Woolly Mammoth (2010)(Cuddlekin by Wild Republic)

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Review and photos by Bryan Divers, edited by Suspsy

My old Ellie has gotten rather old and tired, so I looked up “Wild Republic Mammoth” on eBay hoping to find the same one again so I could still sleep with her. Fortunately, finding her again was not hard. Although nearly the same, I could tell that a few differences between the different years had cropped up. But the happy smiling expression on her pretty face is still the same, and that’s what really matters to me.

The 2010 woolly mammoth’s pattern is identical to the 2007 version’s. All the seams and darts are in exactly the same places. She still has the circular seams around the eyes, omitted in the later version starting with 2013, which was a shame as I thought they added a lot of personality to the facial expression. The dart on the lower back just above the tail is still present as in the 2007 model, which was also removed for the 2013 revision. The dart in the jaw holds her mouth open in a broad smile. And in addition, the extra outside seam around the lining of the ears is still used. A lot of these extra seam details were omitted starting with 2013 and in subsequent versions.

The two things though that distinguish the 2010 mammoth are as follows: the shorter fur on the main parts of the body and the face are a dark brown, which is a slight change from the dark grey fabric used for these areas on the 2007 one. The reddish-brown fur used on the dome of the head, the shoulder hump, and belly, while being almost the same color as on the 2007 mammoth, is of higher quality and seems to resist matting better. I remember that within three months of having the 2007 mammoth, the brown fur on the scalp and shoulder hump was all matted. This little one’s fur has stood up to sleeping with much better, so this is an improvement. There also appear to be more and longer black bristles on the end of the tail on the 2010 mammoth. A yellow cloth tush tag that says “Wild Republic” is also added alongside the white tush tag into the same seam, which was not present in the 2007. And the last difference I notice is that the pose of the trunk is reversed: the 2007 mammoth’s trunk pointed toward the animal’s left side, but the 2010 has the trunk turned toward her right side.

Those are the distinctions between the different years of production, now for the rest of the stuff I have to gush about this toy: The pose of the trunk is adorable the way it is held up; the mouth is wide open and appears to be smiling due to a small knot of thread just below the underside of the jaw that pulls it back a bit. The tip of the trunk has two black nostrils and a small bit of white thread crimps the two “fingers” on the end of the trunk. The dome of the head and shoulders are nicely accented; the folds in the ears are simulated by extra seams; the trunk looks like she is trumpeting; and her tusks are posed very nicely.

The toy is not stuffed super firmly, but has a rather soft feel that is just wonderful. She will always be my buttercup.