Background
The Lubies line wasn't always a licensed Major League Baseball series. They actually started out as a regular plush animal line featuring a handful of different barnyard or jungle animals. In addition to the licensed sports Lubies and the normal animal Lubies, Rocket USA has released several souvenir-style Lubies.
I'm calling these the Destination Lubies because each plush is specific to a tourist/vacation destination. And they use animals that the areas are well-known for. The three designs that we'll be looking at are the Cape Cod Lobster, Florida Flamingo and Miami Flamingo.
The Facts
Destination Lubies
Series: Lubies
Manufacturer: Rocket USA
Material: Plush
Dimensions: 5” round
Designs: Cape Cod Lobster, Florida Flamingo, Miami Flamingo
Tag
Each Lubie sports a tag that has an illustrated scene specific to that travel destination on the front. Inside, there is the destination's logo on the left panel and a Did You Know? factoid on the righthand side.
Our Opinion
I'm calling these Destination Lubies because they're what you'd find in souvenir shops at tourist destinations or in airports bookstores on your way to or from the old family vacation. These Lubies are publicizing a specific city or state, using an animal that the area is known for. It wouldn't make sense to have a polar bear with New Mexico across its chest, right?
The Florida and Miami Flamingos are essentially the same, except for the embroidered logo across the chest. But they do feature the same font type and a reverse in colors on those logos. The Cape Cod Lobster (that actually sounds rather tasty right about now) is very similar to the recently reviewed Boston Red Sox Lobster Lubie. It features the Cape Cod logo across the chest, which in this case is on the lobster's underside.
OVERALL: I'm imagining that if you stroll into a shop looking for a good souvenir for the kids, because you want them to fondly remember your family vacation...they'd probably prefer Lubies over a t-shirt or mug. I like that Rocket USA has targeted travel destinations, using Lubies that are indigenous to those specific areas.
You can pick one up at the following:
Amazon.com: $9.99 ea.
Destination Lubies Grades
Plush Quality: 9/10
Stitching: 8/10
Material: 9/10
Softness: 9/10
Packaging/Tag: 9/10
Cuteness: 9/10
Fun Factor: 9/10
Value: 9/10
Cape Cod Lobster: 9.1/10
Florida Flamingo: 8.8/10
Miami Flamingo: 8.8/10