New plastic jellyfish at Tapir and Friends

Our new plastic jellyfish is now online and ready to order. It's realistic and durable, and is just as interesting in the underside view below as it is in the upright view. We're pleased to add this wonderful sea creature to our extensive collection of sea life educational toys and collectible replicas.

New plastic moose figure online

I put our new plastic moose replica online today. It's quite realistic and has a lot of nice features, from the bell under its chin to the clearly cloven hooves. You can find it in Tapir and Friends online gift shop. Come have a look! It's flexible, too, almost like rubber.

Customer service is what we do!

The case of the missing alligator . . . heron with frog, and a few other critters from the swamp. . . .

. . . Solved!

We love getting e-mail confirming our great customer service. It always brightens our day, but the real surprise is that our customers are surprised. Shouldn't we all expect great customer service when we do business with someone? Yes, of course! And you've probably noticed that the little niceties that we used to expect have often disappeared from the business scene. I know that personally I expected to be treated respectfully and kindly, and yes, I still expect the people I buy from (goods or services) to be not only polite and helpful, but sometimes even to go that extra distance with a smile. It doesn't happen as often as it once did. I know that *I* notice it these days when someone gives me great service, and I appreciate it. Our customers often seem surprised when all we've done is what we enjoy doing - helping you with a smile!

Here's another letter we received from a customer today. We appreciate it that you appreciate us! Let's make the world go around a little easier today, OK? All of us!

February 25, 2009 2:06 PM
To: tapir@tapirback.com
Subject: Re: Delivery Confirm: (etc.)

Sorry, it was here, my wife mistook it for something else I'd ordered! Thanks for your prompt help, you are great!

~ M.B. in Georgia

We and our scorpion are "awesome" :)

We haven't seen a photo yet, but the scorpion was purchased to go on a hat for some event. Today John wrote:

Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 6:07 AM
To: Tapir
Subject: RE: Sales Receipt from Tapir and Friends Wildlife World

Got it yesterday. You guys are awesome.

~ John in Ohio

Thanks, John. We love to help and we love feedback!

Sheryl and Sue

Plastic or rubber ammonite

We've got lots of new plastic animal replicas to put online, and the ammonite is now finished and uploaded. Take a look at this ancient cephalopod in our gift shop. I've also posted something about taking its photo on my own blog. Usually, these items are fairly easy to photograph, but this one was a challenge! We give you nice big photos, and we want them to look like the real thing so you can truly see what you're getting before you buy.

Otter art: Unusual hand-made ceramic giant otter

This is an unusual find! Our artist in Colombia made several ceramic giant otters. When you look at a picture of the real South American Giant River Otter, you'll see that the design on the front is typical of this interesting species. Come check out our otter gifts at Tapir and Friends Wildlife World Gifts!

This stuffed wolf cub makes a lovely gift!

Do you know anyone who likes wolves? We think they'll enjoy this cuddly stuffed wolf cub from Tapir and Friends Wildlife World Gift shop! You can purchase online and you wolf will be deliverd within only a few days. We can ship it to you or to the person receiving the wolf as a gift! Just let us know on our secure online order form. With all the talk about wolf conservation these days, we think the wolf cub will interest many of you who are looking for a perfect gift. The price is reasonable. Come check us out online! See the stuffed wolf cub at Tapir and Friends.

Beautiful realistic hand-made, hand-painted jewelry for frog lovers!

These gorgeous frogs are all hand cast of pewter and painted by hand in the USA to create stunning pins for you and your frog-loving friends. Do you collect frogs? Do you know anyone who does? Our frog pins are one of a kind! Numerous frogs may be cast from the same mould, but the paint is unique. Even when the artist repeats a general color scheme, the paint is applied by hand, so each has individual variations. And, if you like our frogs but prefer your own color scheme, give us a call or send e-mail and we'll let you know what the time frame is for your own custom frog! Give us a call toll free at (888) 325-3179 or visit our online store: Tapir and Friends Wildlife World. You may not see these particular frogs on the site until we get them posted, so you may have to call to order them. We do currently have hundreds of animal jewelry pins that can be ordered directly online. We have so many animals that if you don't see the one you're looking for, give us a call - we may have it!

New grasshopper replica in our store!

This delightful 2 1/2-inch grasshopper replica is new in our online gift shop. It's made of natural fiber and is very light weight yet sturdy. It's great for dioramas, collectibles, spring party decor, and could probably pass for a locust if you need imitation locusts! Come check out our grasshopper decor at Tapir and Friends Wildlife World online!

A new way to search - see our collection of Galapagos Islands toy animals!

We've added a new feature to help you find just the animals you're looking for! This can be useful for school projects and for collectors, or for anyone who loves animals!

Our Galapagos Islands page is the first we've put online. It has a slide show of the items in stock as well as our usual menu links. You can order directly from the menu links or go to the animal's specific page and learn more about it.

Speaking of learning, we've added a long text section to the bottom of the page so you can learn more about the various animals of the Galapagos Islands. We'll be expanding the format as time permits, and we'll soon be adding pages for other regions of the world. Some of the most asked-about areas are deserts, Arctic, Antarctic, etc. You get the idea!

Stuffed Alligator or Stuffed Crocodile for Valentine's Day!

Do you know anyone who loves alligators and crocodiles? We have a beautiful, big and VERY SOFT stuffed crocodile that would make a perfect Valentine's Day gift for just about anyone! "Walter the Friendly Crocodile" is 3 feet long, he's in stock and ready to roll! Walter makes a great gift for an adult, because he's big enough for a grownup to cuddle. He's light weight, and even kids can carry him around or give him a loving squeeze! Check out Walter in our Tapir and Friends online gift shop. We can ship in the US in time for Walter to be the unusual Valentine's Day present you're looking for!