A custom mannequin has no list price. The cost of each project is set by five factors: the form, the fabric, the arms, the base and the quantity. We quote per project, and the approved sample fixes the price for production. This article explains what each factor changes, what tends to raise the price, and what to send us for an exact quotation.
1. Form: full body, torso or bust
The form sets the base cost because it decides how much body is shaped and wrapped. A full-body mannequin needs the most material and labour. A half-body torso mannequin, also called a display dress form, costs less and is often the practical choice for tops, knitwear and tailoring. A head-and-shoulder bust for jewellery and accessories is the smallest form. Within each form, a headless or abstract-head version costs slightly less than one with a sculpted head.
2. Fabric: linen, velvet, cotton or your own material
Every XINTU mannequin is hand-wrapped in fabric, and the fabric is the second factor. Linen and cotton in our standard shades are the reference point. Velvet costs more because the pile has to be tensioned evenly over curves and the seams are harder to hide. Your own fabric, sent from your collection, is priced on how it behaves on the form: a stable weave wraps quickly, while a stretch or printed fabric needs more handwork and a pattern-matching sample. Two-tone finishes, where the body and the head or the arms use different fabrics, are priced as a separate wrapping step.
3. Arms: fixed, painted or articulated wooden arms
Arms are the factor buyers most often underestimate. Fixed arms in the same fabric as the body are the simplest option. Painted arms add a finishing step. Articulated wooden arms, turned from beech with visible joints, are the most expensive because each joint is fitted and tested by hand, and they are the option most fashion brands choose for styling flexibility. A custom stain or colour on wooden arms is priced on top.
4. Base: tripod, hanging, square metal or wood
The base matters less than the first three factors, but it is not free. A standard tripod, a square metal plate or a wood base are priced as standard options. Brushed gold, brushed silver, a hanging base for wall and rail displays, or a base cut to your fixture drawing are quoted separately. Seated and floating forms need a dedicated support engineered for the pose.
5. Quantity: minimum 10 pieces, and how volume changes the unit price
Our minimum order is 10 pieces. Below that quantity the mould, sample and setup time cannot be spread across a batch, so we do not offer single-piece pricing. From 10 pieces upward the unit price falls step by step as the quantity rises, because wrapping, base fitting and packing are done in runs. A multi-store rollout of the same form in the same fabric is the most efficient case. A small batch of several different forms and fabrics is the least efficient, even at the same total number.
Sample and lead time
Most projects start with a sample. We make the first sample in about 7 days, you approve it, and production follows from that reference in 15 to 45 working days depending on quantity and configuration. Finished mannequins ship by international express for small batches and by sea for larger orders. The approved sample is also the quality standard for repeat orders, so later batches for new stores match the first.
What raises the price
- Your own fabric, especially stretch, printed or very light weaves.
- Non-standard sizes and proportions, which need a new or adapted body.
- Two-tone wrapping or contrast fabrics on the head or arms.
- Custom stain or paint colour on wooden arms.
- Wooden crate packing for sea freight or fragile finishes, instead of standard export cartons.
None of these is unusual for a fashion brand project. They are simply confirmed on the sample, so the production price is known before the batch starts.
How to get an exact quotation
Send us four things: the product type you need (full body, torso or bust; female, male or child), the quantity per store and in total, the fabric direction (a shade name, a swatch or a reference photo) and the store concept you are dressing. With that brief, our Shenzhen factory team usually replies within 24 hours with a price, a sample proposal and a lead time.