The concept of stuffed animals is reflected in tomb paintings dating back to the civilizations of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Based on the paintings as they have been discovered and translated, it would appear that the stuffed animals served a purpose in religious ceremonies and rituals, as well as being used for human play. Medieval Europe used stuffed animals in mystery works to represent the animals seen in biblical stories. Stuffed animals were used to represent characters such as the serpent in the Garden of Eden or the lions in the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. These animal roles were a fundamental part of the story that could not be ignored, but also could not be played by a human actor. Therefore, the stuffed animals worked much better to fill the role.

Toys became a booming industry during the Industrial Revolution in Europe. Soft toys became increasingly popular with the public and the Steiff Corporation of Germany quickly became the industry leader. However, not all stuffed animals are always manufactured by mechanized industry and a large number of samples of stuffed animals made in a more homemade genre have been found with fillings filled with tramps, cotton, wadding, rags, and even beans. Some stuffed animals have even been found to be made by stuffing the hides of hunted animals, but it is unclear if these were animals that were made to be used as toys, or if they were used to become display items that would be more than one. use of taxidermy, not necessarily a toy.

Among the most popular stuffed animals, the teddy bear and the sock monkey almost always rank high at the top of the list. Both have been in production since the early 1900s, while there is evidence that sock monkeys may have been popular much earlier, though not in formal production. Today, stuffed animals and stuffed animals are still popular. In recent years, Ty Company brought something of a renaissance to the stuffed animal market with its Beanie Baby line. Animal lovers, children, and collectors in countries around the world purchased as many stuffed animals as Ty Company could produce, including stuffed versions of lizards, dinosaurs, unicorns, and goldfish along with standard animal patterns of bears. , cats, dogs, bunnies, etc. Today, literally hundreds, if not thousands, of companies produce stuffed animals for sale around the world.