Stuffed Animals are toy animals stuffed with cotton, straw, beans, and other similar materials. These are an ideal present for a child or animal lover for all gift occasions. They are promotional favorites at children's games, charity functions, and other events. Popular stuffed animals include bears, wild animals, cats, aquatic animals, dogs, winged animals, primates, marsupials, puppets, reptiles, and farm animals. But teddy bears and sock monkeys are classics that remain the most popular among stuffed animals. Stuffed animals tend to have a soothing effect. A child needs something tangible and concrete to hold on during a time of crisis, so stuffed animals make a perfect gift for a child going through bad times. Through the centuries, most societies and cultures used stuffed animals for children's entertainment. Ancient tomb paintings stand testimony to the use of stuffed animals for religious purposes in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamian civilizations. Stuffed animals were often used in plays to represent Biblical animals in medieval Europe. Stuffed animals came to be regarded as an entertainment product in the nineteenth century. These toys assumed the dimensions of an industrial product with the arrival of commercial enterprises. The baby boom of the 1950s created a massive demand for stuffed toy animals. Founded in 1880 in Germany, the Steiff Company was the first commercial company to produce stuffed animals. The production of stuffed animals has been steadily increasing over the years. The earliest stuffed animals were created by filling the empty skins of hunted animals. Today, with the help of modern technology, stuffed animals are created synthetically. Most synthetic stuffed animals have an outer covering made of natural materials to give them a natural look. Modern stuffed animals come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Prices depend on the quality of materials, softness, and the realistic appearance of the stuffed animal. |
