| My name is Oscar Robles. I'm the creator of the Fuzzy Figures.
It all started in 1986. At that time, I didn't use pipe cleaners
to make these toys because I didn't know anything about them.
Instead, I used regular twist ties. I kept obtaining twist
ties from boxes of trashbags and bags of bread.
When I started using twist ties, I was just bending them
when I was watching cartoons. One day, I took a strip and
I made a stick figure out of it. I was impressed on what
I did. A few months, I started using more than one twist
tie to make more figures that looked normal and bizarre.
I took the best ones I've made and used them as toys for
my own amusement. I kept using twist ties until I've gotten
better. From that, I started making animals, monsters, etc.
In the end of 1987, I started using twist ties in different
colors for more details. One day, I kept collecting blue
and orange twist ties. I collected them because I wanted
to make Donald Duck. By the time I gathered enough, I've
succeeded in making Donald Duck. It was very small too.
It was at least one and the half inches.
In the end of 1990, I was introduced to pipe cleaners by
my brother when he had one strip. I used that strip and
a orange twist tie to make a duck. It left me curious on
where can I get more pipe cleaners with different colors.
I asked my brother, but he didn't know. A few months later,
I saw a pack of colorful pipe cleaners in my mother's closet.
Feeling overexcited, I didn't waste any time in using them.
From my experience in using the twist ties, I knew what
I was doing. For my first fuzzy figure, I made Cookie Monster
from Sesame Street.
In 1991, my mother told me where the pipe cleaners were
sold. It was information that I wanted to hear. A few days
later, I took the bus to go to Frank's Nursery in Cherry
Hill, NJ. I had enough money to get myself packs of pipe
cleaners of all colors. When I came home from my shopping,
I went crazy with the pipe cleaners by using them to make
more toys for me to play with. From that day forward, I
made a lot more figures of characters that I was interested
in.
In 1993, I stopped making these figures because I was focusing
on my schoolwork. I was also training myself on illustration
and I've been at that throughout my time in high school.
After high school, I went to the Art Institute of Philadelphia
for Computer Animation. I live in the dorms and I bought
out my fuzzy figures for my friends to see. Believe or not,
a lot of people came in to my room to look at these toys.
A few days later, I've gotten my first request from a friend
of mine. He requested Homer Simpson. It wasn't too detailed
at that time, but it looked fine.
In the year 2000, I worked at a marketing research firm
in the Cherry Hill Mall in Cherry Hill, NJ. I had a friend
who worked there who found a way to help me sell my fuzzy
figures at a Kiosk in the mall. My friend introduced me
to a couple of people who were selling imported products.
Their business was called Elevator House. They allowed me
to sell my fuzzy figures on their display. As I put my figures
on display, I didn't get too much out of it. It was mostly
because my display of the figures wasn't shown out for the
customers to notice. The Kiosk focused more on their products
than mine. In October of 2001, Elevator House went out of
business. Before that happened, I took my figurines back
with me in case the company did anything stupid. I felt
bad in some ways that Elevator House went out of business.
From the whole time I was selling them, I realized it was
a start from things to come.
Today, The Fuzzy Figures look better than before. I kept
getting more request from my family, friends, and others.
I usually sell them now to the ones who requests them. Also,
I participate in craft fairs for sales. Having this ability
to make these things is a gift from the man upstairs and
I'm happy with that. I'm not too sure on what these fuzzy
figures will be like in the future, but they will always
remain to be the most remarkable crafts ever made.
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