Duffy merchandise proves to be extremely popular - purchase limits coming into effect

baymenxpac

baymenxpac

Well-Known Member
erasure fan1 said:
I think the bigger issue is not that Disney created him to make money but more how blatant they were at doing it. It just seems so forced. If he was in one of the movies or they had made a short with him... I would say OK, I get it. But its just, hey lets create a bear and sell it! Who cares if it has no significance to anything, we'll just create some back story and WHAM! It has the Disney name on it so people will love it!
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i get it. i totally do. and i'm not saying people are wrong to criticize it. but personally, i think the back story is cute. of all the trash i've been sold in my life, both from disney and not, i at least appreciate the fact that they're attached some kind of story to it.
 
I_heart_Tigger

I_heart_Tigger

Well-Known Member
I don't have a hate on for Duffy merch but I was disappointed the last time I went to the Germany pavilion and saw that the dolls were gone and replaced by Duffy. My niece had made a doll that looked just like her and wore Belle's dress (like she had on her first visit) and I was hoping to show my 2 girlfriends the doll shop on my last visit because they thought it was so cute.

There were aisles and aisles of Duffy stuff but not much for dolls.

My sister actually wanted to get me a Duffy bear for Christmas because my dog's name is Duffy and he kind of looks like a teddy bear (actually the breed, Soft Coated Wheaton Terriers, are called teddy bears)

So while I like Duffy, I was saddened to see it replaced some more unique items and I certainly didn't find Duffy supplies seemed low on my trip in mid-April. (Although I remember the first time I had inventoried the leather bracelets in the Canadian pavilion and when I told the manager we have just over 2000 in stock she frantically called and ordered more - so low supplies at Disney is very much a relative term)
 
TravisMT81

TravisMT81

Well-Known Member
Here is a novel idea, pull the merchandise from every single resorts and park store and make it exclusive to Epcot like it was intended.
 
Brava Centauri

Brava Centauri

Member
I've been at the parks every other day for nearly the past week, and saw absolutely no lack of Duffy stuff. I do agree that it sounds like a marketing ploy. But the fact that not only is Duffy still around, but I continue to see more Duffy items for sale tells me that U.S. visitors are buying into him enough to justify producing more.

He's still a walk-up for his meet/greet, though.

I'm in the camp that resents the movement of WDW to mass-produced, non-unique, cheaply made, child-centric merchandise that is available no matter where you go (even from home via The Disney Store).
 
HM Spectre

HM Spectre

Well-Known Member
MAF said:
:ROFLOL: Nice try Disney but people aren't that stupid. Its obvious they are cutting off the supply in a pathetic attempt to push the demand.
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Now where would you possibly get the idea that Disney would stoop that low?

Orlando-Sentinal-Disney-Vault.jpg
 
figment1988

figment1988

Member
but you know, if this turns out to be a demand instigator which becomes successful, it might convince disney's higher ups to release Shellie May in the US Disney Parks.
 
disney fan 13

disney fan 13

Well-Known Member
I'm in the camp that resents the movement of WDW to mass-produced, non-unique, cheaply made, child-centric merchandise that is available no matter where you go (even from home via The Disney Store).[/QUOTE]

Agreed
 
Tom Morrow

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
warlord said:
Japan is crazy about duffy.. Ebay+international shipping = Big Profits
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Well that's because he originated there, so why would they need to have him shipped from the states when they already sell it there?

I swear, Duffy over here must be some sort of experiment to see if they can create a craze over something that people have no attachment to. The Duffy merchandise at WDW was always VERY well stocked because it just isn't all that popular. Its just a teddy bear, only vaguely different than a Build-A-Bear bear. His back story is "Minnie made him for Mickey when Mickey went sailing for some reason and they met Donald, Goofy (despite that Mickey probably wouldn't have to sail to meet Goofy and Donald), Aladdin, and Jasmine."

That's it! I'm sold!
shut-up-and-take-my-money1.jpg
 
invader

invader

Well-Known Member
Tom Morrow said:
Well that's because he originated there, so why would they need to have him shipped from the states when they already sell it there?
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Well, as stated previously in the thread Japan has an even tighter leash on people buying Duffy items. It's 3 instead of 5.
 
T

The Hammer

Banned
Things I learned from this thread:

1. A bunch of 40 year old men on the internet are mad that a teddy bear named Duffy is a popular merchandise item with women and girls.

2. If certain people here don't like something, they must invent a conspiracy theory to explain why it's actually a failure. See Avatar thread.
 
Pioneer Hall

Pioneer Hall

Well-Known Member
Florida Dreamin said:
Well, as stated previously in the thread Japan has an even tighter leash on people buying Duffy items. It's 3 instead of 5.
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Plus they also don't make the exact same things in Japan that they make in the states. There are WDW exclusive Duffy items that probably can be sold in Japan. How popular or how often that happens though is beyond me.
 
sweetpee_1993

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
Not going into my opinion of Duffy again. Does it matter? Some people hate the little teddy bear and some people think he's adorable & cuddly. It is what it is.

I suspect this limit is related to US parks Duffys getting into the Japanese markets. As was previously stated, he's wildly popular over there, where everything Kawaii is all the rage. Over there people line up for hours for new Duffy merch releases. They're very limited as to how many of any one thing they can purchase. Frequently the shelves are stripped bare within very short periods of time. I haven't searched eBay recently for Duffy but in the past there's been numerous listings for lots of 10, 15, 20+ of the same Duffy (in various sizes or editions). I always wondered who would purchase 20 identical Duffys. The listings weren't cheap. The price break per bear wasn't super significant. I figured maybe a seller had a hookup with a CM scoring them with a discount or something. Now that the limits have come up it makes sense that these lots are maybe intended for Japanese buyers to pick up on. I don't know why the Japanese would want a US version other than the novelty of it. The outfits & accessories they have are way better detailed and interesting. I don't like the stuff they have in the US because it looks cheap and chintzy to me. I guess maybe the Japanese just like having complete collections that include the stuff over here, too. Anywhoo, that's why I think these purchase quantity limits are being imposed. Just my 2 cents....
 
unkadug

unkadug

Follower of "Saget"The Cult
lebeau said:
I did try to order 6 Duffy dolls at the Disney Store website and got the following message...

"Oops! You can only purchase 5 Duffy the Disney Bear Plush Toy -- 17'' H.
Please remove 1 Duffy the Disney Bear Plush Toy -- 17'' H from your Shopping Bag before Checkout."

Take that for what it's worth.
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You can still order 5 of every different 17" Duffy though (Lightyear, Aviator, Sailor, Plain Plush, etc.). So if I wanted to eBay them to Japan for mega-bucks I would still have no trouble stocking up. :shrug:

Sounds like artificial supply and demand to me also.
 
Tom Morrow

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
The Hammer said:
Things I learned from this thread:

1. A bunch of 40 year old men on the internet are mad that a teddy bear named Duffy is a popular merchandise item with women and girls.

2. If certain people here don't like something, they must invent a conspiracy theory to explain why it's actually a failure. See Avatar thread.
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1. Well I for one, am not even close to 40 years old, and

2. Duffy is NOT that popular with women and girls in the US. They tried to make him popular, though.
 

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