Dakota the Arctic Fox
Name: Dakota
Gender: Male
Obtained: January 2021
Background: I got this plushie back in January of last year, about a month after I had started getting back into collecting plushies full-time, because I really love fox plushies and this is one of the better ones I've found. It's a Uni Toys plush but it's made (whether intentionally or not) to look basically exactly like the Webkinz Signature Arctic Fox. I would normally try to buy the Signature variant for collection's sake, but the arctic fox is a case of a "rude awakening" when it comes to some older plushies. The arctic fox, as well as others such as the australian shepherd, siberian husky, german shepherd, and timber wolf, are all ungodly expensive. The arctic fox easily sells for over $150 used with no tag, and I've seen them sell for over $200. So why would I waste my money on that when I could get a brand new one that looks exactly like it for $32? The only difference is that my arctic fox does not have a Ganz tush tag or a golden W on his foot. Like I like to say sometimes, "that's one expensive golden W".
So anyways, I went and bought this on Amazon. I normally would try to avoid giving Amazon my money, but Uni Toys is a German toy company that only sells their plushies in bulk, so Amazon was the only logical choice here. Oddly enough, this specific plush isn't even available on Amazon anymore; the only other Signature arctic fox lookalike on the market now is the National Geographic plush (which, admittedly, also looks really nice).
I really love the way that this plushie looks and feels. I'm very particular about how a plushie should look, and one small but critical mistake can ruin it for me. For example, I have a BBC Earth arctic fox plush, which is a nice plush but the tail is stiff and curves quite a bit. That alone is enough to make me dislike the plush. This Uni Toys arctix fox does have a slight curve at the end of his tail, but it's not stiff at all and is perfectly proportioned to his body. The stitching in the front left foot is a bit crooked, but to be honest it's been difficult to find plushies that don't have at least a little bit of crooked stitching so it doesn't bother me. His paws are perfectly small, his ears are well proportioned and actually stand up straight (I've had issues with some plushies that have pointed ears, where the ears like to fold back against the head), he sits well and isn't stuck in a seated/lying position, and his fur is super soft and fluffy and pure white. I suppose I can understand why so many people like the Signature variant now.
This plush is one of the few plushies I've seen which is basically perfect to me. I love all my stuffed animals but I can confidently say that Dakota is my favorite. Whenever I go somewhere and take one or two of my stuffed animals with me, most of the time Dakota is one of the plushies I take (I don't worry about him getting dirty, I'm very careful with all my stuffed animals). Even a year later, after getting many other plushies, he's still my favorite and probably always will be.
Background: Dakota is a natural-born leader with a desire to help others. He does not allow anyone to feel left out, and is a great conflict mediator (can turn any heated situation into a calm and organized one). He is loyal to all of his friends, and expects them to be loyal in return. He's always quick to show his gratitude and praise to those whom he appreciates. His honestly may be his downfall, as he is often blatant and does not sugar-coat problems. He's also somewhat of a perfectionist, and finds himself disappointed when people don't show him the same respect that he gives others. Dakota is best friends with Zephyr the husky, as they share many common interests such as reading the same books and hiking.
Fun Fact: Sometimes when I get a Webkinz plush or a lookalike, I try to get the virtual pet to go along with it. However, as beautiful as this plush is, the Webkinz Signature Arctic Fox is an example of how the virtual version of a Signature often doesn't look that good. Some Signatures' virtual counterparts look decent, like the calico and arctic hare, and some are amazing, like the chipmunk. But the people behind Webkinz could not do the arctic fox justice with the virtual pet.
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