{"id":27498,"date":"2014-04-01T00:17:46","date_gmt":"2014-04-01T05:17:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=27498"},"modified":"2014-04-01T00:44:58","modified_gmt":"2014-04-01T05:44:58","slug":"manekochan-reviews-sheep-plush-through-the-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=27498","title":{"rendered":"Manekochan Reviews: Sheep
Plush Through the Years"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a> As some of you may have already heard, Noisy has finally, and I do mean finally, ended his affiliation with ItsAllTrue.net. He hasn’t posted in weeks and Vault just couldn’t keep him onboard, not after missing so many deadlines in a row. We’re sad to see him go, but after nearly five years, it was time. Now Vault can’t run the place by himself, though he’s been trying, so I, Manekochan, have been asked <\/del> volunteered to step in to help my pseudo-hubby and take over Noisy’s reviewing duties for the time being (I don’t know what the heck is going to happen with the checklists though…Hrm). <\/p>\n

I’m kicking off the Manekochan era with a review I wrote some time ago, one very near & dear to my heart, and one that never seemed to find a free spot on the schedule in the previous administration. Who’s in charge now, buddy?!<\/em> Oh yeah!! This is my review about Plush Sheep<\/b> \u2122<\/b>. <\/p>\n

\"sheep1\"<\/p>\n

Over the years, Target has become one of my favorite retailers thanks, in no small part, to their fun seasonal section. Their Halloween stuff is always fun, interesting, and a downright benchmark for other stores to follow. Every year has a theme and it\u2019s always something interesting. But what of their other holiday selections? How about during another of my favorite times, Easter? <\/p>\n

The Target Easter section always beckons with its pastel colored candy and its pounds upon pounds of chocolate. It\u2019s practically impossible to pass up and, one year, they got me good and have, apparently, been able to continue the getting. Back in 2005, there appeared a round and fuzzy little creature that intrigued me. I had to take it home with me.<\/p>\n

\"sheep2\"<\/p>\n

The first Sheep<\/b> \u2122*<\/b>, aptly named \u201csheep\u201d, was released in 2005 as part of a line of stuffed animals simply for the Easter section. The sheep is about 14 inches tall and is a pretty good sized critter. He\u2019s soft and squishy, much like his later brethren and just look at that face! Could you say no to that face? The ears contain a small wire that is bendable to achieve maximum cuteness and the feet are nicely spaced allowing the sheep to stay upright most of the time. The original Sheep<\/b>\u2122<\/b>\u2019s fur is a very soft fiber with a corkscrew twist. It is a very<\/i><\/b> <\/i>bright white that almost seems to shine. This sheep is truly a beauty and retailed for the price of $9.99.<\/p>\n

*Editor\u2019s Note: seriously, I\u2019m just doing this for fun. They\u2019re not really trademarked. <\/i><\/p>\n

\"sheep3\"<\/p>\n

There was a gap in Sheep<\/b>\u2122 <\/b>for a bit. I\u2019m not entirely sure, but I believe they repeated the original \u201csheep\u201d for 2006 and then either had no sheep for 2007 or repeated the original \u201csheep\u201d again. In 2008, the \u201cwooly sheep\u201d appeared on the shelves. Using the same body, and the same price point of only $9.99, the wooly sheep sports a dense wooly coat. This coat, while still soft, is not really pleasant to touch. The face, unlike the first sheep, is a plush acrylic. The ears have lost their wire. After the original \u201csheep\u201d, \u201cwooly sheep\u201d was a bit of a disappointment to my flock, but I was happy to get another sheep and tolerated the variations.<\/p>\n

\"sheep4\"<\/p>\n

With the disappointing changes to \u201cwooly sheep\u201d, I wondered if budget constraints were getting to Target. My fears were not laid to rest with the release of the \u201clarge sheep\u201d in 2009. Standing at only 12 inches, the \u201clarge sheep\u201d is a scaled down version of the original \u201csheep\u201d and \u201cwooly sheep\u201d pattern with the same materials and budget constraints. No wires here, no nice fur. He\u2019s also a tad bit thinner than the other sheep which makes him prone to falling over. During the pictures, even the smallest wind would knock this little guy around. With a price point of $9.99, he seems like a bit of a rip compared to the other two sheep.  Continue to page 2…<\/a><\/p>\n

\"sheep5\"<\/p>\n

The \u201clarge sheep\u201d was not alone in 2009. He had a little companion sheep. Standing at only 8 inches tall and retailing for $5.99, the \u201csmall sheep\u201d followed the same scaled down pattern as the \u201clarge sheep\u201d, though it did come out a little plumper and, because of this, is less prone to rolling over. I liked the little guy, so, admitting to myself that I was apparently now a sheep collector, I bought him to add to my collection.<\/p>\n

\"sheep6\"<\/p>\n

The sheep were repeated again in 2010. That year saw the \u201clarge sheep\u201d and \u201csmall sheep\u201d grazing<\/i> (pun intended) the shelves of Target, and, despite Vault\u2019s insistence that I needed more sheep for my flock, I passed them up. But, ultimately, Target thwarted my attempts to keep my money yet again.<\/p>\n

The \u201cSheep\u201d came back in 2011. Standing at 8 inches, this \u201csheep\u201d was the \u201csmall sheep\u201d body from 2009. They\u2019d made some improvements: the fur was a soft, beautiful plush, the price dropped to $4.99, and the face was, somehow, cuter than its predecessors\u2019. The effect is downright adorable and makes for a sheep that looks less like a sheep and more like a very confused bunny\/sheep hybrid. It\u2019s dangerously cute and liable to make you think of words like \u201clolloping\u201d as you imagine it trying to move.<\/p>\n

\"sheep7\"<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve gotten used to the fact that my sheep will never be matching. At first, it was bothersome, but, over the years, the different sizes and furs have given me a diverse collection. Like a real flock, they\u2019re not all alike. That being said, where\u2019s my black sheep?<\/p>\n

Finally, Wal-mart, not to be outdone by Target, released their own sheep in 2009. It\u2019s roughly the same size as the (not really)<\/i>\u201clarge sheep\u201d. It\u2019s not very pleasant to touch, being made of a short wooly material that seems to stick to your hand.<\/p>\n

\"sheep8\"<\/p>\n

The wool is softer than the wooly material on the other sheep and also a brighter white. Its ears do not have wires in them and its eyes seem larger than the other sheep\u2019s. Their lighter irises make the pupil pop and give this sheep a somewhat psychotic look on his face. The sheep itself also seems less full, as if they cut back on the fill inside it. Like the (allegedly)<\/i> \u201clarge sheep\u201d, the Walmart sheep is thinner than the others and prone to falling over. This makes for some bothersome clean up if you happen to be outside. Everything<\/i> <\/b>sticks to its fur. Eventually, I had to give up picking dead leaf bits out of it or give up on the shoot.<\/p>\n

\"Click
Click for Wallpaper!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

All in all, I\u2019m fairly pleased with Target\u2019s collection of seasonal sheep. Though the prices have gone up and come back down again, they\u2019ve remained reasonable and are less than you\u2019d pay for similar sized animals at a toy store or a specialty store. The quality has remained consistent even if they\u2019ve pared down the size. The Walmart sheep, on the other hand, is a bit of a let down. I bought one simply to compare it to my Target sheep, but the differences, while minor, are still crucial. You can feel the inferiority of the sheep when you touch it and you can even see it in its obvious stitching. If you\u2019re just looking to get into collecting these guys now, skip Walmart and head to your local Target. You\u2019re probably out of luck on the larger sizes, but, if the patterns continue as they have, the little sheep should be making an appearance next year.<\/p>\n

I hope you enjoyed my Sheep review and anxiously await what I have cooked up for tomorrow!<\/em><\/p>\n

-Manekochan<\/p>\n

\"Click
Click for Wallpaper!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":27525,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/sheep00.jpg?fit=480%2C195&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pObc6-79w","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16237,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=16237","url_meta":{"origin":27498,"position":0},"title":"Manekochan Review: LEGO Friends\u2019 Olivia\u2019s Tree House (3065)","date":"January 12, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Last year, LEGO announced a new line of toys specifically for girls. 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Toy Guru and the folks at Mattel have sent along the real answers for our April 1st edition... 1) SilntAngl asks: It's awesome that Zatanna's hat is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ask Matty"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2814,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=2814","url_meta":{"origin":27498,"position":2},"title":"Ask Matty – December 15th Edition","date":"December 16, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Ask MattyDecember 15th, 2009 1. SilntAngl asks: With Battle Armor He-Man being released next month there's a lot of talk about Battle Armor Skeletor. One hot topic is what one accessory Skeletor should have to go with his damaged battle plates. 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I\u2019m writing a movie review for IAT. Those of you that have been hanging around on the forums know me, but I\u2019m mostly a behind-the-scenes member. This weekend, however, Vault and I wandered over to the local Cineplex to see How To Train Your Dragon. I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "@ the Movies"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1774,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=1774","url_meta":{"origin":27498,"position":5},"title":"Ask Matty October 1st Edition","date":"October 1, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Ask MattyOctober 1st, 2010 1. Noisy asks: We love the He-Man stands coming this February on Mattycollector.com, but we feel odd placing our evil masters on the Castle Grayskull bases. Is Mattel open to the idea of doing a different set of stands for evil characters? Maybe something reminiscent of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ask Matty"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27498"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27498"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27498\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27540,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27498\/revisions\/27540"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/27525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}