Hello, Poke-people!

[tiny_wai1ord]

I'd like to introduce myself, I'm tiny_wai1ord. I've been interested in Pokemon ever since it came out, and I loved to collect Pokemon Hasbro and Jakks Pacific plush. Now, I'm collecting Pokemon Center plush- not for myself, but for my nephew with autism, with whom I share his Pokemon Center plush collecting adventure. Others' misunderstandings of

Comments

[pokecats]

Welcome to the comm! And I just want to say good on you for doing what you can with your nephew! One of my brothers is severely non verbal autistic (me and my other brother are ADHD *shrug*), and he actually likes to play old NES games, particuraly Snoopy Sports. Thats his thing. I also have a coworker with Down Syndrome. I know how it is!

[tiny_wai1ord]

Thank you for the warm welcome!, and thank you for sharing! It can be tough to be so vigilant all the time, but knowing that there are others who get what it's like is reassuring. I appreciate you reaching out to me not only as a new member, but also as someone who's understanding of living with differences!

[deadboon]

Hi there! Welcome to the community (both you and your nephew, im sure whatever items/knowledge/etc. You find you will both enjoy hopefully)! eBay is my ultimate hunting ground when it comes to great deals! Lots of plush which are favorites of your nephew's are on there! Personally my favorite plush maker sugarstitchplush on etsy has a swablu custom plush for sale, i think! Totally adorable and a pretty good size for a swablu, i think! (If he would approve of something a bit cutesy, lol) i hope you yourself have a great time and enjoy the finds in the community! If you don't mind importing plush, i have a few sites i use that are great for that! See you!

[tiny_wai1ord]

Thank you for the recommendations! I'm checked out sugarsitchplush's plush, and they look adorable and well-made. It must be a lot of work to make them to look that good! I'll keep that option in mind, but I'm afraid my nephew is now a walking little "Mr. Pokemon Center" since I introduced him to Pokemon Center plush. He is infatuated with the softness, look, and even the factory smell of these plush. I've purchased other brands of plush for him, but he appears uninterested in them. Sill, I really appreciate that you took the time to welcome me and provide this new information!

[deadboon]

LOL, no worries and you're welcome! Im glad he at least has good taste ;D Pokemon Center items (especially japan lines) are the BEST! And they're definitely my main collection items. I think gen 3 will eventually come for pokemon fit so that'll be fun! And yes, theres a LOT of love made into those plushies for sure!

[teamcapumon]

Welcome to the community! I have autism as well and I can't say I don't totally get finding solace in collecting Pokemon plush. Are you and/or your nephew big sticklers for branding/making sure things are authentic, and do you care about condition at all? I know when I first started out, I got a lot of affordable Pokemon plush that I thought were really cool at the time, but I later discovered were probably bootlegs :( but I still love them because they brought me so much joy back then, and they helped to save on costs! I'm now moreso into official plush (can't say I'm not tempted by some booties though, especially of those who don't have official plush lol...) and I like collecting sets of things, and I know collecting sets can be a big thing for autistic people so I thought I'd ask. There's probably a lot of affordable bootlegs on ebay that would make great play companions (basically just slightly off-looking official plush, usually identical otherwise and any major defects can usually be fixed with simple repairs), but

[tiny_wai1ord]

Hello, and thank you for welcoming me! Your experiences sound so much like those we've had. I purchased plush that looked identical to the Pokemon Center plush- only to find out that they were bootlegged. The stitching, stuffing, and even the fabric weren't nearly as clean or careful as the official counterparts. To answer your question, I try to be safe and purchase the "real deals" for him. He's unbelievably picky about the way the plush feel, look and smell that he might as well be like a "bootleg detector". Of course, sometimes this also means that I have to research a lot before I find the right plush to purchase. I don't mind doing this at all, though- to me, making my nephew happy is definitely worth it. Thank you for sharing your experiences. It's great to know that others are so supportive in this community!

[teamcapumon]

GOLLY GOSH I RELATE TO THAT...I mean, I usually buy things knowing what I'm getting into, so I can mentally prepare, but still. But you're welcome! You seem like a really sweet person and I'm sure your nephew is grateful for everything you've done for him :) I try to keep an eye on recent plush releases so if you ever have any questions, feel free to ask! I'm not as knowledgeable as some of course but I do my best and I tend to focus on researching specific lines a lot as well!

[tiny_wai1ord]

Thank you for the kind words :) and thank you for offering your help! I've learned a lot more about Pokemon than I ever knew before ever since I joined my nephew on his plush-collecting adventure. With how much the series has grown (and still continues to grow), I have a hard time keeping up with the endless influx of information. That's why I, too, find it helpful to keep my focus as narrow as possible so I don't become so overwhelmed. Still, it's difficult to do it all alone, so I really appreciate any help offered. I'll be sure to ask you if (or, rather, when haha) I have some questions!

[renafan2004]

Welcome to the site, and I find it great that you're sharing a hobby with your nephew. I'm hoping I can do that with my niece but she's only two at the moment. lol

[tiny_wai1ord]

Thank you for the welcome! It's great to hear from others. I'm sure you'll have fun sharing a similar adventure with your niece, as well!

[knighttakesrook]

Welcome! That’s so sweet that you share a hobby with him. You can also look on Mercado for cheap plush too. You might also want to look into the Banpresto I <3 Pikachu plushies. They have some raichu, including a few big and very huggable ones that are usually about $25ish.

[tiny_wai1ord]

Thank you for welcoming me! First, I did a search for Mercado, but this didn't lead anywhere. I searched for Mercado Pokemon, and surprisingly, found a Brazilian Pokemon merchandise website that only seems to sell Pokemon cards. Also, my nephew has sensory issues (typical with autism), which make it difficult for me to switch brands of plush since he doesn't respond well to even the slightest change in the way his plush smell or feel. For this reason, I prefer to stick with Pokemon Center plush, but I appreciate your helpful information.

[knighttakesrook]

Ah sorry that should say Mercari. Autocorrect strikes again. I totally understand, I hope he enjoys his plush friends you find for him:)

[tiny_wai1ord]

Thank you for correcting that. Autocorrect's great, but can work against you sometimes lol. It's very helpful to know about more than one platform to expand my search, so I'll be sure to also check that site. Thanks again for the help!