Toy Review: Prickles the Hedgehog - Beanie Baby

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Cute stuffed animal; very well made

Cons: None

The Bottom Line: 

Cute stuffed animal

That holds great memories for me

Will withstand play time

My Only Beanie Baby, but I Love Her

Back when Beanie Babies were the collectable item everybody wanted, a couple of my coworkers started collecting them.  They'd bring them in and talk about them.  I said on multiple occasions that if I started down that road, I'd be doomed and spend all my money on the things since I am such a collector.  (Look what I've done with Christmas ornaments in the last year.)  As joke that year, they gave me Prickles the Hedgehog for my birthday.  I've got to admit I like her.

Beanie Babies are just another version of a stuffed animal.  They were usually small; Prickles is only six inches long and just under 4 inches tall.  Instead of being stuffed with traditional stuff, Beanie Babies are stuffed with beans much like a bean bag chair.  Frankly, I'm surprised someone didn't make stuffed animals out of them sooner.

Prickles is two tone.  Her back is a dark, chocolaty brown while the rest of her is tan.  Her back is also a soft, plush layer while the rest is the smoother but still soft material most Beanie Babies were made out of.  She's got two plastic circles for her eyes and one more for her nose.  Finally, she got felt for her ears and small pieces of yarn for her whiskers.

Being a bean bag type toy, you can put her into several different positions.  She does roll up into a ball like a real hedgehog, although she immediately straightens out when you release her.  She also stands on her hind legs and balances with her nose in the air quite nicely.  If you have a sick sense of humor, you can lay her on her back as road kill.  But personally, I've always displayed her on all fours just like she's walking down the street.

The one thing that always impressed me with Beanie Babies was how well they were made.  Okay, so mine's just sat out the entire time I've had her, but the seams are so well stitched that it looks like it would take a lot to rip them open.  Honestly, I'd worry about the eyes and nose coming off before the rest of it coming apart, and even then they seem to be on pretty tight.

For years, I kept this little gal on my computer monitor, and every time I saw her, she made me smile.  Eventually, she wound up in my condo where she sits on a bookshelf.

Fortunately, Prickles the Hedgehog wasn't the start of a downward spiral into another collection for me.  But she is cute.  Even more, she is a great memory for me.