-- Lendl, from latexlair.com
Toy Costs
I did the toy costs as fairly as I could. I didn't look for the cheapest toy parts nor did I look for the most expensive comparison toys. Truthfully, the results surprised me - I didn't expect the commercially-made toys to be so expensive! (Working on the book for so long and making all my own toys, I guess I got out of touch with just how much a store-bought toy collection would cost.)The costs of the commercially-available toys were based on a survey of similar toys done in May 2006. The costs are based on prices for at least three toys from three different suppliers. However, the toys were not identical. Generally, the toys in the The Better Built Bondage Book use better quality materials; the furniture is sturdier and folds up more compactly. For example, the Saint Andrew's Cross has foot rests and other features that I could not find in commercially-available crosses.
The toy parts were based on a survey of local suppliers done in May 2006. The parts were priced in Canadian dollars and then converted to US dollars at the going rate of $0.906. (This is an historically high exchange rate. A more normal exchange rate would make the homemade toys another 10-15% cheaper.)
Parts costs allow for 20% extra leather. Materials like screws, rivets, string, etc., were priced at unit cost for the smallest available package. Buying in bulk will save you more money; throwing out leftovers will save you less. No costs include tax or shipping (which would make purchased toys even more expensive). The maximum shipping cost for large items was $145, enough to make the commercially-made toys considerably more expensive than listed.
The estimates presume that leftover lumber and plywood are thrown out. In real life, you would have usable pieces that could be put to other crafts (and in some cases, make them entirely). All estimates are based on high-quality latigo leather; the commerically-made toys generally used thinner, cheaper leather. The floggers parts were based on the cost of expensive lambskin.
All prices were rounded to the nearest dollar. Thus, a price of $10 could have been anywhere from $9.50 to $10.49. By coincidence, most prices ended up being rounded up instead of down.
The parts costs don't include the cost of painting toys and the spanking bench was costed without upholstery. The comparison toy prices were based on three "first-found" similar toys; some unreasonably expensive toys weren't included (you're welcome to pay even more for your toys, if you like).
Order a book and start saving money on your toys!
"I just got the book in the mail from Stonewall. Thank you so much. This book is amazing. I can't wait to explore with it more. Even more than I expected. I am glad to say that I have welcomed this book to America. Keep up the great work."
-- Josh
