Stuffed animals have been around forever.
Many teenagers can recall the era of Beanie Babies. Collecting multicolored dogs and bunnies, bringing them to elementary school in order to gain status among peers, and eventually they disappeared, forgotten in storage. The next plushy fad is traced back to the Pandemic years. The rise of Squishmallows took over the United States, invading CVSs and households aplenty. Large, rounded animals took over bedrooms and empty mattress space, with middle schoolers fighting to acquire as many as they could afford. Yet again, these stuffies didn’t stick around long for most. Now, the public across the world is idolizing a new stuffed animal. This time, they aren’t so affordable.
Jellycats is a London-based company with origins tracing all the way back to 1999 – the nines composing 1999 are said to be a play on the old folktale of cats having nine lives. The name and logo trace back to their original stuffed animal named Jack Jellycat. Their fictional lineage states that he is the ninth generation of special Jellycats who were crowned with an honorable jelly hat. This whimsical story adds to the magic of the product.
Modern Jellycats are the new, most wanted stuffed animal these days, branching out well past their feline roots. They now have a large variety of toys to choose from. The plushies come in all sizes with keychains, small stuffed animals or even larger than life. Ranging from food items like avocados and bagels with salmon to animals that are basic like bears or as exotic as lionfish. People fawn over the cute faces and fuzzy feeling of the products.
However, those who are not a fan of the Jellycat brand focus on one thing; the price. With 7in. stuffed bunny keychains being priced at $28 and a larger than life bunny measuring 37in is priced at $300, those who aren’t distracted by the furry features are outraged and confused. Senior Ryan Heyboer would opt for a cheaper option before ever considering buying a Jellycat.
“[They are] way overpriced,” Heyboer said. “25 dollars for a keychain bear is insane. Any stuffed animal should not be that overpriced.”
That being said, the amusement they bring is unmatched. Senior Amyiah Shaw owns a single 12in. Jellycat zebra which she bought for herself. After careful consideration, she still believes it was worth every penny.
“I think it was $30 or $40 but I thought it was cute, and I really wanted one,” Shaw said. “I contemplated the cost for three months before I bought it. I would recommend other people to buy a Jellycat.”
I personally own four Jellycats, some have been gifted to me, and others I’ve purchased. When receiving Jellycats as gifts, they were both very personal and sweet. When purchasing for myself, I saved up money and debated each purchase for several weeks at a time. My most recent addition was a bear dressed as a bumblebee which is sold at $50. While this was a hefty price tag, it held personal meaning to me as a love of bees is something me and my mom share. So while others see a silly bear in a costume, it is a reminder of my mom in the shape of a furry friend.
While four of these stuffed animals might be considered excessive, many people on social media brag about their thousands upon thousands of Jellycats. They have become a collectible item and people race to accumulate the new releases. Tik Tok in particular has become a site where enthusiasts share their opinions and collections.
The popularity of Jellycats is following similar patterns to other stuffed animals’ rises to fame. Because of this, senior Yanni Williams owns a Jellycat donut and believes the fad is only getting started.
“I think they’re turning into the new Beanie Babies,” Williams said. “They’re just going to keep rising and everyone’s going to keep buying them.”
Despite the cost, it seems as though Jellycats aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
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