Category Archives: Is Sophie the Giraffe “Expensive?”

When Helene Dumoulin-Montgomery began importing the Vulli Sophie the Giraffe Infant Teether into the United States in 2000, she initially experienced some difficulty in convincing southern California boutique owners that the all natural rubber baby teething toy was worth it's relatively high price.  Certainly, as compared to other baby teethers and infant teething toys, the Sophie Giraffe baby teether was more expensive.

In her 2009 Los Angeles Times article, Deborah Netburn lamented,  "That's the bummer about Sophie and why my son, Jonah, now almost 1 1/2, never got his busy little hands on a Sophie of his own.  With tax, the giraffe costs more than $25 in most stores.  That's about three times what a similar-sized teether toy might cost at Target."  

However, Netburn continues with her discussion.  In speaking with Cheryl Petran, the Chief Operating Officer of the Pump Station, a mini-chain popular with Los Angeles Moms, Petran says, "I think the cuteness [of Sophie the Giraffe] is what first attracts you.  And then what you learn about it justifies the price."  To that, Netburn adds, "She's (Sophie's) organic; babies can chew on her hooves and her horns; she's celebrity endorsed," and, "To some moms, Sophie is simply prettier, softer and cooler than any other teether.  If my thrifty husband hadn't stopped me, my son might have an albino Sophie, too."

After being popularized by celebrities in the United States, and publicized by "mommy bloggers," Sophie the Giraffe developed a reputation for being a "Status Teether."  This popularity and publicity for the giraffe teether has surely contributed immensely to extraordinary sales of Sophie, despite her relatively high price of generally around $20.00.    

Perhaps part of Sophie's appeal is her European heritage.  Created and manufactured in, and distributed from France in 1961, the teething giraffe quickly became a spectatular success, where chewing on a Sophie has become nearly a "rite of passage" for French babies. 

In her initial sales efforts of Sophie the Giraffe, Dumoulin-Montgomery began to notice that the baby teething giraffe was so popular that new parents, and especially friends of new parents, were quite willing to spend a little extra money on the giraffe baby teether.  

According to Teri Weiss, the owner of a high end boutique in Beverly Hills, California,  "People with very little money are willing to spend money on this thing … "  She went on to add that many of her Sophie Giraffe baby teether sales are made to people whose credit cards don't go through on the first time.  "It isn't a $1,000 stroller.  For $20, they can have what the movie stars have."

Dumoulin-Montgomery has estimated that the majority of all Sophie Giraffes are purchased as gifts.  And Ali Wing, the founder of the baby emporium, Giggle, agrees.  She has stated that she believes that Sophie Giraffe's somewhat high price is justified.  Describing the spotted teething giraffe as so much more than just a piece of naturally molded rubber, she described the Sophie Giraffe as a, "friend-like, soothing companion that's easy to hold on to."  The giraffe baby teether seems to be a lovely, popular and fun baby toy, as well as a soothing infant teether, all in one.   

Since Amazon.com began to sell Sophie the Teething Giraffe in 2008, this very popular baby teething toy has consistently ranked in the top three most wished-for items in Amazon's "Baby" category.  The Giraffe named Sophie is also one of the most frequently gifted Baby items at Amazon.  Apparently, some consider the ideal baby shower or new baby gift purchase amount to be around twenty dollars – not too "cheap," and not to expensive.  

At the time of writing this article, the Sophie Giraffe has received over 2,000 Amazon reviews from happy customers who have consistently evaluated the baby teething toy with four stars out of five.  The teething giraffe's Amazon ranking seems to be self-perpetuating, as everyone likes to be associated with a "winner."  Items ranking at the top of Amazon have achieved that ranking for a reason, and, as such, tend to continue being high ranking, popular sellers.  

Sophie Giraffe is associated with several other products, however none of them are nearly as popular (yet!) as the 50+ year old, Sophie the Giraffe baby teether, by Vulli.