Where to buy puppets in Australia?

Someone just did a Google search on ‘where to buy puppets in Melbourne’ and naturally, my site got included in the results. It made me think that it would also make a good post if I gave a list of some places I know of that have puppets for sale.

The following is split up into sections: STATE-BY-STATE LISTINGS OF STORES; buying puppets online; hiring puppets; ‘Australian’ or ‘Australiana’ puppets; buying animatronics; and more info about puppet makers and commissions. Additionally, there are separate articles on cost of puppets, commissions, repairers, ventriloquist dummies, Folkmanis puppets, Avenue Q puppets, Audreys (from the musical Little Shop of Horrors), buying bunraku puppets, puppet supplies and antron fleece. [links to be added]

This is not a complete list. I update it as much as possible, but I’m aware I have left a few people out. I’ll add them to the list as soon as I can. In fact, puppets are hard to find in general, so it takes me a while to find the missing links. I am aware that WA is not represented, despite the fact that they are one of the biggest hubs for puppetry in Australia; I do hope to add more in that area specifically.

Stores

Most puppet ’stores’ (ie. physical buildings) aren’t actually puppet shops, but rather toy shops, and therefore cater to the children’s toy market, rather than puppets for performance (which is the only thing I discuss here; I don’t have any interest in kid’s playthings). Many of them sell online as well. Additionally, they usually offer an abysmally small range, limited to generic factory made items from US companies (interesting to see pretty much all of the Aussie puppet ’shops’ are really just importers of the same factory-made American ‘puppet’ toys that are sold to kids. Love to see more Aussie-made puppets for performance being sold, and not just stuff for children’s play…). If you want something for professional performance, you’re best bet is to commission a puppet maker rather than try and find something at a shop. Very few independent Aussie puppet makers sell in stores or online. See the below info on puppet makers for more on how to find them.

ACT

• Marianne Mettes and PuppetOOdle, Canberra. *Freelance puppet maker
  Marianne Mettes has a personal website, but also her business ‘PuppetOOdle’. She is a performer as well as builder, but at the latter website you’ll find information about her performances and workshops mostly for kids.
• Spirits Dancing, Canberra. *Freelance puppet maker
  Hilary Talbot makes puppets of all sorts, along with sculptures.

NSW

• Gracie Productions, Rozelle.
  they offer a range of glove, mouth and finger puppets for sale. (Their shop, whilst being found linked on their Gracie Productions website, can also be found at http://www.puppetshop.com.au/ )
• Marianne Mettes (see above in ACT section)
• Nics Puppets, Sydney
  Sells finger and glove puppets, with a specific aim towards kids.
• Puppet People (previously known as Fun Puppets), Coffs Harbour.
  They sell marionettes, finger puppets, and hand puppets (what look like muppet-types). They can do mail orders, and they can post to any location in Australia. Their store is at the Big Banana Theme Park in Coffs Harbour. They are open 7 days a week, and visitors are welcome to play before the buy. 

QLD

• Doppelfangers Vampire Puppets.  *Freelance puppet makers
  As the name suggests, Katy Forde and Aleathea Monsour make muppet-type puppets with a vampirish theme. They have ones to purchase but you can also commission an original.
• Jarrod Boutcher Puppets, Moreton.  *Freelance puppet maker
  Jarrod is one of the best-known muppet-type puppet makers in Australia.

SA

• As We Grow Learning Toys, Adelaide.
  Specialises in puppets; they have the usual range of finger puppets, glove puppets, and muppet-type puppets. They sell small table-top stages, and extra arm rods for the muppet-types.
• Hahndorf Puppet Shop, Hahndorf.
  Carries the usual range of Folkmanis finger and glove puppets, with a selection of human muppet-type puppets and marionettes for kids. They also have a kids’ puppet booth available for sale.
• kneeHIGH, Adelaide. *Freelance puppet maker
  They specialise in giant roaming puppets and inflatables, and offer puppets on commission basis or to rework puppets they already have to your needs. (They are also listed as a puppet company as they offer performances and workshops, as well as roaming puppetry)
• Sue Harris Puppets
  Offers performances and workshops for both adults and children; however, she also offers a range of products aimed at introducing teachers and parents to puppetry, with a range of CDs and books available.

VIC

Being a Melbournite, my experience is mostly in the Victoria area; I can say that the absolute largest and best place to find puppets is at Geppetto’s Workshop, listed below.

• Dancing Emus, Echuca.
  They sell marionettes, finger puppets, glove puppets and muppet-type puppets.
• Festive Factory, Woodend
  Custom made puppets for commission of all genres for stage and TV productions. They ship worldwide. (They are also listed as a puppet company as they offer children’s performances and workshops, as well as roaming puppetry).
• Geppetto’s Workshop, Sassafras, Olinda and Sorrento. (Sassafras is the original and the HQ of the franchise) Also have an online store
  Why are they the best - because they don’t just have kids stuff. Yes, they have all the usual stuff, but they are also practically the only place to buy muppet-type puppets and small stages. The cherry: they sell handcarved marionettes from the Czech region.
• Helen’s Hand Puppets, Oakleigh
  Despite the name, Helen doesn’t just sell hand puppets (aka glove puppets), but also finger puppets and marionettes (children’s ones only). All aimed at kids; and with the best selection of puppet stages I’ve seen of any puppet seller. Can often be found at local markets, so check the website for more details.
• Polliwog Puppets, Gippsland.
  Mainly a company that offers workshops and shows, it’s not clear what puppets are available.
• Puppets in Melbourne, Melbourne. *Freelance puppet maker
  Er, this is my own site. I specialise in shadow puppets. (Yep, really!)
• The Poppy Shop, 283 Lygon St, Carlton (Thanks Mengar for the name!)
  A small range of Folkmanis puppets can be found.

Buying online

I’ve written a longer article [link to be added] on why buying online may be preferable to purchasing puppets in a store. However, summarising here: many of the Australian puppet/toy stores listed above have online shopping capabilities. However, if you’re keen on buying something a little different, a little less like what you can find from generic factory puppets, then you can try eBay or Etsy. Especially Etsy, it’s growing in use by puppet makers from all over the world.

Be careful though: many online sellers on eBay are usually selling for decorative purposes only, or generic factory items. eBay and other auction sites are often flooded with cheap puppets (usually glove puppets or Asian shadow and rod puppets), but there is no guarantee that what you buy will be quality workmanship. However, there are a number of freelance puppet makers who do sell on eBay, as well as Etsy and their own sites (like my own); and those people/sales are worth checking out.

Don’t feel as though you have to be limited by what’s available from Australian sellers: although shipping can be high on larger items (muppet-types), trying other forums means you can often discover items which you’d prefer; puppet makers to commission; and unknown but smaller Australian freelancers.

Hires

Hiring puppets is really not something that I can easily tell you about. Frankly, puppeteers and puppetry companies are the only people who ever have professional items for professional use. But they don’t advertise about hires. It’s most likely because 99% of their puppets will be specifically made for their shows, and thus either: completely useless for your purposes; or extremely expensive to hire out. Below in the ‘more’ section, there’s info on how to contact local companies for hire enquiries. However, if you’re looking for something for a short film - ie. a one-use puppet - then you are probably best at buying something rather than hiring something. I don’t know hire costs, but it’s likely hire will amount to the same as a generic item picked up at a store listed above. For everything else, a commission is probably also a better use of your time, since it will be better suited to your needs.

Australiana

It should also be noted that most of the above sellers are offering products not made in Australia; Australian-made puppets are usually sold by independent puppet makers or small sellers and not in brick-and-mortar shops. ‘Australiana’ (that is, puppets of Australian animals or other Aussie icons) puppets are usually glove puppets sold in most tourist shops, and while there are some Australiana puppets sold elsewhere, they are in limited supply in comparison with other, more popular, designs.

Animatronics

Animatronics are highly specialised puppets, requiring knowledge and use of robotics and engineering. As such, these types of puppets are not going to be sold at your average puppet store. In fact, most people have no need for these, and as people generally make money from kids’ puppets/toys, it’s also not likely to be found via your average puppet maker. There are people who do specialise in this area [link suggestions to be added], however they cater more for the film/TV market and will therefore be highly expensive to commission. Axtell.com, one of the leading animtronics sellers (US-based), often sells their products for thousands of dollars. So you can imagine what the cost might be like for Australian sellers of animatronics.

More?

To be honest, these are the only stores I know about that carry puppets. If you really need something, then try finding a freelance puppet maker (some are listed above). UNIMA Australia has a list of local puppet makers. You can also try doing a search on the net for puppet makers; but I’ve found that most Australian puppeteers - of any area of the craft - simply don’t advertise on the net.

Puppet makers in Australia, are I believe, a hidden industry. For the general public, they are very hard to find. But they are out there. One of the ways you can find them is by seeing some puppet shows; many performers also build their own puppets, and if you see a puppet you like at a show, you can always easily find out who made it. Puppet makers are always interested in commissions [link to be added], so don’t feel shy about asking one of the cast/crew for some info, a website to visit, or a business card.

Additionally, contacting a puppetry company local to you will help, as many of them either have items to hire or will have puppet makers on call. (Again, UNIMA Australia is your best friend in this regard) Be warned: puppets can be expensive [link to be added]. Additionally, local prop companies and theatre venues/companies often have a range of items that might be suitable. They will have a very limited selection of puppets, but if you are looking for something as a one-off hire, you should also try them.

But hey, if you are looking for something specific and have the time and interest - why not just skip all of the above, and make your own! This is what most puppeteers do; they can’t find what they need, so they make something themselves. And if you’re looking for puppets for kids, it’s a good idea too. It’s not just a great creative activity for a rainy day, but is something your children will treasure for years to come. Remember, a puppet can be anything, and on the web are some fantastic free and pay-per-download tutorials on how to make a range of puppets. There are heaps of books, even for the professional, and I have no doubt you will come across a range of lessons for every skill level. There are also helpful tutorials here on this site for making puppets, as well as a wide range of links to other sites which offer patterns and instructions.

If you know of any other places to buy puppets in the Australian area, please let me know and I’ll add it to the list. Check out these articles if you want to learn to make puppets, or find a group to join near you.

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