Which Plush Sells Best and Why?

From squirrels in woodsy Pennsylvania to javelinas on the Texas prairie, best-selling plush at National Park gift shops reflects animals with a tie-in to the location. Price point is also significant: Every park surveyed said the top-selling plush costs $9.99.

At the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument in Keene, Calif., soft miniature German shepherds are in hot demand. “Cesar had two German shepherds,” explained Gift Shop Manager Bernadette Farinas. “Our $10 version is small, and I think kids like that size.”

Stuffed toy whales are the best-sellers at the New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park in Massachusetts. “It’s a great souvenir, the price point is right, and they really are kind of cute,” said National Park Ranger and Store Manager Denise DeLucia The plush right and blue whales come in two sizes, at $10 and $16.

Fawns, squirrels, foxes and skunks are common sightings around the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in Elverson, Pa. So it’s no surprise that they are also the favorite plush animals at Hopewell Furnace’s gift shop. They sell for $9.99, “which is a lower price point, I think, and that’s why they do so well,” said Gift Shop Manager Tony Bialy Most people haven’t seen a javelina until they visit Fort Davis, Texas, where those animals are native. Once visitors spot the wild boar-like creatures, they’re dying to take home a souvenir, which is why javelinas are the best-selling plush at Fort Davis National Historic Site.

And while you might see turtles around the Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, the gift shop’s finger puppet versions are favorites because they’re so much fun, according to Assistant Store Manager Rocksana Henry. “You can make them curl around, so of course the kids love that,” Henry noted. ❖