plush, soft, and stuffed toys

hello. i like soft things. so it makes sense i would have some plushies and soft toys. but, i also have opinions on them.

one of the fascinating things i discovered while living in north america is the paradox of having lots of things, but usually quite limited choices. allow me to demonstrate.

jellycat

jellycat plushies are everywhere. at this point, if you find a place selling plushies, whether online or on location, there will be a selection of jellycats. this is anecdotal evidence, as i popped into three separate stores on my vacay to a popular tourist stop near me and saw jellycats in every single one, and at least one store stocked them as the only plush. and it works for many people! jellycats are quite cute, good quiality of material and construction, have a range of designs and characters, and new designs come out regularly. but i am still shook by the fact that they are everywhere. sometimes they are the only choice available. which i prefer over the other competing plush company:

squishmallows

if you like squishmallows, great! i know lots of people collect them and feel quite passionate about them. after some soul searching, i settled on my gripes with squishmallows: they are, at heart, decorative pillows, have very minimalistic designs and a distinctive shape that they must maintain, and one of their main features is collecting potential. this is not for me, but appatently it is for everyone else, as squishmallows are everywhere. even more so than jellycats. i keep getting jumpscared by them in pharmacies and superstores.

i found myself genuinely puzzled and confused by the homogeneity of the plush toys on many shelves. coming from a different continent, i'm used to seeing plenty of companies, both well-known and donwright shady, be available at all times, even if the overall number of things was much lower. this might be just a me thing. but since i'm so bothered by this, at least i can share some companies and plushies i like.

EDIT: in november, the squishmallows ceo made a statement on his linkedin, stating that "Hamas is a terrorist organization with a charter calling for eradicating Israel. It's a somber reminder of Israel's genuine and daunting challenges, and our hearts go out to all those affected by such evil."(1) people on the internet were not fond of this decision, and neither am i. i'm adding extra suggestions that folks shared to check out.

stuffed safari, thee stuffed animal website

stuffed safari doesn't make their own plushies, but they do stock and display a giant variety of them, so i highly recommend falling down this rabbit hole. many of the examples below can be found on the website, so prepare for some cute stuff.