‘I can’t stop buying Jellycats’

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I walk through the cobbled streets of Durham city centre, seeking shelter from the rain. I lower the hood and enter one of the buildings clustered along the main street, where I am greeted by a small gift shop. A group of students have gathered in a corner, moving closer to each other and pushing their elbows to get a better view. Curiosity drives me. I look past a little girl clutching something green and speckled, and then I catch a glimpse: here are piles and piles of stuffed toys, bunnies, sloths, smiling cakes, and dogs in sweaters. I reach out and feel something feathery touch my fingers: an elephant with buttery fur and floppy ears stares back at me. “I am Smudge the elephant, please take care of me,” the label reads. I love it. Before I know it, I’ve touched my card.

At 23 years old, I’m not ashamed to admit that I have a collection of over 100 Jellycats. A beloved name in the world of luxury plush. jelly First launched in 1999 as a small booth at a trade show. Twenty-five years later, it has become a multi-million pound empire, with reported revenues of £200m in 2023. Bill Nighy has declared himself a “big, big Jellycat customer”.

Jellycat exudes a kind of magic that keeps us coming back for more

Jellies feel different; It’s a key part of its appeal. Brothers William and Thomas Gatacre founded the brand after realizing that the toy market needed a refresh. “It felt tired, naked and a bit taxidermic,” William said in 2021. Inspired by Thomas’s then seven-year-old son Jack, who loves cats and jellies, the Jellycats have captured the hearts of adults and children from all over the world. and have even proven to be lucrative investments. Prices start at around £11, but some models such as Dixie, a special edition leopard-print bunny that was retired in 2014, now sell for more than £2,000.

Collector Jessica, 22, and I are going to look for new additions. She hasn’t been collecting as long as I have, but her love is strong. “I love their little faces, don’t you?” he says, picking up a croissant-shaped Jellycat. You already have a smaller version of the cupcake. “I can’t buy two of the same, right?” Jellycat collectors often ask rhetorical questions.

Nearby is a Christmas tree, decorated with Jellycats in the shape of gingerbread men, candy canes and penguins. “I’m saving up for this,” Jessica says, pointing to a fluffy moon. Her tag reads: “I am Gigantic Amuseable Moon, please take care of me.” At 120cm high and priced at £750, at the time of writing there is only one in stock at Selfridges‘ website.

Ours is a costly infatuation. But what is the appeal of these furry animals? I like the feel of cashmere, but I don’t collect cashmere sweaters.

To celebrate its anniversary, Jellycat is releasing a special edition of Jellycat Jack, who appears in its logo, along with new additions of the beloved Bashful Bunny and Bartholomew Bear. They’ve set up shop in spaces around the world, from pop-up restaurants in New York and Shanghai to a pop-up pastry shop in Paris at Galeries Lafayette, where customers select toys inspired by classic French desserts. It seems that no matter the location, Jellycat exudes a kind of magic that keeps us coming back for more; Could that magic lie in something as simple as happiness?

According to research published in The journal of positive psychologyTeddy bears act as “mediators of personal memories,” and the strength of our connection is tied to the real-life events we share with them. Our “emotional bonds outweigh the importance of (their) physical and sensory characteristics.” By creating joyful spaces, we associate our Jellycat friends with lasting memories, often alongside the people we love most.

So if you’re still looking for a gift, why not pick one of my favorite friends? The gift may attract attention, but everyone needs a little Jelly in their lives.