2024 is a big year for Hello Kitty, the iconic Sanrio mascot who has achieved immense global popularity. Now turning 50, the character has received multiple releases to celebrate her milestone anniversary, with another new iconic toy now joining the ranks.
Sanrio’s special 50th anniversary Hello Kitty plush toy is now available from Build-a-Bear, the Missouri-based company that specializes in teddy bears and other stuffed animals. At 17 inches tall, it doesn’t compare in size to the “mother of all Hello Kitty plushies” released earlier this year, but it still stands out in its own way thanks to its extremely colorful design, as seen below.
Hello Kitty's 50th Anniversary Stuffed Animal Gets Special Release Build-a-Bear
This version of Hello Kitty eschews the traditional artwork, which typically sees the character with an all-white body, red bow, yellow nose, black eyes and mustache. Instead, the plushie has multi-colored fur in pastel shades of blue, pink and green. Her eyes and mustache are white, and in place of the usual bow on her left ear is a pale pink “50,” creating a bow-like shape but with a special commemorative touch. Completing the outfit is the plushie’s party dress – a sleeveless pink dress decorated on the top half with Hello Kitty’s face and other icons. A white ribbon with a bow down the center front separates this outfit from the bottom half of the dress, which features a pale pink tulle skirt decorated with a row of multi-colored hearts.
The basic plush toy is currently retailing through Build-a-Bear for $36, while the party dress version also includes a cupcake wristband and costs $57.50. However, as of this writing, the popularity of the latter has caused this version of the toy to sell out. While waiting for a possible restock, Hello Kitty fans can find plenty of other 50th anniversary releases, from a delicious cookie stamp collection to a popcorn machine featuring limited-edition artwork.
Source: Build-a-Bear
