21yo entrepreneur launches nation’s first mini-me figurine studio
A young entrepreneur is redefining memory preservation with his second business, an Australian first.
QLD News
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A young Aussie entrepreneur has opened his second venture creating lifelike figurines for customers to capture their most precious memories in a tangible form, as digital photos become more disposable with each iPhone upgrade.
Dong Jiang, 21, best known for his thriving “cute” plushie store at Eat Street, launched 1839 Memories earlier this year that is the first business of its kind in Australia.
Mr Jiang said he knew from a young age he wanted to live his life differently from the usual 9 to 5 grind and challenge himself to create his own destiny.
“I graduated Kelvin Grove State High School in 2020 and took the university route, after one year of studying teaching I realised I wanted to get more out of my comfort zone,” Mr Jiang said.
“This is my second business which is crazy, the first one started at market before I went on to Eat Street selling cute plushie toys that kids and adults love.
“For my second business I had so many crazy ideas that led me to 1839 Memories,” he said.
Mr Jiang said the concept for his new business came from his passion for treasuring memories and connecting with people’s life stories.
“The problem with our phone camera rolls is that they’re so repetitive and photos end up losing their meaning because we snap photo after photo,” Mr Jiang said.
“They’re either spammed on our phones or our older memories are in a box under a bed collecting dust,” he said.
Mr Jiang said the beauty of the business is that the tangible 3D prints can be passed through generations.
The process involves a 3Dscanner that takes all of 15 seconds to capture posed customers, alternatively photos can be brought instore to be developed into figures.
The figures take up to four weeks to develop and can be purchased at $60.
“Our real-life miniature figures go beyond photographs, offering a profound way to relive experiences,” Mr Jiang said.
“We go all the way to capturing kids' age milestones to designing wedding toppers.
“I make sure I get to know every customer the best I can, I want to know the stories behind the memory they’re capturing as this is what gives it purpose,” he said.
Mr Jiang said alerting the community to his business had been a challenge.
“This is the perfect keepsake but since we are the first in the country to do this we are doing all we can to get our name out there,” Mr Jiang said.
“The feedback we’ve had has been overwhelmingly positive and we’re so grateful,” he said.
Mr Jiang said his mission was to inspire the next generation of school leavers to do what makes them happy.
“I meet so many young people who take the path of what they think they’re supposed to do to become a success, you’ve got to take a risk and believe in yourself,” he said.
1839 Memories is located at 44 Montague Road, South Brisbane and is by appointment only.
Originally published as 21yo entrepreneur launches nation’s first mini-me figurine studio
Brisbane’s dirtiest restaurants named and shamed
From poor hygiene to terrible food safety, these venues have been caught out. SEE THE LIST
Family reveals more heartbreak after baby’s daycare death
The family of a baby boy who died at a Brisbane daycare have revealed a second family tragedy as they come to terms with the death of their one-year-old son.