Ventriloquist?

Question

Where can i buy a ventriloquist puppet, and how much does it cost?

Answer 1

If you're thinking of the traditional style ventriloquist "dummies" (though we tend not to use that word professionally) you can get an inexpensive one for about $300-400. It will be good for a few years and not be made of the best materials or with the best workmanship, but will be a good beginner figure. The people that sell those tend to only do it on ebay. That's where I found my first traditional figure.

If you want something even cheaper, you can look at http://www.throwthings.com They have many toy Charlie McCarthy, Mortimer Snerd, etc. figures. I believe they are made of plastic and have a pull string in the back, but you can get upgrades to get an actual control stick, moving eyes, and possibly other features.. Their basic figures start at about $40 if I remember correctly.

A professional figure will cost a minimum of about $1000 and can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. If you want more information on those figures, I can provide a long list of names and contact information. Let me know your price range, what you're looking for, and anything else you think is important and I can pass on several names. My e-mail is in my profile link.

You might also consider a soft puppet. Many vents actually use soft puppets as their main puppet. Dan Horn, Terry Fator, Nina Conti, and Jeff Dunham all have at least one main soft puppet that are a key part of their act.

For those, check out:

http://www.axtell.com (Many of Terry Fator's puppets came from this company)

http://www.matpuppets.com (Jeff Dunham's "Peanut" is made by Mary Anne Taylor)

http://puppetsbycher.homestead.com/ I have had 2 of my puppets made by her and she's exceeded my expectations BOTH times. I've heard nothing but good reviews from her work.

http://www.puppetgallery.com You can't beat the prices here. I use one of their puppets as my main character right now. He works well in comedy clubs and for children and cost me about $30-40. Just think...I've spent a few thousand dollars on puppets and my most famous puppet is a $40 dog. Go figure!

Happy hunting!

Matt