designs -- I took screen shots of every single customize screen with control settings for each and every face I designed. I thought I was just acting paranoid but I was wrong.

Are they coming back? Are they going to screw over UK buyers with shipping? (we can get around that - group order and ship to one person, but still, what a pain.)

And now it's looking like she may never even have the opportunity to have any sisters and what about brothers? I am freaking out that Thorn might never get to have any brothers or boy cousins.

This is SO NOT GOOD!!!!!

What if Makies are just gone FOREVER????????????               I'M SCARED!!!!

OK, so I'm still in shock and I'm guessing I'm not the only one. But here's a tiny little ray of hope. Makies is not the only fish in the sea. If we are left with no other way to get our 3-D doll fix a bunch of us should go in together and hire a designer to make new doll designs that we can have Shapeways (or another vendor for 3-D nylon) print and ship to us. Yeah, we'll lose the "design a face" interface that was the best bit of Makie, but at least we'd still have something to cling to.

Is there anybody out there on fan forum who's good at 3-D software??

*hugs* It'll be ok.. it'll be ok. We're all a bit a flustered, but we'll get through this! *sob*

I just hope there's some word soon! It's been two weeks since the "We're Moving!" news broke (longer still since the lab closed), and their social media activity is minimal. No instagramming, very little tweeting, hardly anything on facebook.

Two weeks is a tiny amount of time in the grand scheme of things, but it'd be nice to see ANYTHING.
I was actually just today describing to a friend how it's been long enough that some customers might have permanently moved elsewhere - because you're right, Makies aren't the only fish in the sea. That 3D BJD you can customise before you buy (linked somewhere on the forum... and now I'm not sure where), while not to my personal tastes, has kind of already done everything Makies probably should have done some time ago in terms of changeable human/fantasy parts.
Makies already have lots of their 3DP accessories files available for personal use, so you could download them and print them yourself or use a printing service to print them (I'd actually like them to do this with 3DP bodies, if they aren't ever going to offer those again).
Whilst not the same thing, there's also Hero Forge miniatures, which is fantastic in terms of customisation.
Shapeways actually have a lot of 3DP dolls and figures on there - I'm pretty sure there's a very complex octopus BJD somewhere in the world that's 3DP.

To be honest, I have personally ended up looking elsewhere too, it was the IM bodies that turned me away. I'm still here because I really admire the original product and intent of Makies, but in terms of my actual purchasing, the product as it was before the lab closed was no longer what I was looking for. And there's a lot of choice for me elsewhere.

I am also still curious as to whether the instagram picture of the makie next to Disney Infinity packaging, and the new images of the makies on bases, will really mean some kind of Disney Infinity tie-in. It feels like it points to that.

pvlaughingmoon wrote:I am so glad that I didn't trust them so save my designs -- I took screen shots of every single customize screen with control settings for each and every face I designed. I thought I was just acting paranoid but I was wrong.

And here I thought I was the only crazy one...I took screenshots of everything too. 
I also made/saved each doll twice as the advanced sliders weren't showing for the already-made-real makies at my last checked.

Actually, it has finally just struck me that Makies moving might be almost entirely to do with the new European VAT laws. Honestly, it's silly that that didn't dawn on me earlier, given that I have also personally been affected by them and had to close up a bunch of my store fronts.

While physical goods aren't yet affected, they WILL be affected, and likely Makies will find it absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to remain afloat as a company once it happens. It's already sunk hundreds (if not thousands) of British small businesses and small traders with the changes to digital products. When the changes sweep over physical products too, that'll be thousands and thousands of people no longer able to legally run a business. Including myself, and highly likely also including Makies.

So in hindsight, while I still think lots of the recent conduct and product-changes haven't been great, if the move is to do with the VAT laws then I 100% understand so much. American companies already started to refuse to sell to Europe last year because of the new rules. Trading from America would almost certainly be "simpler" and more financially possible for Makies. Even everything else aside, living and business costs in the UK are actually really really high.

Honestly, it was pretty silly of me to forget all that given how it's wrecked my future plans/finances too, though it may be because I had already started packing up in 2014, and assumed everybody would have forward-planned similarly.

Info on all the EU VAT stuff: http://euvataction.org/

sigsi wrote:And here I thought I was the only crazy one...I took screenshots of everything too. 
I also made/saved each doll twice as the advanced sliders weren't showing for the already-made-real makies at my last checked.

Thanks sigsi,

So glad to hear I'm not the only one. I started doing so I would have reference for settings used so I didn't make them too similar, now I'm glad I did all the settings so if they ever do come back I still have a shot at making those dolls.

nattherat wrote:Actually, it has finally just struck me that Makies moving might be almost entirely to do with the new European VAT laws. Honestly, it's silly that that didn't dawn on me earlier, given that I have also personally been affected by them and had to close up a bunch of my store fronts.

Oh wow, I didn't think about that -- even though I know artists who've had to stop selling pdf patterns altogether because of exactly this bone-headed move on the eu's part.

This gives me some hope that maybe they were hit with some massive deal which is forcing them to do such an abrupt and business-destroying move to the US. I hope they are not just plain old gone forever.

pvlaughingmoon wrote:Thanks sigsi,

So glad to hear I'm not the only one. I started doing so I would have reference for settings used so I didn't make them too similar, now I'm glad I did all the settings so if they ever do come back I still have a shot at making those dolls.

Ooh same here! First to make them not too similar, but also to make them look related for some characters. I was really hoping to get a twin of one of my current ones sometime, so it's always good for a backup plan!

wth is that Nat? What kind of moronic ridiculous law is that? I had no idea they were pulling that poopy, it's mental! It makes absolutely no sense either.
Who allowed that through? Where are they, they need a kick in the teeth. -_-

how can our economy recover if we screw over smaller businesses? madness.


in regards to dolls. Today I managed to break one of my Makie's arms. -_- and i'm annoyed knowing I can't get a replacement part.

It's not a fun set of new rules, that's for sure!
They brought it in to stop massive companies like Amazon from dodging tax by setting up in the cheapest EU countries with the least amount of tax. On paper, it actually sounds great.
In reality, big companies like Amazon can afford to comply with the new rules, whilst small businesses and sole traders cannot. HMRC didn't even realise how bad it'd be until large protests started in 2014 and UK people have been campaigning for constant action since. It's all a huge mess.

Sorry to hear about your makie! ;A; One of mine has a crack in her arm that kind of tells me it's not long for this world. I've been avoiding playing with her for now, because I'm fairly sure it won't last.

That "screwing up the small bussinesses" thing is going on here in Spain for ages... Starting a new bussiness is an odissey, forget about making decent money... however without small bussinesses our country would be screwed af... really great scenario, speacially for young generations

Anyway, although i totally understand the economic reasons they may have to move to another country, is the changes in their product and the way they´ve managed the situation lately what annoys me: first the new facemolds. I mean, i like cute chubby faces and rounded noses and all that in dolls but what i liked from these ones was the fact that they were nothing like that, but kind of more realistic. Then the huge raise in the shipping costs for customers outside UK or USA, like i´m going to pay 33$ shipping to get a pair of shoes... and finally the IM bodies. That was the last thing. 
It´s like they started as a very unique product and slowly changed it into an edulcorated, same old stuff that is everywhere. 

It´s a shame that you have to "sell" yourself like that in order to maintain your bussiness ... it´s really really sad. As a person who has at some point tried (and failed) to make a living from her handmade products i totally understand the struggle. 
I really hope they can make it and the company survives some way or another =/

Amen!

Purple_Monkfish wrote:
in regards to dolls. Today I managed to break one of my Makie's arms. -_- and i'm annoyed knowing I can't get a replacement part.

Disclaimer: I have never tried this procedure or the glue mentioned below. I'm just reporting what I found on the interwebs regarding fixing broken nylon parts.

I went to the Shapeways site to look on their forums for help; my thinking is printed nylon is printed nylon, right?

Anyway the general consensus there is to use thick formula cyanoacrylate glue or epoxy glue. However that is just going to hold together the broken edges, and the piece is going to remain very weak and vulnerable at the join.

I think I would try to dowel the joint by drilling matching holes* in each section of the broken piece (arm, limb, whatever) and then using a blank rod as a dowel to add strength to the mend. Wood painted/sealed with white acrylic paint might make a good dowel. Otherwise TAP plastics sells rods of acrylic plastic, epoxy, and carbon fiber. 
http://www.tapplastics.com/product/plastics/plastic_rods_tubes_shapes

*only have one makie and she's an IM body. Are 3-D bodies, limbs solid or hollow?? If hollow the dowel idea would still work but you might need to carve a custom dowel.

Whatever solution you decide to try -- I would strongly advocate doing some serious experiments with cheaper prints of little stuff from Shapeways etc before trying to repair a best-beloved-doll. Plus there is some very cute stuff that my makie can't be the only one who want to have it as desk ornaments and playthings so experiments/customizing would be a win-win.

Added Note: Apparently there is only one good choice for gluing nylon parts: Surehold Plastic Surgery which comes in a liquid (302) and also a gel formula (304) -- I would try the gel (thicker) one first.

Best of Luck!

ps: I'm putting a copy of this info in the Troubleshooting folder of the forum so no one will have to remember that I put it here first.

Has anybody heard any more news? Say from the members-only Facebook fan group?
I browsed the public facebook account today, since it's February and I wanted to see if there were any updates. I noticed posts from people who still hadn't received their dolls or refunds from before Christmas. That doesn't bode well, I feel most terrible for everyone who was burned by this development.

No news that I've seen

I've looked at the facebook page and it's just so depressing to see several people chasing refunds and lost dolls. My heart hurts for them and for what's become of our beloved company.

They're burning bridges and it's just awful to watch. I desperately want to just shake the remaining team and fix everything. Eugh. It's that helpless feeling of watching something you love crash and burn, it's super upsetting and you're just powerlessly watching it sink.

I dunno, i'm losing faith they'll reopen but at the same time, would Disney let one of their first pet projects fail so soon after getting in bed with Disney?

That's what I'm thinking, there's some very angry comments on the facebook! Including people worried that Makies are a con outright, and deciding to never return.

I'm wondering if at this point "temporary closure to move to the US" actually means something more along the lines of "six months or more of redevelopment and rebranding and restructuring".

Unfortunately at this point they kind of have connned people - not on purpose, but by selling the gift cards then holding on to people's refunds for so long.

And from what I've seen here and on the fan Facebook (I've left that now, but last I looked) a lot of us who ordered in that last big batch had quality control issues. When one of my girls arrived, she looked totally wrong and I assumed it was just me who'd messed up - but then several people posted on FB that their Makie had the wrong type of eyes, and I think that's what's wrong with her. Which is annoying because these two were meant to be specific characters, and there's not much point customising if you don't get what you planned!

oh the eye thing has happened several times. it seems to be some strange glitch involving one specific eye shape/tilt and nobody could work out WHY it kept happening. It's almost like the program that sends the print info decided that tilt meant something else and insisted on having it print different to what was displayed. Very odd.

But yeah i'm worried by all the negativity. I mean, I also feel bad because my blog has encouraged several people I know to check Makies out and now I feel like i've lead them to somewhere untrustworthy and that's not good.

Rebranding at this point is probably all the can do. They've already been shut what, like 2 months. I can't see them opening again in the foreseeable future. It's really upsetting and I keep trying to tell myself "they'll open again, they'll open again" but i'm also kinda resigned to the knowledge i'm probably never going to get that last Makie I had wanted. *sigh*

Hmm, you're right @IndigoAndAsh! I suppose I wasn't thinking that way because I was lucky enough to not be burned.

...Well, sort of. To be honest, two of the wigs I bought in that final sale were badly made and are barely useable. I cut my losses because they were mega cheap in that sale, but if everyone was hit by things like that...

Also I am SO sorry to hear about the eye thing, that's awful! I can only imagine how frustrating that'd be. I had no idea that kind of thing was happening. On top of all the other things, wow, what a disaster...

nattherat wrote:Hmm, you're right @IndigoAndAsh! I suppose I wasn't thinking that way because I was lucky enough to not be burned.

...Well, sort of. To be honest, two of the wigs I bought in that final sale were badly made and are barely useable. I cut my losses because they were mega cheap in that sale, but if everyone was hit by things like that...

Also I am SO sorry to hear about the eye thing, that's awful! I can only imagine how frustrating that'd be. I had no idea that kind of thing was happening. On top of all the other things, wow, what a disaster...

Yeah, I got a batch of wigs because I had a gift card - one of them is on my BJD, but a few of them were a bit cruddy.

Been reading through this thread, and oh, what a big mess this is. I was hoping to add at least one more Makie to my collection, but now I'm just grateful for the ones I have. Because at this point I'm completely uninterested in supporting this company anymore.

Yeah, I don't really see myself getting another what with shipping/customs charges and what have you. Ah well, the girls probably don't need another friend anyway.