http://www.dollsofindia.com/aboutdolls.php (Note the section on papier
mache products. Papier mache is inordinately cheap, requiring only a
mixer to convert paper and water to a pulp. You can use a variety of
binders, the strongest being a light infusion of water-soluble epoxy.
The chief expense is molds that allow excess water to drain off.. The
molds represent your investment in artwork---placing papier mache in
them is a mechanical process, a chimpanzee could do it.
One of the least complicated home businesses is to import products for
resale, including papier mache products where the important design work
has been done for you in products you would have difficulty envisioning
in the first place since they reflect the culture of an obscure
community like Kashmir.
Except for brass products and things like sari's, almost nothing from
India makes its way into U.S. shops, no matter how unique and
interesting they may be.
I once brought back from a trip to Taiwan, a wallpiece consisting of
various native musical instruments in miniature---lovely appearance and
excellent workmanship, very cheap. I could have imported them and
readily sold them to craft shops and flea market dealers, had not my
thermoplastic valve manufacturing business consumed all my time. It is
best to do your own travel and investigation among native craftsmen,
sometimes a small village of them, rather than utilize any of the
middlemen who tend to siphon off too much of the profit margin.
Grandparents always try to spoil grandchildren with toys---frequently
succeed, but toys (good toys) are consequently a hell of a business.
Powells.com is a huge compendium of new and used books---always check
them against e-Bay and Amazon for book bargains.
http://www.powells.com/subsection/CraftsToyMaking.13.html