Disney Cutie Cuffs Are the Must-Have Accessory and Stocking Stuffer of 2023—Here's Where To Actually Find Them
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If you’ve spent any time on TikTok lately, you’ve probably seen the buzz about fuzzy, adorable, wrist-hugging toys called Cutie Cuffs. But you may not have spotted them in stores because they’ve been flying off the shelves almost as soon as they appear—especially since collectors share tips via social media of reported sightings. And one of the most sought-after categories has been Disney Cutie Cuffs.
Similar to the craze of Beanie Babies in the 90s and the obsession of Squishmallows in recent years, Cutie Cuffs are suddenly popping up everywhere on social media. Besides the tips to find and reported sightings, there are unboxing or reaction videos as well.
Want to learn more? We've got you covered.
When Did The First Cutie Cuffs Go on Sale?
The history of Cutie Cuffs is relatively short. “Our first set of Cutie Cuffs was released in 2019,” says Timothy J. Nolan, President of Bulls i Toy, the company behind Cutie Cuffs.
The toy line made its debut with a unicorn series that was sold at Target. “We saw success in the brand right away and released our first licensed Cutie Cuff in 2020 with Hello Kitty. The Sanrio license provided a large range of characters for us to work with and kids loved them!”
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Disney Cutie Cuffs are a Hit
The toys had been gaining steam, gradually accumulating fans through word of mouth—and then things went to another level last year, with the help of a little Disney magic.
“Everything changed when we released our first Disney Cutie Cuff set in the Target Valentine's section in 2022,” Nolan says. “Our Disney releases have been highly anticipated for each set we create.”
There are now more than a dozen different Cutie Cuffs series, many of which feature characters from popular franchises such as Star Wars and Harry Potter, in addition to those from the Disney universe.
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The Most Popular Cutie Cuffs Characters
Cutie Cuffs are sold in “blind” packaging, meaning a buyer doesn’t know which one they have until they open the package, so the company cannot use sales metrics to track the popularity of specific characters.
Instead, they turn to social media to identify the items buyers want most. “We determine who is the most sought after by people saying what character they are hoping to find in their videos,” Nolan says. “The Disney characters we have heard a high request for have been Pascal and Stitch from Series 1, Sulley and Baymax from Series 2, and Eeyore, Marie, Dumbo and Bullseye from Series 3.”
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I was lucky enough to get my hands on a Cutie Cuff sample at Toy Fair and was eager to do my own unboxing recently. While I didn't get one of the characters Nolan mentioned above, I was excited to discover an adorable Simba cuff inside the box.
Photo credit: Bobbi Dempsey
Photo courtesy of Bobbi Dempsey (purse by Kitten D'Amour)
A Big Boost from Social Media
Sales of Cutie Cuffs really skyrocketed once they started to get a lot of buzz on social media, particularly TikTok—which created the kind of viral exposure most manufacturers can only wish for.
“We noticed the TikTok videos quickly,” says Nolan. “We can’t argue that the popularity online has driven sales as well as raised awareness for our products. To us, those go hand in hand."
He adds, "That first wave of customers who had such genuine and joyful reactions to our Disney Cutie Cuffs made us, as a company, sit up and drive focus to TikTok as a platform we needed to utilize. We owe a huge thank you to the people who posted early on! It was one of those moments where we all look at each other and go, ‘This is something special.’”
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Where To Buy Cutie Cuffs
If timing and luck are on your side, you may be able to find Cutie Cuffs at one of several retailers.
“Our main retailer is Target, in the trading card section at the front of the store,” says Nolan.
That's not all, however. “With the growing popularity, other retailers have taken a big interest in Cutie Cuffs," Nolan explains. "For the holiday season, we will have different releases at different retailers [including] Walgreens, Hot Topic, FYE, Meijer, Hobby Lobby, Dollar General, Walmart and Target.”
They've been seen at Aldi and on Amazon as well.
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However, you will need to act fast if the toys show up in a store near you, because they disappear quickly. “The demand for them has been very high since 2022,” says Nolan. “We do have a hard time keeping them in stock. The Marvel Cutie Cuff release flew off the shelves at such a high rate, we did not anticipate that demand. We are working to keep up with the demand on the production side of our business.”
Next up, learn more about Aldi slashing the price on more than 70 holiday dinner essentials.
