Election year jewelry: donkeys for Democrats

In this exciting campaign yer, our hand-painted jewelry (animal pins and tie tacks) includes a variety of beautiful donkey jewelry perfect for the democrat in your life! These great pins or tie tacks can be worn by both men and women. Think scarves and lapels, fishing caps, hatbands, and even (yes) a bold statement on a tie! Check out these stick-pin donkeys along with our other animal jewelry at Tapir and Friends Wildlife World. Or call (503) 325-3179 in Astoria, Oregon. We also have elephants for Republicans. More on that in an upcoming post.

Which animal toy or gift was our biggest seller in January?

This colorful plastic fish (squirting clown trigger fish) was far and away the best selling item from our gift shop in January. The Fish and Wildlife Department from a country other than the US took 1,000, and we sold our last seven to other customers. Here is the link, but we won't have them back in stock until April 2008. If you absolutely need squirting fish, we do have two colors of 9-inch plastic salmon in stock. They're good for the bathtub and other play areas.

Our next most-sold toy in January was this unusual blue-gray plastic alligator. Its color is a bit weird, but the details are very nice. If the color is an issue, paint him green!


Check out this and other more naturally-colored toy alligators and crocodiles in Tapir and Friends online store.

Awesome service

Awesome service! Thanks, Sue! ~ Shelly in Texas

. . . And thank you, Shelly! We love to hear your comments. We'll try to post a lot more customer comments before this decade is over!

Beautiful Animal Jewelry for Valentine's Day!

These gorgeous and unique hand-painted pieces of animal jewelry would make a Valentine's Day gift never to be forgotten! Scroll down or visit our web site.

The butterfly, cat with kittens, pointer hunting dog, dolphins leaping, and white mouse are only a few of the hundreds we have in stock today.

Each piece is cast in pewter and hand painted. They can be used as pins for hats, lapels, or . . . it's up to you. They can also be used as larger, flamboyant tie tacks. In addition, many designs come in a smaller traditional tie tac size.

All pieces have two stick pins with pinch clasps on the back so they don't rotatate and have to be twisted back into position. Orient them the way you like and don't think about it again. Painted pins are $29.00 each (any design); the same styles are available in various metal finishes including natural pewter and a variety of metal plate finishes (bronze, gold, copper, silver). Not every pin is available in every finish. Each item should be considered a limited edition, although we have more of some than of others. Order now for Valentine's Day (503) 325-3179. You can also order online at Tapir and Friends. We ship same day. Ask for overnight shipping if needed.

Save the Whales Game

http://www.whalesrevenge.com/

The petition seems to have been successful. Please enjoy playing the game!

Surplus plastic walruses ~ plastic toy walrus replicas available in singles or in bulk

Having a walrus party? Saving endangered walruses? Need plastic walruses in larger quantities? We have them! Check our selection of plastic walruses at Tapir and Friends online or give us a call at (503) 325-3179 (in the US).

With ice melting in the Arctic, the walruses are having a hard time. Below are a couple of links where you can read about these massive, unique animals. The Washington Post article describes one of the reasons the calves of these animals are currently in danger. The Sea World article gives about as much information on walruses as you could hope to find. Use Google's image search to find some fantastic photos of walruses.

New plastic jellyfish

Three new colorful plastic jellyfish are online in Tapir and Friends gift shop. Come take a look, and maybe take a couple of them home. They bounce on elasticized gold thread, you can hang them for parties or unusual home decor, use them to enhance school projects, and much more. They float right-side-up in your pool or tub looking almost like real jellyfish, and if they are turned sideways or upside down, they right themselves because the're heavier on the bottom. There's a sealed air sac under the bell, so this jellyfish doesn't depend on air staying in the float to keep it upright. The plastic is flexible, translucent, and quite attractive. We have four colors to choose from in the 3 1/2-inch size range shown here: the yellow-and-orange jellyfish pictured on the blog, a green one, a blue one (all three at the link above), and the light pink Pelagia jellyfish. The pink Pelagia glows faint green in the dark, the yellow-and-orange-one shown here glows bright green in the dark, and the other two don't glow, they just look nice in the light.

Return of the plastic goldfish

Back by popular demand (seriously!). Come see our plastic fantail goldfish. Its bright nearly-dayglo color will delight you. Its translucent beauty will astound you! Or, if this is overstating the case, we think you will at least find our toy fish fun and practical for parties, bathtubs, and most any use you have for one of these critters. Read more and order online at Tapir and Friends Wildlife World. The photo does not do it justice, folks. It is shiny and you can see through its fins.

Stunning hand-painted animal jewelry made in the USA

This climbing tree frog is just one of the hundreds of pieces of lifelike animal jewelry now in stock. A huge new shipment of gorgeously-detailed hand-painted pieces arrived in December, and we're still working to get them online. If you don't see the animal you want, PLEASE ASK! Check out the painted animal jewelry page of Tapir and Friends for a sample of what's available. We're working to get the photos online. If it's listed with no photo, drop us an e-mail and we'll take a picture for you. If you don't see the animal listed, please ask. There are so many new ones, we're still putting the list together. If you like the jewelry, but don't see the color you want, LET US KNOW. Custom painting (depending on the level of detail) may not cost more than the standard item ($29.00 each for painted pieces). Most animals are also available in gold plate, silver plate, bronze plate, copper plate, and the natural pewter in which they are cast. The metal finishes are $10.00 each. Although we have hundreds of pieces, many are limited edition. In some cases we have 10 or 20 on hand, in other cases, we have only one. Once they are gone, that's it! Additional styles are being developed by the artist every day, but if you fall in love with one, it's best not to wait!

66 plastic hawks

What was our top-selling item on January 25, 2008? It was this plastic hawk replica, which is brand new in Tapir and Friends online gift shop. A customer needed 66 hawks, and we found one that worked for them. They were so great, we ordered some for the shop as well.

What does this have to do with tapirs? A lot, actually. We raise money through the sale of animal-replica toys, gifts, jewelry, etc., so that 100% of your donations to tapir conservation can go directly where it belongs - to the people working on tapir projects. Imagine selling enough tapirs to make that happen? Probably not in this decade. Anyway, the other animals are fun to have around and it's also fun to know that they make other people happy.

Where to Find Us

We'll be using our TAPIRS: Tapir Preservation Fund (TPF) Blog to post quickly and more immediately about tapirs.

Our main tapir web site, as always, is The Tapir Gallery.

Our Tapirs Google Group is another good place to visit. The Google group allows you to get posts by e-mail if you want them. There are some wonderful photos and posts there already.

I'm also making a New Year's Resolution to keep Sheryl Todd's Personal Blog updated with cool photos of beautiful Oregon, USA, and other places this year. Let's see what happens!

If you join the Tapirs Google Group or send me e-mail to be added to our mailing list, I'll keep you updated on additions to all of the blogs and lists.

Happy 2008!

Sheryl

Walrus toys received in Aleutian Islands

Plastic walrus toy from Tapir and Friends

I ordered just about a week ago and already received my package! I live in the Aleutian Islands, this is fast! Thanks so much, I'll be back for more cute toys!

M.

Stuffed kiwi and a very happy customer!

Dear Sue,

Sorry I didn't get to write sooner. Thank you so much for keeping in touch with me while my order was processing. It really means a lot to a customer when people like yourself can communicate, even if it is through e-mail. Thank you so much for everything and the Kiwi is so adorable!!! I will be giving it to A. on Thursday . . . he will love it so much! I will always recommend your website to everyone I know when they are in need of a gift. Thanks once again, you're a wonderful person.

Sincerely, V.

Aye aye!

Realistic detailed plastic animals

I'm glad I found you! You know what plastic animal collectors are looking for - realistic detail! Thanks for taking the time to describe and classify the animals. It was a delight to read your descriptions. Keep looking for the hard to find animals. Shrews, land turtles, sloths, chinchillas, dugongs. Can't believe you have an aye-aye, lemur, manatee. I've looked and looked.

Thanks,

Carol in Illinois

Another very happy customer!

Friends . . . I never write comments about my purchases, but I felt compelled to do so this time. Surprise # 1 . . . the order already arrived today. I can not believe the speed in which I received this. #2 . . . I love them, but more importantly, the kindergarten kids will be thrilled. I work in an inner city Early Learning Center with mainly non-English speaking students. Most have no idea what these animals are. I could not be happier to throw these into the water table with some ice cubes and have them explore their new arctic friends. Again, thank you so much for your services. . . . J

Knitted stuffed tapirs

A chorus line of knitted tapirs:

Baird's, lowland, mountain, and Asian

January 4, 2007

I received the 4th [knitted] tapir from the artist in Canada. I love them!

Thanks again,

Jill in Washington, DC

Pay less, get more . . . and make us smile, too!

Red-eyed plastic aardvark

March 7, 2006

I received the aardvark yesterday and it's perfect. It's intended as a mascot for my sister's car and we had had a hard time finding one that was just right.

The same is true of the otter which is now mounted on my husband's recumbent bicycle. Thank you so much for your great customer service. It was very refreshing to be contacted by a real person when there was the slightest change. As my husband, Chris, remarks "You don't get that kind of service when you buy a $3000 television set."

Regards,

Olga in Colorado

One of the best things about doing business at Tapir and Friends is the wonderful letters we get. Olga, thank you! We are smiling over here in Astoria!

Gary, thanks so much for your wonderful letter! Nice story!

November 27, 2005

I thought I'd share the email below I sent to my mother's minister, which gives background on the search for a "stuffed snail."

Gary :)

California

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bruce,

I have a story here I think you will find interesting.You gave a sermon where you asked something like this -- What does the snail say riding on the turtle? Wheee!! I forgot exactly the point you were making. But, anyway, a few days later I was at Thousand Oaks Toyota service dept. getting something for my Prius - when I noticed this rack with these cute stuffed animals. So I got a stuffed turtle and a stuffed frog - thinking they would be nice for my friend's grandchildren. Then, driving home I remembered your sermon, and thought I'd come back and get another stuffed turtle. Then if I could somehow find a stuffed snail I could mount the snail on the turtle, and send it to you for Christmas. So this led to the search for a stuffed snail on the Internet. I did a google search on "stuffed snail" and ended up at a website for the preservation of tapirs. They have all of these cute stuffed animals. But I didn't see the snail - and so wrote to the email address given.This led to the sweetest responses from "Sheryl" on this website. It took me a while, but I figured out she was the president of this organization working to preserve tapirs. She was giving me so much kind attention looking for my stuffed snails. So this got me very interested in this group - and there is an interview with her below:

http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/st-int1.htm

Gary

Gary is a very thoughtful guy. Much later, when he was at the San Diego Zoo, he bought a ceramic tapir from Peru and sent it to me. I don't have a picture at this moment, but when I take one I'll put it online for you all to see. It is stylized with beautiful designs on its back.

Sheryl

Fun with plastic capybaras!

Sheryl -

I received [the plastic capybaras] at my home (hand-delivered) by 10:00 a.m. I made little yellow initialed shirts and have them stored in my drawer. My teammate saw them and we both think they are adorable. I appreciate your excellent customer service and specialized attention. We will look to you for our needs in the future. (Plus we are glad that a portion of the proceeds go towards a good organization.)

Thank you so much.

Jodie

Stuffed animals: our charming realistic kiwi birds!

Our realistic, charming stuffed Kiwi by Hansa found a new and happy home. . . .

Dear Sheryl,

Thanks so much for all your help filling this order. I wanted you to know that it arrived quickly and safe and sound. I appreciate how easy this process was. Thanks again!

~ Russ