A custom retirement figurine can turn a familiar outfit, a favourite pastime or a career milestone into a personal display piece. Start with the story you want the gift to tell, then use our custom request form to explore what is feasible. A photograph helps explain the idea; it does not guarantee an exact miniature portrait.
Choose a meaningful idea
A retirement gift does not need to represent every year of a person’s working life. One recognisable detail can give the project direction: a teacher’s book, a mechanic’s work clothes or a hobby the retiree is looking forward to. Treat accessories, lettering and poses as requests to review, not automatically included features. A simple composition can leave more room for the details that matter at the chosen size.
Decide where the gift will be displayed. A narrow office shelf and a large presentation table call for different proportions. Measure the available space, including room for the base, and explain whether height, width or depth is the limiting dimension. If you have no preferred size, leave that choice open for advice.
Select references and explain their purpose
Use clear photos with even lighting. A face view can explain appearance, while a separate full-body photo can show clothing or posture. Identify which image should guide each feature, especially when photos show different hairstyles or outfits. Avoid asking the maker to infer which version you want.
- Obtain the person’s consent to use their likeness and permission to use the photos.
- Describe essential details and those that can be simplified.
- Provide exact spelling, accents and dates for requested lettering.
- Keep sensitive workplace information and unrelated people out of the references.
A surprise presentation still needs appropriate permission for the person’s likeness and reference images. If you cannot obtain it, consider a keepsake based on an activity or an original design instead of submitting someone’s portrait.
Understand the custom approval process
Submitting the request does not require payment. We review feasibility and clarify the brief. For accepted projects, the concept, scope, price, timing and included revisions are confirmed before payment. After concept approval and payment, the 3D model is prepared; for printed projects, you approve the final model before printing begins.
Use each review to check the agreed outfit, pose, text and display proportions. Do not assume unlimited revisions or a particular hand-sculpting or painting process. Ask for any finish that matters to be included in the proposal. The agreed scope is the reference for what will be delivered.
Set realistic expectations for the physical piece
Current physical custom orders use filament printing, also called FDM. Colours come from solid filaments, and layer lines can remain visible. Available colours, supports and fragile details are reviewed for the selected design and size. Small glasses, fingers or lettering may need adjustment; a screen image alone cannot show every feature of a finished print.
Ask about the actual material and care instructions for the accepted piece. Do not assume that a decorative figure is suitable for outdoor use, heat, repeated handling or use as a toy. If packaging or an engraved base is important to the presentation, include it in the request and check whether it is included in the quote.
Coordinate a group gift
Name one person to collect the team’s preferences and approve the project. Agree on the budget before commissioning, and distinguish the total number of copies from the number of different designs. Five copies of one figure and five portraits of different retirees are different requests.
Provide the date the gift must be in hand, the delivery destination and any internal approval deadlines. Entering a date does not reserve production capacity. Confirm production and delivery arrangements before announcing the presentation plan; keep a card or another presentation option available if the proposed timing cannot meet the event.
Frequently asked questions
Can I request a name or years of service on the base?
Yes, describe the requested text and placement for feasibility review. Check spelling and readability at the proposed size before approval; inclusion and price are confirmed in the proposal.
Does the printed gift include a digital model?
A physical order does not automatically include a file or commercial rights. The custom form accepts requests for a physical object, a digital file or both. File format, compatibility, delivery and permitted uses are confirmed separately in the quote.
What if I am still choosing the idea?
Start with a description and leave uncertain specifications open. You can also browse existing collectibles to consider a catalogue gift. For a retirement project, send your custom request, or contact us with questions about the brief.
A retirement gift can recognize a working relationship without trying to summarize an entire career. Focus on one moment, interest or detail that the recipient would be happy to see represented. A photo-based figurine is a custom project, so the reference material, intended size and accepted scope matter more than a generic promise of a perfect portrait.
Use this guide whether you are a colleague, family member or group organizer. Decide who can approve the proposal and obtain the person’s consent before submitting likeness references. If a portrait is not appropriate, an existing decorative design can still make a thoughtful retirement gift.
Can several colleagues share the purchase?
Yes, you can prepare one coordinated request, but agree on the budget and choose one contact to consolidate feedback. State whether you want one keepsake or multiple copies.
What if the presentation date is fixed?
Provide the date you need the gift received and explain your own preparation time. Ask for feasibility review before announcing that a custom piece will be ready.
Prepare a retirement figurine request
A retirement keepsake works best when its idea is specific: a familiar pose, an activity the person enjoys or a detail connected to their career. Choose one main story rather than trying to fit an entire working life into a small figure. Describe which details matter most if some must be simplified.
Prepare the request together
- Obtain the person’s consent to use their likeness and permission for the reference images.
- Choose clear photos that show the features and clothing relevant to the idea.
- State the intended display size, the quantity and the date needed in hand.
- Name one approver if colleagues or family members share the purchase.
The custom process begins with feasibility and a proposed scope and quote. For an accepted printed project, final-model approval happens before printing. A photo is a reference, not a promise of an exact portrait in every size or finish.
Send a retirement keepsake idea for review. An HR team ordering retirement gifts for several employees should identify the number of distinct people and designs in a corporate request; several individual likenesses are different from repeating one model.
