Our sister website www.saintfrancisgarden.com recently added a new product category, dog statues. We have long featured statues of Saint Francis of Assisi and, based on his life and good works, figures of various animals and children. We know that dogs are by far the most popular domestic animal in the US home and the interest in our site and our new dog statues has confirmed this. We are writing this article to try to answer some of the questions about dog statues that we are regularly asked by our customers.
CAN YOU MAKE A STATUE OF MY DOG THAT JUST DIED?
This is the same questions as , can you make a statue of special or rare breed of dog? As dog owners ourselves, we know the desire to immortalize that special friend that shared our life and warmed our hearts for so long ( not long enough). As with all manufactured products, dog statues are subject to a volume/cost relationship. The more of one figure made by our factory, the lower the cost. Custom made items or, as we call them “one of’s” bear all the design, set up and mold costs for one piece, that are spread over many pieces with volume production. In order to offer our statues at a reasonable cost, we must stay with popular breeds .
WHEN WILL MY DOG STATUE BE IN STOCK?
Our statues are made in our factories in the Philippines and in our importers factories in China and other countries. We try to buy adequate quantities and anticipate demand, but we are not always right. Production and shipping lead times can be 12 to 16 weeks. We try to keep you informed as to expected delivery times on our website.
WHAT IS MY DOG STATUE MADE OF AND HOW DURABLE IS IT WHEN DISPLAYED OUTDOORS.?
Most of our statues are made of fiberglass or polyresin, which is plastic resin re-inforced with glass fibers and other materials, similar to how boats are made. Some of our pieces are cast in stone or cement or even metal such as brass or copper.On our website we offer full information as to the construction material of the statue.The fiberglass and polyresin pieces are usually decorated with sunlight resistant paint while the stone or cement can be natural or stained. The metal may generate it’s own patina. Fiberglass and polyresin figures ,displayed outdoors , will fade and need to be repainted even if not exposed to direct sunlight. Stone and cement figures will need very little, if any ,refinishing.
CAN I PHYSICALLY SEE THE DOG STATUE BEFORE I PURCHASE IT ON LINE?
As an internet marketer, we often are asked this question. Customers naturally want to see, touch and experience a figure. This is especially true with an emotional figure like a dog. We have a warehouse, not a store, so it isn’t possible for a customer to touch and feel the dog figure before we ship. We try to provide the best photography, product descriptions and information. We also offer a return option, where we may waive the restocking charge if asked.
WHAT ABOUT SHIPPING MY DOG STATUE.
Most of our dog statues are shipped by FedEx Ground and arrive in 3 to 6 days. A few of the larger fiberglass dog statues may have to ship by LTL truck. Our custom made cast stone and concrete statues are manufactured at our Chicago factory and take 4 to 8 weeks to arrive. Some of these stone dog statues are too heavy for ground shipment and must go on a wood pallet by truck. Some of our statues are offered with a fixed shipping charge to mitigate the cost. Please check our website information.
Panama is a Christian country and the people love festivals and holidays. The truism and joke about Panamanians is that the only thing they take seriously is their holidays. There are 14 official holidays and many more local or regional holidays. While Carnival at Easter is the largest festival, Christmas is usually marked with a festival and ,in Panama City at least, a parade with floats depicting the Nativity among other Christmas things. Here are several pictures of the festival and float decorations.
where the Nativity and other figures for the parade floats were made. We were fortunate enough to meet a factory supervisor who is English who explained the process of carving figure from blocks of styrofoam and sealing them with fiberglass before painting and decorating. The Englishman himself was just as interesting as the factory, easily mistaken for a retired rock musician with a constant cigarette and the boast that a “wealthy wife” paid for his lifestyle, such as it was.
“Tourist Police” looking like a group of New York City cops, ready to go on patrol. We will definitely return.
