Subeta merchandise
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I wanted to share some thoughts on Subeta merchandise
- there is a strong creative community and recognizable art style
- IMO it is very unfortunate to not be able to appreciate the artstyle other than using a screen
- for the past few years Neopets has released a large amount of merchandise, and this shows there is interest in petsite related products.
- merchandising can be a healthy source of income compared to relying on ads and subscriptions
- digital products (artbooks, printables) and lighter prints like posters and stickers might be more affordable to create and rely less on manufacturing and shipping, lower costs means they may be accessible to international users as well
- it also works as advertisement to reach new audiences
Kurzgesagt Shop is a good example of the variety of creative products that could fit Subeta’s style
Click to reveal
edit:
interesting products once released, wonder why they have been discontinued;
The Real Kumos Plushie was a limited edition stuffed animal that was sold by Subeta starting in April 2006.
https://subeta.fandom.com/wiki/Real_Kumos_Plushie
Subeta Charms were 1 inch acrylic charms that were sold by Subeta starting in October 2011.
https://subeta.fandom.com/wiki/Subeta_Charms
KUMOS PLUSHIE REVIVAL
Wanna know more about battling? ❤️ The Official Battle Guide v3.3 ❤️ Need to find books? 🌈 The Book Grind Guide v1.0 🌈
the world if I had access to paralix and priggle plushies AND high quality posters and stickers to appreciate in HD:
I'd totally rock a t-shirt or slap some stickers on my journals and laptop. And if I could have a plushie Jollin . . . oh, my heart! Just give me the plushies!
[egg=bunny20] [tp=bunny20]
I still have two of the charms and a t-shirt I wore for the Subeta booth at ArctiCon.
I would LOVE a Charlie plush! :)
Owner of EVERY Charlie item on Subeta!
Member of Team BFFs & Team Gold!
just +1ing really. i would LOVE to see simple merch like keychains/charms, stickers and pins! i've been a little jealous of all the neo merch coming out recently (and like yeah of course i have nostalgia for neo, i grew up in the 2000s lmao, but it's not my petsite; neo's just not worth splurging on for me) and i totally agree with that it'd be amazing to be able to rep the absolutely adorable subeta art irl. my laptop is calling out for a popoko sticker tbqh!!
also tbh honestly even 'just' a limited rerun of the kumos plushie? i know that little man would be on my bed for life. as an international user i will pay the customs import tax with love in my heart for him 🩵
I always thought the stickers would be real neat as IRL...stickers. Or some converted to keychains.
+1 but I really really value ethical manufacturing and wouldn't buy anything where the workers weren't treated fairly. Companies like Makeship rub me the wrong way. I would love official Subeta enamel/acrylic pins though.
YES. Subeta merch.
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Stickers as stickers! Subeta already has so many amazing sticker designs. Themed sticker packs or sheets would be awesome.
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Digital: Release the line art of pets for users to download and color.
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Digital: Re-release of the coloring book pages as a PDF file for users to print and color at home.
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Digital/physical: Mini art book containing sketches, compilation of old Subeta pet/item art (that can only currently be found off-site as far as I’m aware)… the Subeta IG account posted some sketches that were darling.
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Charms, pins, lanyards, washi tape…
Of course, I’m guessing the main roadblock would be logistics.
I would buy any Subeta plush if one is ever made again, even if I have to pay 35% extra exchange rate, 50$ of shipping and tariffs to get it to Canada.
UUuuguuhhhhh I have been dreading responding to this thread, but here we go.
I love that so many of you would buy Subeta merch. This is one of the most frequent requests we get — Discord, forums, DMs, you name it. And I get it! I want another Kumos plushie on my desk too. But I have to be honest about why this doesn't work for us right now, and I want to show the actual math instead of just saying "it's complicated."
Where we are today: Subeta runs at roughly break-even. Some months (like November during the sale) we do better; quieter months we do worse. When you buy CSC or a subscription, we keep about 97% of that. Almost every dollar goes directly to paying illustrators, servers, lawyers, support, taxes — the stuff that keeps the lights on.
What merch margins actually look like: On a print-on-demand shirt, we'd keep maybe 5–10%. On a plushie — which everyone (rightfully) wants most — margins can hit 20–30%, but only at quantities way beyond what we'd realistically sell, especially starting out. And if we use a third-party fulfillment partner to handle shipping and logistics (because nobody here has a warehouse), that margin shrinks even further.
Here's the part that really stings: Most merch purchases wouldn't be new money coming in — they'd be instead of CSC or subscriptions. If someone spends $40 on a plushie and skips their usual CSC purchase, we went from keeping ~$39 to keeping maybe $4–8. That's not a rounding error. For a site running at break-even, that kind of substitution could genuinely hurt.
I know this isn't what anyone wants to hear, and I promise I'm not saying "never." I'm saying that right now, with where Subeta's finances are, merch would likely cost us money rather than make it. If we get to a point where the site has more financial breathing room, this is absolutely something I'd love to revisit.
💖 ✨ 🤗
There go my chances of ever getting a Subeta-branded Udder Hat and Belt
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I just snorted coffee out of my nose, thank you very much :-)
[ sorry for the ping, please ignore if unwanted ^u^; ]
Totally understand your reasoning and I'm really happy to hear Subeta is roughly breaking even! Would it be worth putting this suggestion in the "frequently suggested" thread so you don't have to dread typing another response?