Stuffed animals: the rabbits of the toy world. They breed while you’re not looking, in the dusty corners of your kid’s closet.
Or so I presume. I realized the other day that I have bought my two-year-old daughter exactly three stuffed animals: the flannel bunny she sleeps with, a terrycloth horse, and a Bob the Tomato. And yet, we own about a million of them. The teddy bears alone number at least 10 (a new one came last Sunday).
It’s just wrong. There are way too many of these things. I’m not sure what to do with them–I could send some to my SIL, who’s expecting her first baby, or give them away to a charity, but then I bet my MIL would notice. Or maybe she wouldn’t. But I’m not sure I want to take the risk. OTOH, I’m currently risking drowning by stuffed toys…
I don’t even want to know what happens after 2-3+ kids and more than 2 years. Anyone want to share?
My daughter and her boyfriend went to an arcade in town last weekend. She came home with 5 new stuffed critters. I couldn’t begin to guess how many she has in her room. I know she’s got several large plastic bags full of stuffed critters stored in the attic. And she’s given a number away over the years.
4 kids. 13 years of collecting. And my five year old has never met a stuffed animal she didn’t have to have. PLUS I used to work in a bar with one of those toy crane machines. I was given at least two garbage bags worth of stuffed animals from startled patrons who suddenly realized they had no use for the items they’d won. Plus when they reno’d my sisters office, she brought home a garbage bag full of stuffed animals from the play area.
I am going to have to build an addition just for the animals.
And as soon as the youngest is a few years older, we’re going to have a lesson in donating toys.
My favourite is Larry the Cucumber. I smack him on the butt until he spits out my favourite phrase - “I’m not a pickle, I’m a cucumber”.
Don’t worry about it. When she turns about fourteen or so, the herd will be somewhat culled.
I, too, had clouds of stuffed animals (“bedfriends,” as I called them at the time), of which, of course, there were personal favourites/Best Friends, ones that were on the B-list but that I could never give away, and the hangers-on. I sold the hangers-on at a garage sale when I was fourteen or so; the B-list were boxed when I moved away, to be given to future generations of McLauchlins (including a few that were hand-made by my late grandmother;) and I took the Best Friends with me when I moved out. Their ranks have actually doubled since I’ve had a boyfriend
Hey, man, when you’re little, your stuffed buddies watch your back from closet-and-under-the-bed monsters. Better believe it! I’d have been devoured a million times over without mine!
I think stuffed animals are one of those things that never go away. I’m 27 (or is it 26? I can’t remember) and I probably have as many now as I did when I was a kid. The person buying them for you is really the only thing that changes. It simply goes from your family buying them to your boyfriends, for girls anyway.
I always have trouble getting rid of any because I can remember who gave them to me and each one seems to hold a pleasant memory. My mom keeps asking me which ones I don’t want anymore or for me to bring them back to my place, but I don’t have room for them… and yet I can’t bear to part w/ them… I guess I shall have to get rid of a few just to make her happy…
Teddicide, being discussed on the SMDB, my stomach turns
I think there are those who get, and do not get, the whole teddy thang (teddy being a collective name for all stuffys chez nous). mrsItekis ex made her throw out the mouldy barba-babies from the attic, but I reincarnated them, by hand a number of years later. You know you are doing good when your present makes your girlfriend cry. We each still have our “head-teddy” from when we were kids, Alfie (a bear) and Barbapappa (head of the barba family). Various other teddys have achieved senior status through the years and they are a part of the teddy council. the others just have to do what they’re told…
By the time I was 17 there were almost 300 critters in my room. The smallest was a 1 1/2" bear, the biggest bear about 3’ tall. Just over 100 were hanging from the ceiling (small birds and smaller critters). Others crammed onto shelves and lined up against the wall.
When I left home for good most of them went into a garage sale. I did keep a couple of my favourites, though.
Today I’d say there are about 25 or so around - most in boxes as there is nowhere to put them. Most are Eeyore related but a few other critters for fun.
Call your local historical society or museum and see if they want them. Seriously.
I work in a museum, and while we have toys from all eras out the wazoo, no one has ever donated any stuffed animals. For some reason, people don’t think that museums want “new” things. People don’t seem to realize that they won’t always be new . . . we’ll keep them for a hundred years, and then they’ll be antiques! People hesitate to donate to us unless things are already old, so our collection from the modern era is rather slim. (This will probably sadden our future curators.)
