Intro to Fandom Plushies:
One of the best parts of fandom aside from community is merchandise. Whether it be fan-made or official, cheap or expensive, it’s nice to have a monument to your passions. For many, this monument comes in the form of fandom plushies. With their cute little faces and palm-sized forms, these collectibles bring out the whimsy in us. Plushies hold a special place in a fan’s heart, with some, including this author, opting to take them everywhere.
But one might ask, “What’s the best way to take your plushies everywhere?” Thus, the need for this article presents itself. Quick note, this can apply to other collectibles such as Funko Pops. However, today we will be mainly focusing on how to travel with your plushies and take photos of them. Using my Taro and Tregear Ultraman plushies as an example, this article will walk you through all the protocols.
Plushie Prep Work:
The first step of traveling with plushies, whether it be locally, on road trips, or internationally is to get them their own bag.
The bag you get your plushies doesn’t have to be expensive. It can be whatever bag you think fits best. However, I do recommend a bag that’s deep enough that they can’t slip out and go exploring. I also recommend a bag that’s distinct enough to not get lost.
Try not to buy anything too fancy either. Something simple but distinct will do. I like my mushroom bag and Taro and Tregear both fit in there just fine. I recommend getting some cheap tote bags like this one from Amazon which is only $9.
An additional safety measure before going out is making sure that you check for a headcount after every photo. Plushies are loving but get curious, leading them to get lost due to their bad sense of direction. Having a buddy system in place for your plushies or collectibles will help tremendously!
Size Matters (Fandom Photo Ops):
Plushies are often small creatures in a big world. While this can make for entertaining photo ops, it also means they’re more prone to falling into crevices. It’s always best to be careful before and after taking pictures with them so that they don’t fall and get dirty.
With that said, plushies are often little but mighty, and their size makes them incredibly cute. Here is a photo I took of Taro and Tregear in a human-sized photo op.
As you can see. The fact that they are too big for this setup adds to the charm of them. The examples I’ve shown so far are mainly local but this applies to road trip photos too.
Additionally, any spot can be a place to take pictures. Don’t think you have to wait for a good time to take pictures, any time can be that time. For example, here’s a picture of Taro and Tregear at my favorite coffee shop:
They were getting very thirsty and needed a drink so they were sharing this one all day.
Fandom Plushies Road Trips:
On road trips, it’s extra important to keep track of where they’re at. In this picture, Taro got a little too into the Christmas spirit bidding on trees in Santa Maria, CA.
Taro even managed to drag Tregear along on this one! While it’s always good to be diligent about where your plushies are, it’s extra important on road trips. I’ve taken these two to shady areas for the sake of photo ops before so safety is always a must.
Fluffy International Travel:
If you’re the type of dedicated fan to order merch overseas, your plushies have likely already been through customs. If they haven’t though, That’s all the reason to get them more used to traveling by flight.
Do you want to participate in a little DIY and make it fun? Then take the next step by printing them out passports so that they can easily go through TSA. Here’s Tregear doing research for TSA pre-check.
He is understandably very cranky about TSA pre-check like any of us would be.
Another word of advice is always to put your fandom merch in a carry-on. The last thing you want is for your stuff to end up lost because someone misplaced or stole your luggage. Always keep it close by and don’t take your stuff out in busy areas with lots of foot traffic. Plushies are shy.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, I hope what you take from this is that despite their size, plushies love to go places!
It can be difficult to keep track of them sometimes, I know. But with this helpful guide, hopefully, some of the weight can be taken off your shoulders!
All in all, collectibles are cute, fun, and a great way to show off how much you love something! No matter what, keep nerding out!
