Dream tail or compromise

[SleepySiren]

So I'm a long time mermaid fan and have been dreaming of having a silicone tail ever since I first saw one. About three years ago I got my first monofin, a suntails (Nani I think? I don't remember), and about a year and a half ago I got myself a mertailor fantasea monofin (which I ADORE). I've had one fabric tailskin for my suntails fin but it's the only one I have had as tailskins can be quite pricy and it's hard to bring myself to drop a few hundred on a tailskin when I'm perpetually trying to save money so that some day I can get a silicone tail. Anyway, I'll stop blabbing about my experiences with tails and monofins and I'll get to the point. So I've been saving and soon I'll get to get to the point to where as long as there aren't any emergencies, I could probably buy myself a tail.. but here's the deal. I have two designs in mind, one is basically my dream tail complete with intricate markings and extra fins and the other is basically a compromise tail that I still think is very pretty, but isn't nearly as extravagant. The first would run me about $2800 and the other $1700 (USD). As you can clearly see, that's a significant difference. The problem basically boils down to this.. is it worth it to compromise for now and hopefully someday get my dream tail or should I shoot for my dream tail now... I would love to do events and gigs to make money but frankly I live in a small town full of people that don't have the finances to pay for a mermaid for their kids party. It's quite likely I'd never get a gig, honestly. So basically I can't say "oh, I'll get a cheaper tail, work gigs, and save for my dream tail". I still would LOVE to be a mermaid here though, kids in this town don't get much magic in their lives so I want to help bring it to them, even if I don't get paid. Im also in college and about to move out soon so I feel a little pressure to get a tail now while Im still at home with barely any responsibilities draining my funds... It'll be hard to justify a tail when I'm paying rent, utilities, and trying to feed myself... If I want my dream tail it will take longer to save the money, obviously, which means I could be thrust into adulthood during this time and need to spend that $2800 dollars on something more important than a floppy chunk of silicone.. Another concern is that realistically, I may very well only be able to get one tail in my lifetime... If I can even get one at all. If I end up getting the $1700 one for now and later get my dream tail, I'll have spent $4500 on tails. Btw I'm also an art student so there may not be much money in my future either.
Sorry this post turned into a tiny bit of a vent, I'm just having a bit of a midlife crisis at 18 lol.. Anyway, what do you guys think? I'd love some advice on the whole thing


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[Kwilena]

Both designs are lovely! The top one, is that your compromise? It's beautiful.

[Trade Winds]

If you can handle waiting some more and getting the money, do the dream tail if that's what you really want. If that tail is really you and resonates with your heart, it'll be worth it. Sorry if it sounds cheesy. I'd rather have a tail that is really, truly ME, if I had the money, than to compromise.

[SleepySiren]

Both designs are lovely! The top one, is that your compromise? It's beautiful.

Yeah, I honestly love either of the designs.. I wouldn't at all be unhappy to get the blue tail.. really the biggest difference is the markings and extra fins... Which isn't game changing, but I think they add a gorgeous touch... I dunno *¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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[SleepySiren]

If you can handle waiting some more and getting the money, do the dream tail if that's what you really want. If that tail is really you and resonates with your heart, it'll be worth it. Sorry if it sounds cheesy. I'd rather have a tail that is really, truly ME, if I had the money, than to compromise.

It's not cheesy lol.. I agree.. ugh I'm still torn though.. because honestly I do like the blue compromise design... I just don't like it quite as much as my dream tail..

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[Mermaid Saila]

If you've never had a silicone tail before or worn one go with your compromise. Silicone tails feel and work differently then fabric, latex or neoprene tails and some people that get Silicone tails realized that they don't like the feeling, the work it takes to take care of them and/or how costly repairs can be if and when damage happens. It's the main reason expensive silicone tails are not recommended for hobbyist (not saying they shouldn't get it, if they want it and have the funds get it). By going with the compromise you'll get a feel for the silicone and figure out how to work in it and take care of it without to much worry about damaging your first silicone tail that happens to be your dream tail. basically what I'm trying to say is go with the compromise to gain the experience with silicone swimming and care before getting your dream tail. Or if you find a cheaper silicone used tail that fits close to your measurements get that. There is nothing wrong with a second hand tail being your first silicone as it will still give you experience before making a huge purchase.

Also for gigs don't forget it doesn't always have to be kids parties. Are their pool shops around you, ask them to hire you for a commercial or to come sit in their store and interact with their costumers. Ask your local library if you can set up a "Mermaid reads a Book day" and that you can take donations if they cant pay you. Ask local shops if they would like to use you as advertisement or entertainments during one of their events. If your town does a festival ask to be an entertainer for them. If you have a museum or zoo close by ask to be employed in their children areas as an interactive mythos display. If your one of the lucky states that has an aquarium and it's near by once you save money if you get your scuba certs you can ask to be a mermaid in one of their tanks. There are a bunch of things to do besides kids parties, especially if you can travel.

Silicone tails can last a very long time, if your compromise tail is well taken care of it can give you five, seven maybe even ten years of life (with minor repairs), that should give your time to save up for your dream tail ^^

[SleepySiren]

If you've never had a silicone tail before or worn one go with your compromise. Silicone tails feel and work differently then fabric, latex or neoprene tails and some people that get Silicone tails realized that they don't like the feeling, the work it takes to take care of them and/or how costly repairs can be if and when damage happens. It's the main reason expensive silicone tails are not recommended for hobbyist (not saying they shouldn't get it, if they want it and have the funds get it). By going with the compromise you'll get a feel for the silicone and figure out how to work in it and take care of it without to much worry about damaging your first silicone tail that happens to be your dream tail. basically what I'm trying to say is go with the compromise to gain the experience with silicone swimming and care before getting your dream tail. Or if you find a cheaper silicone used tail that fits close to your measurements get that. There is nothing wrong with a second hand tail being your first silicone as it will still give you experience before making a huge purchase.

Also for gigs don't forget it doesn't always have to be kids parties. Are their pool shops around you, ask them to hire you for a commercial or to come sit in their store and interact with their costumers. Ask your local library if you can set up a "Mermaid reads a Book day" and that you can take donations if they cant pay you. Ask local shops if they would like to use you as advertisement or entertainments during one of their events. If your town does a festival ask to be an entertainer for them. If you have a museum or zoo close by ask to be employed in their children areas as an interactive mythos display. If your one of the lucky states that has an aquarium and it's near by once you save money if you get your scuba certs you can ask to be a mermaid in one of their tanks. There are a bunch of things to do besides kids parties, especially if you can travel.

Silicone tails can last a very long time, if your compromise tail is well taken care of it can give you five, seven maybe even ten years of life (with minor repairs), that should give your time to save up for your dream tail ^^

I really appreciate your response.. that's a really good point regarding the difference of swimming in silicone..
As far as the amenities of my town... The nearest zoo is 4hrs away and the nearest aquarium is 6.. we don't have a museum either.. we do have a library which I could try to do things at but I'm afraid they wouldn't be fond of me taking donations. When I say this is a poor town I mean this is a poor town. We don't have many local stores and the ones there are are struggling to stay afloat. Hell, even big chain stores have been closing like mad. In the last two years weve lost rue 21, marices, Burger King, and taco bell. Even our big yearly festival is being shut down due to money issues.. so yeah.. it's pretty safe to say we're poor as feck.
A lot of why I want to do this though is because it's such a poor community. So many kids here have never even been to a zoo or aquarium let alone someplace like Disneyland, so I want to bring magic to them..
On the topic of buying a used tail, there's actually an old style mertailor tail on eBay rn that I've been looking at... It's $850 buy it now and $600 starting bid... Id be all for getting it right this minute except it's got considerable damage, it's the old style molding of scales and it looks like the monofin is tryna escape from the silicone... I dunno *¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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[Mermaid Delphinidae]

Personally I’d wait to save up for the dream tail. Silicone tails are so expensive that it will take you a long time to buy two of them, and you said yourself that you don’t even know if you’ll be able to afford the second one down the line.

But that’s just me, it all comes down to how long YOU want to wait. How long do you think it will take for you to save up for the $1100 difference? If it’s a very long time, I wouldn’t blame you for just shooting for the cheaper tail.

On the subject of jobs, is it possible for you to travel out of town for gigs? Do you think you’ll be able to find opportunities an hour or two away?

[Mermaid Saila]

If you plan on staying in your small town and wanna pursue having a silicone tail I would just advise caution. I love entertaining children and even do a festival for much less then i'm actually worth as an entertainer because I love the look of magic that I can help foster in children that come to see me and my other mermaids. However you have to be able to pay for your upkeep or have a job that will pay for your upkeep of having a silicone tail. your going to want insurance on your tail so if any major damages happen to it your not paying fully out of pocket and the more expensive your tail is the more it will cost. you'll also need entertainers insurance to do gigs and if you don't think you can get the money from your town or the surrounding area having a silicone tail will become difficult. If you have a job that supports this then do it ^^.

I don't want to discourage you from getting a silicone, but it may be best to get a hybrid tail instead. it will lower the cost and can look just as good as full silicone tails. plus its good to keep in mind that you don't have to have a silicone tail to do gigs or be considered professional. I have one pod mate that has a handmade painted neoprene tail and she gets more gigs then I do, which is awesome because she's is an amazing mermaid. Another thing to keep in mind is what type of gigs would you be doing. By how your describing you town it sounds like there isn't a lot of water near by so your going to be doing a lot of dry/land events or gigs. This is really hard to do in a silicone tail as silicone tends to suction to ones skin when its gets warm and wet, causing your legs to go numb if you don't take proper brakes or can't move around enough to keep the blood moving. Neoprene hybrids however don't have this problem.

Also keep an eye out of up and coming tail makers. Not many of them post on mernetwork anymore, I usually find them on Instagram. There are a few that have some descent prices that do really amazing work so far. Always look for a tailer-maker who has a couple made already, unless you don't mind taking a chance.

I also apologize for the informational dump, I hope this is helpful and doesn't discourage you as that's not what I wanna do.

[SleepySiren]

Personally I’d wait to save up for the dream tail. Silicone tails are so expensive that it will take you a long time to buy two of them, and you said yourself that you don’t even know if you’ll be able to afford the second one down the line.

But that’s just me, it all comes down to how long YOU want to wait. How long do you think it will take for you to save up for the $1100 difference? If it’s a very long time, I wouldn’t blame you for just shooting for the cheaper tail.

On the subject of jobs, is it possible for you to travel out of town for gigs? Do you think you’ll be able to find opportunities an hour or two away?

At my current rate, I could probably save the $1100 within 4 or 5 months given there are no emergencies or anything.. the problem is that I am probably going to be moving out over the summer (same town) so my expenses are going to raise dramatically and thus the amount of money going into savings each month is going to drop.. that throws a big ol' wrench into the whole thing.
I am kinda of thinking I might end up settling for my compromise, which honestly would still be a dream come true. I'm also not against buying a used tail, although my concern with that is pretty much just that if I'm going to drop around $700+ for a used tail that might disenigrate in a year, I might as well just spend the $1700 for one that I'll love and that's brand new. Maybe it's a flawed philosophy but that's kind of how I deal with most big purchases..
As far as traveling out of town, the nearest town I think I could probably get some work at would be 2 hrs away, which isn't too bad but I am a college student so realistically I could probably only make trips like that during the summer.

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[Mermaid Jaffa]

If it were me, I'd save up for the dream tail. Yea it'll take longer, but I'll know that it will be worth the wait as I got exactly what I wanted.

[SleepySiren]

If you plan on staying in your small town and wanna pursue having a silicone tail I would just advise caution. I love entertaining children and even do a festival for much less then i'm actually worth as an entertainer because I love the look of magic that I can help foster in children that come to see me and my other mermaids. However you have to be able to pay for your upkeep or have a job that will pay for your upkeep of having a silicone tail. your going to want insurance on your tail so if any major damages happen to it your not paying fully out of pocket and the more expensive your tail is the more it will cost. you'll also need entertainers insurance to do gigs and if you don't think you can get the money from your town or the surrounding area having a silicone tail will become difficult. If you have a job that supports this then do it ^^.

I don't want to discourage you from getting a silicone, but it may be best to get a hybrid tail instead. it will lower the cost and can look just as good as full silicone tails. plus its good to keep in mind that you don't have to have a silicone tail to do gigs or be considered professional. I have one pod mate that has a handmade painted neoprene tail and she gets more gigs then I do, which is awesome because she's is an amazing mermaid. Another thing to keep in mind is what type of gigs would you be doing. By how your describing you town it sounds like there isn't a lot of water near by so your going to be doing a lot of dry/land events or gigs. This is really hard to do in a silicone tail as silicone tends to suction to ones skin when its gets warm and wet, causing your legs to go numb if you don't take proper brakes or can't move around enough to keep the blood moving. Neoprene hybrids however don't have this problem.

Also keep an eye out of up and coming tail makers. Not many of them post on mernetwork anymore, I usually find them on Instagram. There are a few that have some descent prices that do really amazing work so far. Always look for a tailer-maker who has a couple made already, unless you don't mind taking a chance.

I also apologize for the informational dump, I hope this is helpful and doesn't discourage you as that's not what I wanna do.

I didn't find your post discouraging at all, you're being honest, and I appreciate that I definitely do not plan on staying in my home town forever but I do have to stay for college which will be about another 4 yrs as a am a lil baby freshman lol. I do have a separate job and I also have scholarships and grants to help pay for school and living expenses so I wouldn't be financially ruined by a tail, even if I never get a paid gig.
I wouldn't be against getting a hybrid tail however I haven't found very many tail makers that even offer them. I will look into it though as I haven't done any real searching in quite a long time. I don't feel that I necessarily need a silicone tail. Honestly, kids get so psyched when they just see me messing around in my monofin so I know for a fact most of em would be impressed by even a cheapo fabric tail. Really the reason I'm leaning towards silicone is just personal preference. I don't feel like I'd need it to be taken seriously at all. I've seen so many mers on here and on YouTube be so successful with fabric alone so I know it isn't the tail that makes the mermaid. You are right with your assumption though, I'm from southern New Mexico so were pretty dry. Most of my gigs would likely be dry and outdoors however despite the stereotypes and the cactus, we do have pretty mild weather in my area. Obviously I'd still be puting a thick material that doesn't breathe tightly over my legs, effectively creating a swampy leg oven, but it's not crazy hot here like some areas of Arizona where it's so hot you can boil an egg on the sidewalk. I think though as far as the area of tail safety, as long as I'm not stupid and push my limits, I'd probably be alright. I am aware from a lot of research, that silicone tails really aren't the comfiest things out there, so don't worry, I wouldn't be shocked to find that out if I got one

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[Mermaid Koralline]

I am in the same boat as you torn between dream tail and compromise. The difference is I found another company that can give me exactly what I want and a way better price. My compromise tail is no longer a factor. The design is different now for my dream tail but I don't mind I am now excited to have my dream tail dispite the different maker. My dream tail (not designed but invisioned) will have 2 sets of heel fins and possible hip fins with color shift purple and abit of a pattern. This from alot of tail makers is alot and a good bit of a wait which is fine but let's put this in price perspective. The original company I wanted to go with its 3k 4k ish for that I think 😞 price list does not exist on the site as far as I can see just a general listing. The other has a section that maps out everything and to pick and toss in the cart and even offers a payment plan which when worked out I get next summer which works for me too much this year for a a sillicone tail.
Tl.dr dont compromise. If you find a new template you love from another company weigh your feelings if that works for you price wise go for it. Best to spent high for exactly what you want than lower for something your eh about. Make sure you are 150% sure. I am in another hobby where dolls cost the plus side of 700 usd and I compromised on one and its sitting on my shelf ignored while I craft and do everything with the others. I do say compromise when you can but never on something as personal as your mermaid tail or mermaid accessories. This is an extension of you if your dream tail wont end you up eating cup noodles or cat food for several months no reason not to shoot for it. I won't compromise on my dream tail and neither should you.
As for the heat and dry gigs bit consider your safety prior to the gig think of ways to either get into water or out of the tail. Or find an epic fabric tail for unbearable hot days. Where there is a will there is a way.

[SleepySiren]

Alright so I've come to a decision *drumroll*
I'm doing neither!
At least not yet. With all the big changes coming up in my life it's probably just not the right time yet. Honestly just talking about it to you guys and my family I got crazy stressed... Which is a pretty good sign that deep down I know that now isn't my time, but that's ok!
My new plan is to take the $1700 I have and stash it away in a savings account specifically for a tail and when I have extra money, I can throw it in there. That way when things seem a bit less stressful and crazy, the money will be there and it will likely have even grown. Hey, maybe I'll have enough for my dream tail and some rad matching accessories (them scaled bras tho ).
Thank you all for your input, I truly appreciate it! You guys all had some very good points and I think I'm making the right decision because of you guys

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[Mermaid Delphinidae]

Alright so I've come to a decision *drumroll*
I'm doing neither!
At least not yet. With all the big changes coming up in my life it's probably just not the right time yet. Honestly just talking about it to you guys and my family I got crazy stressed... Which is a pretty good sign that deep down I know that now isn't my time, but that's ok!
My new plan is to take the $1700 I have and stash it away in a savings account specifically for a tail and when I have extra money, I can throw it in there. That way when things seem a bit less stressful and crazy, the money will be there and it will likely have even grown. Hey, maybe I'll have enough for my dream tail and some rad matching accessories (them scaled bras tho ).
Thank you all for your input, I truly appreciate it! You guys all had some very good points and I think I'm making the right decision because of you guys

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Taking a third option! Good luck! I hope you'll be able to get that dream tail someday!

[Darius]

That sounds like a good choice and good luck saving for your dream tail and great accessories.