Games, Playthings and Plush

Striving to be First (From page 167) sell tops for him in toys. “Herbie, our Nebraska mascot, is a very popular plush toy. We also have super high bounce bouncy-balls shaped like basketballs with the Nebraska “N” logo on them. And we also do well with the corn-head foam hats, similar to the cheese wedge foam that Wisconsin fans wear.” He added that Nebraska team trading cards sell very well, too.

New this year are a Herbie plush with glasses and a graduation hat teddy bear, although the store is also “still selling surplus plush from last year due to the pandemic.” One new big seller is a puzzle – literally. “We have a new puzzle of the stadium in 3-D that has just come out and is doing super well for us.” Toys primarily come from companies such as Windcraft, which White said sell only licensed fan toys.

The 6,000-square-foot store focuses on cross-merchandising toy items throughout the store, according to White. “We also have a kid’s section that has all of our toys in it, and we do have our own section for the puzzles and hats together, and some of the fun small items like the bouncy basketball are up front by the register where kids can easily grab them. You can always hear them bouncing.”

Boys, girls and adults all love fan toys, with mascot plush and collectibles of favorite player figures being top sellers in sports toys across the United States. ❖