This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/hobbydrama by /u/SunnySatori on 2025-02-04 14:54:10+00:00.

(Repost to correct title format.)

What are Fumos?

The Fumo Fumo Plush series, simply referred to as fumos, are a line of plushies made by the company GIFT that are based on characters from the Touhou Project series.

The initial releases, plushie versions of the protagonists Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame, were released in August 2008 to great acclaim, with many more characters receiving fumo versions and some even getting giant (deka) versions as well.

Unfortunately, fumos can be extremely expensive to get ahold of, as GIFT doesn’t ship internationally.  This means you have to buy them through a third-party seller.

Scalpers and Bootleggers

Enter the scalpers. These are people who buy fumos for relatively low prices and then sell them online through platforms like EBay with a massive markup. If you want to get your hands on a legit fumo, then it’ll probably cost you at least a hundred bucks, oftentimes more depending on the character.

Obviously, most people aren’t willing to drop $200 on a plush toy, so there has sprung up a massive market for bootleg fumos (nicknamed “fomus”, “fumbos”, or simply “unofficial fumos” by the community). If you see a fumo selling for a price that seems lower than usual, it’s most likely a bootleg.

Community Reactions

Some in the fumo community are strongly against these knockoffs, viewing it as taking money from the original creators and giving it to scammers instead. Others are fairly neutral on the matter, citing the overpriced nature of official fumos and the fact that, generally speaking, the “unofficial” fumos aren’t actually much worse in quality.

But in the end, as long as the lack of international shipping and the expensiveness of the originals continues to be an issue, the bootleg fumos will continue to be a much more accessible option.