Some stuffed animals are very old  home made cloth dolls stuffed with straw go back to at least the 1830s, perhaps much older. The most well known type of stuffed toy is likely the teddy bear. They are often used as comfort objects.

History

Stuffed animals in the past were used for random stuffing of the evacuated skins of hunted animals. The phrase is still sometimes used to refer to examples of taxidermy. However, with modern technology it is now possible to produce them with synthetic materials. For this reason, plush toy or plushie (U.S. English) or soft toy (British English) may be more appropriate names for modern synthetic stuffed animals.

The first commercial concern to create stuffed toys is apparently the Steiff company, founded in 1880 in Giengen an der Brenz, Germany.

Among the most popular types of classic stuffed animals are teddy bears and sock monkeys.

Today

Stuffed animals are bought for a variety of reasons. Some are bought for display in home or a work place. They can also be given as gifts, such as for graduation, Valentine's Day birthdays, any kind of special day, or just as an expression of thought.

Current brands

Some popular commercial manufacturers include Ty, Disney, Steiff, Gund, Russ Berrie, Ganz (toy company), and Build-A-Bear Workshop.

See also

• Teddy bear, a common type of children's stuffed toy
• Tickle Me Elmo
• Beanie Baby
• Webkinz
• Pawparazzi

Image gallery

Image:Bunny.jpg| Bunny stuffed animal, with headphones. Image:Plush Toys.JPG| Popular stuffed animals include common domestic pets such as monkeys and hamsters. Image:Teddy bear.JPG| This is a stuffed animal of a bear cub. Image:HIPPO.JPG| This is a stuffed animal hippo.

Image:Smokey.jpg| This is a plush teddy bear. Image:pipi_pig.jpg| Pig holding a Kinder Surprise chocolate Image:CTC_remote_tuna_drinks.jpg|A unique stuffed cat, with Tuna and TV remote. Image:PolarBear1.jpg|Stuffed polar bear, just out of the bath Image:PolarBear2.jpg|Stuffed polar bear, drying off after his bath Image:Polarbearstuffed.JPG|A stuffed Polar Bear

External Links

Make your own plushies