18 FUN FACTS ABOUT STUFFED ANIMALS YOU DIDN’T KNOW

Stuffed toys mean a lot to many people. There are many fun facts about stuffed animals that show how important they can be. Or how... unusual people can be. We tried to gather a few fun facts, but this is just the tip of a huge iceberg ?. If you have any more, we'd be happy to hear from you in the comments or via email.

1) Fact #1: The origin story of stuffed animals does not have a happy ending.

You all know the classic teddy bears. But have you ever wondered why they are also called "Teddy" and not just teddy bears?

During a hunting trip in 1902, one of Theodore Roosevelt's companions managed to capture a bear and tie it to a tree so that the president, who had not yet managed to kill it, could do him the honor of shooting it. But when Roosevelt saw the cub, he walked away, declaring that it would be unsportsmanlike to kill the poor creature. Inspired by a cartoon of the story, a Brooklyn store owner obtained the president's permission to call his stuffed animals "Teddy Bears . "

But the whole hunting story isn’t all warm and fuzzy. Roosevelt told his companion to “put an end to his suffering,” and so the man killed the bear with a knife after the president left. An additional fun fact is that Roosevelt didn’t like being called Teddy at all? . Did you know that the history of stuffed animals goes back much further? Check out the full history of stuffed animals .

2)  Fact #2:  Teddy bears would still exist if it weren't for Theodore Roosevelt

German toymaker Margarete Steiff founded the Steiff Company in 1880 and was the first commercial company to produce stuffed toys. She actually made a teddy bear after a trip to the zoo inspired her nephew to design a teddy bear which he commissioned her to make in 1903.

She was afraid the bears would be too scary for children, so she designed them with button-like eyes, sewn-on mouths and noses, and movable arms and legs - very similar to the American bears that became so popular.

3) Fact #3:  Winnie the Pooh is Based on the Story of a Real Pooh

Winnie the Pooh is one of the most famous teddy bears. He was born during the 20th century. A Canadian soldier bought a black bear cub from a hunter during World War I, and the animal became a pet and mascot for his troop.

The bear, named Winnipeg, was later donated to the London Zoological Gardens, where Christopher Robin Milne, the son of the author of Winnie the Pooh, loved him so much that he named his teddy bear after him . Winnie? is so popular that in 2006 he even got his own star on his way to Hollywood fame. But I bet all he wanted was honey.

4) Fact #4: The Celebrity of Stuffed Animals

Another famous stuffed animal?:  Russian Cheburashka . It is also known as Topple in English.

He is a cross between a monkey and a bear . His name comes from a play on words and, roughly translated, means tumbled or to tumble. Given his big round ears and head, tumbling comes easy to Cheburashka!

5) Fact #5:  Teddy Bears Mourn the Titanic

After the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, German toy company Steiff created 500 teddy bears to honor the victims. The "mourning bears" were black with red eyes to show sympathy. They now sell for $20,000 or more at auction.

6)  Fact #6:  Plush Toys Are Easier to Clean

Stuffed animals were unhygienic until toymakers Wendy Boston and Ken Williams invented washable teddy bears in 1954. Toys made in Wales used nylon instead of mohair, wood wool, kapok, and other hard-to-clean materials. If you're not sure how to clean them without damaging them, you can check out 5 Effective Ways to Clean Stuffed Animals .

7)  Fact #7:  Teddy Bears Can Be Tiny...

The smallest commercially available sewn teddy bear measures just 7.5mm , made by South African "microbe" maker Cheryl Moss, whose largest creations are just over half an inch tall.

8)  Fact #8:  ...but Stuffed Toys Can Be Giant Too

The world's largest sewn teddy bear was made in 2008 in America, where it's bigger than ever. The 16-metre, 80-centimetre creation  is called CTDreams, which stands for "Connect the Dreams", and you can visit it at the Exploration Place in Wichita, Kansas, a state that's literally flatter than a pancake. Check out our giant stuffed animals , everyone loves them!

9)  Fact #9:  It is Possible to Win One (or Two or 3,000) Stuffed Animals in an Arcade

Yuka Nakajima is the undisputed world champion of claw machines, called "UFO catchers" in Japan, where she is from. She has managed to catch more than 3,500 teddy bears in arcade games?!

10)  Fact #10:  These are the Toys that have Traveled the Most

Between 2009 and 2010, British company ISPY sent teddy bear Raymondo on a journey that earned him the status of the world's most travelled toy mascot. In less than a year, he travelled 406,000 miles (636,664.5 km) , crossing six continents and 35 countries with crew members and sponsors.

11) Fact #11:  Stuffed Animals Even Travel in Space!

Magellan Teddy Bear became the first teddy bear to go into space when he boarded the space shuttle Discovery in 1995. But he wasn't just a vacationing bear, he was the mission's "education specialist," having been a project for a Colorado elementary school. The bear went on to travel around the world, visit the South Pole, and more.

12)  Fact #12:  Teddy Bear's Birthday

Did you know that teddy bears or as we established above, the Teddy Bear, are the most popular type of stuffed animals? They are over 125 years old? .

For their 125th anniversary, a special teddy bear was made . It was so exclusive that it is actually the most expensive ever made. It was sold for the impressive price of $193,000.

13)  Fact #13:  The Travel Agency... for your Teddy Bear

In Japan, there is a travel agency  ? that is entirely dedicated to plush toys. Are your stuffed animals tired of playing endlessly with you? They can take a nice break by traveling around the world.

The agency's basic service is to show stuffed animals around Tokyo . But if you are very generous, you can send your stuffed animal to Paris, London and other cities in Europe and even the United States.

Unagi Travel even posts photos of your furry friends during their travels so you can see where they are and share some of the fun. You can also make sure your stuffed animal is feeling happy and enjoying the trip.

14)  Fact #14:  Your Teddy Bear Collection Has No Chance

Jackie Miley of Hilly City, South Dakota, has the largest teddy bear collection in the world. As of 2012, she owned 8,026 teddy bears .

15)  Fact #15:  Drinking Coffee… With Stuffed Animals!

Staying in Japan again, you may find a cafe ☕ that has a special type of visitors . In fact, they are not visitors. They live there and keep company with the cafe's customers.

Yes, the cafe has plenty of stuffed animals to keep visitors company? if they feel like having a special friend. Now that's coffee (or tea) in a nice environment.

16)  Fact #16:  Stuffed Animals Took a Ride on Belmont Park Roller Coaster (San Diego)

Many theme parks are closed due to the pandemic, but this is also an opportunity. One of them is that stuffed animals can enjoy the rides? . That's what Belmont Park, in San Diego, did a few days ago. The roller coaster held a special event in which several stuffed animals took a ride.

The Big Dipper roller coaster has to run multiple times a day, no matter what . It's a very old roller coaster - 95 years old. So it has to run multiple times a day to keep its machines running. But the park staff doesn't want empty seats. So they decided to strap a dozen stuffed animals to the seats and let them ride.

As you can imagine, the stuffed animals loved the experience . They love to have fun and riding the historic roller coaster for free was a great experience.

17)  Fact #17:  Stuffed Animals Are Awesome

The main assumption is that stuffed toys are for kids. In fact, over the years, they have become a great gift ? for everyone . Many people give stuffed animals for Valentine's Day. But they are also given for graduations, sporting events (like the  2018 Olympics in PyeongChang ), and many more.

The reason is simple: they are simply awesome ? . If you are not convinced yet, we have 9 more reasons why stuffed animals are awesome  !

18)  Fact #18:  10 More Facts About Stuffed Toys:

• Stuffed animals are soft and made in many different shapes and sizes. They often resemble animals or cartoon characters and are often given as gifts for birthdays or holidays like Valentine's Day. to express feelings of love.

• The first patented stuffed toy was a rabbit from Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit stories.

• Some antique stuffed toys ⏳, notably Steiff toys from the late 1800s and early 1900s, have sold for hundreds or even thousands of dollars .

• During ancient Egypt and Rome, the poorest people made rag dolls stuffed with straw, beans, cotton or wool.

• Amigurumi is a type of Japanese stuffed animal that is hand knitted or crocheted. Amigurumis are usually made to be cute – with an oversized head and undersized extremities.

• Stuffed animals are also called " stuffed animals ", " plush toys ", " soft toys ", " doudous ", and " cuddly toys ".

• Over the years, stuffed toys have been stuffed with fibers, wool, plastic pellets, beans, cotton, thatch and straw.

• Stuffed toys are often shaped like animals or other objects .

• Electronics and mechanics are sometimes placed inside plush toys to allow them to be interactive, such as moving or making sounds ?.

• Stuffed toys are toys made of fabric and stuffed with some kind of stuffing material.

So, now that you know these 18 (even 28) fun and awesome facts about stuffed animals?, you can enjoy these awesome stuffed animals  and give them to your kids or friends right away! 

And one last little reminder; if you have any other fun facts about stuffed animals, feel free to share them in the comments? . We'd love to hear from you.