The Flux of Plastic: Making of Urban Collectibles — Artist Toy Vol. 01

After a year of struggling with ceramics, I’m moving on to modern materials. Clay and I have a love-hate thing; the kiln results are often a total shock. Waiting might be beautiful, but it only works for me, while Hand-Fetish-Projects® (HFP) is scaling up with an 'artist/designer toy' line.

Big players like PopMart hit near-perfect consistency with vinyl—I find them both impressive and terrifying. HFP won't be doing that. Not because I look down on vinyl like some ceramic purists, but honestly... because we’re broke. Vinyl toys, or 'Sofubi' (ソフブ), have been a subculture since the 90s. The obsession with Sofubi in the US and Japan is just like the Vietnamese longing for pre-1975 typography—it’s all about nostalgia.

A Jiangshi-themed vinyl figure sold in the Japanese market. Source: Internet.

These toys are cast from copper or metal molds. Liquid vinyl is poured in, heated until it melts, and spun via centrifugal force until it sets. The signature result? A hollow, wind-light toy that’s insanely satisfying to squeeze. That first mold costs a fortune, but every vinyl pour after that is dirt cheap. If you’ve got the marketing chops like PopMart, you’re basically sitting on a goldmine.

So, what about HFP? What are we making artist toys out of? Our lean process looks like this: 3D design ⟼ 3D print ⟼ silicon mold from the prototype ⟼ casting with the right material.

Finished 3D print vs. Material tests — extra & colorful, purely HFP style.

I’ve experimented with a ton of casting materials, and my checklist was non-negotiable:

• Fast casting for consistent production cycles.

• Non-toxic for a home-studio setup—I live with two cats, so safety comes first.

• Easy to decorate.

• Lightweight to keep international shipping costs from killing the margin.

• Reliable suppliers. I have to call out the Vietnamese ceramics industry on this last point. It’s way too insular and a nightmare for small studios or independent artists. They’re constantly switching up formulas and sources, and in ceramics, the smallest slip-up leads to a total disaster. It brings back that 'kiln suspense' I mentioned earlier.

  
  

With those boxes to check, I’ve been through it all:

Criteria	Epoxy / UV Resin	Urethane Resin (PU)	EGC / Jesmonite Variants
Characteristics	Crystal clear & glossy. Bulletproof durability. UV cures instantly, but Epoxy is a slow burner (8-24h).	Opaque / Semi-matte. Cures fast as hell (2-10 mins). Insanely tough and impact-resistant.	Stone / Ceramic vibe. Matte finish. Sets in 20-40 mins. Fire-resistant, but more brittle than plastic.
Safety	Risky. Smells like chemicals (VOCs). Needs masks/gloves. Can mess up your skin over time.	The Worst. Contains Isocyanates—highly toxic. Professional respirators and extreme ventilation are non-negotiable.	The Winner. Water-based, odorless, zero VOCs. Totally safe for humans and my cats.
Availability	Everywhere. Easy to snag from hobby shops or online.	A pain to find. Usually hidden in industrial warehouses or niche artist stores.	Local vs. Global. Official Jesmonite is a pricey import, but local EGC (Eco-Gypsum) is easy to get.
Production Cost	Mid-to-High. UV resin is an expensive hobby; high-quality anti-yellowing epoxy isn't cheap either.	Mid. Raw materials are okay, but you'll need gear like vacuum chambers to kill the bubbles.	High (Official) / Cheap (EGC). Jesmonite is a luxury. Local EGC blends are very budget-friendly.

In the end, I landed on Jesmonite variants for my creative journey. The market is a total mess right now, with names and brands all over the place. After testing batches from various suppliers, I realized that the polymer content varies wildly between them—and that’s exactly what makes or breaks the durability of the final piece. For an Urban Collectible to truly last in a collector's space, that structural integrity is non-negotiable.

The Achilles' heel of this material is its strength. That’s why I spent ages figuring out how to fix the hardness issue once and for all. The result? A killer formula that I’m incredibly proud of—it’s so simple it actually blew my mind.

Want in on the secret? Drop a comment below if you’re curious. Otherwise, I’m keeping this recipe strictly for HFP eyes only. It’s the foundation of our Eccentric Elegance—strong, refined, and impossible to replicate. :}