Jellycats - real vs fake

[PearlTeapot]

There's been a lot of talk here in the christmas forum about Jellycats this year so I thought I'd share an experiment.

I bought the 'Vicky teapot' for £33. I also bought the dupe from Aliexpress for £2.35.

Here are my findings!

Honestly? Not massive difference. The real Jellycat feels better quality; stronger and firmer, it also of course has tags. But the dupe is softer and much better than I expected, zero tags.

If you have a child just get the dupes! If you have a teen or you're an overgrown child like me, stick with the reals.

I’ve seen a few stores stocking these “Palm Pals” brand, a similar vibe to Jellycat for younger kids who aren’t as bothered about the exact company and tag (my 9 year old niece bought a Palm Pals moon on a school trip to the Science Museum and was very pleased with it). Not as cheap as Ali Express but a fraction of the Jellycat price and not a fake with no product safety guarantees etc.
Sorry about the long link

www.auroraworld.co.uk/collections/palm-pals-1?www.auroraworld.co.uk&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22529840790&gbraid=0AAAAAClOOKZ3Xf0cQ0IljoxAH3RMO06ly&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiensr9-VkQMVMplQBh2n8wy2EAAYASAAEgJjPvD_BwE

Not sure I can be bothered avoiding a British company that pays tax here. Supply line traceability is worth paying extra for even if it means the product isn’t an every day purchase.
People in the UK come up with original ideas all the time, and they get stolen and profited from by counterfeiters in China.

And to think I only heard of this brand the other day when I was in a (fairly upmarket) shop in Dublin city and strayed into the part selling stuffed toys and managed to procure myself an original and apparently only just back in stock Jellycat Jack. I just thought it was a cute stuffed toy albeit a bit pricey but when you shop in Brown Thomas in Dublin you know you are paying for something pricey. Did not realise all the hype and faff around the brand at all.

Giving fake toys to children is the last thing anybody should be doing.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqjgz192158o

why are they so Polarising? is it price or scarcity ?
Growing up I remember toys not being this cheap or readily available.

@queenofarles its tiktok etc making things go viral

I saw Palm Pals in WTerstoves and they were eg pretty cute

on the subject of alternatives, I just got this ad on Instagram and thought of this thread:

https://www.gagebeasleyshop.com

My dd who is 2 years old was bought a fake Jellycat for Christmas. I don’t know much about jellycats but something on the tag seemed off, so I researched and found it is a fake. I’m so annoyed, I really don’t want to contribute to the fake market, I would have preferred just an unbranded toy. She really loves it, so I’m not sure what to do.

If it’s a fake Jellycat I would be very wary of the materials used (chemicals, stuffing material, plush shedding, parts wearing off) and that it won’t conform to safety standards, see above news article. If it’s a known branded toy with all safety standards that just has a copycat style, it will be fine. There’s no issue with Palm pals for example.

Also be very careful with the eyes - make sure they can’t come out as I bought my son a jellycat from EBay and the eyes started to come away which is a massive choking hazard

Thanks@HatStickBoots and @arlequin it’s a fake Jellycat, not just a similar style. I’ve hidden it over night and I’m going to try and replace it with a real one. Luckily she hasn’t been asking for it yet. It’s from my in-laws, I’m annoyed they would give this to a 2 year old.