The Companies Behind the Plush

We are all familiar with the long-standing toy companies, such as Mattel, Hasbro and Lego. However, a lot of new popular toys have popped up, such as Squishmallows. Who are behind these new toys that have huge fandoms?

Squishmallows is produced by Kelly Toy Holdings, LLC. Kelly Toy Holdings does not have an active website, but is described as a manufacturer and distributor of plush toys since 1986. Another popular plush line is BumBumz, described as trendy, soft, super-sensory plush and produced by Russ Berrie. Russ Berrie is fully owned by Jazwares LLC since 2018. Kelly Toy partnered with Russ Berrie since 2019 to market and distribute the brand globally. However, it is not as much of a partnership as it may seem since Jazwares acquired a majority stake in Kelly Toy in 2020. So technically, Jazwares brands include both Squishmallows and BumBumz, in addition to licensing plush and figures for the widely popular brand Pokemon. This makes Jazwares a toy company with multiple popular lines.

Another case of a company being behind another company is related to Peeps plush. Peeps plush are primarily produced by Dan Dee International, LLC and Animal Adventures, LLC. Both are plush manufacturers and distributors as well. However, Dan Dee has primarily focused on producing licensed plush and seasonal plush and decor, such as Peeps. Animal Adventures, also a producer of Peeps plush, was purchased by Dan Dee in 2020, but is maintained as a separate brand.

None of this is really new – Mattel has owned American Girl since it’s sale in 1998 for $700 million.

When it gets to licensed plush, you can go down a rabbit hole. In addition to Jazwares, companies that make Pokemon plush in the US include Pokemon Center and Build-a-Bear. Of course, it’s not any better overseas. Pokemon plush in Japan, are not only produced by the Pokemon Company owned Pokemon Center itself, but also include Sanei Co Ltd, Banpresto (a subsidiary of Bandai Spirits division of Bandai), Takara Tomy, and Sekiguchi. However, these are all separate companies that produce licensed products.

Long story short, I find it interesting to delve into the history of the companies behind these toys. This is just a snapshot, but I will be mentioning these companies in future posts as I delve into plush reviews, so consider it your intro.