But....if the vinyl toys are already in the works, I would buy them!

I have a toymaker in China who does great work and has made me some plastic keychains (of ponies, puppies and kitties) made of flexible but harder and more durable plastic than vinyl. They can be made in any color and painted to any specification. The material and labor is dirt cheap, but the only problem is that it is expensive to ship from China. If you guys are interested, I have his email address. He is very friendly and does great work.