Name-Dropped Plush at Zoos and Aquariums

Mark Girardy stocks both name-dropped and generic plush at the gift shops he oversees at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. But where possible, he likes to put the Dubuque, Iowa museum’s logo on plush toys: They sell better that way.

“Having the name of our museum makes for a more meaningful souvenir,” explained Girardy. “It has that extra memory attached to it. Parents like that, and they’re willing to spend more for it.”

Name-dropped items, like anything customized, typically cost more to produce. But at zoos and aquariums, that logo can pay for itself; it’s the difference between just another stuffed toy and a genuine memento.

At the National Mississippi River Museum’s two gift shops, Girardy name-drops plush versions of the aquarium’s most popular animals. “Number one at the aquarium is probably our river otter, which is a huge hit with kids,” the Store Manager said. “It’s always huge at the gift shop, too. I can’t keep the plush version in stock.”

Girardy added that he is less likely to put the museum logo on less relevant or popular animals, like mermaids, sharks or octopus. But sales of all plush are soaring this year, as Museum visitation numbers are so far at or exceeding those of 2019.

At the Frank Buck Zoo in Gainesville, Texas, Gift Shop Manager Megan Kennedy takes a similar approach, name-dropping the zoo’s most beloved animals. “When we’ve had name-dropped plush, it was either our iguanas or the snakes,” said Kennedy, adding that as of July, the store did not have any in stock.

And it’s no surprise that the named dropped plush cheetahs are the top sellers at Wildlife Safari in Winston, Ore., which calls itself the nation’s number one cheetah breeding facility. “Our cheetah plush are very cute; they’re wearing logo hoodies in different colors,” said Gift Shop Manager Crystal Banks . The stuffed toys, from Wild Republic, celebrate a species that has seen more than 200 live births here.

Wildlife Safari never closed during the pandemic — guests experience the facility in their own cars — and attendance has been brisk throughout. “We had record sales last year, and we’ve been doing great this year as well,” said Banks. Along with plush, the store’s best-sellers include name-dropped apparel; one sweater featuring a cheetah and a rhinoceros “flies off the

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