Every child had at least one favorite toy growing up. Be it the My Little Pony series, the Beanie Baby collection, or even the Pokémon collectible card game, the idea of completing a collection or card series was a part of every millennial's childhood. Now, whether or not you still hang on to those dreams is your business (here’s looking at you, Pokémon fans). But for Japanese teens and plush addicts alike, a new toy has taken on the collector’s market: Alpacasso.
Alpacasso, or “Ar Pakaso,” is one of the leading plush series from the Japanese toy company; AMUSE. Since their release in spring 2011, the Alpacasso series has taken the international toy market by storm, overloading Japanese and international toy vendors alike with alpaca, sheep, cat, and other animal plush toys, all with the utter adorableness that comes with Japanese toys.
Alpacasso plushies began as UFO Catcher (or “claw arm” arcade game) prizes within Japanese arcades and malls. Ranging from 4” key chains to 14” standard alpacas (at the time, only produced in white), the Alpacasso quickly grew in popularity amongst Japanese arcade-goers and students who helped Alpacasso develop a strong social media presence soon after the toy’s release. By fall of 2011, the love for AMUSE’s alpacas had grown beyond the arcade community, leading to the development of an alpaca emoji series and several alpaca-themed app store games.
Before the end of 2011, AMUSE had released over twenty individual ALPACASSO series including new sizes and colors, flooding arcades with an entirely new type of plush fan. As popularity grew outside of Japan’s arcade community, an international demand developed for Alpacasso merchandise and alpaca paraphernalia. Japanese Vocaloid artists and animation companies such as Wit Studios (producers of the recently localized “Attack on Titan” series) even sponsored limited edition themed products.
Despite the unprecedented success of the series, and the vast variety of colors and designs now available, the overall look of Alpacasso has not strayed from the original plush design, making it easy to recognize and recreate. As a result, a strong bootleg community developed in early 2014 due to the increase in international Alpacasso sales. After strong out-lash from international collector communities, online and convention vendors began a vendor certification process. Since Alpacasso’s introduction into the western market, a multitude of blogs and online forums have been dedicated to the purchasing, collection, and authenticity of Alpacasso products. Collector meetups, trade websites, and buyers’ guides have also gained popularity.
