COCCOLO

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This is a classic Coccolotto from the late 1990s / early 2000s. Coccolotti are small interactive plush teddy-bear keychains produced by the Italian toy company Giochi Preziosi. They were extremely popular in Italy (and to a lesser extent in other European countries) and were mainly sold in newsstands (edicole) as affordable collectible toys. Typical features of the original version include: • Soft, pastel-colored plush body (this one is mint green) • A red heart-shaped nose that lights up • An embroidered or printed badge on the belly • A metal chain with a plastic accessory — in this case the green ribbed “biberon” (baby bottle) • Simple interactive electronics: when you insert the bottle into the bear’s mouth it “drinks,” the nose lights up and it makes happy sounds; if you remove the bottle too soon or leave it “neglected,” it cries or complains The whole concept was that these little bears needed constant care and cuddles (the name “Coccolotti” literally means “little cuddles”). Kids would carry them everywhere attached to backpacks or key rings, treating them almost like physical Tamagotchis.