I totally agree with all the points you made, I truly think these are ridiculously priced just for grown individuals (mainly millennial age demographic) to spend goobs of money on just because their new favorite influencer said it was cute. Jellycats don't come from a small business, and to my knowledge, aren't individually hand made with the highest quality materials, so there is truly no need for their price point expect for profit and as a statement that you can afford to buy a 75$ stuffed animal. Reminds me lots of the the stanley cup craze.
I used to work at FAO Schwarz while they did the JellyCat Diner renovation. The space it occupies now used to be a Build Your Own Racecar station which no one wanted. Immediately upon opening the diner we had lines going out the door which was baffling. The store was loosing money at the time, but after the diner blew up on tiktok, tales were up higher than they'd been in a long time. I don't work there anymore, but I went and visited in December and as seen in this video, Jellycat poured millions into the store to renovate it, and essentially theme the entirety of the store around Jellycat. Its genuinely genius, and after talking to my old coworkers they informed me that they were completely swamped day in and day out, specifically because people wanted Jellycats. (they ran out of the peanut reindeer which was the most popular thing for some reason) Jelly cat is a fantastic brand, but this stuff is actually insane
I agree with all your points! The price is a bit much considering, but I think part of the appeal is for sure the softness and the cuddle ability of the plushies. And not to mention the design of them. For a good minute, a lot of plushies were this cartoonish anime vibe like the big eyed beanie babies or just the cartoony felt eyes. It is refreshing to see a more down to earth stuffed animal coming into view? And no hate to big eyed or the cartoony eyed plushies, it's just I personally grew up with things like webkinz, build a bears and beanie baby's with bead eyes and just missed the style.
I know this doesn’t apply to adults buying them for themselves, but to my knowledge they’re one of the few brands that’s actually certified as safe to give to newborns!! A lot of plushies are only 3+ because of how extensive the testing needs to be (at least from a UK standard), and I know a lot of people who still have their childhood plushies in fairly good condition which is a testament to their quality
right! a few years ago (pre-jellycat virality) i worked retail at a shop had a little corner shelf of these and the only people who really asked after these were people looking for baby gifts
Me too, i have a jellycat plush I got as a baby so I’ve known about them for a long time. I used to collect them back in 2017? I think it’s been a while. I was only interested in the bunnies, though. They sure used to be a hell of a lot cheaper. My sister bought a giant jellycat plush for 70 CAD back in 2016 and I know it would be at least double that price now.
As someone who does really enjoy plushies, they’re just too small and too expensive. A retail price Squishmallow is perfectly pillow sized, cute, and has a little name and personality card, for like 14 dollars. And while Build a Bear is comparable in price to jellycat, build a bears are still bigger and there’s more of an experience with build a bear. Even in that jellycat cafe you only really get to pick the toy and do the make believe. In build a bear there’s the heart ceremony, the stuffing, and all that make believe and you get a silly little birth certificate
I watched another video about a resurgence in "kidults" - adults really bringing out their inner child. They think 2020's issues may have been to blame. The second part seems to be about joining in what people perceive as popular. Some might legitimately enjoy collecting and engaging with other fans, and some might just be harvesting views for their profit engine. I will confess I own one of these, I am in my 40s but I had never heard of Jellycat. I saw a cute goblin (Grizzo. It was $35usd or $50 CDN) , and had to have it. I figured the price was a markup due to location (I was at an airport lol) . It turns out there is a small community of people who make clothes for and share photographs of this goblin plush and it's been kind of fun to participate. (sewing, photography, chatting.) When you get older it becomes harder to find friends, and it's important to have hobbies. There's so many reasons for this stuff.
yes i worked at a toy store warehouse that sold jellycats so i saw them every day. i wanted jinx (kinda similar to grizzo) and this one bear so bad but i never got it bc of the price😭
I personally love jellycats; I got into collecting them before they became popular and honestly it's a bit upsetting that they're so mainstream now because they sell out so quickly. They are definitely expensive, but they are very high quality and I love each and every one of mine. I loved your take on things, and I'm shocked you don't have more subs!
Same here !! I started collecting right before they started trending. Bashful bunnies were a reasonable $25 and medium dragons were under $60... I miss those days.
I loved buying Jellycat for my infant son because it was one of the very few stuffies that he could play with under the age of 1. The craftsmanship on them is pretty good and his have yet to lose an eye!
Totally agree about the walmart claw machine thing. Bellzi are not as expensive but still up there, but I think they're way cuter. Palm Pals are my favorite, my local store has them for $5 each and they're so cute Also I really loved the video!
Okay I just looked up Bellzi and now I desperately want one... I agree they're cuter than the Jellycat ones and they're like half the price! They're still kinda pricey for stuffed animals, but I can rationalize $20 a whole lot easier than $50... I'm not as much a fan of the look of the Palm Pals, but I've never seen them in person (that I know of?) so I'll keep an eye out and might change my mind - especially if they're only $5!
If anyone’s curious, Jellycats sell for so much because they are made in developed countries, and by workers that are paid fairly with reasonable working hours. They are not manufactured in countries with cheap labour such as China or Indonesia
I have been wondering the WHY on jelly cats!! I have been so out of the loop, and this video came just in time! You made me laugh out loud multiple times, love your vibes, subbing! ❤
What sucks is that back in 2021 I really thought jellycat plushies were cute bc I love food plushies, I saw them first at a cafe by the beach and I genuinely thought it was pricey because it was handmade with high quality fabric, and that it was a niche kids plush company, just to find out with the resurgence of them that it’s just another mass produced product.
I wanted one of the dragon jelly cats but I couldn’t bring myself to purchase one for the price so instead I found an Etsy store that has been around for a minute that takes plush patterns and puts weighted beans bags in them and they even have a Velcro pocket so you can remove or alter the weight of the plush. The Etsy store had a white dragon that’s very similar to the jelly cat one but with the added bonus of it having removable weighted beans and for half the price. It also came in a little adoption themed box and had a birth certificate you could fill in for your plushie. Is it as soft as the jelly cat? No, but it’s basically what I was looking for.
I have a lot of jellycats. And I never plan to get rid of them. I have so many stuffed animals and it’s mainly just because they comfort me so much. They are my favorite gift and favorite thing to buy. It feels healing.
I enjoy collecting Rilakkumas, and they seem to be priced simillarly around these Jellycat things...But they focus on like 2 bear costumes, 1 real bear, and a chick. They have TV shows, random merch like chopsticks, stationery, etc. Though the Japanese ones usually go anywhere from 10-50 bucks, and then super jumbo ones like 300 lol. I have literally never heard of these things before, but everyone around me is more obsessed with Asian stuffed animals (Saniro, Rilakkuma, Pokemon) so maybe thats why... Anyway I think I prefer Rilakkuma and Sanrio's model of just printing out the same stuffed animal but with new designs or outfits because they all have their own personalities. These jellycat things are cute but I dont feel a connection to them. Meanwhile I really love Koguma because hes a baby bear that somehow finds himself hanging out with 2 freaky bears (theyre not really bears, theyre 2 living bear costumes...though most people think theyre bears) and a random chick that eats a lot.
I'm a collector of plushies, but these just don't look appealing to me. They're probably high quality in stitching, but have a generic design that look like Dollar Tree plushies to me. I have had my cheap plushies from my childhood in really good condition for as long as I remember. Heck, even old plushies from yard sales have lasted me this long.
I have friends that have had jelly cats for a while now. I think the brand is pretty cute, simple and creative designs. I don’t think the price tag is truly justified but if they are on sale I would def consider getting one. btw good job on the video! can’t wait to see more from you
The YT algorithm recommended this video to me, and I'm so glad it did! I had never heard of Jellycats until I recently started seeing random posts about it on Reddit. I love plushies, so I was very intrigued to discover that it's a popular plush brand. I went to their website right away and left feeling very... puzzled. Like you said, to me a lot of them look like something that would come out of a claw machine. I clicked though pages and pages of their website and nothing really grabbed me, especially not at those prices!! I just don't understand what is so special about them that they're selling out and people are lining up for hours to get one. They're just not for me, and I was nodding along in agreement throughout this video. Also, I love your sense of humor! Subscribed to your channel :)
First of all, amazing editing ✨️ Second, it really bothers me how much hype they're getting for their average looks. I also dont like how much money large businesses are getting for average products
I'm going to be honest and say that you didn't gave Jellycat plushies a fighting chance, you mostly focused on the Amusables and while they are one of the more popular plush lines the brand has, it's not the ONLY one. Personally I love the bashful bunnies and sometimes the smaller plush animals; they are floppy, VERY soft and yeah, well made. My first Jellycat was actually a semi medium sized pink mouse called "Squiggle mouse" and when I first saw that lil guy I wanted him like there was no tomorrow. Yeah it's a bit small and can look a bit scruffy but there was just something about that lil mouse plush that always make my heart smile. I won't say that your points are invalid because I do agree that they are quite pricey and at least in my area there are very few physical stores that carry them but I would suggest try looking into the bashful animals plush line. They are very soft like I said and just have that charming "floppy" appearance that just makes them so adorable to look at.
I had no idea these were so popular, as I'm not spending time on TikTok. I came across their store in Edinburgh and fell in love with one of the dragons. For me, this has everything to do with the fact that I'm doing a lot of parts work (so healing younger parts of me that need it) and I'm on a healing journey, and buying that dragon was purely a gift for my inner child. I have it in my bed and when I do this parts work while I meditate, I love having my dragon with me. It's becoming a source of comfort, especially since my boyfriend gifted me the dragon. It's highly symbolic! Anyway, just sharing my experience, I had absolutely no idea this was more than just a plushie brand haha.
Girl I’ve seen jelly cats all over my Instagram and I thought they were cute but like the prices ARENT worth it. My boyfriend and I actually bought a jelly cat without realizing it is one at like a fancy library, I rather stick to palm pals because I feel like they are more cheaper and cuter versions of those. The jelly cats are just another crazy till they die out like everything else. Ps you also earned a subscriber I love ur vibe!
I'm in my 30s and I just got into Deddy Bears! It's like a Halloween themed set of 12" or 6" bears with a spooky aesthetic. I just got Squash in the 12" size. Very well made and lots of details! Even the ears have a nice 3d shape! It cost me $15 CDN including tax at my local Game Stop. I could not imagine paying for something as simple and tiny as Jellycat! (T.T)
Also, totally think plush artists that design and make their plushies by hand can charge hella, but a brand... nahhh unless they are complex and special, and even so no where near as much as individual artists should be able to charge
I have a few Charlie Bears myself, and I love them, they’re absolutely not cheap, but they’re also something that my nanna collects so it’s also something very sentimental for me to share with her.
My understanding is that Jellycats are the price they are because of the quality of the materials they use and their ethics/production standards. I don’t own any Jellycat products but I’d love to in the future! The price is very steep, but it’s for a reason! Though, I do think the ‘hype’ around them is a bit crazy.
Half those cheap keychains on Amazon are knockoffs of jellycat and other brands 😂 To me the main appeal of jellycats is they try to choose materials that are of decent quality and will age well. I've handled tons of plushies for both restoration work and collection and jellycat does put decent effort into construction and quality. Sure you can get cheap plushies that crib off the jellycat aesthetic at Walmart but get a seamripper and open one up sometime. The stitching will be poor and the stuffing horrendous.
Those prices are crazy for simple plushies. I backed an independent artist and preordered 2 16 inch bunnies with intricate designs and the combo was $80. $80 for two 16 inch designs to support an independent and disabled artist. Like if Im going to spend so much money it is going to super big and super cute designs from small businesses.
Thank you for making this video. I actually had only seen a few videos from Jellycats official account on my Shorts feed and thought it was a small business. I can't believe the vitality and expense of these plushies. They definitely aren't worth the hype or price. When it looks indistinguishable to me from plushies I can get at the dollar store, there's a problem. The size and patterns are too small and simplistic to warrant such a price. I mean look at Squishmellows. I think they're expensive but they're a fraction of the cost of Jellycats. And I can always tell a Squishmellows apart from other plushies. They even have licensed products that still don't come close to the cost of Jellycats. And I considered Squishmellows to be a more practical plush because of their more round shapes. I use them as throw pillows and I have one of their giant size ones that is the actual pillow I sleep on every night. I put them in the washing machine and dryer. They're durable and use an incredibly soft material. So that says a lot about Jellycats not being worth the price they charge to me.
Havent watched the whole video yet but probably will subscribe!! I have one jellycat my friend bought (a little froggy) me before they trended and one I got at seven which was a little ballerina bunny ❤️❤️
I adore stuffed animals, and I have a small collection. I do like having them on my bed, I like soft things bc I have a fixation on anything that's got a nice texture- So durability does come into play for me, bc I'd rather plastic hair not shed off or their seams rip while I'm holding or accidentally kick them off the bed and across the room. However, most of my plushies are thrifted (My Koda from Brother Bear is a prime example), gifted from someone (My Build-A-Bear Squirtle), or souvenirs from somewhere that I went that I wanted a physical reminder of the trip (Prime example is the Mountain Lion plush I've had since I was 13. Almost 15 years old now and Ace has somehow survived despite various pet run-ins of his own.) I don't usually have the budget to spend on mass-produced, over-priced toys... But I'll make exceptions for certain cases. Jellycats do not fall into that category as it stands right now- Even if they did, some of them are even more expensive than things I've gotten at THEMEPARKS. (A dumb little opossum plush I got at Dollywood, large enough to be a pillow, was around $27.) For that price, I'd at LEAST expect them to follow ethical guidelines.
I've only ever known Jellycat toys as the ones you buy at baby stores for newborn as a gift. They have the cute gangly kind that I love. Never knew these were a thing now.
They use to sell some plushies at target years ago. I was obsessed with the idea of kids having a bunny friend to drag around from birth til whenever and bought them for several baby showers. They're safe for babies and i love the anatomy of the bunnies. Anyway, target stopped selling them which is a shame. Or maybe they fly off the shelves.
I love collecting plushies although I mostly buy ones of characters I like. I have spent $50+ on 3 plushies two that are premium quality and one that was a commission. Otherwise I couldn't justify spending that much money. I love plushies to death but I have to draw the line somewhere.
another thing you can do when you're considering if something is worth dropping money on is calculate how many hours you worked to make that amount of money. so like "i worked x amount of hours to pay for this thing"
Until seeing this video, I thought that JellyCats were only a Reborn (art doll) parent thing. I’m in that hobby myself and I saw the other Reborn moms and dads going crazy over these and it made sense because they photograph great with our babies but they just weren’t for me for the exact reason you stated at the start here- they’re cute but they also look like everything else in the claw machine and are less affordable. I was not aware that they were taking off like revenge of the TY Beanie Baby. 😂
I am a plushie lover and i love pretty things as a person. But i do not understand the craze behind the brand. I own two jellycats. A wiener dog with red and white striped sweater and scarf (still to this day one of the most beautifully made plushies i have seen) and a christmas wreath. I honestly bought them because I-a grown adult- like them, but i have used both of them as decor in my son's room. Price was steep, but again i am not collecting them or understand the craze to own them all. And i definitely would pay less if a knock-off was to my satisfaction. (Amazon does not operate in my country)
I have a lime jellycat that I debated on buying but eventually caved and bought it because the design was just so adorable. And it's weighted so it'll stay put on my shelf. They are kinda expensive tho so I kinda get it
My sister actually dropshipped their same plushies from somewhere a few years ago. They're cute, they're just dropshipped with fancy marketing. I have several from the era that she did that, and they are literally the same, just no fancy label.
I was like, oh no, that's way too much for one little plushy I don't even see one I would want....OMG, THE EGG IN THE EGG CUP IS SO CUTE I AM CRYING. I wish I didn't know about this. Thanks algorithm.
I would be so annoyed if i was forced to play make believe in order to get a plush. Edit: loved the video and subscribed you def need more attention this is so well made.
I own exactly one Jellycat plush: Timmy Turtle. I smile every time I see his grumpy little face, so imho he was 100% worth the investment, but so far none of the other Jellycats have been able to tempt me enough to overcome the price tag.
Sis, I totally agree with you. 40 to 60 for a plush is so bizarre to me, yeah I will spend that much or upwards of that on clothing or something useful like a bag/backpack. But like plushie that’s going to sit in your room and look cute, which in my professional stuffed animal hoarder opinion is not even that cute for their price. And, they aren’t even unique / come from a small shop. Like I got Aang turtle duck, who was 30 bucks, from a local convention a couple of years ago that was from a small business and she made that basically by hand, and the build quality is superb. And I was already questioning that choice so there is no way in hell I’m paying that much for those things (I prefer stuffed ANIMALS, anyway not food). The only other one that was comparable was my Plague Doctor plush was 25 to 30 bucks and he is 9 inches tall. Appa sipping on boba tea - 25 bucks Lay flat fox plus - 15 bucks All might funky pop plush - 20 bucks (I got scammed on this one) Say what you will about the squishmellow phase of TikTok but at least those things were cheap stuffies (or at least I found mine at 5Below) ---- I’m not saying I’m smart with my money, far from it actually, but at least I’m not this dumb or attention seeking or whatever this is.
Ok I got a Brie wedge Jellycat like 4 years ago, and my emotional support cheese is cute and all, but I can't say I'd have waited in line for hours just to overpay at a horrifyingly cutesy "cafe". You couldn't pay ME to go in there. 😬
I never knew they had so many different plushies, I thought they just sold the bunnies lmao I live in a small European country and I'm pretty sure they aren't even available near me. I do like plushies but the ones I own are my childhood ones, a few gifts from family members and around a dozen ones I crocheted myself. I also have around 40 dolls from various fashion doll brands so I'm not judging anyone who buys these, they're just too expensive for me (I totally haven't spent over 50 dollars on a doll hahah...) I'd rather crochet my own jellycat bunny using some soft plush yarn, it's more rewarding for me lol
*raises hand* Okay, so I'm a collector of SOME build a bears, and also transformers, right, I can understand wanting to collect multiple of something you love. But I feel like liking something because of a trend is.. so strange. I love collecting my toys, but I feel like something like what these people is doing is too much. I would never wait for four hours in a line for a transformer, regardless of how much I wanted it.
I work at a daycare and two siblings i take care of have a ton of jellycats. There's nice and good quality but as an adult I could never justify the price for a stuff toy for myself.
Its been interesting seeing jellycats blow up, my mom gifted me a bunny and bear when i was a kid in the 2000s (still have them! Theyve been through so much like being vomited on a few times😅) and then my brother gifted me a unicorn jellycat that was in one of the hospitals he was stuck at in 2019. When I saw this brand blew up i was like omg i know them!!!! I do want a couple more but i associate them more with extreme sentiment
I actually won a couple of Jellycats in a streaming claw machine. They're soft and cute, but otherwise, it's a plushie. I sold one, and someone bought it for like $30 immediately, and i was shocked because i knew nothing about them at the time. I think its because the royal family got them for their kids.
I don’t use tiktok to much so I wasn’t influence there, but as someone who owns the snowman turtle and a little keychain. I got it since family mentioned it and when I browsed the site because I was bored, fell hook line and sinker for the grumpy, sort of realistic and subdued appearance of the plushes. I don’t see myself getting more but I do like strangling them while I read and sleep. Regarding the money, yah they are very expensive, but tbh has someone who buys specialty goods a couple times a year i was okay with making this one of mine for 2024.
I've been collecting since 2022, and I absolutely HATE the Jellycat trend. I hate it!!! The prices have gone up tremendously, which obviously makes it harder to buy Jellycats for my collection, but it also adds a layer of social stigma to a niche that was already obscure. They have to raise their prices because they're using ethical labor, but the quality degrading and prices are hard to ignore
I remember I used to look at the website a few years ago and I never bought anything, but I wanted the celebration crustacean crab and lobster. Now I regret not buying them 😔
So it's basically like the beanie baby craze but with more designs and styles. I have a shit ton of beanie babies, beanie boos, and build a bears. I'm a collector and most of my plushies are on shelves or stored away. Every few months I swap them out. If it's spring then I will bring out the spring related ones, if it's summer I'll bring out the summer ones, and shit like that. Or I will do different styles. Sometimes I want all dogs or all cats, sometimes I want all farm animals and wild animals, sometimes I want dragons and unicorns. It's basically like adorable home decor, but you can hold them when you are sad.
I think it's actually more like Beanie Babies but with FEWER designs/styles - and ~30 years after Beanie Babies blew up.. I do love the idea of having plushies be seasonal decor!
They’re cute so i can understand liking them but at the same time ive never seen the appeal to buying an inanimate object with a face on it, i kind of wish they didn’t have faces lol 😭
Wait these look a lot like bum-bums why arent people just… getting the fuzzy $10 ones that can double as phone stands and screen cleaners and stuff? I’ve got like 12 of them in a bunch of sizes and they’re awesome. Jellycats looking like bum-bums explains why people got all snooty in the Claire’s for ages actually…
i own a jelly cat….one, its a little coffee mug, i found it perfect condition in a charity shop, they didnt know the brand i dont think and said it was £2.50….
I like stuffed animals in general (though I lean toward build a bear) but I only thrift Jellycats. Too expensive for my taste but they are cute and feel super nice.
last night i was looking at pictures of the same jellycat that i bought (used for 20$ which is a lot but it was a birthday present to myself) and seen that people are now selling my same plush for 75$ 😨 its only been like 7 months since my birthday and idk about jellycat that much but how does a not even 10 inch tall lamb plush cost 75 dollars anywhere even if its resellers its just crazy!!!!
I saw an ad for these plushies a month ago and there was this frog one. It came in two versions, one with removable headphones and the other one with a vampire costume. I thought there were quite nice and went to check the price, only to find out that one costed nearly 50 dollars. For a small plushie like this it's really too expensive. I don't live in US but in my country you can buy plushies 4 times cheaper than that that look more unique or, for the same price, you can buy handmade crocheted ones.
I'm in the US and you can do the same here! $50 for a handmade plushie I can understand a lot more, but IMO it's insane for a mass-produced toy that isn't even that unique/special/whatever...
I love Jellycat but yes they are still NOT worth the insane prices! I got a unicorn with a pack pack from a friend of mine and that was before they started getting sold out quick, and I bought a lavender dragon when it was on sale at my local toy store! There’s like one more I want but it got sold out so quick and it’s now going for $80-$110 and it ain’t that big!! I did get my best friend two of them cause they were the only two she wanted, but my god I cried at the prices. Thank god the seller gave me discounts!
Okay so not to be weird I've been collecting stuffed animals for like 16 years now and I used to just pick up whatever I thought was cute at Walmart or Target or whatever and I would bring them home and that was great and then this designer toy thing came in and now they're like $200 and they're cute and all but what's the actual point it. I can barely justify 20-30 $ on an XXL stuffed animal
I totally agree with all the points you made, I truly think these are ridiculously priced just for grown individuals (mainly millennial age demographic) to spend goobs of money on just because their new favorite influencer said it was cute. Jellycats don't come from a small business, and to my knowledge, aren't individually hand made with the highest quality materials, so there is truly no need for their price point expect for profit and as a statement that you can afford to buy a 75$ stuffed animal. Reminds me lots of the the stanley cup craze.
I used to work at FAO Schwarz while they did the JellyCat Diner renovation. The space it occupies now used to be a Build Your Own Racecar station which no one wanted. Immediately upon opening the diner we had lines going out the door which was baffling. The store was loosing money at the time, but after the diner blew up on tiktok, tales were up higher than they'd been in a long time. I don't work there anymore, but I went and visited in December and as seen in this video, Jellycat poured millions into the store to renovate it, and essentially theme the entirety of the store around Jellycat. Its genuinely genius, and after talking to my old coworkers they informed me that they were completely swamped day in and day out, specifically because people wanted Jellycats. (they ran out of the peanut reindeer which was the most popular thing for some reason)
Jelly cat is a fantastic brand, but this stuff is actually insane
I agree with all your points! The price is a bit much considering, but I think part of the appeal is for sure the softness and the cuddle ability of the plushies. And not to mention the design of them. For a good minute, a lot of plushies were this cartoonish anime vibe like the big eyed beanie babies or just the cartoony felt eyes. It is refreshing to see a more down to earth stuffed animal coming into view? And no hate to big eyed or the cartoony eyed plushies, it's just I personally grew up with things like webkinz, build a bears and beanie baby's with bead eyes and just missed the style.
I know this doesn’t apply to adults buying them for themselves, but to my knowledge they’re one of the few brands that’s actually certified as safe to give to newborns!! A lot of plushies are only 3+ because of how extensive the testing needs to be (at least from a UK standard), and I know a lot of people who still have their childhood plushies in fairly good condition which is a testament to their quality
right! a few years ago (pre-jellycat virality) i worked retail at a shop had a little corner shelf of these and the only people who really asked after these were people looking for baby gifts
Yeah, I know Jellycats as cute stuffed animals you give as a gift for a newborn. They're sold in baby stores.
I have a couple jellycats that I bought in 2015 and the jump in popularity has really surprised me
Me too, i have a jellycat plush I got as a baby so I’ve known about them for a long time. I used to collect them back in 2017? I think it’s been a while. I was only interested in the bunnies, though. They sure used to be a hell of a lot cheaper. My sister bought a giant jellycat plush for 70 CAD back in 2016 and I know it would be at least double that price now.
As someone who does really enjoy plushies, they’re just too small and too expensive. A retail price Squishmallow is perfectly pillow sized, cute, and has a little name and personality card, for like 14 dollars. And while Build a Bear is comparable in price to jellycat, build a bears are still bigger and there’s more of an experience with build a bear. Even in that jellycat cafe you only really get to pick the toy and do the make believe. In build a bear there’s the heart ceremony, the stuffing, and all that make believe and you get a silly little birth certificate
I watched another video about a resurgence in "kidults" - adults really bringing out their inner child. They think 2020's issues may have been to blame. The second part seems to be about joining in what people perceive as popular. Some might legitimately enjoy collecting and engaging with other fans, and some might just be harvesting views for their profit engine. I will confess I own one of these, I am in my 40s but I had never heard of Jellycat. I saw a cute goblin (Grizzo. It was $35usd or $50 CDN) , and had to have it. I figured the price was a markup due to location (I was at an airport lol) . It turns out there is a small community of people who make clothes for and share photographs of this goblin plush and it's been kind of fun to participate. (sewing, photography, chatting.) When you get older it becomes harder to find friends, and it's important to have hobbies. There's so many reasons for this stuff.
yes i worked at a toy store warehouse that sold jellycats so i saw them every day. i wanted jinx (kinda similar to grizzo) and this one bear so bad but i never got it bc of the price😭
I personally love jellycats; I got into collecting them before they became popular and honestly it's a bit upsetting that they're so mainstream now because they sell out so quickly.
They are definitely expensive, but they are very high quality and I love each and every one of mine. I loved your take on things, and I'm shocked you don't have more subs!
Just because it’s high quality means the prices are justified stupid
Same here !! I started collecting right before they started trending. Bashful bunnies were a reasonable $25 and medium dragons were under $60... I miss those days.
It's giving Beanie Baby hype
I loved buying Jellycat for my infant son because it was one of the very few stuffies that he could play with under the age of 1. The craftsmanship on them is pretty good and his have yet to lose an eye!
Oof. I wouldn't. It's not like the eyes are a different mechanism than others. It will come out eventually.
@ Yeah nothing has a 100% destruction free guarantee. They’re on there really good though. They’re rated from birth and up too.
Your video is so professional. It made me do a double take on the view and comment count.
same
Wow thank you so much!
Totally agree about the walmart claw machine thing. Bellzi are not as expensive but still up there, but I think they're way cuter. Palm Pals are my favorite, my local store has them for $5 each and they're so cute
Also I really loved the video!
Man, palm pals are like 12.99 here
Okay I just looked up Bellzi and now I desperately want one... I agree they're cuter than the Jellycat ones and they're like half the price! They're still kinda pricey for stuffed animals, but I can rationalize $20 a whole lot easier than $50... I'm not as much a fan of the look of the Palm Pals, but I've never seen them in person (that I know of?) so I'll keep an eye out and might change my mind - especially if they're only $5!
just wanted to comment that I really liked your video, you're funny and charismatic! I liked the last Jellycat the best hahahah😄
If anyone’s curious, Jellycats sell for so much because they are made in developed countries, and by workers that are paid fairly with reasonable working hours. They are not manufactured in countries with cheap labour such as China or Indonesia
I have been wondering the WHY on jelly cats!! I have been so out of the loop, and this video came just in time! You made me laugh out loud multiple times, love your vibes, subbing! ❤
What sucks is that back in 2021 I really thought jellycat plushies were cute bc I love food plushies, I saw them first at a cafe by the beach and I genuinely thought it was pricey because it was handmade with high quality fabric, and that it was a niche kids plush company, just to find out with the resurgence of them that it’s just another mass produced product.
Not even halfway through the video and I love you already
You had me on board mentioning cute things on shelves
I’ve paid like 50 bucks for plushies before, but ngl if I’m paying that much money, I’m getting something unique.
I wanted one of the dragon jelly cats but I couldn’t bring myself to purchase one for the price so instead I found an Etsy store that has been around for a minute that takes plush patterns and puts weighted beans bags in them and they even have a Velcro pocket so you can remove or alter the weight of the plush. The Etsy store had a white dragon that’s very similar to the jelly cat one but with the added bonus of it having removable weighted beans and for half the price. It also came in a little adoption themed box and had a birth certificate you could fill in for your plushie. Is it as soft as the jelly cat? No, but it’s basically what I was looking for.
I have a lot of jellycats. And I never plan to get rid of them. I have so many stuffed animals and it’s mainly just because they comfort me so much. They are my favorite gift and favorite thing to buy. It feels healing.
I enjoy collecting Rilakkumas, and they seem to be priced simillarly around these Jellycat things...But they focus on like 2 bear costumes, 1 real bear, and a chick. They have TV shows, random merch like chopsticks, stationery, etc. Though the Japanese ones usually go anywhere from 10-50 bucks, and then super jumbo ones like 300 lol. I have literally never heard of these things before, but everyone around me is more obsessed with Asian stuffed animals (Saniro, Rilakkuma, Pokemon) so maybe thats why... Anyway I think I prefer Rilakkuma and Sanrio's model of just printing out the same stuffed animal but with new designs or outfits because they all have their own personalities. These jellycat things are cute but I dont feel a connection to them. Meanwhile I really love Koguma because hes a baby bear that somehow finds himself hanging out with 2 freaky bears (theyre not really bears, theyre 2 living bear costumes...though most people think theyre bears) and a random chick that eats a lot.
I'm a collector of plushies, but these just don't look appealing to me. They're probably high quality in stitching, but have a generic design that look like Dollar Tree plushies to me.
I have had my cheap plushies from my childhood in really good condition for as long as I remember. Heck, even old plushies from yard sales have lasted me this long.
I have friends that have had jelly cats for a while now. I think the brand is pretty cute, simple and creative designs. I don’t think the price tag is truly justified but if they are on sale I would def consider getting one.
btw good job on the video! can’t wait to see more from you
The YT algorithm recommended this video to me, and I'm so glad it did! I had never heard of Jellycats until I recently started seeing random posts about it on Reddit. I love plushies, so I was very intrigued to discover that it's a popular plush brand. I went to their website right away and left feeling very... puzzled. Like you said, to me a lot of them look like something that would come out of a claw machine. I clicked though pages and pages of their website and nothing really grabbed me, especially not at those prices!! I just don't understand what is so special about them that they're selling out and people are lining up for hours to get one. They're just not for me, and I was nodding along in agreement throughout this video.
Also, I love your sense of humor! Subscribed to your channel :)
Bro your video quality is so good. Looking forward to your future stuff :)
First of all, amazing editing ✨️
Second, it really bothers me how much hype they're getting for their average looks.
I also dont like how much money large businesses are getting for average products
I'm going to be honest and say that you didn't gave Jellycat plushies a fighting chance, you mostly focused on the Amusables and while they are one of the more popular plush lines the brand has, it's not the ONLY one. Personally I love the bashful bunnies and sometimes the smaller plush animals; they are floppy, VERY soft and yeah, well made. My first Jellycat was actually a semi medium sized pink mouse called "Squiggle mouse" and when I first saw that lil guy I wanted him like there was no tomorrow. Yeah it's a bit small and can look a bit scruffy but there was just something about that lil mouse plush that always make my heart smile. I won't say that your points are invalid because I do agree that they are quite pricey and at least in my area there are very few physical stores that carry them but I would suggest try looking into the bashful animals plush line. They are very soft like I said and just have that charming "floppy" appearance that just makes them so adorable to look at.
I had no idea these were so popular, as I'm not spending time on TikTok. I came across their store in Edinburgh and fell in love with one of the dragons. For me, this has everything to do with the fact that I'm doing a lot of parts work (so healing younger parts of me that need it) and I'm on a healing journey, and buying that dragon was purely a gift for my inner child. I have it in my bed and when I do this parts work while I meditate, I love having my dragon with me. It's becoming a source of comfort, especially since my boyfriend gifted me the dragon. It's highly symbolic!
Anyway, just sharing my experience, I had absolutely no idea this was more than just a plushie brand haha.
Girl I’ve seen jelly cats all over my Instagram and I thought they were cute but like the prices ARENT worth it. My boyfriend and I actually bought a jelly cat without realizing it is one at like a fancy library, I rather stick to palm pals because I feel like they are more cheaper and cuter versions of those. The jelly cats are just another crazy till they die out like everything else. Ps you also earned a subscriber I love ur vibe!
I love palm pals, they are so cute and so soft!❤❤
I'm in my 30s and I just got into Deddy Bears! It's like a Halloween themed set of 12" or 6" bears with a spooky aesthetic. I just got Squash in the 12" size. Very well made and lots of details! Even the ears have a nice 3d shape! It cost me $15 CDN including tax at my local Game Stop. I could not imagine paying for something as simple and tiny as Jellycat! (T.T)
to answer your question, no, never heard of them, but really nice video
Also, totally think plush artists that design and make their plushies by hand can charge hella, but a brand... nahhh unless they are complex and special, and even so no where near as much as individual artists should be able to charge
I have a few Charlie Bears myself, and I love them, they’re absolutely not cheap, but they’re also something that my nanna collects so it’s also something very sentimental for me to share with her.
My understanding is that Jellycats are the price they are because of the quality of the materials they use and their ethics/production standards. I don’t own any Jellycat products but I’d love to in the future! The price is very steep, but it’s for a reason! Though, I do think the ‘hype’ around them is a bit crazy.
Half those cheap keychains on Amazon are knockoffs of jellycat and other brands 😂
To me the main appeal of jellycats is they try to choose materials that are of decent quality and will age well.
I've handled tons of plushies for both restoration work and collection and jellycat does put decent effort into construction and quality. Sure you can get cheap plushies that crib off the jellycat aesthetic at Walmart but get a seamripper and open one up sometime. The stitching will be poor and the stuffing horrendous.
Those prices are crazy for simple plushies. I backed an independent artist and preordered 2 16 inch bunnies with intricate designs and the combo was $80. $80 for two 16 inch designs to support an independent and disabled artist. Like if Im going to spend so much money it is going to super big and super cute designs from small businesses.
Thank you for making this video. I actually had only seen a few videos from Jellycats official account on my Shorts feed and thought it was a small business. I can't believe the vitality and expense of these plushies. They definitely aren't worth the hype or price. When it looks indistinguishable to me from plushies I can get at the dollar store, there's a problem. The size and patterns are too small and simplistic to warrant such a price. I mean look at Squishmellows. I think they're expensive but they're a fraction of the cost of Jellycats. And I can always tell a Squishmellows apart from other plushies. They even have licensed products that still don't come close to the cost of Jellycats. And I considered Squishmellows to be a more practical plush because of their more round shapes. I use them as throw pillows and I have one of their giant size ones that is the actual pillow I sleep on every night. I put them in the washing machine and dryer. They're durable and use an incredibly soft material. So that says a lot about Jellycats not being worth the price they charge to me.
Havent watched the whole video yet but probably will subscribe!! I have one jellycat my friend bought (a little froggy) me before they trended and one I got at seven which was a little ballerina bunny ❤️❤️
7:36 omg i also used to have a dog named roxie :3 she would eat everything too 😭 she took many chunks out of the walls at our old house
I adore stuffed animals, and I have a small collection. I do like having them on my bed, I like soft things bc I have a fixation on anything that's got a nice texture- So durability does come into play for me, bc I'd rather plastic hair not shed off or their seams rip while I'm holding or accidentally kick them off the bed and across the room.
However, most of my plushies are thrifted (My Koda from Brother Bear is a prime example), gifted from someone (My Build-A-Bear Squirtle), or souvenirs from somewhere that I went that I wanted a physical reminder of the trip (Prime example is the Mountain Lion plush I've had since I was 13. Almost 15 years old now and Ace has somehow survived despite various pet run-ins of his own.)
I don't usually have the budget to spend on mass-produced, over-priced toys... But I'll make exceptions for certain cases. Jellycats do not fall into that category as it stands right now- Even if they did, some of them are even more expensive than things I've gotten at THEMEPARKS. (A dumb little opossum plush I got at Dollywood, large enough to be a pillow, was around $27.)
For that price, I'd at LEAST expect them to follow ethical guidelines.
Amazing video just subscribed. You have very good points in the video
I've only ever known Jellycat toys as the ones you buy at baby stores for newborn as a gift. They have the cute gangly kind that I love. Never knew these were a thing now.
They use to sell some plushies at target years ago. I was obsessed with the idea of kids having a bunny friend to drag around from birth til whenever and bought them for several baby showers. They're safe for babies and i love the anatomy of the bunnies.
Anyway, target stopped selling them which is a shame. Or maybe they fly off the shelves.
I love collecting plushies although I mostly buy ones of characters I like. I have spent $50+ on 3 plushies two that are premium quality and one that was a commission. Otherwise I couldn't justify spending that much money. I love plushies to death but I have to draw the line somewhere.
Laughs in Tickle Me Elmo 😂
another thing you can do when you're considering if something is worth dropping money on is calculate how many hours you worked to make that amount of money. so like "i worked x amount of hours to pay for this thing"
I really thought this would have alot of views this video is so good!!!
Until seeing this video, I thought that JellyCats were only a Reborn (art doll) parent thing. I’m in that hobby myself and I saw the other Reborn moms and dads going crazy over these and it made sense because they photograph great with our babies but they just weren’t for me for the exact reason you stated at the start here- they’re cute but they also look like everything else in the claw machine and are less affordable. I was not aware that they were taking off like revenge of the TY Beanie Baby. 😂
I swear you have a huge infatuation on that tennis ball plushie 😂😂 go get em girl, don't be shy 🤭
I am a plushie lover and i love pretty things as a person. But i do not understand the craze behind the brand. I own two jellycats. A wiener dog with red and white striped sweater and scarf (still to this day one of the most beautifully made plushies i have seen) and a christmas wreath. I honestly bought them because I-a grown adult- like them, but i have used both of them as decor in my son's room. Price was steep, but again i am not collecting them or understand the craze to own them all. And i definitely would pay less if a knock-off was to my satisfaction. (Amazon does not operate in my country)
I have a lime jellycat that I debated on buying but eventually caved and bought it because the design was just so adorable. And it's weighted so it'll stay put on my shelf. They are kinda expensive tho so I kinda get it
They are definitely a luxury. I personally love them, but I only get myself one or two max per year so they still feel special
My sister actually dropshipped their same plushies from somewhere a few years ago. They're cute, they're just dropshipped with fancy marketing. I have several from the era that she did that, and they are literally the same, just no fancy label.
I was like, oh no, that's way too much for one little plushy I don't even see one I would want....OMG, THE EGG IN THE EGG CUP IS SO CUTE I AM CRYING. I wish I didn't know about this. Thanks algorithm.
I would be so annoyed if i was forced to play make believe in order to get a plush.
Edit: loved the video and subscribed you def need more attention this is so well made.
I think the make believe experience is more for small children, but it's weird that it's not optional to participate if there's no children in sight.
8:29 Dude I loved webkinz… and LPSO
I love the Harry, Hermione, Ron and Hedwig toys i the background.
I really think it is the brand name that makes it expensive, just like other luxury brand
I own exactly one Jellycat plush: Timmy Turtle. I smile every time I see his grumpy little face, so imho he was 100% worth the investment, but so far none of the other Jellycats have been able to tempt me enough to overcome the price tag.
Sis, I totally agree with you. 40 to 60 for a plush is so bizarre to me, yeah I will spend that much or upwards of that on clothing or something useful like a bag/backpack. But like plushie that’s going to sit in your room and look cute, which in my professional stuffed animal hoarder opinion is not even that cute for their price. And, they aren’t even unique / come from a small shop.
Like I got Aang turtle duck, who was 30 bucks, from a local convention a couple of years ago that was from a small business and she made that basically by hand, and the build quality is superb. And I was already questioning that choice so there is no way in hell I’m paying that much for those things (I prefer stuffed ANIMALS, anyway not food).
The only other one that was comparable was my Plague Doctor plush was 25 to 30 bucks and he is 9 inches tall.
Appa sipping on boba tea - 25 bucks
Lay flat fox plus - 15 bucks
All might funky pop plush - 20 bucks (I got scammed on this one)
Say what you will about the squishmellow phase of TikTok but at least those things were cheap stuffies (or at least I found mine at 5Below)
----
I’m not saying I’m smart with my money, far from it actually, but at least I’m not this dumb or attention seeking or whatever this is.
Ok I got a Brie wedge Jellycat like 4 years ago, and my emotional support cheese is cute and all, but I can't say I'd have waited in line for hours just to overpay at a horrifyingly cutesy "cafe". You couldn't pay ME to go in there. 😬
the thing that had the cabbage patch dolls being so popular was that no 2 were exactly the same.
My grandma gave me the dachshund plush and I didnt even know Jellycat was a thing until I looked it up. 30 bucks for a dog and I got it for free lmao
I absolutely love plushies, but man $50 is INSANE 😭😭😭
The object themed Jellycat plushes remind me of palm pals ngl
I never knew they had so many different plushies, I thought they just sold the bunnies lmao I live in a small European country and I'm pretty sure they aren't even available near me. I do like plushies but the ones I own are my childhood ones, a few gifts from family members and around a dozen ones I crocheted myself. I also have around 40 dolls from various fashion doll brands so I'm not judging anyone who buys these, they're just too expensive for me (I totally haven't spent over 50 dollars on a doll hahah...) I'd rather crochet my own jellycat bunny using some soft plush yarn, it's more rewarding for me lol
*raises hand*
Okay, so I'm a collector of SOME build a bears, and also transformers, right, I can understand wanting to collect multiple of something you love. But I feel like liking something because of a trend is.. so strange. I love collecting my toys, but I feel like something like what these people is doing is too much. I would never wait for four hours in a line for a transformer, regardless of how much I wanted it.
This was funny, glad I found you! Subscrubing!
I work at a daycare and two siblings i take care of have a ton of jellycats. There's nice and good quality but as an adult I could never justify the price for a stuff toy for myself.
I have a few jelly cats from years ago and they are really good quality that’s kinda the limit of my interest 1 toy for 20 years is it honestly.
Its been interesting seeing jellycats blow up, my mom gifted me a bunny and bear when i was a kid in the 2000s (still have them! Theyve been through so much like being vomited on a few times😅) and then my brother gifted me a unicorn jellycat that was in one of the hospitals he was stuck at in 2019. When I saw this brand blew up i was like omg i know them!!!! I do want a couple more but i associate them more with extreme sentiment
I actually won a couple of Jellycats in a streaming claw machine. They're soft and cute, but otherwise, it's a plushie. I sold one, and someone bought it for like $30 immediately, and i was shocked because i knew nothing about them at the time. I think its because the royal family got them for their kids.
I don’t use tiktok to much so I wasn’t influence there, but as someone who owns the snowman turtle and a little keychain. I got it since family mentioned it and when I browsed the site because I was bored, fell hook line and sinker for the grumpy, sort of realistic and subdued appearance of the plushes. I don’t see myself getting more but I do like strangling them while I read and sleep.
Regarding the money, yah they are very expensive, but tbh has someone who buys specialty goods a couple times a year i was okay with making this one of mine for 2024.
I got a few on Vinted and depop for quite cheap as an alternative
I love jellycat, the keychain prices are insane tho. They are just below the price of a kellycat BAG. A whole damn bag
The most ethical and planet friendly way to get plushes is making em yourself. Sadly now a days fabric is more expensive than toys or clothes
I've been collecting since 2022, and I absolutely HATE the Jellycat trend. I hate it!!! The prices have gone up tremendously, which obviously makes it harder to buy Jellycats for my collection, but it also adds a layer of social stigma to a niche that was already obscure. They have to raise their prices because they're using ethical labor, but the quality degrading and prices are hard to ignore
I remember I used to look at the website a few years ago and I never bought anything, but I wanted the celebration crustacean crab and lobster. Now I regret not buying them 😔
So it's basically like the beanie baby craze but with more designs and styles. I have a shit ton of beanie babies, beanie boos, and build a bears. I'm a collector and most of my plushies are on shelves or stored away. Every few months I swap them out. If it's spring then I will bring out the spring related ones, if it's summer I'll bring out the summer ones, and shit like that. Or I will do different styles. Sometimes I want all dogs or all cats, sometimes I want all farm animals and wild animals, sometimes I want dragons and unicorns. It's basically like adorable home decor, but you can hold them when you are sad.
I think it's actually more like Beanie Babies but with FEWER designs/styles - and ~30 years after Beanie Babies blew up.. I do love the idea of having plushies be seasonal decor!
I know a few people who collect squishmallows to the point that they've taken over their homes.
They’re cute so i can understand liking them but at the same time ive never seen the appeal to buying an inanimate object with a face on it, i kind of wish they didn’t have faces lol 😭
The price is insane. The profit that’s being made
Love the tennis ball
Whelp... Time to shoplift
Wait these look a lot like bum-bums why arent people just… getting the fuzzy $10 ones that can double as phone stands and screen cleaners and stuff? I’ve got like 12 of them in a bunch of sizes and they’re awesome.
Jellycats looking like bum-bums explains why people got all snooty in the Claire’s for ages actually…
i own a jelly cat….one, its a little coffee mug, i found it perfect condition in a charity shop, they didnt know the brand i dont think and said it was £2.50….
I like stuffed animals in general (though I lean toward build a bear) but I only thrift Jellycats. Too expensive for my taste but they are cute and feel super nice.
last night i was looking at pictures of the same jellycat that i bought (used for 20$ which is a lot but it was a birthday present to myself) and seen that people are now selling my same plush for 75$ 😨 its only been like 7 months since my birthday and idk about jellycat that much but how does a not even 10 inch tall lamb plush cost 75 dollars anywhere even if its resellers its just crazy!!!!
This video is so good
I saw an ad for these plushies a month ago and there was this frog one. It came in two versions, one with removable headphones and the other one with a vampire costume. I thought there were quite nice and went to check the price, only to find out that one costed nearly 50 dollars. For a small plushie like this it's really too expensive. I don't live in US but in my country you can buy plushies 4 times cheaper than that that look more unique or, for the same price, you can buy handmade crocheted ones.
I'm in the US and you can do the same here! $50 for a handmade plushie I can understand a lot more, but IMO it's insane for a mass-produced toy that isn't even that unique/special/whatever...
bro this use to sell at my local book store for 10 $ 💀
Those look pretty cute and not like the big shiny eyes and rainbow cute
How is this not more popular
I think my fave would be the cat with the benie
I love Jellycat but yes they are still NOT worth the insane prices!
I got a unicorn with a pack pack from a friend of mine and that was before they started getting sold out quick, and I bought a lavender dragon when it was on sale at my local toy store! There’s like one more I want but it got sold out so quick and it’s now going for $80-$110 and it ain’t that big!!
I did get my best friend two of them cause they were the only two she wanted, but my god I cried at the prices. Thank god the seller gave me discounts!
Sooo, these are like squishmallows? But more expensive?
I swear I've seen these exact toys under 3 different name. Palm Pals, BumBumz (I saw these in my local store) and now Jellycats lol
I can’t really judge even though I don’t get it. I love anything Sanrio so I guess I can relate to them wanting and buying things I don’t need
Great. Video shocked when I saw sub count
Okay so not to be weird I've been collecting stuffed animals for like 16 years now and I used to just pick up whatever I thought was cute at Walmart or Target or whatever and I would bring them home and that was great and then this designer toy thing came in and now they're like $200 and they're cute and all but what's the actual point it. I can barely justify 20-30 $ on an XXL stuffed animal
monty python intermission
Good video