Frequently Asked Questions
All About Our Products
All of our silicone products are made with skin safe, 100% platinum cure silicone per our manufacture Smooth-On, with silicone pigments and/or cosmetic grade mica pigments for coloration. Any mica powders used in our products is ethically sourced and heavily researched before using to be sure it is safe for you! All silicone is degassed, no exception, in our process. Customer safety is our highest priority and if we wouldn't use it, or don't feel it would be safe to use, we don't sell it!
Where we purchase our silicone, mold release, and liquid silicone colorants:
https://www.smooth-on.com/
Where we primarily purchase our mica and shimmer from:
https://justpigments.com/
https://tkbtrading.com/
https://www.blackdiamondpigments.com/
Where we purchase our glow pigments:
https://www.technoglowproducts.com & https://www.artnglow.com/
At this time, the silicone firmness we mainly sell our models in is super soft (shore hardness 00-20), soft (shore hardness 00-30) and medium (shore hardness 00-50). We rarely, but on occasion sell firm (10A), but it can cause issues demolding, a strain on our wrists, and do not use often in our models unless it's our suction cups.
Soft (00-30) can be slightly tacky and has a similar softness of a gel shoe insert or body tissue. It is very squishy and sometimes bigger toys can have issues standing and sway more. Medium (00-50) is still squishy but can feel almost like a tad softer than a rubber eraser or an unflexed muscle. Firm (10A), feels like a flexed, tight muscle and does not have a lot of squish to it. With that being all said, since this is a handmade craft, there can be some variations to the firmness. This can can be because the size of the toy, (smaller toys will feel generally softer, and the bigger you go, the less soft it feels), temperature, humidity, pigments used (the more pigments/glows, the firmer) and even the silicone differences from the manufacturer. All our toys will be labeled to the hardness they were poured in!
We also now use super soft (00-20) for mainly packers,penetrables, squishies, and some bigger toys able to stand in it! Super soft can be tackier than the rest, but has the most squish.
Near Clear is a newer (2021) product by Smooth-On, it’s certified skin safe/platinum cure just like the other silicone we use currently! (We will label products made with Near Clear. These come in 00-31 and 00-45 shore hardness Please note we have found 00-45 to be more firm than 00-50 and label it as Medium Firm). The base price is more than its counterparts due to the higher price of this silicone and the time it takes to make! (Usually a15%-20% increase) Because of this, we most likely won't pour a lot with it! Here are some special notations regarding NC!
NC is extra translucent and is more noticeable in models with glossy finishing. UV usually is highly vivid! That being said, this silicone is a bit more finicky to care for and to make. Leaving indents, seeing normal mold imperfections, and discoloration are easier with this product. Multiple bubbles are common to be found on the flat bases of NC and won’t be considered a flop. This is normal due to the nature of this silicone.
Some other makers have mentioned noticing yellow discoloration or cloudiness after boiling excessively. Sometimes, silicone may remain cloudy for hours to a few days before returning to normal after boiling if not permanently discolored. Also, oil-based lube may cause discoloration as well. If unsure to risk discoloring due to boiling, we can advise using silicone safe toy cleaner, soap and water, or a 10% bleach to water solution to thoroughly clean toys. (Do NOT boil bleach!)
On a final note, as with our other silicone, do NOT use silicone-based lube.
Yes! We gently wash toys before sending them out. Please bare in mind since we do this extra step, that there may be a faint smell or water marks. This is normal. We recommend to wash your toy before any kind of use and after a good air dry, the scent should dissipate.
We should mention that the soap we use is scentless and dye free, but our home has some fragrance plugins. Though these nor any other scent producing items are in the studio, we understand smell can travel whether it be through air or the hand soap on our hands. We have noticed from time to time that the plastic packaging from our manufacturer can have a slight smell as well. Though we try to keep our products and studio as scentless as we can for those sensitive, we cannot promise a scent to not be present. Mold Release in molds also have a sweeter scent. Again, typically this airs out over time and a good wash! If in the unusual happenstance it doesn't, we can suggest boiling your toy as usual per the care guide, a 10% bleach to water soak (DO NOT BOIL BLEACH), or a baking soda soak.
No error here! The reason for this is we are pricing pours more depending on their complexity/amount of colors used/drips/painting/special color shift mica etc. Typically you'd only see this vary about $1-$10. More time/tools/funds goes into these pours and techniques. It may be more than $10 if it's super complex/more than 5+ colors used. Our Made-To-Order semi-customs are about 15-20% more due to the extra time it takes vs doing a big batch at once.
*Also if we pour in Near Clear, you may see the price be roughly 15-20%+ more!
Glow photos are some of the hardest to capture, and sometimes may seem more vibrant than in person! We also use a very strong UV light to 'charge' it about a minute+ before photographing. We advise if you don't have a UV light, to charge it with a direct light source on the product for about 10+ mins. We do not refund biased on glow photos, or if there's color discrepancy from the computer screen.
Usually, yea! Sometimes we don't pour much of a model if it's not selling well, there's a lot still left in the store, or the mold is being repaired/reworked. Or the flip side (like our Double Suction Cups), they sell out really fast and it takes more time to make them as they have a complex mold! Usually, we try to mention on tha catalog page if a mold is being redone or it's a seasonal only mold. (Some are retired, but will state so in the catalog!)
Since they take a bit more time trimming and getting prepared, we just drop them randomly when we have enough done! I try to announce on twitter when they are coming back in stock. As of 2024, we're limiting the amount we're dropping of these so expect this to be a rarity.
It happens from time to time, but we like to add little mini-squish gifts or other goodies when we can!
All products come with a complimentary hand-stamped, organic cotton muslin bag! If you have a big order with dickles/squishes, we do sometimes combine those in your larger toy storage bag. Same if you have multiple small toys; we usually try to put them all in one bag! We currently do not offer them for sale separately but may eventually get higher quality custom ones made to sell individually!
(If you don't want a bag, just email orders@madetowere.com with your order number to request not to have one! This would need to be done within an hour of your order.)
What Does _______ Mean?
A "drop" typically in this line of business, means that's when we have the newly made inventory in store! We usually have a set schedule to do so. Right now, we have 2 drops a month; one in the middle of the month and one at the end OR semi-customs are open in the first half of the month, and a drop will be at the end of the month. Typically, each drop will fall on a Wednesday at 9PM ET unless otherwise stated.
(Usually we'll skip doing a drop December or if it falls on a holiday. See our banner for the next drop/follow us on Twitter!)
"Predrop" or we may mention "Preshop" on our social media, is where we set all the NEW upcoming inventory to be viewed as being SOLD OUT! This is approx. an hour before the actual drop so those can window shop what we will have for the actual drop!
Stuffed Adult Plush doesn't follow a schedule.
*CS in the listing title means "Color Shift". This is a higher priced pigment used and gives an awesome shimmery/holo effect which makes the pigment look like different colors depending on the light. Products with *CS are usually $5-$7 more than the base price due to the cost of the specialty pigment. (Just 5 grams of this pigment can be upwards of $40+ !) Capturing the photo of this effect proves difficult, and may find methods of incorporating those in listings at a later date.
All of our products are finished by hand as well as poured by hand and as a result, they can have small surface imperfections, print texture, divots, non-issue pigment freckles that under the surface, mold seam lines, and minor uneven trimming. We consider these to be normal imperfections. Any problems beyond the normal imperfections will be labeled as ‘Oddball’ or ‘Flop’ and described in the listing information.
For reference for our shop, an 'Oddball' is a minor flaw that could be from a cosmetic issue we did not like, any small surface imperfection that we feel is beyond the norm that does not impact the use of the product. Usually, our oddballs do not have major cleaning issues. We discount oddballs anywhere from approx. 5% up to 15% off.
A 'Flop' would be a product with defects such as medium to large surface imperfections that we believe would require more than normal care and cleaning. These could be approx. 15%-30%+ off.
All discounts are at our discretion and on an individual product basis.
MTO is ‘Made To Order’! If you see this used, it’s in the context of usually a custom or something that’s not in-stock but rather ‘Made To Order!’
Cancellations and Refunds
At this time,we accept cancellations ON IN STOCK ITEMS ONLY! We can cancel your order within 1 hour of ordering ONLY. (UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. WE DO NOT ALLOW CANCELLATIONS IN NOVEMBER/SITEWIDE SALES/ETC.) Please be for certain you are reading thoroughly, and clicking on what you want to order! Just message us here if you would like to cancel and that locks you in! We may not get back to your message ASAP, but so long as you messaged us within that hour (thanks timestamps!), you are fine and consider it done!
We do charge a 10% restocking/processing fee when canceling orders. (Meaning we'll refund all but 10% of your order total.) This is due to a non-refundable processing fee we as the sellers are charged when you pay now on the website vs Etsy would refund the seller the fee.
If we suspect you are abusing our cancel policy due to "holding" an item, we have right to decline future orders and ban your account from the shop.
**WE WILL NOT CANCEL OR MODIFY ANY SORT OF CUSTOM ORDERS. PLEASE TAKE YOUR TIME ORDERING THESE TYPE OF ITEMS.**
Due to the nature of the products, we generally do NOT accept returns except in serious cases we'd want to look further into. If in the happenstance we decline a return but a rare full refund is warranted, we will ask you to destroy the product in a timely manner and after proof is received, a refund is distributed.
THERE IS TO BE NO RETURNS/REFUNDS ON GOODS SOLD AT IN PERSON EVENTS OR STUFFED ADULT PLUSH ITEMS.
Contact us ASAP! Keep product in the bag and do not open unless we advise to do so! Be prepared to send photos. We gladly want to make things right for you! Please contact us by email or the contact form found here!
Refunds (with online orders) may be possible on a case-by-case basis for ONLY production issues that was undocumented at the time of the sale that is beyond a normal imperfection due to the handmade quality. Again, this is the ONLY reason we would issue a refund. Please familiar yourself with what we consider to be normal handmade flaws in our Terms of Service under our Disclaimer section.
THERE IS TO BE NO RETURNS/REFUNDS ON GOODS SOLD AT IN PERSON EVENTS.
**WE WILL NOT REFUND ITEMS SOLD WITH AN ‘ODDBALL’ OR ‘FLOP’, AS THE FLAWS HAVE BEEN NOTED IN THE LISTING**
All refunds are at our own discretion; beyond 1 week after confirmed delivery we typically do not consider refunds.
Customs and Made-To-Order Specific FAQs
In June 2023, we tested some silicone semi-customs aka Make-A-Were! We do not plan to offer full on customs, however, you'd be able to choose from a selection of colors for the pour theme type of the month. We plan to open these sporadically; no more than once every 2 months. In the future, these may be discontinued if turn outs are smaller than hoped for.
1-2 weeks to ship maximum is our plan! This does not include shipping transit time. We’re going to still wash toys before sending them out and most likely wait until we have a bulk to go out in the mail. If we have to take longer than 2 weeks, you'll be contacted by email!
**Custom and Made-To-Order Specific FAQ**
To be as straightforward as possible: any requests or emails wanting more than what the listing is offering, poured a different way, a specific prior pour of ours, etc will not be honored. We have set these boundaries of our limitations and please respect that as these are semi-customs only. Special requests will slow down the process and be unfair to others.
Pushing these limitations in place may result in your order being refunded and canceled.
If you’re looking for something you know 100% what you’re getting, or our more fanciful/experimental pours, our drops may be your thing instead!
We will not accept any cancellations or revisions to any Made To Order items. We’re wanting to make this as streamlined as we can. Please order carefully and take your time! Normal address change/combining rules still applies!
**Custom and Made-To-Order Specific FAQ**
No photos will be directly sent before sending off the product! This is to keep the process moving as quickly as we can. However, there is a high likelihood we may post progress on customs on Twitter or TikTok! You may even see yours on there! (We most likely won't post suprise inspo pours however until they are marked as delivered!)
**Custom and Made-To-Order Specific FAQ**
It really depends! If these go over well, then you can expect me to offer more choices of pours, maybe surprise themed pours etc. There are no plans to offer full complete customs, but picking the pour style of the month, theme, etc.
For this round of semi-customs, it could be the model works difficult with the technique, higher flop rate, or model that’s not in season. They may come back for future rounds though!
Sadly, no. They usually cause too much strain on the mold and my body. Also, we’re not keen on pouring the same techniques in 10A firm and we don’t keep a lot of it in stock. (Only ones will be suction cups, but they won’t be MTO due to flop rate being high. Stewart will have some 10A pours, but as drop only.)
Of course, there’s the normal handmade quirks, but semi-customs are meant to be flop free minus any noted mold/model oddities! Please feel free to check our TOS what we consider to be normal handmade irregularities. (If you order a werewoof/lion dad/any squish only item, please know that these are considered oddballs like our usual listings!)
If for some reason we can’t get the pour right without the flop issue, we’ll email you to figure out a solution. We’d let you know the issue and see if that’s acceptable with a refunded discount, a repour of a different color, or a complete refund. Also, customs that we didn’t meet our standards of the pour or it’s a flop, may be seen in future drops.
**Custom and Made-To-Order Specific FAQ**
While this would be rare, I’m just putting this in here for the JUST encase. If our mold breaks and we’re unable to process your custom, we’ll reach out to you as soon as possible. You’ll be given the choice of a full refund OR a different similarly sized model of your choosing. While we could give the option of waiting, I feel having customers on the back burner would not be healthy. Having a mold remade from print, processing, and molding could take 1-2 months with our schedule and wouldn’t feel right to make anyone wait that long.
**Custom and Made-To-Order Specific FAQ**
There will be no refunds/repours for colors appearing a bit different instead of being like the swatch color because the nature of how the pigments are and the pour style. (Fades can be A LOT more muted for example and these pigment swatches are heavy with pigments. Marbles can blend colors and colors may become more engulfed than others.) A few of our pigments are also combined in house ourselves to get a specific color so they may vary slightly! (UV Pastels/Matte Gray). Please understand this before ordering.
Now if you receive an order that’s completely wrong (you ordered white/mint and you get black/red for example), that’s a different story! Let us know ASAP! Adding glow or extra shimmer can change the color as well. (Shimmers have a white mica base, and can make the color you pick a bit lighter!)
Stuffed Adult Plush Specific FAQs
Stuffed Adult Plush (or sometimes referred to just ‘Stuffed’) is a Made To Were side company owned and still operated by the same queer couple! This is more so Anna’s side business that focuses on fabric whereas Sterling mainly focuses on the silicone part (MTW)! So, it’s technically Made To Were still but just a different product line.
These anthro dolls are meant to hold adult toys for adult play! The pink sleeve hole is for penetrables/strokers/masturbators, and if your doll has a sheath, you can put an insertable toy into it. (It’s removable with snaps!) The strings on the sheath and hole portions have cords to help keep your toys in place. When you pull them, they automatically get tighter around the hole! Of course, there are limitations depending on toy sizes. The top flap is velcro and opens into the center sleeve that goes all the way down through so you can reach in to pull up your stroker toy.
We also do not recommend ‘using’ your doll only without a toy as it is spot clean only with no removable parts other than the sheath. However you play is up to you but keep that part in mind! We’re sure they wouldn’t mind cuddling either!
An instruction guide will be provided as well so you’ll know how to insert toys in their respective areas.
These are all made, sewn, and embroidered in house! (Mostly by Anna! Sterling helps a little!) Material used is synthetic plush minky, stabilizer, neoprene (holes) and faux fur.
These are spot/surface clean only. For those using a stroker/pen toy with both ends open, we recommend the toy has a way to keep spillage inside if it’s known to leak. (Either putting a sandwich bag and band on over the hole, or if your toy has a cap/encasement.)
Currently, no! These will be limited, sporadic, and drop only. We do plan to do different color variations every now and then.
There will be no modifications offered. These are made as they are and ready to ship!
These are always shipped fully stuffed and depending on the size of what you’re ordering, will be shipped in a plain, brown 18" x 18" box. Please expect a big box when ordering. These are approx. 10 lbs+ the box weight. On Etsy we offer free shipping!
We've closed international ordering for these; sorry!
We do NOT ship or produce these to be unstuffed or unfilled for the buyer. There is no zipper etc to remove the stuffing.
Due to the nature of these handmade products, they are all sold AS IS! No returns & no exceptions. We do inspect each product thoroughly before shipping and may keep photographs on file.
Like our silicone toys, these do not have a warranty.
All Stuffed Adult Plush items are moved to our ETSY! We are trying to expand our audience reach! https://www.etsy.com/shop/MadeToWere
Stuffed is drop only & not on a schedule; no customs. We try to announce on our Twitter at least a day prior!
Shipping
We now ship worldwide with a few exceptions (see FAQ or TOS where we don't ship)! PLEASE BE ADVISED IF YOU ARE ORDERING INTERNATIONALLY, YOU ARE ORDERING AT YOUR OWN RISK. We are not to be responsible for custom/VAT fees nor responsible for lost packages.
The customs label will read "Silicone Sculpture","Decorative Rubber", or "Other Articles Of Vulcanised Rubber" as description. Please be aware that shipping internationally may take weeks to a month + to arrive. Sometimes, the tracking may not even be updated until it reached the destination country. Customs also may hold your package for longer than expected. We ask to have a bit a patience when ordering from afar!
We aim to have in stock items shipped between 2-4 business days and anything Made To Order can be upwards of 2 weeks.
All products are shipped either in a plain brown box or in a USPS Priority box. (Sometimes bubble mailers if it's an only a squish/miniature/egg order). Neither will have indication on what is inside the box! Our return label will have "MTW" as the sender and our PO BOX.
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS IS CORRECT! We are not responsible shipping/USPS errors once it leaves our studio as it unfortunately out of our control at that point. Any issues that occurs after package is in transit (delivery issue/etc) can have a claim open through USPS! Please check out https://www.usps.com/help/claims.htm for details.
We also want to add that we do offer free shipping (Domestic US only) for orders totaling over $150 before tax! (This excludes Stuffed Adult Plush items!)
These are the places we do not ship. We also do not intend to ship to reshipping facilities. Please do not ask us to make exceptions and we may cancel an order/void all possible refunds if we suspect if going to any of these countries listed:
Afghanistan, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina,Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bonaire, Canary Island, Cayman Islands, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Germany, Ghana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Montserrat, Morocco, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Rwanda, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, St. Barthelemy, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Vicente, Suriname, Tanzania, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, Ukraine, Virgin Islands (UK), & Yemen.
If your country was NOT listed on here but it seems we are not shipping to them at this time, it is because USPS has suspended it's services to your country. You can check out https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm for details!
We usually print off labels the same day we intend to drop off your packages at USPS or getting them picked up from our home! Sometimes, we drop them off later at night, they may not scan them until the next day. Depending if USPS is backed up, we've seen them take 3-4 days before; especially around or after holidays.
*If you have an international order, that may take even longer where we don't see it get scanned until getting to an international airport. Also customs clearance can take some time.
Be rest assured that the moment you get the tracking number from us, it's on it's way to the post that day unless otherwise notified!
We'd be glad to! We try to automatically catch those with the exact name/address and combine. You'll receive an automated email notifying you of the shipping being combined ,but can take up to 48 hours to receive. We will also refund shipping for paying twice/etc, just keep in mind it won't be a complete full refund as weight does change when combining! However, since we try to ship and pack as soon as we can, we are only able to combine if it's within 12 hours of your FIRST ORIGINAL order! Please keep this in mind if you are planning on continuing to shop later after your original order as we will not refund/combine shipping after 12 hours.
Shopify advises any refund can take up to 10 business days to see processed.
** In the rare happenstance we DO end up shipping too fast in less than 12 hours, I will still honor the combining refund even though it'll still be two packages! **
We’d be happy to update your address so long as it’s within 1 hour of your original order! Just fill out the 'contact us' form or email us at orders@madetowere.com.
We, however, **cannot update the country** it’s being shipped to if that was incorrect.
International orders can take some time crossing countries, oceans, etc. We've seen them be as quick as 3 weeks to be a slow as 2+ months. We've recently discovered tracking these orders on the USPS site can be delayed as well. For the most accurate tracking, once USPS shows your order has left an US international airport, start checking on your country's postal site. (For example, Norway- PostNord, UK-Royal Mail, Spain- Correos, Finland-Posti, Canada- Canada Post etc.) Customs can hold your parcel for some time as well.
As stated in our TOS and other shipping FAQ, if you are ordering internationally, you are ordering at your own risk. We are not responsible for lost packages or custom/VAT fees.
USPS First Class Package International and Priority Mail International are the only mail services we provide for international orders. We want to continue supporting our local post office as they work hard for us, and to keep our shipping processes streamlined to one postal service only.
Other
2022 ORDER LIMIT UPDATE:
Squishes, Eggs, Werewoofs: Limit of 5 per address
Again, please know we can and will cancel orders any time we think the drop system is being taken advantage of OR our shop is being taken advantage of. We also may cancel an order if we find out it’s going to a country to do not ship to/ reshipment facility. We have no tolerance for resellers and do not offer wholesale.
Follow us on Twitter @madetowere ! We plan to announce our 'drop' date and times there or on the banner on the site homepage! (Also subscribing to our Newsletter or Discord may be helpful!) We plan to do one or the other: 2 drops a month; one in the middle of the month and one at the end OR semi-customs are open in the first half of the month, and a drop will be at the end of the month. Typically, each drop will fall on a Wednesday at 9PM ET unless otherwise stated.
(Usually we'll skip doing a drop December or if it falls on a holiday. Again, see our banner for the next drop/follow us on Twitter!)
Sterling and Anna! Though we both have different responsibilities to keep the cogs turning, Sterling is the only one you're talking with on social media, email, and does the entirety of the website! All molds made, photos taken, and about 95% of the pours you see are by Sterling. This woof wears many hats!
We also now have our long time friend Aren (they/them) help us from time-to-time! They are a fantastic help when they are able!
At this time, we are not seeking ambassadors or trading products for reviews. We may at some point contact reviewers/content makers ourselves, thank you!
Though we cannot advise how to use our products, the name is a play on the word 'were', like werewolf! Whether you want to pretend you're a 'were' or enjoy the loving company of one, our products are intended to be made for your inner monster at heart!
Sterling's head and tail was made by Brushwolf Creature Studio!
https://twitter.com/BrushwolfStudio
Character art of Bade, Kesh, Lair's Dragon, and Grizzwald was a commission done by @Quinntastrophe/@BBMage on Twitter! MTW has exclusive rights to these artworks and more merch may be made in the future! In the meantime, there's stickers!
Yes absolutely! One owner is queer/non-binary (Sterling!) and the other is a pansexual (Anna!). Best thing is we are married!
Sterling goes by any pronoun and Anna is she/her. :)
Unfortunately, not! The best advice I can give is this is not a cheap endeavor in the slightest. If you do get into the art of toy making, keep practicing and finding your own path. Mistakes can and will happen, but with those, is learning as well. While I personally cannot offer business advice, but if you are still determined to make safe toys, start with Smooth-On. Most indies (including us) use them for their skin-safe silicone, and their videos are very educational!
Time-to-time we have website sales ranging from a % off and other sorts of deals. The deals come sporadically, and sometimes are only email subscriber coupons. If you place an order before a sale, we cannot hold an item until a sale nor will we retroactively discount your product that was purchased before or after the time of a sale. We only honor discounts for items purchased during the time frame of said sale, no exceptions.