Healing a Pet-Loss Heart: I Tried Ordering "My Pet Goods" Other Than Acrylic Stands - A Review

I know my beloved cat, who has passed away, is always by my side in an invisible form. But there are days when I want to feel my cat near me in a “visible form.”

When I feel that pain, my unique "my pet goods" become a source of comfort. With the boom in creating merchandise for one's favorite idols or characters, various manufacturers now offer a wide array of "my pet goods." I'm truly grateful for that.

This time, I'll introduce the manufacturers I actually ordered from and the goods I created. I hope it will be helpful for those who are struggling with "where to order from."

(*Rest assured, this is not a sponsored post.)

Moved by the cuteness of an "Acrylic Stand" that makes you want to take it everywhere

Acrylic stands are a staple of idol merchandise. However, I hesitated to get one because I thought "the image quality might not be very good if I make it from a photo taken with my smartphone."

But day by day, my feelings for my cat grew stronger, and I started thinking, "If I make an acrylic stand, I can go to cafes with it!" or "I want to put the acrylic stand in a case and take it to various events!"

So, my motivation to create one burned brightly, and I decided to order from "snaps," a website specializing in creating idol merchandise. The photo I chose was this one. I wanted to capture an everyday feeling in the acrylic stand.

I decided to order from this site because I felt it offered a wide variety of other idol merchandise that could be made, such as acrylic keychains, stickers, and fan books. It's also interesting that they can create Korean-style goods like "name slogans," which are not commonly seen with Japanese manufacturers.

Honestly, I didn't have high expectations for the quality of the finish when I ordered, but the completed acrylic stand was incredibly beautiful...

There was a protective film on the surface of the acrylic stand, but I didn't notice it for several days...

One day, while touching it, I was surprised when I thought, "Something's peeling off...!" and that's when I first realized the protective film was there. I was truly grateful for how beautifully they had turned the photo into an acrylic stand. The memories of laughter vividly came back to me...

数日で飽きられて、おもちゃと私が号泣。 pic.twitter.com/Sq2P1XdtyF

— ゆあ ｜ ライター🖊 (@yunc24291) October 17, 2024

With "snaps," you can connect the base part of the acrylic stand to a certain extent, freely. Therefore, depending on your ingenuity, it's possible to pose it dynamically.

Also, instead of choosing from predetermined sizes like S, M, or L, you can create an acrylic stand in your preferred custom size. I made mine 62mm x 60mm. Compared to a common mug, it's about this size.

It's amazing how the color quality remains the same on both the front and back.

By the way, "snaps" holds irregular sales, so it's also recommended to aim for those times to order and make it cheaper.

This year, I plan to go watch a basketball game with Gigi, who has been turned into an acrylic stand. I hope Gigi enjoys the thrilling game too.

"Acrylic Block" was better than expected

What I ordered simultaneously with the acrylic stand was a solid acrylic block with a substantial presence. I felt it would offer a different kind of appeal than just displaying photos, so I decided to order it.

Similar to the acrylic stand, you can order this in your preferred custom size instead of choosing from predetermined sizes. I chose a square type, but it seems you can also create free-form acrylic blocks like the stands, or even card-sized ones.

Similar to the acrylic stand, the image quality here is also excellent, and I'm personally very satisfied. The acrylic block has a sturdy thickness of 9mm and stands up well on its own.

I usually display Gigi's acrylic stand and acrylic block on an altar, but every time I pick them up, I feel comforted, thinking, "That child truly lived and had so many memories." I'm really glad I made them. 

"Transparent Trading Cards" that can be slipped into your phone or wallet

Among the many idol merchandise manufacturers, the main reason I chose "snaps" was actually the incredibly beautiful quality of their "transparent trading cards." 

Due to issues like portrait rights and copyrights, almost no manufacturers undertake the production of trading cards for celebrities, but some people create their own custom cards for personal use, making trading cards a representative item of idol merchandise today. While standard trading cards are lovely, the appeal of "snaps" is that you can create "transparent trading cards" with a transparent background.

When creating trading cards with "snaps," it's also recommended to design your own using image creation tools like Canva beforehand. This allows you to create a truly one-of-a-kind "my pet transparent trading card."

I still find myself struggling emotionally at times, so I've only made one as a prototype. But in the future, I hope to find various ways to enjoy them, like adding words to different memorable photos or making a deck of "my pet" playing cards with transparent trading cards.

By the way, besides "snaps," there are many other sites that support creating idol merchandise, such as "Shimauta Plus" and "Mono Lab Factory," where you can make "my pet goods." If you're interested, consider what you want to create and give them a try.

May the constant feeling of the presence of that precious one somehow alleviate the sadness.

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