The Jellycat Story
It seems that for most little ones, a Jellycat bunny is a rite of passage. A Small Bashful Beige Bunny as a gift for a newborn, a Medium Jellycat Bunny as a cherished birthday gift and a replacement when that bunny that has found a strange place of its own within the family inevitably gets lost on holiday or loses its ear after being tugged around lovingly for years on end.
What started in the UK in 1999 as a quaint little stuffed toy company has now spread around the globe as much-loved companions and full-scale collections. In the past decade, these lovable bunnies and toys have made their mark as Jellycat Australia spreads its collection from their much-loved bunnies to Jellycat books and Jellycat Dinosaurs- just to name some of their expansions.
Jellycat toys have made their mark on Australian kids (and their parents) through their soft and huggable texture, their little arms legs and ears which are perfect from birth for little ones to clutch on to, suck on and chew and wash and wear well for long-term love and sleep time comfort. These little toys truly do make a huge impression on the families in which they have become a fixture.
With a current range including hundreds of Jellycat toys and constant new releases, there truly is something for everyone. If the traditional Bashful Bunny isn’t your thing, you can always branch out across the Jellycat range for one of the adorable Jellycat dogs (with a range spanning from Pugs to the gorgeously golden Toffee Puppy). Or, for those who are prehistorically obsessed, the range of Jellycat dinosaurs truly is the collection of dreams- from the more comically designed Rumpletum and Bashful Dinos to the Fossilly Brontosaurus and Fossilly T-rex.
As well as the year-round life-long favourites, Jellycat also does seasonal releases including their Jellycat Christmas and Easter ranges that span from Christmas puddings to Easter bunnies. These collections are much anticipated and often begin selling out in retailers months before the holiday- loved by children and adults alike.
In our store, the most anticipated sight for new visitors is the wall of Jellycats we have erected to house our ever-growing collection (141 Jellycat pieces and counting). People have made Raspberry Lane Boutique their destination for Jellycat in Southern Tasmania- and for good reason. At Raspberry Lane Boutique, our collection of Jellycat toys includes the much-loved Small and Medium Bashful Bunnies, spanning all the way to the “Very Big” Beige Bashful Bunny that stands at over a meter tall (towering over most little ones who visit, making them great for a cuddle) and is a must for any Jellycat fan with a growing collection.
As a parent with a little one with a newfound love for a Jellycat companion, it is the best advice that we can give you to always grab a backup of your beloved Jellycat toy. It is not uncommon for Jellycat to discontinue designs to make way for exciting new releases and it is always our first question when meeting a little one clutching their well-loved (and washed a few times) Jellycat- do you have a back-up? Distraught parents come in-store or give us a call with the unfortunate news that Bun-Bun has been lost on holiday, lost an ear, or been claimed by the family’s new puppy and it’s a sad day when we have to inform them that their beloved Jellycat has been discontinued.
If this does unfortunately occur, our best advice to you is to bring your little one in-store to choose their new companion- it can be the thing to turn a catastrophe into an amazing adventure when your little one can choose a new forever friend from a towering wall of fluffy Jellycat toys! (Just make sure you grab a backup this time).