The History of Soft Toys
The first popular stuffed soft toy was not the teddy bear as you might think but a cat. Not Hello Kitty, but Ithaca Kitty! Ithaca Kitty was originally a sew at home toy, made from muslin fabric, and sold more than 200,000 in the USA in its first Christmas selling season in 1893. The popularity of Ithaca Kitty led the makers to expand the range to include kitten, dogs, bunnies and dolls.
At the beginning of the 1900’s the Steiff factory in Germany and Michtom in the USA both simultaneously created stuffed teddy bears we know and still love today. The popularity of teddy bears as children’s toys grew quickly and has not stopped.
At Beehive Toy Factory we have our own Edward Bear who is a plush soft toy and is a very smart chap in his spotted tie. My own favourites in the animal range are Otto the Dog who just needs to be hugged and the cute Bonnie Bunny with floral fabric.
Which one is your favourite?