"There was a time when adults who owned collections of stuffed toys were relatively uncommon, weird even. All that has changed recently: the rise in popularity of toys such as Squishmallows and Jellycat Amuseables has been linked to the growing kidult market (adults buying toys for themselves) which accounted for almost 30% of toy sales last year. On the whole, cuddly toys are something people keep at home, on their beds or on display shelves."
"And some Disney adults (self-professed grown up Disney fans who might, for example, go to the theme parks without taking children with them) have gone one step further: attaching toys not just to their bags, but to themselves. Shoulder pals (variously known as shoulder plushies, shoulder toys and shoulder sitters) are small toys made in the likeness of Disney characters. They have magnetic bases and come with a flat metal plate designed to be placed under your shirt, so the toy perches on your shoulder."
"Since the first one, baby Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy, was brought out in 2018, these toys have become a common accessory at the Disney theme parks. There are multiple Reddit threads and TikTok videos about how to track down the latest ones (some are sold at the Disney store, but others are only available at specific locations within the parks)."
Adult collecting of stuffed toys has grown substantially, with kidult purchases making up nearly 30% of toy sales. Cuddly toys have shifted from home displays to everyday accessories such as plush keyrings and wearable shoulder pals. Shoulder pals are small Disney-character plushies with magnetic bases and a thin metal plate placed under clothing so the toy perches on the shoulder. Baby Groot’s 2018 release helped popularize them at Disney parks, and social platforms host threads and videos tracking park-exclusive releases. Official offerings are expanding while many knockoffs, budget retailers and DIY versions circulate online and in parks.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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