#267: Winning a TOTY Award and Scaling a Toy Business Through 3D Printing with Solobo Toys

Can 3D printing really replace traditional toy manufacturing? One founder says “absolutely” and she’s got the award to prove it.

In this episode, I’m chatting with the amazing Courtney Peebles, founder of Solobo Toys, about how she won a TOTY Award for her hit plush toy, Emotional Baggage, and how rising manufacturing challenges pushed her to transform her business using 3D printed toys.

Courtney gets real about the challenges she faced with manufacturing overseas, and how jumping into 3D printed toys helped her reduce costs, improve margins, and take back control of her production. Even better? She did it all while staying true to her brand's mission: creating inclusive toys that help kids express their emotions and feel seen.

We’ll talk about how 3D printing can help small toy brands build profitable direct-to-consumer businesses, the exact steps Courtney took to pass essential safety testing, and why sustainable manufacturing with 3D printers is more accessible than you might think. You’ll also hear how winning a TOTY Award for her plush toy, Emotional Baggage, boosted both her visibility and sales and what it really takes to scale a toy business with limited resources.

If you’ve ever dreamed about taking your toy idea from sketch to shelf without a big factory or warehouse, you need to hear this one! 

Listen now and let Courtney’s story inspire your next step in the toy industry.

Listen for these Imporant Moments! 

• [00:03:27] - Courtney shares the emotional moment her plush toy, Emotional Baggage, won a TOTY Award, beating major brands like Disney and Miss Rachel. She never expected it—and it changed her business overnight.
• [00:07:46] - A simple post about her award win triggered a wave of direct-to-consumer orders. She had to leave Toy Fair early just to keep up with the shipping!
• [00:13:18] - With rising tariffs and time pressure, Courtney stopped manufacturing overseas and leaned into 3D printed toys to take back control of her production process.
• [00:15:32] - Courtney walks us through how she passed all the required safety testing for her 3D printed toys using small-batch manufacturing guidelines—no shortcuts, just smart strategy.
• [00:24:57] - Starting with one $600 printer, Courtney’s now scaling up to 41. She explains how Solobo Toys is growing quickly—without the stress of massive factory MOQs.

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