Related articles
- If You are Planning a Trip to Pondicherry in 2020, These are the Places to Visit for Foodies, Beach Bums and Shopaholics!
- Wondering Where to Go Shopping on Your Next Trip to Hyderabad? Visit Begum Bazaar – The City's Biggest Commercial Market and a Shopper's Paradise (2020)
- Here's What to Buy in Singapore and Why You Should Expect to Go on a Shopping Spree on This Island Nation!
Why Go for Miniature Gifts when in Chennai?
They Are Adorable
There are so many miniature gifts Chennai has to offer to its locals and tourists and you should definitely buy one. The reason is pretty obvious, these mini gifts are simply adorable. Especially the miniature dolls that you can find here. Such dolls look very cute and although it takes time to make them, the wait is worth.
They Are Super Popular
There are so many mini items that you can buy in Chennai but miniature dolls top the chart. Not only India but they are popular worldwide. Skilled artists and their teams make human replica dolls with the help of some pictures only, which is quite unbelievable to look at.
The mini version looks super adorable and this is something you will cherish for the rest of your life. You should not only buy one for yourself but for your friends too.
They Are Quite Portable
When you are travelling back to your home from Chennai, you would surely want to take back some memories. However, carrying around large gifts can be quite a trouble especially when the journey is long.
Amidst this dilemma, these miniature dolls/gifts come for your rescue. These are small and hence easy to carry around. In fact, you can even order them online as the stores in Chennai have their own shopping portals too.
The Rise to Popularity of Miniature Dolls in Chennai
The history of human replica dolls manufacturing in Chennai is not very old and started only in 2014. This is the year when My Cute Mini or MCM came into existence and people totally went crazy over their unique innovative ideas of turning a simple picture into a cute mini doll.
This is quite like 3D printing a picture and turning it into a lifelike sculpture which is very cute in appearance. These brands not only ship all across India but internationally too. MCM sees a huge hike in their orders at the time of Christmas and New Year and apart from it, Birthdays and anniversaries are the most sought after events.
Hari Charan, the founder of MCM used to design sculptures for home décor only, but later on moved towards this innovative idea which earned him and his team, massive success. You should also order one such mini doll for yourself from them.
Places to Buy Miniature Gifts/Dolls in Chennai?
My Cute Mini
To be true, My Cute Mini was the one who started the trend of miniature dolls in Chennai, back in 2014. Their customized mini replica dolls are made out of synthetic ceramic and they are 100% handmade. These dolls look like 3D sculptures and perfect to gift to your loved ones.
Their product varies from 12 inches to 35 inches and everything is customized as per customer’s request. The artists remain totally in touch with the customer to make sure that they get what they want.
The price also varies according to different types of dolls. For example, a single miniature doll costs Rs. 5,500, while a family miniature doll can cost up to Rs. 15,500, depending upon the number of family members in the sculpture. Moreover, the final output is really amazing and looks darn cute too.
Selfie Miniature
Located in the Sarathy Nagar area of Chennai, Selfie Miniature is another spot where you can find various types of 3D miniature dolls just like that of MCM. As you know, 3D miniature gifts from Chennai are super popular and this is why Selfie Miniature came soon into existence after the huge hit of My Cute Mini.
Selfie Miniature basically provides three types of services which are 3D printing, 3D designing and 3D scanning, which are then implemented into the products they sell.
Apart from providing single mini they also create couple and family miniature dolls. In fact, even in the single mini, you can order either bust size mini or full-size mini , along with any customization you want. Their price starts at Rs. 3,000 for a bust size mini which can go up to Rs. 15,000 for family mini.
Apart from this, you can also order photographic night lamp and name/logo key chains from them. In fact, they even have this special swinger personalized mini too. If you are in Chennai then you should definitely visit their store.
iKix My3D
The next place in Chennai from where you can purchase these mini dolls is iKix My3D. Their store is located in the Mylapore area of Chennai. With the help of iKix My3D you can create 3D replicas of you, your friends, family and even that of your pet too.
In fact, we really found iKix to be quite versatile because of the options they provide. You have the option to go for headshots mini, bust size mini and full size and it goes for all types of dolls i.e. single, couple and pets.
Their full body single mini can be ordered for Rs. 3,599 while couple minis can cost up to Rs. 10,000 along with customization feature. Unfortunately, they do not make family mini right now but you have other options to choose from like political mini, sports mini, key chain, fridge magnets etc.
While other manufacturers make their mini dolls from ceramic, My3D uses sandstone for their figures and their replicas have 70% resemblance to that of the original picture. It takes app. 10-15 days for them to send you the mini at your doorstep.
3DSelfiy
3D Slefiy is the one final stop where you can shop for miniature gifts. They have their store in the Pari Nagar area in Chennai. You can imagine this store as the one-stop destination for all sorts of 3D printed cute gifts. You can customize the mini dolls according to your desire and the final outcome turns out to be quite amazing.
3D Selfiy has so many types of mini dolls to offer like single mini, family mini, bobbleheads, couple mini and many more. You have the option to get these mini dolls in either bust size or full size. Their price starts at Rs. 5,999, for full single mini which goes on to Rs. 19,999 for full family miniature dolls, depending upon the number of family members and your customization.
Types of Miniature Dolls Available in Chennai
Single Miniature Doll
The simplest and probably the most demanding of them all is the single miniature doll. As the name says, this is the doll replica of a single person which can be made out of any type of material like ceramic, sandstone etc.
It typically takes a week to prepare the doll but it can vary from artist to artist and also from customer to customer as the doll goes through 2-3 stages of approval before being proceeded to the final stage.
You can also find these single dolls in two types which are bust size and full size with varying prices which mainly goes from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000. If you are feeling confused about choosing a gift for your friend’s birthday then it will be the best one to go for.
Couple Miniature Doll
Another type of miniature doll is the couple mini. If you think that you can get the customized miniatures only in single mini then you are totally wrong. You can even get the couple minis in customized form and the design is chosen by you.
Going through the numerous steps of getting approval, you get to decide that whether you want a half size couple mini or a full-size, or you want a special pose for both of you.
It takes 3 photographs of each one of you to create that perfect replica doll which bears about 70% or more resembles with the real you. You should also know that manufacturing and delivering time can vary from store to store.
Bobbleheads Doll
Bobbleheads doll are undoubtedly the most fun out of all. Apparently, there are very few artists who can create this type of shaking head miniature dolls of yours. We would highly recommend you to go for My Cute Mini to create this Bobble Head version of yourself.
Their ceramic shaking head dolls are super popular whose price starts from Rs. 6,500 for single mini. You can even order them to create bobblehead minis for couples and a family of 3. From customizing this mini according to your taste to giving out bulk orders, you can do it all on MCM and the final result is phenomenal.
Family Miniature Doll
Among all the miniature gifts Chennai can bring for you, the family miniature doll is probably the best one. This is the way in which you can create a lifelike sculpture of your entire family in one single showpiece.
Seeing the cute minis of your grandparents, parents and siblings all together is the real fun for sure. The price for family mini generally varies from Rs.15,000 to Rs. 20,000 . or even more, depending upon the number of family members in it. These minis are usually available in full size only and they look super adorable and definitely require more time than usual, to get prepared.
Pet Figurines
You are totally going to fall in love with the feature of customized pet figurines that these stores have to offer. This is just unbelievable how they create a mini version of your pet for you, which is simply adorable and super affordable too.
The price typically starts from Rs. 4,500 depending upon the height of the mini you want. All you have to do is to send a few pictures of your pet to them and they will create a really cute mini doll version for you.
Insights of the Doll Making Process
The trend of 3d printing in Chennai is all about the cute little miniature dolls. However, this is not everyone’s cup of tea and it requires craftsmanship as well as great experience to turn them into reality. These are some of the facts about the making process of these miniature dolls, which are surely going to interest you.
The Prices Vary Depending upon the Material Used
There are typically two materials used for making the dolls which are clay and resin. Apparently, the ones made out of resin cost twice that of the clay because of the durability and quality . You can even find some artists creating dolls out of sand stones and other materials, but it can challenge their durability. Apparently, ceramic mini dolls are the ones which are sold the most.
Preparation Time - Four Weeks
When they started this business, it used to take at least 4 weeks for the dolls to be prepared. Over time and with more skilled workers, this duration decreased to 10 days and sometimes even less. However, the delivery can still take more time which can vary from 4 weeks to 6 weeks. The time period mostly depends upon the customer approval which is really important to create the final result.
Dolls Are Available in Two Sizes
The miniature gifts are available in two sizes which are bust size and full size. This applies to all sorts of dolls i.e. single mini, couple mini, family mini etc. The bobbleheads and pet figurines are available in full size only. Some of the stores even provide only headshots and if you are tight on budget, you can opt for them.
Dolls Get Approved in Three Phases
It takes three phases for the doll to get approved and then get completed. Firstly, they create the head of the doll without hair , which is sent for the approval to the client to proceed further. After which, they send the photo of the body for the approval. After getting approved at this phase, the doll is baked and then gets completed.
The Final Approval Is Stringent
The end process is even trickier than the earlier ones. Apparently, the end product is matched with the photograph sent by the client, with the help of a software. It is only then that they send out the minis for the delivery. Further customization influences the time taken for creating the mini dolls and turn it into a more complex process.
Related articles
- If You are Planning a Trip to Pondicherry in 2020, These are the Places to Visit for Foodies, Beach Bums and Shopaholics!
- Wondering Where to Go Shopping on Your Next Trip to Hyderabad? Visit Begum Bazaar – The City's Biggest Commercial Market and a Shopper's Paradise (2020)
- Here's What to Buy in Singapore and Why You Should Expect to Go on a Shopping Spree on This Island Nation!
- Confused About What to Buy from Dubai? Here is a Complete Shopping Guide to Help You Out (2019)
- Add More Excitement to Your Trip to India's Silicon Valley by Visiting these Top 10 Malls in Bangalore in 2019
Time for a Cute Miniature Addition to Your Home, Exclusively from Chennai
The art of home decor is hard to master. There are many choices out there that one can easily feel overwhelmed. However, these miniature dolls from Chennai add vibrancy to every home, regardless of the theme. They are also great gifting options. So, grab yourself a mini whenever you visit Chennai next.