Walking the Toy Aisle: New TRU Muppet Whatnots

FAO’s ‘Muppet Whatnots’ have hit Toys R Us!  For those who don’t know what a ‘Whatnot’ is, take a peek at the video below…

Okay, maybe that didn’t help very much.  Watch this one instead…

FAO Schwartz ‘Whatnot’:

I picked up my very own ‘Whatnot’ three years ago while visiting FAO in New York City.  At FAO, trained ‘Whatnot’ makers help you create a unique Muppet all your own!  You have a choice of 3 different body types and a good selection of eyes, noses, hair, and outfits.  To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, here’s pictures from my trip to FAO where Vinny, my ‘Muppet Whatnot’, was born.

Ready to greet you are a plethora of ‘Muppet Whatnots’.  I don’t remember how many combinations of ‘Whatnots’ the lady said were possible, but it was a lot!

I chose a blue body for Vinny, green hair, a round nose, round blue eyes and a red hoodie.  Ironically enough, there was someone else who had almost exactly the same combo being made as me.  Great minds think alike.  🙂

Vinny gets a round orange nose hot glued on…

Dolled up with his fuzzy green hair, Vinny hangs out for a bit while drying.  It didn’t take that long at all for him to dry.

Dolls are packaged in their own ‘Whatnot’ bag and come with a arm rod so you can use them just like you would if you were a true puppeteer.

Here’s a picture of my NYC ‘Whatnot’ dubbed Vinny (on the left– not the right!).  As far as souvenirs go, he’s one of the best.  I highly recommend looking into a ‘Whatnot’ next time your at FAO in NYC.

New TRU ‘Whatnot’:

Now, for those who don’t have any plans to travel to NYC, good news– a new form of ‘Whatnots’ are now available at your local Toys R Us!  I spotted these while doing my usual ‘Monster High’ hunt.  These ‘Whatnots’ are slightly smaller than Vinny and are made from a more velcro-like material.

Each ‘Whatnot’ comes with a body and a selection of eyes, noses, and wigs.  While Vinny from FAO in New York has permanent features, these ‘Whatnots’ are designed so you can change them up whenever you’d like.

Priced at $59.99, these TRU ‘Whatnots’ are cheaper than the FAO counterparts, which are currently priced at $99 and are occasionally as much as $120.  The two body types come with unique pieces (ie: different eyes, different noses, different wigs).  To make Vinny, for example, you’d need to buy the blue set for the body and the orange set for the eyes and wig.

Unlike FAO, the TRU ‘Whatnots’ are packaged naked.  You can, however, buy clothing separately. The outfits are the same ones you can pick up for the FAO ‘Whatnots’, but are made for the smaller body found in these kits.  The kit also comes with a rod so you can start puppeteering right away!

My Thoughts:

I don’t yet own this TRU kit.  Do I want one?  I think so.  I am waiting till these are in more peoples hands before I make a decision.  I love Vinny from FAO and do want to make him a friend, but I want to see how well the pieces stay on this velcro version and more importantly, if the velcro pieces leave ‘fuzz’ on the body after multiple uses.  Also, I wish the ‘Whatnots’ in the TRU set were the same size as my FAO muppet.  I would have liked to be able to pick up outfits at TRU, as opposed to the FAO website.

I think these ‘Whatnot’ sets will be a huge Christmas item. If you are thinking of picking one of these up, pick it up before the Christmas rush!

What do you think of these new TRU ‘Muppet Whatnots’ or ‘Whatnots’ in general?  Do you own one?  What do you think of it?  Share your thoughts!