November 2008 Notable Toys — Plush

Made to resemble the Tiger mascot of the University of Missouri, this quality plush backpack has adjustable straps and center compartment that zips shut. Launch date: July 2008.

No one will doubt an individual's support for his or her favorite team when they're wearing this plush mascot backpack, outfitted with a zippered compartment and adjustable straps. It is available for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and various other collegiate teams. Launch date: July 2008.

This mascot backpack invites the ultimate in team spirit for the Georgia Bulldogs. It is made of quality plush and features adjustable nylon straps plus a zippered center compartment. It can be displayed with other collegiate gear, on a rack or on a mannequin. Launch date: July 2008.

Now even the tinest Baby can have a Zoobie. The Baby Mashaka plush toy  un-Velcroes to become a comfy pillow, then unzips to transform into an infant-sized blanket. The blanket even features fuzzy "comfort corners" to stimulate Baby's interest in textures. Release date: 2008.

Paci-Plushies® are an extraordinary new pacifier holder that connects popular name brand infant pacifiers with a super-soft and light plush toy using a patent-pending flexible Hug Ring™. Paci-Plushies® are the answer a common problem: the all too often missing pacifier. When a Paci-Plushie® is attached to Baby's pacifier, the pacifier becomes easy for both Mom and Baby to find. Pacifers are fully removable allowing for proper sanitation of both the pacifier and plush toy. Paci-Plushies® are compatible with over 200 varieties of name brand pacifiers allowing for ultimate usability and versatility. Launch date: 2008

Flat Friends are unstuffed soft toys made of 100% Australian sheepskin. The 11.8" sea turtle is brown and green and comes with his own totebag and gift card.

This animal is part of a "magnetically mixable" line of plush pets that allow children to create hundreds of combinations by interchangeing the creatures' heads and tails. The 4" plush come in 12 designs. Launch date: September 2008.

This striped character comes with an Internet access code that gives kids the freedom to explore Webkinz World online with the virtual equivalent of the plush pet. The tiger’s special item in the virtual world is a rock ledge bed.
— “Webkinz are still selling,” Owner Randy Austin of The Gifted Child in Lenox, Mass., told TDmonthly in summer 2008.
— “We move probably 100 to 150 per month,” William Meredith, owner of Learning Express in Cary, N.C., told TDmonthly in August 2008.
— Twenty percent of 64 retailers named Webkinz as their top-selling collectible toy in summer 2008.
Six of 63 retailers named Webkinz as their overall best seller in September 2008.

For the dog lover! Mr. Chris the Pug stuffed animal from Fiesta’s High Society dog series. Plush fabrics and very soft. Posh satin-like fabrics and beaded dog bone decoration. Even a curly pug tail. Not a toy. Decoration purposes only.

This plush donkey is covered in a Mexican serape blanket. The soft and cuddly plush donkey also has a sweet burro face. A touch of the Southwest.

Soft and cuddly plush penguin puppet is great for imaginative play and puppet storytelling. Just add imagination. Great play value as a stuffed toy too.

Plush 21” giraffe rocker. For extra fun giraffe features a “giggle” sound chip. Sturdy. Great for going on safari, reading a book, or watching TV. Adds a special fun jungle touch to any room décor.

KooKeys offers a line of plush animals with online, interactive digital counterparts known as the Virtual Koo. Each plush KooKey comes with a special key that unlocks the online world for children to explore, interact, play, and learn.

This dapper penguin sports soft fur and vinyl feet.
— Aurora plush, such as huskies, polar bears and penguins, are top sellers at The Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska, Operations Manager Susan Miller told TDmonthly in summer 2008.

Zoobies are three-in-one plush/pillow/blankets that come in a variety of animals. Now Baby can have her own Zoobie sized just for her with Baby Zoobies. Baby Zoobies have a detachable blanket that measures just 23" x 29.5". They fit nicely in diaper bags. They also feature a furry "comfort corner" to please Baby's love of textures. Diaper bag not included. Launch date: September 1, 2008.

These miniature versions of Zoobie Pets stick to the three-in-one concept, acting as a stuffed animal, pillow and blanket, but are sized for babies. The blanket inside features a furry  "comfort corner" and is 23" x 29.5". Various styles are available: Mashaka the Monkey, Ellema the Elephant, Tama the Tortoise, Hada the Hippo, Kojo the Croc and Jafaru the Giraffe. Launch date: September 1, 2008.

Pawparazzi Pets have a nose for style and whatever they’re wearing is what’s PAWpular in fashion! Girls will gasp when they see this tail-wagging collection of stylish clothes and fashionable accessories. They can dress their posh pets up for a night on the town or get together with friends and put on a fashion show. High-profile style for Little Pets Living Big Lives!™

This beanbag reindeer sports a custom ribbon that leaves no doubt about its origin. It says, “Santa Claus House, North Pole, Alaska.” It is 8” high and is stuffed with plastic pellets. Launch date: 1998.
— This plush is a best-selling item at Santa Claus House, according to Operations Manager Susan Miller.

Gund’s Comfy Cozy is a 24-inch plush blanket with a full satin underside and a plush animal pillow. The blankets come in a variety of colors and animals including a monkey, cow, lamb, horse, lion, bear, puppy, and kitten.
— “There are so many that are good, but I say Gund Comfy Cozies — the larger size a baby can lie on” are my best-selling baby gifts, Dennis Hofstetter, owner of The Toy Store in Atlanta, told TDmonthly in July 2008.
— “For babies, we have had a lot of success with the My First Teddy Bear [Comfy Cozy] blanket by Gund,” added Donna, owner of Treasured Child in LaGrange, Ky. “I have re-ordered twice and we just started carrying them six weeks ago.”
— Eleven percent of 66 retailers mentioned a Gund product when discussing as top-selling gifts for babies in summer 2008.

This fashionable poodle is one in a line of plush pets featuring interactive computer play. Using a special code specific to the pet, kids can log onto the Webkinz website, meet the pet’s online counterpart, and build special rooms with points gained from answering trivia questions. Online, this pet’s special item is the Poofy Poodle Chair, and its special food is Licorice Canepés.
— Terry Myers, owner of Kaledioscope Toys in Round Rock, Texas, told TDmonthly in July 2008 that her store sells about 350 Webkinz per month.
— “[We sell] about 100 per month,” said Donna, owner of The Perfect Present in Suwanee, Ga., who also named Webkinz as a best-selling gift item for girls.
— Eleven percent of 66 retailers polled in summer 2008 cited Webkinz as their top-selling girl gift.

Handmade in Germany, this rabbit is created as close to nature as possible and is 7.1" long. Its exterior consists of high-quality woven fur and leather imitation. All KÖSEN plush animals conform to the highest safety standards. The materials, products and production are inspected by TÜV and meet all requirements of the European safety standard for toys, EN 71. Children may even keep this toy beyond childhood, to eventually pass on to their own children. The product received a 2008 Toy of the Year Award from Creative Child Magazine. Launch date: 2001. Display Ideas: Group animals by natural habitat or geographical area.

These plush toys by Kids Preferred are made from 100-percent organic materials and are the first products in the Peter Rabbit...Naturally Better line. Each super-soft toy, dressed in a monogrammed outfit to identify the character, comes in a recyclable, reusable and PVC-free display/gift box. Peter stands 18" tall and carries a carrot. Launch date: June 2008.

This funny fiend in soft velour has whimsical charm and embroidered accents. Designed by kids for kids, Buster is a keepsake gift with a delightful monster story on the hang tag and a charitable heart. A portion of sales is donated to Global Action for Children, a nonpartisan children's advocacy organization. The soft, security buddy addresses common childhood anxieties of fear and bullies, while helping to promote charitable deeds and raise awareness for less-fortunate children. Launch date: January 15, 2008. Display ideas: Offer a wide range of My Own Monster characters to create an eye-catching, colorful display. Promote sales with a free My Own Monster display sign available upon request with any My Own Monster order.

Lizzi, Animaland's 20" VIP Plush Snow Leopard, is one of five beautifully crafted and detailed “stuff-your-own-plush” designs developed for use exclusively with Animaland stuffing machines. VIP tags contain the conservation status, average lifespan, habitat, size, diet and fun facts about the species in English, French, German and Danish, providing educational and international appeal. Launch date: May 2008. Display Ideas: nimaland’s Stuff-Your-Own Plush is best displayed as both stuffed/dressed toys as well as unstuffed plush and clothing separately. If facilities and space allow, it is most effective to display unstuffed plush where customers can feel the different furs and handle the different styles.