If you have found this page while researching Joyus Toyus, Christopher Gann, or considering the company for a custom manufacturing project, I hope sharing my experience helps you make a more informed decision.

This page is not intended to attack anyone personally. It is simply a factual account of my experience as the founder of Baldy Books, including the timeline, communication, and decisions that led me to ultimately move my project to another manufacturer.

f you are considering working with Joyus Toyus, I encourage you to conduct thorough due diligence and consider the experiences of other businesses before making a commitment.  My hope is that by sharing my experience below, other small business owners can recognize potential warning signs earlier and make an informed decision before investing significant time, money, and trust.

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Timeline Summary

Feb/March 2026 — Manufacturer research and crowdfunding

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March 31, 2026 — Project agreement finalized

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April 2026 — Initial puppet design milestone repeatedly delayed

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May 4, 2026 — Project mutually cancelled and refund amount agreed upon

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End of July 2026 — Refund deadline, about half of refund received by this point

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August 7, 2026 — The remaining refund balance was paid in full, resolving the matter without legal action.

Background: Building Baldy Books
In early 2026, I began developing my first product as the founder of Baldy Books: Baldy's America, an interactive finger puppet board book featuring a custom plush finger puppet integrated into the book.

This project represented much more than simply creating a product. It was the beginning of a dream to build a company from the ground up.

During March 2026, while researching manufacturers and preparing to launch Baldy Books, I was also crowdfunding to help bring this vision to life. The early funding for the company came from my own savings, along with generous contributions from family, friends, and even strangers who believed in the idea and wanted to see Baldy Books succeed.

Because of that, every business decision carried a lot of responsibility. These funds represented more than a business expense—they represented the trust, encouragement, and support of people who believed in my vision.

My goal was to find a manufacturing partner who could help me responsibly turn that vision into a finished product.

Why I Chose Joyus Toyus
Like many first-time business owners, I spent weeks researching manufacturers before making a decision. I wasn't looking for the cheapest option. I was looking for the right partner.

My product required a unique combination of skills: board book manufacturing and custom plush development. Because the puppet component was the defining feature of Baldy's America, finding a manufacturer with experience in plush and custom toy development was extremely important.

Before committing to Joyus Toyus, I spent approximately a month communicating with Christopher Gann through phone calls, emails, and text messages.

During that time, Christopher was extremely responsive. He answered every question I had, provided detailed information, and was easy to reach. As someone launching my first product, that communication gave me confidence that I would be working with someone who understood the challenges of bringing a new idea to life.

Being based in the United States was another important factor in my decision. Christopher also shared his decades of experience in the plush manufacturing industry, which helped build confidence that my project would be handled by someone with relevant experience.

As a stay-at-home mom building a business from the ground up, I also shared some of my personal story with him. We connected over aspects of parenthood and entrepreneurship, and the relationship felt like more than a typical business transaction.

I genuinely believed I had found a partner who wanted to see Baldy Books succeed.
Before moving forward, Christopher explained the expected timeline based on the scope of my project. He shared that:

• Prototyping would take approximately 30 days.

• Production and printing would take approximately 30 days.

• Shipping would take approximately 30 days.
   

Based on those conversations, I felt I had a realistic understanding of the process before making the commitment.

After completing my due diligence and feeling confident in the partnership, I moved forward. The agreement was finalized and the project invoice was paid on March 31, 2026, based on a pricing arrangement offered if payment was completed by the end of the month.

The First Red Flags
Unfortunately, my experience after payment was very different from my experience during the evaluation process.

The first thing I noticed was a change in communication.

Before payment, Christopher was consistently available and responded quickly to calls, texts, and emails. After payment, response times became noticeably slower and communication became less consistent.

My concern was not that manufacturing might take longer than expected. I understood that custom manufacturing involves many moving parts and that delays can happen.
My concern was that I was unable to receive the very first development milestone: a simple sketch, concept drawing, or rendering showing what the custom puppet portion of my book would look like.

I was not asking for a finished prototype. I was not asking for production to begin immediately.
I simply wanted to see the initial creative direction for the most important feature of my product.

From the beginning of the project, I was repeatedly told that a design concept would be ready "next week."

That week would pass, and there would be nothing to review.

Then another timeline would be provided.

Then another.

Throughout April 2026, I continued waiting for the first puppet concept while expected delivery dates passed without receiving a sketch, rendering, or initial design.

By May 4, 2026, approximately five weeks after the project began, I still had not received any visual design work for the puppet—the core feature that led me to choose Joyus Toyus. At that point, I had to make the difficult decision to protect my business and move in another direction. It was not that I expected manufacturing to be perfect. Delays and challenges are part of entrepreneurship.

The issue was that the very first promised development milestone—the initial concept for the product's defining feature—did not materialize despite repeated assurances that it was coming.

Cancelling the Project
On May 4, 2026, Joyus Toyus and I mutually agreed in writing to cancel the project.

The cancellation agreement outlined the refund terms and timeline. I accepted those terms and waited for the refund process to be completed according to the agreement.

My goal throughout this process was to resolve the matter professionally and directly.

The Refund Process
The refund process became another challenging part of the experience.
After the cancellation agreement, I received multiple assurances regarding when the refund would be completed. These included statements that payment would happen:

• "next week"

• "by week's end"

• and within the agreed refund period
   

I continued providing additional time in good faith because I wanted to resolve the matter without unnecessary escalation. However, as deadlines passed, I found myself repeatedly following up regarding funds that had already been acknowledged as owed.

 

While partial payments were eventually made, the refund process extended beyond the original timeline and required repeated follow-up before the remaining balance was ultimately paid in full.

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Resolution

On August 7, 2026, I received the remaining refund balance in full. The refund was therefore fully satisfied, and I did not need to pursue legal action.

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I am glad the matter ultimately reached a financial resolution. However, the experience—from the initial project delays through the extended refund process—was significant enough that I believe it is worth documenting for other small business owners considering a similar manufacturing relationship.

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The Impact on Baldy Books
The impact of this experience extended beyond a delayed project.

 

The funds involved represented months of work, planning, and sacrifice. They represented my own savings, along with the generosity of people who believed in Baldy Books enough to contribute to helping launch the company.

Those funds were intended to move the business forward—supporting manufacturing, production, and the launch of the product.

Instead, I found myself managing uncertainty around recovering business funds while simultaneously trying to move forward with a new manufacturing partner.

Starting a business requires significant focus, energy, and resources. Having to navigate prolonged uncertainty created significant stress and financial pressure during what should have been an exciting time of building my company.

Finding a New Manufacturing Partner
Ultimately, I made the decision to move forward with a different manufacturing partner.
That decision ended up being one of the best choices I made for Baldy Books.

With my new manufacturing partner:

• Communication became clearer and more consistent.

• I received actual design progress and prototype updates.

• The manufacturing process moved forward in alignment with expectations.

• I regained confidence that my project was progressing.
   

The experience reinforced an important lesson:

• Finding a manufacturing partner is about more than capabilities and experience.

• Communication, transparency, responsiveness, and accountability are equally important.
   

Why I Am Sharing This Experience
Before making my decision, I searched online for information about Joyus Toyus and Christopher Gann.

 

I found very little information from other businesses.

 

Later, I discovered that another company had publicly shared its own experience to help other businesses make informed decisions. That transparency helped me understand the value of hearing directly from other entrepreneurs. You can read their experience here.

I am sharing my experience for the same reason.

If you are considering working with Joyus Toyus or any custom manufacturer, I recommend:

• Get all timelines and deliverables in writing.

• Establish specific milestones before production begins.

• Request tangible progress updates, not only estimated completion dates.

• Pay attention to communication patterns before and after payment.

• Trust your instincts if progress does not match expectations.
   

Launching a business is challenging enough without uncertainty surrounding a critical manufacturing relationship. My hope is that sharing my experience helps another entrepreneur ask the right questions and make the best decision for their business.

(Hard) Lessons Learned
Looking back, these are the lessons I took away:

• Strong communication before a contract is signed does not always predict communication after payment.

• A manufacturer's experience matters, but so do systems, processes, and accountability.

• Early milestones matter. If small commitments are repeatedly missed, larger milestones may also be at risk.

• Protect your business by documenting everything.

• Trust your instincts when expectations and reality begin to diverge.
   

Although this experience was frustrating, Baldy Books continued moving forward. I ultimately found a new manufacturing partner, and the project is now progressing toward production.

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Most importantly, the refund from Joyus Toyus was ultimately received in full on August 7, 2026, without the need for legal action.

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I am sharing this experience not because the matter remains unresolved—it does not—but because I wish I had been able to find more firsthand accounts from other small business owners when I was making my own decision.

 

If this story helps another entrepreneur ask better questions, document important commitments, or recognize potential warning signs before entering a manufacturing relationship, then sharing it will have served a purpose.

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Launching a business is difficult enough. Choosing the right partners matters.

If you have any more questions, please reach out to us at hello@baldybooks.com

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Sincerely,

Leah Theodore

Owner/Founder, Baldy Books

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