Lucy’s ‘Guide to Ty’

Named after the company’s founder, Ty Warner (pronounced like tie – don’t ever say T-Y in front of him – apparently, he gets mad!) Ty toys are a bit like marmite.

My observations from working in the shop are parents start off hating them saying, “they are sooo ugly”, “why is its face like that?!” and, looking at a panda/unicorn cross-breed, “what even IS it?”!
Kids on the other hand, kids can’t get enough.

On a Saturday morning in Toyville the Ty stand tends to be the main attraction. Little fluffy sloths, big eyed blue penguins, squashy pink owls, all get clutched with little sticky hands; “PLEASE mummy!!”. Responses range from “it’s your pocket money, buy what you like” to “not ANOTHER soft toy!”. But the thing is with Ty, ranging from £3.49 – £9.99 in price, a few weeks pocket money can secure one. Going to a friend’s party? You know what’s a hit and around £5…. You’ve got it. And then the parent’s start to come round, “I used to hate them but…”

One of my sons has a ‘horn gang’ consisting of all the beenie boos that have unicorn horns. He has renamed them, choosing to ignore their given names, and instead going for the likes of, Chargo, UniCat, and Panda hands. They line his bed as if on guard. The other son buys all the teeny Ty range, they gather in the corner of his bed, like a group of prairie voles huddling together for warmth.

There’s just something about these soft toys. Maybe it’s the sparkly eyes, maybe it’s that they have birthdays, maybe it’s the fantastical creature combinations or maybe it’s the price. Whatever it is, I think they are a permanent feature in both Toyville and the bedrooms of kids for a long time to come.