Coupe
Well-Known Member
I thought I'd make an inventory of all the types of smallish stuffed animals I know/can think of. Small, tiny stuffed animals have always been one of my favorite kinds, b/c I have always needed to carry at least one in my hand/backpack/pocket/shoulder bag in order to feel safe, calm, comfortable and/or focused wherever I am. I love all kinds of stuffed animals and plushies - big, small or medium - but I've always found the smaller ones to be more portable and discreet, when you are out in public or with other people who might notice that you need a stuffed animal to feel calm or stim, and give you a hard time about it.
So, without further ado:
Beanie Babies (or beanbag plush in general) - These have always been some of my favorite toys! I grew up right around the time they were at their height of popularity in the 90s. I loved their texture, the sounds the beans made when you tossed them or tilted them upside-down and right-side-up again, and they were just cute! Ironically, my favorite bean bag animal was actually blue and yellow dolphin knockoff. Beanie Babies are mostly floppy and understuffed, which allows them to fit into backpacks, pouches and pockets pretty well.
Disney Tsum Tsum - I discovered these about 4 years ago, and they've become the Disney merch I love best.
My first Tsum was Dumbo - I loved him b/c he was so cute, and moreover, when I held him in my hand at night, I slept better! I've come to believe that there are certain Tsums that have healing properties for those who love them. My Dory Tsum ("Little Dory") goes everywhere with me in my pocket and has been one of my main comfort items for 2 years. Tsum Tsums originated in Japan and are pill-shaped plush versions of popular Disney/Marvel/Star Wars/Pixar characters. The texture of their "fur" kinda feels like that of the inside of a well-worn hoodie or pair of sweats, and they have chamois tummies. They come in several different sizes - mini, medium/micro and large. Sometimes there are even Tsums of characters that don't get much merch normally, which is also great!
Teeny Tys - I thought it only appropriate to include these right after Tsum Tsums b/c of the similarities. Teeny Tys are basically Tsum-shaped versions of current Ty Beanie Boo plushies - they're awfully cute, and incredibly silky-soft! I have a couple - Gidget from The Secret Life of Pets and a sparkly blue tang fish that I named Cyan and bought as a companion for Little Dory. Teeny Tys are also filled with glass beads, which give them a nice weight, too.
Hallmark Itty Bittys - Itty Bittys are very soft and cute plushies from Hallmark that are based on popular characters - Marvel, DC, Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Rainbow Brite, Hello Kitty, etc. Their design has a simple yet cute and charming doll-like quality. My first Itty Bitty was Sully from Monsters Inc, and "Baby Sully", along with Baby Piglet, Itty Bitty Fluttershy and Itty Bitty Dory are my favorite ones. As the name implies, Itty Bittys are only 4 inches tall (give or take), making them very portable.
Surprizamals - Surprizamals are cute, tiny stuffed animals that come in little balls that you open up to see which animal is inside, just like with "surprise bags/boxes." You don't know which animal you will get until the ball is opened. They also come with checklists you can use to keep track of the ones you have, if you collect them. They have cute expressions and sparkly eyes reminiscent of Ty Beanie Boos (huge sparkly wide eyes seem to be a trend in the plush industry lately, I've noticed) Each Surprizamal plushie literally fits right in the palm of your hand, and is incredibly soft to the touch.
Smooshees - Smooshees are tiny soft, squishy plushies from the 80s made of more or less the same fabric as Puffalumps (In fact, I tend to refer to them as "pocket-size Puffalumps"). Their "smooshy" quality means that they are easily concealed in pockets and in your hand, no problem. The original toy ads from the 80s (on Youtube) show young children gleefully demonstrating the toys' abilities to "smoosh" into their accompanying accessories in a way that, IMO, calls to mind the scene in Toy Story 3 where the toddlers at Sunnyside Daycare manhandle Andy's toys. Smooshees came in a variety of animals/creatures/human characters, and are quite sweet. My favorite one is a purple raccoon named Rascal.
World's Smallest Pound Puppies/Pound Puppies 90s reboots - When I was a kid in the 90s, the Pound Puppies (the cute, sad little dog plushies from the 80s, not too long before my time) got a reboot in which they were incredibly small and came in many different varieties besides dogs and cats - there were sea creatures, ponies, pigs, bunnies, and jungle animals. I loved them and remember buying some at Target with my Grandma, who also liked them and had a couple out for decoration at her house. A year ago, a toy brand called "World's Smallest" also produced a line of about 4 or 5 tiny Pound Puppies, which are also very soft and fit right in the palm of your hand like Surprizamals. I was thrilled to discover them b/c they reminded me of the tiny Pound Puppies I had as a kid. I have a little black lab Pound Puppy named "Shad" (short for Shadow) and a 90s "Pound Ocean" orca named Otis who lives in my shoulder bag.
....And there are many other types of small, pocket-size plushies to be found, such as Kawaii Cubes, Mopeez, and Stackers - I just wanted to wax poetic about the ones I am most familiar with here. What types/brands of stuffed animals and plushies is everyone else interested in, or recommend for comfort, companionship and/or stimming?
So, without further ado:
Beanie Babies (or beanbag plush in general) - These have always been some of my favorite toys! I grew up right around the time they were at their height of popularity in the 90s. I loved their texture, the sounds the beans made when you tossed them or tilted them upside-down and right-side-up again, and they were just cute! Ironically, my favorite bean bag animal was actually blue and yellow dolphin knockoff. Beanie Babies are mostly floppy and understuffed, which allows them to fit into backpacks, pouches and pockets pretty well.
Disney Tsum Tsum - I discovered these about 4 years ago, and they've become the Disney merch I love best.
My first Tsum was Dumbo - I loved him b/c he was so cute, and moreover, when I held him in my hand at night, I slept better! I've come to believe that there are certain Tsums that have healing properties for those who love them. My Dory Tsum ("Little Dory") goes everywhere with me in my pocket and has been one of my main comfort items for 2 years. Tsum Tsums originated in Japan and are pill-shaped plush versions of popular Disney/Marvel/Star Wars/Pixar characters. The texture of their "fur" kinda feels like that of the inside of a well-worn hoodie or pair of sweats, and they have chamois tummies. They come in several different sizes - mini, medium/micro and large. Sometimes there are even Tsums of characters that don't get much merch normally, which is also great! Teeny Tys - I thought it only appropriate to include these right after Tsum Tsums b/c of the similarities. Teeny Tys are basically Tsum-shaped versions of current Ty Beanie Boo plushies - they're awfully cute, and incredibly silky-soft! I have a couple - Gidget from The Secret Life of Pets and a sparkly blue tang fish that I named Cyan and bought as a companion for Little Dory.
Teeny Tys are also filled with glass beads, which give them a nice weight, too.Hallmark Itty Bittys - Itty Bittys are very soft and cute plushies from Hallmark that are based on popular characters - Marvel, DC, Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Rainbow Brite, Hello Kitty, etc. Their design has a simple yet cute and charming doll-like quality. My first Itty Bitty was Sully from Monsters Inc, and "Baby Sully", along with Baby Piglet, Itty Bitty Fluttershy and Itty Bitty Dory are my favorite ones. As the name implies, Itty Bittys are only 4 inches tall (give or take), making them very portable.
Surprizamals - Surprizamals are cute, tiny stuffed animals that come in little balls that you open up to see which animal is inside, just like with "surprise bags/boxes." You don't know which animal you will get until the ball is opened. They also come with checklists you can use to keep track of the ones you have, if you collect them. They have cute expressions and sparkly eyes reminiscent of Ty Beanie Boos (huge sparkly wide eyes seem to be a trend in the plush industry lately, I've noticed
) Each Surprizamal plushie literally fits right in the palm of your hand, and is incredibly soft to the touch.Smooshees - Smooshees are tiny soft, squishy plushies from the 80s made of more or less the same fabric as Puffalumps (In fact, I tend to refer to them as "pocket-size Puffalumps"
). Their "smooshy" quality means that they are easily concealed in pockets and in your hand, no problem. The original toy ads from the 80s (on Youtube) show young children gleefully demonstrating the toys' abilities to "smoosh" into their accompanying accessories in a way that, IMO, calls to mind the scene in Toy Story 3 where the toddlers at Sunnyside Daycare manhandle Andy's toys. Smooshees came in a variety of animals/creatures/human characters, and are quite sweet. My favorite one is a purple raccoon named Rascal.World's Smallest Pound Puppies/Pound Puppies 90s reboots - When I was a kid in the 90s, the Pound Puppies (the cute, sad little dog plushies from the 80s, not too long before my time) got a reboot in which they were incredibly small and came in many different varieties besides dogs and cats - there were sea creatures, ponies, pigs, bunnies, and jungle animals. I loved them and remember buying some at Target with my Grandma, who also liked them and had a couple out for decoration at her house. A year ago, a toy brand called "World's Smallest" also produced a line of about 4 or 5 tiny Pound Puppies, which are also very soft and fit right in the palm of your hand like Surprizamals. I was thrilled to discover them b/c they reminded me of the tiny Pound Puppies I had as a kid. I have a little black lab Pound Puppy named "Shad" (short for Shadow) and a 90s "Pound Ocean" orca named Otis who lives in my shoulder bag.
....And there are many other types of small, pocket-size plushies to be found, such as Kawaii Cubes, Mopeez, and Stackers - I just wanted to wax poetic about the ones I am most familiar with here.
What types/brands of stuffed animals and plushies is everyone else interested in, or recommend for comfort, companionship and/or stimming? 
