Been Thinking

[Black Akira]

Hello Mers! I've never posted on this website but commented a few times. I've loved mermaids ever since I was little. My dad had a book custom made for me known as the little mermaid and in that same book the mermaid (not Ariel) is in need of my help but I'm unable to breathe underwater so she gives me her hand and turns me into a mermaid.

I felt that I was weird wanting to be one but to my surprise and the power of YouTube I got to see there are many Mers who swim with tails of their own. I'm a mer of color and not only have I've forgotten to swim also I lack the funds for a tail.

This of course made me sad seeing so many others in their tails that either they bought or made. I'm crafty creature and saw a short but awesome tutorial on how to make a tail (and my city recently got a hobby lobby). I squeeled when I saw it. Not only would I be able to make some money but help others who are like me and want a tail so badly but can't afford the high end ones.

I don't have the funds to start yet but when I do I wanted to make a few at a low price, then once I figure out a great configuration I would raise the price a bit but not as high as the others. The tails would be silicone on fabric. Tell me your thoughts please.

[ShyMer]

Hello!

First off, I want to say not to be discouraged! I looked back on your past posts and it seems that you've been looking for a tail for a long time. It must be frustrating not to be swimming like all the people on youtube that you've been watching and getting photos of yourself in your beautiful tail.

I would like to caution you against the idea that DIY is the best alternative to buying a tail, particularly silicone (which is what i think I remember you talking about before? Correct me if I'm wrong.)
Probably a lot of people have had the idea that they could learn to make tails and then sell them to make back costs (I thought about it too, but it wasn't a good idea for me at all.) Since you've been around a long while, you might remember a few people over the years who tried and how badly it worked out. Usually it turned out to be more work and harder than anticipated, especially making for other people.
It also isn't necessarily cheaper either. If you make mistakes you could end up starting over, and the first tail that you complete is probably far from perfect.
It's hard and time consuming to make tails, which is why they can be so expensive to buy, you know?

I do think that if you manage to get the funds to make a tail, and you do as much research as you can, you should go for it! Make sure you understand the whole process before you start though so you don't end up spending your money and getting stuck part way through.

I guess I don't want to discourage you from trying to making tails and selling them (who knows, maybe you'll be really good at it!) but I would like to suggest that you take things one step at a time.

If I were you, my first step would be to get a monofin! You'll need one for your tail anyway, so you may as well buy it first so you have it to build your fluke around. You might be tempted to make one, but unless there's some new foolproof method I'm not familiar with (I haven't been around much lately) it's too expensive and likely to not work very well.
I have a spandex tail that I have used a few times but I mostly like being able to swim really fast with my monofin by itself. I still get comments about mermaids even though it's just my yellow rapid, so don't feel like you have to have a skin over it.


I ended up writing far more than I originally intended, so if you stuck with me this far, good luck with whatever you choose to do, especially with waiting and saving up! Maybe you can find some other ways to make yourself feel like your lovely mermaid self- maybe some shell earrings or a seaglass necklace? Remember that you can be a mermaid without a tail<3

[Black Akira]

Thanks for commenting! I've been here long enough and I think I'll do just fine. I have great passion in what I do and create. Plus I do plenty of research before I put anything out there and I have years of experience in making stuff and selling them.