Mermaid Parties Custom Tails Review

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gem Stone

It fit great. Minor problem with the monofin but she is switching materials because this has been a reaccurring problem.

---

I have to say I'm really curious about this. I found some information on the material (the resin that binds it) but not really sure what to make of it...have to do a comparison to some known quantity like lexan...I'll get on that (Capt Nemo? Spindrift?) Be interesting to see why she's switching and to what. My concern is whatever she was using, while inexpensive to meet the price point, wasn't strong enough to hold up to the force generated by swimming (Plexiglass, for example, can shatter dangerously) Doesn't mean the material is going to catastrophically fail, of course, might just have turned out to be less than ideal. Curious is all, I like this sort of technical side of things :P

Just idle speculation, but I'm curious what tradeoffs or neat solutions she found to keep the price so low.

Hi guys! Just wanted to answer a few questions and concerns about the tails and monofins. Yes, I use Alex Plus. It is NOT harmful once it's dry. Any chemical such as Alex Plus can be harmful when dealing with, so if you ever find yourself using it to make something, wear gloves and a mask. I have looked up the MSDS on Alex Plus and I assure you, there is no risk or danger in wearing a tail made from it. It is durable and has a great stretch. I also wore one myself before I started selling them. I loved it so much I wanted to share it. I know how it is to want something you just cant afford, hence why my tails are in a lower price range :D I'm not in this to make money, I'm in this to make the world into mermaids :D
Also, the monofin issue. I was originally using coroplast plastic sheets but discovered they tend to bend under the way of the fluke, especially when wet. If anyone ordered a tail from me already and experiences this issue, I will replace it at absolutely no cost to you. I will pay for you to ship it back, replace the monofin and send it right back to you within one day. The material I have switched to is acrylic sheets. I am fully confident in this material switch. And if for any reason you order a tail from me and arent completely satisfied, please let me know and I will do whatever I can to fix it :D
A HUGE Thanks to everyone who's already purchased a tail from me. You have all been wonderful to work with!
Please keep an eye on the facebook for more tail designs soon to come :D www.facebook.com/mermaidparties AND soon to come, photos of the amazingly talented Traci Hines, in a custom made Ariel tail made by Mermaid Parties :D

Thanks everyone!!

Stephanie

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MermaidParties

The material I have switched to is acrylic sheets.

---

Acrylic is dangerous for this. It can snap into very sharp pieces.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MermaidParties

Yes, I use Alex Plus.

---

You worked out a way to avoid ALEX's tendency to turn white and fall apart after prolonged exposure to water?

Ok, I'm not trying to be rude by any means at all but unless you're going to buy a tail I don't think you should be talking badly about how I make my tails. My tails hold up just fine in water. My tail, that I use has done fantastic. And the acrylic sheets I use will not snap unless you are intentionally trying to snap them. If you're only going to post negative things about my tails when you haven't purchased one or heard anything bad thus far, I'd appreciate it if you kept your negativity to yourself. And as far as what it costs me to make a tail and the price I choose to sell them, that is my prerogative.

Sorry, just trying to help. Good luck.

I adore the tails, though there are risks no matter what you use to make the monofin, I've never had a problem with the ones I've recieved from MermaidParties. They look great, fit wonderfully, and i've never been hurt by a broken piece on one.
I can't wait to see what all you do with the company!

I for one an more than happy that mermaid parties came out! I thought for the longest time i would never be able to get a latex mermaid tail unless sponsored by someone. but then i saw this fabolous post on how latex tails were only 200! and she added so many things for me and customed and worked with me and even talked to me about herself! it was great she even explained the process to me and sent me uploads of my tail as it was being made and she didn't charge me anything extra. i will be recieving my tail today and am more than excited to get it!
seeing how this is a new up and coming tail company i am more than happy to test out the tails and give the feed bac. the bottom line for mermaid parties is. she cares about how the customers feel! she wants her work to be liked and loved but with out a hefty price tag. i am a normal america it moths in my wallet. i even quit litterally gave plasma to come up with the money for my tail tah she made me. and she understands how money can be tight! She even offered to fix thing for me for free how's that for customer service. she even offered me a payment plan at the beginning but due to a booked month of april i need the tail asap. but a payment plan is more than i can say for alot of tail companies where i have sent them emails and their respnse were a pay up front. now there are a few out there that work with payment plans. and i want to make clear i am not bashing anyone! or talking smack! I am just giving a great review to great customer service!
She even sent me progress pictures at midnight when i aisked for them. i feel i have made friend from mermaid parties regardless of the tail. Stevie is a very cool person and i found out her and i have alot in common. So I am happy with the quialty of customer service thanks mermaid parties will send pics soon!

I see alot of people asking for pics!

http://inkeddreams.deviantart.com/ga...et=24#/d4udkd3
http://inkeddreams.deviantart.com/ga...et=24#/d4udkc6
http://inkeddreams.deviantart.com/ga...et=24#/d4udka8

Noveli Mermaid in her tail from MermaidParties.
They arent the best photos because we where losing light fast.
They where taken at Rainbowfalls.

More to come on monday or BeatrixMermaid in her tail,
same location but in the deeper water under the fall.

If you were just trying to help then you would have offered ideas and not just "concerned" questions!

Thanks amermaidmom! That's the point I was trying to make. Scarying the customers with your "facts" isn't helping. I wasn't trying to be rude, just trying to point that out.

WOW!!! You sound like a know-it-all or mertailor trying to cause problems for another mertailor. Don't know what to think of you. If you're trying to push people away from this mertailor then I think it backfired. I think I'll order one for my daughter just to see for myself. The tails are beautiful and the lady is so accommodating. And how facetious can you be? ie: the "good" news is you "can't" make an ALEX tail for $200. Sounds like she's making the whole tail for $200 so i guess "you're right"!!!

Alright, you're right, I could have expressed that better, and I'm sorry, but both of my points are legitimate concerns, and anybody who was on Yuku for the development of ALEX tails can tell you that.

Ok, so I am the type of person who will research something to the ends of the earth so I can stand true to my argument without being wavered. And I have, in fact read all the warnings and info for using Alex (including from Yuku) and acrylic sheets. I think you missed the part where it says if you're using Alex Plus, to use it over neoprene which is EXACTLY what I have been doing from the start. It also states that if you spray your completed tails with Silicone Spray (which is also something I've always done) that they will last a lot longer, especially in chlorine and salt water. As for the acrylic. I have also read online every where the do's and don't of an acrylic monofin. Yes, under a certain amount of pressure (not a normal amount) the acrylic will break. It will not, however, shatter into a million pieces and cut you. It breaks in clean, straight lines (like when you were learning about atom structure in science class and even pressure on a solid object will make it break in a straight line) and yes, I have tested this. I will be using Lexan Polycarbonate as an alternative simply because I don't want my mermaid's monofins to break period. I have also looked into the Lexan. I appreciate ANY and ALL suggestions as I am new to being a Mertailor and my main goal is to make my customers 100% happy and satisfied with my tails. But I don't appreciate being blatantly told I am wrong when it is in fact, just an opinion. Too bad that old saying about opinions is true.. But any ways, be a little more courteous in your attempts to "help" and you wont get such hostile reactions.

In fact, here's a link to what Capt Nemo has to say about Alex tails. He informatively warns people on the don'ts of Alex and also tells you the right way to use it. So, for those of you that are concerned about what OrcaMatt is saying (if you're concerned, I completely understand, hence why I'm trying to provide as much info as possible) here is the link. http://mer.yuku.com/topic/413/Using-...s#.T35J7mH2Yfg
Thanks for your support Mermaids, I have come to find, this is a very competitive business but you better believe, I'm up for the challenge :D

I don't really see the harm in using Alex in the first place. If cured correctly, it shouldn't really
leak that many chemicals into the water, though I can't really prove or disprove that. As for the
whole "skin safe" issue I've known plenty of people who do house repair and touch this stuff everyday.
People usually tell you to spread it with your finger, even. I think the whole skin unsafe thing is just
something they write on the bottle incase something happens so you can't sue them. It may be
unsafe to an extent, but I dunno.

Either way, I think it's the same thing Eric makes his tails out of anyway? I haven't heard any skin
related issues yet.

Thank you Kanti. I read the entire MSDS on Alex and it does say while handling it often or in large amounts to wear gloves and a mask because the fumes can cause long term issues, but after it's cured or heat set and dries it is no longer dangerous. Alex Plus is in bathrooms all across the world and no one's ever complained about skin irritation from their tub haha And it wont leak chemicals into the water, once the Alex is dry, I paint it and spray it with Silicone Spray to seal everything, protect the paint job and add more waterproofing to the tails. I promise, I will not sell anything dangerous to my customers. I made my tail first, before I started attempting to sell them. If I think something isn't safe for me, I wont try and pass it off on someone else just to make a dollar. You guys have my word on that :D

Not that I'm involved with this in any way, but as a person who's been following this for a while, I didn't feel that what OrcaMatt said was inappropriate. I saw it as someone bringing up a legitimate concern that probably others were wondering as well. Maybe what he was stating as fact wasn't true, but I don't think he was trying to attack anything. Like he said, he was curious and trying to help. We don't know you as a tail maker very well yet, and aren't familiar with your materials, so for all we know, you hadn't researched everything thoroughly. It would have been irresponsible not to say something if we saw a problem. I for one don't want to see you have problems so early in the game, not with you doing so well right now. You've had a pretty good amount of interest, and people seem to like your work.

Of course, you did research, and that's fantastic. I'm glad to hear that you did your homework before trying to sell your product.

I guess I'm surprised this got a little hairy. I didn't think anyone was trying to drive people away from you.


Does this make sense? I half feel like this post is unnecessary, but it bothers me how we seem to be getting defensive about something that really seems quite normal to me.
Also, since I've started writing this, multiple other posts have come up, making this somewhat out of place, so sorry about that :/ I guess I just felt like I needed to say something.

Certainly, I didn't think it was harmful either. Especially since, like you said, it's used in BATHROOMS
and in kitchens and junk. People touch it all the time and it's supposed to seal water out, so if it started
coming off while in water, that'd sort of defeat the entire purpose.
Alex DOES crack and degrade overtime, though. But I don't think it actually releases any chemicals.
Not sure though, don't quote me on that xD

I don't think so either, though! OrcaMatt had some good points. I think he's just trying to make people
aware of what's in the product. Either way, lots of people used and still use Alex in their tails and
still no complaints.

It's all about doing you're research xD

Thank you ShyMer and I couldn't help but feel like OrcaMatt was being condescending. It's really hard to convey an emotion through text but that's just how I interpreted it. I really do appreciate people bringing concerns to my attention, I don't want anyone to have to worry about hazards with my tails. So OrcaMatt, like I said, I appreciate the concern on those topics, it just came off a little rude, for lack of a better word.
And I appreciate those of you going out on a whim and trying my tails with little to no review so far. But I promise, reviews are coming. Even Traci Hines is testing out one of my tails, I can't wait to see the outcome :D I will post updates of that soon. And I want to apologize for turning this Review thread into a debate. Sorry I got defensive, it's a natural reaction in most people :)

Shelly is a chemist and tail maker, these are her thoughts / experiences it seems relevant to the discussion. I'm for neither opinion nor attacking just trying to put all the cards on the table and let everyone have all the information they can, and come to their own opinion. http://mermaidshelly.blogspot.com/20...derations.html