The Jellycat 'black market': How toy brand with 'cult following' has driven a surge in selling second hand that may be linked to shoplifting
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Women all over the world have forked out thousands of pounds to get their hands on the plush toy trend sweeping across the internet. The British brand Jellycat has seen an exponential surge in sales over the last year with devoted collectors shedding armfuls of cash for the toys - which typically retail between £12 and £200.
![[And while Beanie Babies may lost their spark with the world, the appetite for plush toys is not one that has waned, but instead paved the way for a new brand of goggle eyed teddies to take over three decades later]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/08/12/93866373-14262117-image-a-12_1736338292325.jpg)
Defying all age brackets, thousands of fully-grown adults have become obsessed with the plushies, which come in an array of designs from food and drinks such as the 'Sassy Sushi Egg' and animals like the 'Clunky Cockerel'. But while seemingly innocent, the trendy designs bear a darker underside. As demand has skyrocketed, so has their profitability and thus emerged a band of 'steal to sell shoplifters'.
![[As sales have surged and millennial and Gen Z women have increasingly pushed the limit on how much they are willing to spend on the trendy plushies - so has emerged a community of Jellycat shoplifters]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/08/12/93866365-14262117-image-a-14_1736338360122.jpg)
According to The Guardian, the highly-sought after toys have sparked a 'crime surge', as shoplifters look to cash in on demand as they steal products to sell them on at inflated prices. Many of the highly popular toys have been released as collections, with a number of older or 'retired' designs raking in hundreds - sometimes thousands - on secondhand retailers like Vinted and eBay.
![[Beanie Babies may soon be dethroned as the world's most collectible stuffed toy against the rise of the Jellycat. One TikTok user shows off her collection in a still from one of her posts above]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/08/11/93670533-14262117-Beanie_Babies_may_soon_be_dethroned_as_the_world_s_most_collecti-a-4_1736334850005.jpg)
Meanwhile, high street retailers across the country have reported a rise in 'stealing to sell' shoplifting. Toy shops across the nation have responded by tightening security measures, adding additional CCTV, security tags and even facial recognition software to flag up possible shoplifters, alongside automatic number plate recognition in the car park.
![[Toy shops across the nation have responded by tightening security measures, adding additional CCTC, security tags and even facial recognition software to flag up possible shoplifters, and automatic number plate recognition in the car park]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/08/11/93670525-14262117-Sales_of_Jellycats_at_Selfridges_are_up_215_per_cent_according_t-a-6_1736336408121.jpg)
Jellycats is a British toy company that was founded by brothers Thomas and William Gatacre in 1999 - around the same time as American businessman Ty Warner introduced the world to Beanie Babies that became the world's first Internet sensation (Jellycat pancake pictured).
![[The brand's limited edition, three-piece Harrod's collaboration, comprising the Cheryl Cherry Cake, Seb Teacup and Vicky Teapot, is advertised for £239.99 'or the best offer' on the site at the time of writing]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/08/11/93670523-14262117-The_brand_s_limited_edition_three_piece_Harrod_s_collaboration_c-a-7_1736336420946.jpg)
