Silly Puppets
Silly Puppets, Inc. designs, manufactures, and wholesales professional-grade puppets from its New York headquarters to retailers, churches, schools, consumers via e-commerce, and B2B clients through custom manufacturing services and an affiliate program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Silly Puppets does
Silly Puppets, Inc. is a New York-based designer, manufacturer, wholesaler, and direct retailer of puppets founded in 2001. The company designs its products in-house through a team of experienced puppet professionals (rather than stuffed-toy makers) and manufactures them at overseas factories whose workers are specially trained by the company's designers, with regular on-site quality and labor-conditions visits. Its core product range spans three professional tiers — 14-inch glove/hand puppets, 25-inch full-body ventriloquist-style puppets, and 30-inch professional full/half-body performance puppets with removable legs, seamless faces, foam-covered bodies, nylon lycra lining, individual finger articulation, and proprietary easy-moving mouth mechanisms — alongside finger puppets, marionettes, palm puppets, animal head puppets, and plush piggy banks.
The business operates a hybrid go-to-market across wholesale to verified retailers (minimum opening order $200, reorder minimum $100, initial orders prepaid), direct-to-consumer e-commerce through shop.sillypuppets.com, an affiliate marketing program with commission-based referral tracking, and a B2B custom design and manufacturing service for promotional items, mascots, trade show giveaways, and fundraiser merchandise (minimum order quantities of 500-2,000 pieces, approximately three-month lead times). Customer segments include specialty toy stores, gift shops, souvenir stands, churches and religious organizations, schools and libraries, individual consumers purchasing for ministry, therapy, education, or home entertainment, and B2B custom clients.
Pricing is unit-based at the consumer level, ranging from $4.95 for piggy banks to $84.95 for professional performance puppets — the latter positioned below the $150+ typical for comparable professional puppets elsewhere. Distribution extends domestically through named specialty retailers and into Canada and additional international markets through wholesale and online merchant partners. The company has no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or ownership structure, and operates a single New York headquarters office (101 W 23 Street #404) with 11-50 employees.
Silly Puppets firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Silly Puppets
- Legal name
- Silly Puppets, Inc.
- Website
- https://sillypuppets.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Silly Puppets, Inc. designs, manufactures, and wholesales professional-grade puppets from its New York headquarters to retailers, churches, schools, consumers via e-commerce, and B2B clients through custom manufacturing services and an affiliate program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Silly Puppets industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Puppet and Plush Toy Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (339930), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120)
- SIC
- Dolls & Stuffed Toys (3942), Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dolls, Plush & Action Figures Retail (CRALAFAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Miniatures & Figurines (Display/Collectible) (CRALAKAB), Traditional Toy Stores (CRALAFAA)
Keywords
Where Silly Puppets is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Silly Puppets business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Wholesale to Retailers: Silly Puppets sells to retailers and online merchants at wholesale pricing. Minimum opening order is $200 with subsequent reorders of at least $100. Initial orders must be prepaid. Accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, checks, money orders, and wire transfer.
- Direct E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales through the shop.sillypuppets.com e-commerce platform. Consumers can purchase individual puppets at suggested retail prices.
- Custom Design Services: B2B custom puppet and plush toy design and manufacturing services for clients needing promotional items, mascots, trade show giveaways, fundraiser items, or branded merchandise. Minimum order quantities apply.
- Affiliate Program: Marketing partners earn commissions by referring customers through unique tracking URLs. Silly Puppets provides banner ads and text links for affiliate marketers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Wholesale pricing for verified retailers and online merchants |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Glove/Hand Puppets (14 inches) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Full Body Puppets (25 inches) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Professional Performance Puppets (30 inches) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Marionettes (16-22 inches) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Piggy Banks and Accessories |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Custom Design Minimum Orders |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Silly Puppets product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Silly Puppets designs, manufactures, and sells a full line of puppets including glove/hand puppets (~14 inches), full body ventriloquist-style puppets (~25 inches), and professional full/half body performance puppets with removable legs (~30 inches), plus marionettes, finger puppets, palm puppets, animal head puppets, and plush piggy banks. Products are sold directly to consumers via shop.sillypuppets.com and through wholesale accounts to retailers in the US, Canada, and internationally. The company also provides B2B custom puppet and plush toy design and manufacturing services with minimum order quantities of 500–2,000 pieces for promotional, mascot, and branded merchandise use.
Product overview
Silly Puppets is a puppet manufacturing and wholesale company offering three main product lines: glove/hand puppets (14 inches), full body puppets (25 inches), and professional full/half body performance puppets with removable legs (30 inches). The company also produces finger puppets, marionettes, palm puppets, animal head puppets, and plush piggy banks. Products are sold through direct e-commerce, wholesale accounts for retailers, an affiliate program, and select retail partners. The company additionally offers custom design and manufacturing services with minimum order quantities of 500-2000 pieces.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Glove/Hand Puppets
Companies that use Silly Puppets
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Silly Puppets technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Silly Puppets partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Silly Puppets competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- TY Inc. Major plush toy manufacturer known for Beanie Babies and licensed plush. Comparable overseas manufacturing and wholesale-to-retailer model, though focused on collectible plush rather than puppets specifically.
- Build-A-Bear Workshop: Major plush toy retailer and manufacturer with broad character and custom plush offerings. Adjacent comparison for Silly Puppets' custom design services and plush product category overlap.
- Aurora World: Global plush toy manufacturer with broad licensing relationships and product range. Comparable overseas manufacturing model and wholesale distribution, though broader category reach.
- Melissa & Doug: Major US toy brand with broad product lines including puppets, plush toys, and role-play items. Overlaps with Silly Puppets in puppet category but operates at significantly larger scale across many toy categories.
Direct peers
- Folkmanis Puppets: Established US-based manufacturer of high-quality hand puppets and plush animal puppets, selling wholesale and direct. Directly comparable to Silly Puppets in product type (glove/hand puppets), customer base (retailers, churches, schools), and B2B distribution model.
- Manhattan Toy: Manufacturer and wholesaler of plush toys including puppets, stuffed animals, and developmental toys for children. Directly comparable product mix and wholesale distribution model serving specialty toy retailers.
- The Puppet Company: UK-based manufacturer and distributor of puppets including hand puppets, finger puppets, and marionettes. Comparable product range, similar wholesale-to-retailer and DTC business model.
Others
- Imagination Stage: US theater and education organization that creates and uses puppets and marionettes for performances. Adjacent ecosystem participant — represents the demand side (performance/theater) that Silly Puppets' professional line supplies.
- Volusion (e-commerce platform): E-commerce platform vendor whose technology underpins Silly Puppets' online store. Not a direct competitor but a technology enabler whose relevance signals the company's digital infrastructure maturity.
Regional players
- Puppet Place: UK-based puppet-focused retailer and resource hub. While primarily a retailer rather than manufacturer, comparable customer focus on puppet enthusiasts, performers, and educators.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Silly Puppets social profiles
Digital presenceSilly Puppets financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Silly Puppets leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Silly Puppets funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Silly Puppets M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Silly Puppets
What does Silly Puppets do?
Silly Puppets designs, manufactures, and sells a full line of puppets including glove/hand puppets (~14 inches), full body ventriloquist-style puppets (~25 inches), and professional full/half body performance puppets with removable legs (~30 inches), plus marionettes, finger puppets, palm puppets, animal head puppets, and plush piggy banks. Products are sold directly to consumers via shop.sillypuppets.com and through wholesale accounts to retailers in the US, Canada, and internationally. The company also provides B2B custom puppet and plush toy design and manufacturing services with minimum order quantities of 500–2,000 pieces for promotional, mascot, and branded merchandise use.
Is Silly Puppets a public or private company?
Silly Puppets is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Silly Puppets founded?
Silly Puppets was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Silly Puppets based?
Silly Puppets is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Silly Puppets make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Wholesale to Retailers are the primary driver. The others are direct E-commerce Sales, custom Design Services and affiliate Program.
Who are Silly Puppets's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are TY Inc., Build-A-Bear Workshop, Aurora World and Melissa & Doug. Direct peers are Folkmanis Puppets, Manhattan Toy and The Puppet Company. Others are Imagination Stage and Volusion (e-commerce platform). Puppet Place is listed as a regional player.
Does Silly Puppets have an API?
No public API is recorded for Silly Puppets.
What industry is Silly Puppets in?
Silly Puppets's product category is Puppet and Plush Toy Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAFAD, Dolls, Plush & Action Figures Retail, with a secondary code of CRALAKAB, Miniatures & Figurines (Display/Collectible). Its NAICS code is 339930 and its SIC code is 3942.