There’s a new collectible plush brand hitting stores that kids and kidults will dig.
Ami Amis is a collection of knitted plush friends from JAKKS Pacific that is based on themes developed around “the joys in life,” including music, food, animals, and nostalgia. While the toys are small (each one is approximately 4-inches tall), the collection will be BIG.
The first wave of Ami Amis is available at Walmart with a total of 30 fun characters to look out for. Kids can curate a collection of these cozy cuties by focusing on the theme, rarity, or interest, or they can just collect them all!
Having two girls myself, I know that knitting and crocheting have become popular activities for the tween set in recent years, so when I showed my kids a few Ami Amis, they were an immediate hit right off the bat. They look handmade, but at an elevated level with cool details and embroidery.
Personally, I’m a big fan of Carl the hot dog. Aside from the fact that Carl is just plain cute, I appreciate the fact that he has a nice, embroidered squiggle of mustard on the top. If you’re from Chicagoland, as I am, then you know that you never, ever put ketchup on a hot dog (seriously, it’s a thing)! Tammy Tunes (turntable), Frenchie Le Toast (French toast), and Fizzles the soda pop are some other personal faves.
From the start, JAKKS Pacific has developed this range with collectors in mind.
There are common, rare, and ultra-rare designs. Each character has a backstory on its hangtag, and the ultra-rare characters come with a tag protector (hat tip to the Beanie Babies collectors!) and a special holographic sticker. You may notice that each Ami Amis plush also has a ribbon loop on it. This is so that kids can hang them for display, but there may be something more to watch out for, as JAKKS Pacific says that they will offer some form of display option later this year.
In April, Ami Amis will be available at retailers everywhere as the second wave debuts with another 30 characters to collect — but we’re still only seeing the tip of the cozy plush iceberg.
By the end of this year, JAKKS Pacific says that more than 200 characters will be available! It might be a good idea to tell the kids to start saving up their allowances — and don’t swipe the hot dog or the record player from daddy’s desk.
