Photo Credit: Krista (www.ladybugblog.com)
There’s a mini plush phenomenon that has taken over the United States in the last couple of years. At Hallmark stores, there is a line of adorable plush toys known as “itty bittys” that were first introduced in 2013. The itty bittys include favorite Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, and other licensed brands. Meanwhile, over at Disney, there is an equally adorable line of plush toys that are based on the smartphone app/game called “Tsum Tsum”. The app/game by Line was introduced in the United States in July 2014 along with plush tsum tsums available at the Disney Store and at the Disney Theme Parks. Let’s take a closer look at both of these lines of plush toys.
itty bittys® by Hallmark
Hallmark’s itty bittys are tiny (4” tall) plush collectible characters that were created by Adan Chung, a Hallmark illustrator, and introduced in 2013. The itty bitty collection started with eight characters and has expanded to more than 100 popular characters, ranging from favorite superheroes, to princesses, to characters from popular movies. Typically, itty bittys are given to school-aged children as gifts for birthdays and other holidays. Although itty bittys are undeniably appealing to children, adults also love them. According to a Hallmark website, currently 25 percent of itty bittys are purchased for women over 18 years old.
From the itty bittys section on the Hallmark website:
“The creation of Hallmark itty bittys all started with a doodle during a brainstorm. Illustrator Adan Chung sketched a quick interpretation of what popular characters could look like if they were just a wee bit “itty bittier.” Soon, Adan’s simple-but-fresh portrayal of popular licensed characters inspired an entire collection that continues to grow.”
Disney Tsum Tsum®
In July 2014, Disney: Tsum Tsum made its debut in the United States both as an addictive puzzle matching and stacking game, published by Line, and accompanying toys, including a line of plush toys. Tsum Tsum comes from the Japanese word tsumu, which means “to stack” and that is what these toys are great for. First introduced in Japan in 2013 as an accessory to the Disney Tsum Tsum mobile game, which had become a sensation, the toy versions of Disney Tsum Tsum continue to grow in popularity.
The plush versions of Tsum Tsums are available at Disney Stores and online, at Disney theme parks, and at some retail locations like Target. More and more Tsum Tsum characters are being introduced all the time. The Disney characters include those from classic animated movies, Star Wars, Marvel, and characters from Disney theme parks. When the Tsum Tsum plush toys were first introduced in America, the “Oh My Disney” website posted some fun photos of the characters exploring Disneyland.
I thought it would be fun to take a side-by-side comparison look at these two collections:
Hallmark itty bittys start at $6.95, for the original 4” size. Additional itty bitty items have been added to the collection – including “Clippys”, which are great for attaching to backpacks, the larger itty bittys “BIGGYS”, which stand 10.5” tall, and the supersized itty bittys “Jumbos”. On a recent visit to my local Hallmark store I noticed some baby related items have been added to the collection, including some itty bitty baby blankets and baby stacking toys.
Disney Tsum Tsums start at $5.95, for the original mini 3.5” size. There are also medium sized 10” to 12” Tsum Tsums and large sized 16” Tsum Tsums, plus other items besides plush toys such as clothing, books, and other accessories.
Some people only collect itty bittys while others only collect Tsum Tsums. But then there are those, like myself, who collect both. Like with any collectible, some of these plush toys are limited editions and many of them from the first editions have been retired.
Both itty bittys and Tsum Tsums are fun collectibles, but be forewarned that once you have one you may find it difficult to stop collecting them!
Which team are you on? Are you on Team Tsum Tsum or Team itty bitty? Or both?
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