Beyond Barbie – Designer Brings Black Dolls to Market
The reaction of people to her product gave Graves the confidence to begin plans to expand beyond the sorority market into children’s dolls. The 16-inch sorority dolls are collectibles which is reflected in the higher price point of $149. Graves is working on a prototype for an 11.5-inch doll, the same size as Barbie, which at $20 to $30 will be more accessible to the average consumer.
One of the biggest challenges thus far has been access to capital.
“Getting a business loan is next to impossible and there’s no such thing as grant money even though they say there is. It’s not the reality,” she said. “When you have a start-up, banks want you to have huge amounts of your own money. It’s very difficult financially for new businesses.”
Graves received three small loans from friends and family to get a meager base from which she could start, but all other funds have come from her own pocket.
“It takes longer to get something done because you’re working with little funds,” she said.
Access to capital and working full-time with two children are big challenges for Trinity Designs, but Graves can see beyond those hurdles and is brainstorming the company’s future and looking to diversify its offerings.
“One of the biggest costs has been patents and trademarks. And the original sculpt was $5,000,” she said. “Our sculptor has been phenomenally gracious and has done more to help me than the average person would.”
Graves’s first shipment of dolls launched last year and the 300 “Essence of a Delta” dolls did well. However, marketing will be a bigger focus on the next round, Graves said.
“Marketing is a really expensive component of any business. Even two years after the pre-orders, people don’t know I’m out there,” she said. “I have to keep telling people about it. Now that I have these 300 in circulation, I’m able to tell others and show them the product. People have to see the doll, because it’s hard to show size. People are stuck on Barbie and she’s nothing like Barbie.”
Graves is modeling her children’s doll line after her daughters and is hoping to sell those wholesale through retailers and keep the more expensive, 16-inch dolls for sale on her website.
“I really think God gave me this idea as a gift and as something that has the potential to make me the largest producer of African-American dolls,” Graves said. “You don’t have a company with a line dedicated to minorities. Ideally I don’t just want to make black dolls – I also have designs in mind for Hispanic women. A lot of people get overlooked in the doll industry.”
