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The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Duffy’s Rise, Disney Store Nostalgia, and the Secret History of the Disney Bear (Ep. 40)

The Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Jim Hill Media Podcast Network

Tv & Film, Society & Culture, Places & Travel

4.81.4K Ratings

🗓️ 27 March 2025

⏱️ 44 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode of I Want That Too, Jim Hill and Lauren Hersey go full collector mode with stories of forgotten plush, rare merch, and the unexpected international success of one very determined Disney bear. The Return of Duffy – From Tokyo-exclusive meet-and-greets to his spot in Disneyland’s new cavalcade, Disney is going all in (again) on Duffy and his friends. The Secret Origin of the Disney Bear – Before he was Duffy, he was an unloved plush at Once Upon a Toy—and Jim shares the wild backstory of how he became a phenomenon in Japan. The Lost Legacy of the Disney Store – With a 38th anniversary celebration underway, Lauren and Jim reflect on the rise and fall of the beloved retail chain. D23 Frustrations and Freebies – From vanishing magazines to exclusive shopping windows, Lauren makes her case for why members deserve more (and maybe a plus-one). Collector PSA – If you love Disney merch history, Lauren recommends checking out Up for Auction, the CW series hosted by Chris Hardwick that’s loaded with rare finds. This episode is full of deep cuts, hot takes, and a two-part Duffy deep dive that might just change the way you look at Disney plush. Listen now on your favorite podcast platform! Be Our Guest Vacations Planning your next Disney vacation? Be Our Guest Vacations is a Platinum-level Earmarked travel agency with concierge-level service to make every trip magical. Their team of expert agents plans vacations across the globe, from Disney and Universal to cruises and adventures, ensuring you have the best possible experience without the stress. Learn More Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome back to I Want That Too, the podcast where Disney merch meets Disney history.

0:05.9

I'm entertainment writer Jim Hill, and as always, I'm joined by the ever-lovely Lauren

0:11.6

Herssey, who's looking so much healthier. Yeah, I was a little gray for our last episode. I

0:19.9

know this is a podcast and nobody can see me. But man,

0:23.4

that Vegas crud, it kicked my butt three days in and a steroid and I'm a new woman.

0:29.2

No, we go, no, she's rested, she's refreshed. She's ready to take on this show. So,

0:34.4

what will we be talking about today?

0:38.0

Well, before we get into all of the awesomeness, I don't know, that's a word, for today's show, I did, going back to me being sick, I don't know, when you're laid up, like, with some type of funk, I, like, I'm really useless. I'm in my bed. I'm just, you know,

0:58.2

resting and binge watching everything that I've needed to catch up on for the last year on

1:02.9

Netflix and Beyond. So during the time that I was sick, Eric found a new-ish show for us. And I wanted to mention it on the show because it seems

1:16.7

like if anybody, there are listeners like Disney merch, this might be up rally. It's called Up for

1:21.7

Auction. Have you heard of the show? No, no. In fact, I have to, based on what you and Eric have been saying, I have to seek this thing out

1:31.9

because it sounds like some very high-profile Disney collectors have taken part in the program.

1:37.6

Yes, it's so cool.

1:39.0

And bonus points, it was originally on the CW network.

1:44.0

And I think I've mentioned before that I work for a company called Next Star who actually owns the CW Network.

1:51.3

So bonus points for supporting a show.

1:55.0

So the show, the premise, it's hosted by Chris Hardwick, who is, I believe, a well-known comedian,

2:03.1

TV host, Big Disney Collector himself.

2:07.8

Eric mentioned some, like, the nerdist.

2:11.0

I guess he was, like, one of the original, like, podcasters, like, pop culture, that kind of thing.

2:17.0

And was the host of The Talking Dead, so the after show for Walking Dead.

...

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