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Disney’s loss is the home crafter’s gain.
Baby Yoda plush toys, artwork, T-shirts and even ornaments are flooding shopping sites such as Etsy and Amazon this season, mostly made by crafters and artists filling a hole in the market left by toy-makers in the lead-up to the holidays.
Currently, there are only 15 official Disney items available featuring Baby Yoda, the breakout star of “The Mandalorian,” streaming now on Disney+. But fans are dismayed at the lack of plush toys — only T-shirts, a mug, a tote bag and a phone case are currently available.
Meanwhile, there are 2,828 items listed under “Baby Yoda” on Etsy alone, from crocheted to poseable dolls. Amazon has its own black market Baby Yoda plush toys on sale as well.
Disney reps told CNBC that Baby Yoda merch will be available through a number of retailers including Amazon, Target, Kohl’s and Macy’s — eventually. But toy maker Hasbro confirmed to Vanity Fair that they won’t have any Baby Yoda plush toys available until 2020. That means, when it comes to Baby Yoda stuffed animals or lifelike figurines, it could be black market or bust this holiday season.
“The Mandalorian” creator Jon Favreau explained in an interview with “Entertainment Tonight” that the lack of Baby Yoda plush toys and other merch is because making product in advance is how storylines get leaked.
And since everyone thinks Baby Yoda is the cutest, Baby Yoda merch probably would have caused a frenzy.
But never fear: Crafters on Etsy are picking up the slack with their own non-Disney-fied versions of everyone’s favorite new “Star Wars” character. But let’s just say some of these knockoffs look better than others. Here are some standouts, for better or worse.
Clever crochet
Trisha Jopson, who lives in Belfast, New York, says that her Baby Yoda dolls ($49.95) have been a huge hit, and she’s gotten so many orders for her crochet version that she can no longer ship before Christmas.
“To be honest, this has gotten bigger than I ever imagined,” Jopson tells The Post. “While my kids are all grown for the most part, I didn’t know how I was going to make Christmas happen this year. This has saved our Christmas.”
The best-looking so far
More than 20 people have this cute, clay creation in their carts (but only four are available). It’s made by hand but even the Force can’t get it under trees in time for Christmas, which means you might want to skip the $220 price tag and just wait for the mass-produced toys on the way.
The one you can’t unsee
If “Planet of the Apes” and “Star Wars” had a baby, this is it. This reworked doll is giving us nightmares — and not just because of the $599 price tag.
A Baby Yoda taco
This felt attempt at a Baby Yoda toy ($6.70) has us crying tears of joy over its hilarious and heartfelt results — but it still looks like a taco.
Don’t feed after midnight
This “Nerd doll” turned Baby Yoda ($75) gives off some serious “Gremlins” vibes.
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