Elmo and Zoe

[SSLFan]

Is it me, or is Sesame Workshop producing more Elmo and Zoe merchandise more than any other charcther? It seems every time you go to a store, you see Elmo and Zoe t- shirts, Elmo and Zoe shoes, Elmo and Zoe hats and etc. What's up with that? Are those the only two charcthers children can identify with these days?

 

[Drtooth]

.... uh... have you been in a coma long?

just kidding. Honestly, I see usually nothing but Elmo stuff, sometimes Zoe...

The most mechandised characters to me seem like Elmo and Cookie Monster... sometimes Big Bird. And Ernie, but not Bert.

(If I Had my way, there'd be nothing but Telly, Sherlock Hemlock, Oscar, and Bert, no Ernie)

 

[CensoredAlso]

I don't think Elmo and Zoe are the only characters kids in the real world identify with. But that's the impression the toy companies seem to have.

Actually, I've seen a lot more of the older characters recently, The Hallmark stores have Ernie, Bert, Snuffy, Oscar and Grover. In other stores and Amazon, I've occasionally seen Guy Smiley, Honker, Martian, Sherlock Hemlock and other dolls (which REALLY shocked me!) Imagine if there had ever been a Don Music doll! WARNING: NOT FOR HEAD BANGING!

To me it looks like there was a bit of a backlash after all the Elmo stuff.

However, most of the books and toys seem pretty much required to have Elmo on them. It just doesn't bring up warm feelings to me, when it looks like he NEEDS to be there. If you want the toy, you need to tolerate him, there's no choice in the matter. Not very democratic, Sesame Street! Heh

 

[janicegroupie]

It seems when it comes to young children they are the most popular characters at the moment therefore the toy companies know they will make money off of them When it comes to the nostalgia items, such as the juniors/adults clothing, there seems to be more variety.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I know Elmo's is popular, I won't pretend he isn't. But I have also seen that there are plenty of kids who enjoy the other characters. But they're not listened to because Elmo is so big. Again, not very democratic!

 

[Drtooth]

Actually, I've seen a lot more of the older characters recently, The Hallmark stores have Ernie, Bert, Snuffy, Oscar and Grover. In other stores and Amazon, I've occasionally seen Guy Smiley, Honker, Martian, Sherlock Hemlock and other dolls (which REALLY shocked me!) Imagine if there had ever been a Don Music doll! WARNING: NOT FOR HEAD BANGING!

Those were relased in conjunction with the 35th anniversary (there is also a Super Grover and Betty Lou... not Prarie Dawn, but Betty lou). Not quite as many as the Tyco bean bag 30th anniversary tie in, but I feel they're better quality (The Tyco Mumford was rediculously hairy). but they've been long sold out online. I was able to get Sherlock just last week at a seaside town toy shop. (I'd kill for the Guy Smiley... figuratively speaking of course).

Elmo and Zoe appear on the most things, but so don't Big Bird and Cookie. Usually they just have Cookie, Elmo and Big Bird on things, especially food items (I found a sticker of them on a carton of Strawberries).

Grover and Oscar made come backs of sorts... And they finally decided Ernie needs Bert. So I guess they're getting better as time goes on.

 

[jeffkjoe]

Really? Zoe? You see a lot of Zoe?

I thought the ratio for Elmo to Zoe stuff was like, 2 to 1. Nowadays, if I see any Zoe stuff at Toys R Us, it's only Zoe: My First Purse or Zoe on the occasional children's educational Fisher-Price toy. And maybe the occasional Zoe plush at Hallmark's or Border's, but isn't every SS core character represented with a plush?

But Elmo is everywhere, indeed. And Zoe's popular with the girls.

 

[Drtooth]

Zoe merchandise is made SOLEY for the girls... if they didn't bother with that market, I doubt they would make any Zoe stuff at all...

Of course, they need to make more Rosita stuff to combat Dora the Explora...

 

[CensoredAlso]

I've been to a couple Hallmark and American Greetings type stores recently and some of them are suddenly full of Sesame Street toys (which I guess are from the 35th anniversary). I just bought Grover (I've never had a Grover, he's so adorable!). I don't remember having so many SS stuffed toys even in the old days to be honest (though there used to be other kinds of toys). And there's a Snuffy now, which I never remember seeing.

I'm even more surprised to see the Classic Muppets on so many greeting cards lately! Good for Disney! Now, if they could just find a way to put them on TELEVISION!

 

[Drtooth]

I've been to a couple Hallmark and American Greetings type stores recently and some of them are suddenly full of Sesame Street toys (which I guess are from the 35th anniversary). I just bought Grover (I've never had a Grover, he's so adorable!). I don't remember having so many SS stuffed toys even in the old days to be honest (though there used to be other kinds of toys). And there's a Snuffy now, which I never remember seeing.

Yup... Gund is really doing some awesome stuff with the license, aren't they?

Tyco made a lot more in terms of bean bags... but they weren't as quality as the gund ones...

The Tyco ones are...

• Baby Bear
• Barkley
• Big Bird
• Betty lou
• Honker
• Mumford
• Natasha
• Snuffy
• Count VonCount
• Twiddle Bug
• Guy Smiley
• Grover
• Bert
• Ernie
• Elmo
• Oscar
• Zoe
• Rosita
• Cookie Monster
• Herry monster
• Rubber Duckie
• Sherlock hemlock
• Telly monster
• Benny Rabbit

As for the Gund ones...

• Grover
• Super grover
• Big Bird
• Elmo
• Zoe
• Zoe in a Tutu
• Bert
• Ernie
• Cookie Monster
• Snuffy
• Yip Yip (martian)
• Sherlock hemlock
• Betty lou
• Guy Smiley
• Mumford
• Honker

While they didn't make as many old characters, they did have the first Martian Sesame Street product I've ever seen...