Zoe the Webkinz Signature Red Panda
Name: Zoe
Gender: Female
Obtained: April 2019
Background: This lovely Signature was released in March of 2011, and since the day it was revealed I really wanted this one. I've always loved red pandas, and I had the regular Webkinz red panda but it wishes it could look as good as the Signature version. I recall making drawings of it when I was 11 years old at the time, and as far as I know I very rarely drew Webkinz as a kid (besides the floral foxes), so this Signature was a really big deal to me.
The only problem was, by this time all the nearby places that sold Webkinz were either closed down or they simply ceased to sell them. So while I really wanted this Signature, I never had the chance to get it as a kid. I guess my parents refused to buy it online due to the price, or perhaps I was too shy to tell them that I really wanted it so they never actually knew. I spent the rest of my childhood wishing that I could've gotten it.
One day, in April of 2019, I took a trip to the Columbus Zoo. I was in college at the time, somewhat independent, had my own part-time job. And before we left I wanted to check out the stuffed animals (since, you probably know by now, I'm an absolute sucker for stuffed animals) and I happened to find a red panda plush there that I really liked. I can't recall how much it costed, but however much it was, it caused my memory to spark and remind me that, instead of buying this, I could simply look online for that Webkinz Signature red panda that I wanted so long ago. So despite my temptation to buy the plushie at the zoo, I declined, and when I got home I went straight to the internet to look for the Signature. I was lucky enough to find one on Amazon, brand new with a sealed code, for $25, which is about how much they costed when I was a kid. So I snatched it up, and to this day I'm so grateful that I was able to get it. I fulfilled one of my childhood dreams and it feels great.
I got really lucky when I found that plush with a sealed code, because nowadays the same search result yields Signature red pandas that easily sell for $80+ with a sealed code. Also wanted to mention, the only disappointment I have with this plush (and I don't know if all other Signature red pandas have this issue or if it's just mine), is that its tail is not stuffed. This plush has a long, fluffy, red and brown ringed tail, and it's flat which is so disappointing to me. I'm contemplating making a small incision under the base of the tail and adding some stuffing to it myself, to make it look more like the Signature raccoon's tail. Besides that, this plush is really soft and the detail is really good, though mine's fur is a bit crooked around the face but it doesn't bother me. She's a really sweet plush and I love her dearly.
Personality and Other Stuff: Zoe has a heart of gold, and cares a great deal for all her friends. She almost always puts others before herself. She loves participating in volunteer work and helping her community. She often worries about what others think of her, and always tries to present herself in a positive light, avoiding those who think wrongly of her. She has some issues with anxiety, but her friends give her enough love and reassurance to get by. She has a crush on Zephyr (the husky), but he doesn't realize it and Zoe is too shy to express herself, fearing rejection. While not as outwardly expressive as Whitney and Marley, Zoe loves to dress up in colorful kimonos and enjoys the compliments she receives on them.
Fun Fact: This plush is the only Webkinz Signature, and perhaps the only Webkinz in general, that I've ever bought from Amazon. All my other ones either came from a store when I was a child, or have come from Mercari in the modern day.
No comments:
Post a Comment