Gabumon Beanie Plush

## Description

Gabumon Beanie Plush is a beanie-style plush that is a part of both the international Digimon DigiPals Beanbag Plush line and the Japanese Kuta Chara plush line. There are slight differences between the two beanie versions.

## Digi-Pals plush

DigiPals Plush are the international release of Kuta Chara plush. These plush vary from their Japanese counterparts slightly, with the main differences for Gabumon being:

An example of a Gabumon Digi-Pals plush (front)An example of a Gabumon Digi-Pals plushAn example of a Gabumon Digi-Pals plush (back)An example of a Gabumon Digi-Pals plushAn example of a Gabumon Digi-Pals plush (bottom)An example of a Gabumon Digi-Pals plush tush tagAn example of a Gabumon Digi-Pals plush hang tag

## Kuta Chara plush

Kuta Chara plush are the original Japanese beanie plush, which were later modified and released to an international market in a line called "Digi-Pals" plush. These Japanese plush vary from their international counterparts slightly, with the main differences for Gabumon being:

## Issues

* Parts on some beanie plush have fabric pieces that separate over time (located on claws mostly). While those parts are almost always additionally sewn on and are not at risk of falling off, a small dot of glue could help join those pieces back together if desired

* The eye shines that are painted or printed onto the black plastic eyes sometimes get scratched or worn off entirely based on how roughly the beanie plush is handled or played with. They can easily be repainted with white glass paint, which has been found to be the best paint for durability and adhering to the button's surface
* Many beanie plush include parts that appear to be made of a heat-transferred material. While this material is much more sturdy than vinyl elements on beanies (mentioned in the next point below), it is still susceptible to cracking. The issue is not widely common, but it does happen sometimes with beanies in used condition. It is much harder for those parts to be removed than the vinyl parts, which flake off easily. This type of material is used for Gabumon's stomach symbol on the beanie plush.
* Any beanie with vinyl details is at risk for those parts deteriorating over time. As it ages, Vinyl stretches, dries out, cracks, and flakes off. This is the ultimate fate of almost all beanies unless they are very carefully preserved. The plush is still fine underneath the vinyl parts, but those outer details eventually will flake off, with very few exceptions. The areas that vinyl cracking effects most in the Gabumon beanies are:
	+ Ear tips
	+ Stripes and markings (more of an issue with the Kuta-Chara)
	+ Fangs
	+ Stomach symbol (though to a lesser extent)

## Bootlegs

Digimon beanie plush have seen a large number of bootlegs due to their popularity and scarcity. This style of plush gets bootlegged so frequently that it becomes challenging to find and document every single knock-off out there. Some bootlegs opt to make embroidered or vinyl eyes in the same style as the hard-buttoned ones of official beanies to avoid any comparisons.

The most prevalent set of bootlegs are a group of large 20" regular plush designed to look like the beanies. A bootleg Gabumon does exist in this set.

Tips for identifying a bootleg:

* Plush is only stuffed with fluff and contains no beans (However, note that there are official plush similar in style that also do this [See: Indonesian Beanie Plush])
* Plush is significantly larger or smaller in size than a standard beanie plush
* Plush is made of a different material than a normal beanie plush (official beanies tend to be made out of a velboa-like fabric, whereas bootlegs might be made of a thinner or more scratchy material)
* Plush has strange proportions or is over-stuffed
* Plush has darker colors than an official beanie plush
* Writing inside of hang tag identifies plush as the incorrect Digimon (IE: Instead of "Gabumon", the tag says "Greymon")
* Contains a sound box

There are assumedly hundreds of different Digimon beanie bootlegs, and more are uncovered as time goes on. See included photos in the bootleg gallery below for all currently known and documented bootlegs.

Two bootleg Gabumon plush, styled after the Digi-Pals and Kuta Chara beanie plush. Neither plush contains beans.Oversized Gabumon plush seen with other bootleg oversized plush styled after the beanies

## Sources

* Ebay listing by vintagemania10
* Digimoncollect entry by LiveJournal user cinivala
* Anonymous contributor (whose image were used with permission)