Big_Ass_Spork's Journal: alt.sex.plushies Frequently Asked Questions

ADVISORY -- ADULTS ONLY

The following text contains descriptions of erotic acts with plush stuffed animals ('plushies'). If you are a minor, or if you believe you may be offended by descriptions of eroticism with plush stuffed animals, please stop reading this text now.

Welcome to alt.sex.plushies!

alt.sex.plushies Frequently Asked Questions Version 3.1

(last revised 30 November 1999)

Table Of Contents:

    1) What is 'alt.sex.plushies'?
    2) What is a 'plushie'? What is a 'plushophile'?
    3) What is a 'fursuit'?
    4) What kinds of subjects are discussed on alt.sex.plushies?
    5) How do people really feel about their plush companions?
    6) Why be intimate with plushies instead of with people?
    7) Just what exactly do people do with plushies, anyway?
    8) I think I'd like to explore this. How should I begin?
    9) Am I welcome here if I like plushies but don't have sex with them?
10) Why is there so little traffic on this newsgroup?
11) What other plushie newsgroups are on the net?
12) Are there any plushie web sites I can browse?
13) Are there fursuit web sites I can browse, too?
14) I've seen some unusual terms used here. What do they all mean?
15) What is the 'Plush Code'?
16) How can I clean a plushie?
17) How can I modify a plushie?
18) Where can I buy plushies on the net?

1) What is 'alt.sex.plushies'?

'alt.sex.plushies' is a newsgroup for adults who have special personal
feelings for plush stuffed animals (and plush puppets, too). It's
also a place where people talk about 'fursuits'. alt.sex.plushies was
newgrouped on August 9, 1994.

2) What is a 'plushie'? What is a 'plushophile'?

A 'plushie' is a plush stuffed animal, like a teddy bear. 'Plushie'
is also sometimes used as a short form for 'plushophile': an adult
who loves or is otherwise attracted to stuffed animals.

3) What is a 'fursuit'?

This is a full-body costume that makes the wearer look like a favorite
animal, or an animal character. Costumes like this are commonly seen
being worn by staff members at amusement parks dressing up as popular
cartoon characters. They're also seen at sporting events where the
team has a mascot in a costume. Since a person in a fursuit looks
(and feels) a lot like a 'living plushie', such costumes are
understandably popular with some plushophiles. Several of us here
have made or bought our own animal costumes.

4) What kinds of subjects are discussed on alt.sex.plushies?

Many people assume that the group is just for talking about sex,
sexual techniques, and ways to modify plushies to use them for sex.
While these subjects certainly all come up, they are far from the
only things that are discussed here. Some other topics that arise
are what kinds of plushies people have, what they look like, where to
buy them, how to make fursuits and other kinds of costumes, what kind
of plushie gatherings are coming up, and just plain conversation
between friends. alt.sex.plushies is a small, friendly group, and
nobody minds if a discussion drifts a bit away from the subject of
plushies now and then. About the only things that are unwelcome are
binary posts, and the SPAM advertisements that flood the whole
alt.sex.* hierarchy.

5) How do people really feel about their plush companions?

While most plushophiles probably feel at least some degree of affection
for their plushies, the ways they express it depend on the individual.
Some may view their plushies as just sex toys, while other plushophiles
love, even venerate their stuffed animals.

6) Why be intimate with plushies instead of with people?

You don't have to choose between one or the other - you can have both
plush and human partners at the same time - but the great thing about
stuffed animals is that they can always be there for you, whenever you
feel the need for intimacy. People can be 'too busy', 'too tired' or
'have a headache', but a plushie will never say 'No!' when you crave
closeness. Stuffed animals can be truly ideal companions. No plush
partner will ever break your heart, give you a disease, or hurt you in
any way. Plushies can bring pure, unfettered happiness into your life,
and if you're open to it, wonderful sensual experiences, as well.

7) Just what exactly do people do with plushies, anyway?

Probably the most common thing plushophiles do with their plushies is
to simply cuddle them. Many of us sleep with our stuffed animals, as
well. Concerning plush sex, two common methods are to hug a plushie
while pleasuring oneself, and to rub against the fur of the plushie
until achieving orgasm. Some people modify their plushies to form a
space for penetration. This can be as simple as an opened seam, or a
more elaborate insert can be constructed. People can also modify a
plushie with a penis-like attachment. Some plushophiles have such
strong feelings for plushies that they can make themselves peak just
by looking at one, or just sniffing its scent. Many other fetishes
can easily be combined with plush sex, as well. Also, you can involve
human partners with plush. Rubbing a plushie against a sex partner's
body is nice, as is 'sandwiching' a partner's body between yours and a
large plushie (or sandwiching the plushie), or frolicking with your
partner in a big pile of plush. The potential ways to use plushies
are really limited solely by the imagination. Indulge freely in your
fancies!

8) I think I'd like to explore this. How should I begin?

First and most importantly, find a stuffed animal that appeals to you
in a very personal way. It may take time, but eventually you'll find
one that's irresistible. If you currently have a stuffed animal that
you've got special feelings for, chances are you've already expressed
those emotions in some intimate manner. In general, probably the best
way to learn about plush love is to take your special plushie to bed
with you, and just cuddle at first. That might be as far as you want
to go, but if the sensations of softness, warmth and closeness bring
on arousal, simply follow your instincts. You'll find that plushies
make very nice love partners. They will gladly do anything you want
and any time you feel like it, so you can totally set your own pace.
Just start with cuddling, and sleeping with your special plushie(s),
and in time, you will learn all the Joys Of Plush(tm) for yourself.

9) Am I welcome here if I like plushies but don't have sex with them?

Certainly! Many of the posters here collect plushies for their
appearance, because they love animals, or various other non-sexual
reasons. There are plenty of things plush collectors can and do
discuss here, whether they are into sexual uses for plushies or not.
Please feel free to join such discussions or start new ones, and just
skip over any other topics that don't interest you. You'll find that
the majority of discussions here are actually not sexual, only a
minority of them are.

10) Why is there so little traffic on this newsgroup?

A lot of people stopped posting to alt.sex.plushies when the SPAM
advertisements flooded the group. a.s.p isn't completely dead, though.
Many of us still monitor the group for on-topic posts, and newcomers
are always welcome. Don't let the SPAM discourage you from joining us!
If you do post to a.s.p, though, *make sure* your Subject: line starts
with a tag like 'PLUSH:'. Most of us have filters that kill posts
whose Subject: line doesn't contain the word 'plush' or 'plushies'.

11) What other plushie newsgroups are on the net?

These Usenet newsgroups are devoted to stuffed animals, too:
alt.fan.plushies
alt.collecting.teddy-bears
alt.collecting.beanie-babies
alt.collecting.beanie-babies.forsale
alt.collecting.beanie-babies.uk

Plushie pictures can be posted to:
alt.binaries.pictures.plushies
alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.plushies
alt.binaries.erotica.beanie-babies

Also, 'alt.lifestyle.furry' is a 'furry' newsgroup where plushophilia
is on-topic, and 'de.alt.fan.pluesch' is a German plushie NG.

12) Are there any plushie web sites I can browse?

Of course! Here are a few for starters:

FoxWolfie Galen's Furry Plushie Page
http://velocity.net/~galen/
(Established in April 1994 - probably the first adult plushie page)

Max's Plushie Page
http://www.sonic.net/~maxi/plush.html

Plush Central
http://www.personal.isat.com/captpackrat/plush/
(Home of the plushieRing)

W e bKitty's Plushies Page
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~mivillan/plushies.html
(Discover 25 reasons why stuffed animals are better than men!)

BlayZe BrightScale's Page
http://come.to/blayze/

>From any of these sites, you can follow the 'PlushieRing' to a number
of other plush-lovers' webpages.

'Plushie Fandom!' is a message board and chat forum for plushophiles
on the World Wide Web. Come join us at:
http://www.delphi.com/plushie_fandom

13) Are there fursuit web sites I can browse, too?

One of the most comprehensive webpages on fursuits is at:
http://www.best.com/~nico/fursuit.cgi
There you will find links to many other fursuit-related webpages.

14) I've seen some unusual terms used here. What do they all mean?

We plushies have come up with a lot of unique jargon over the years.
You can look up the meaning of just about any word or abbreviation we
use at:
http://velocity.net/~galen/plushlex.txt

15) What is the 'Plush Code'?

It's a categorical code of letters and symbols that's used to summarize
ones personal plush preferences. The key to translate someone's Plush
Code can be found at:
http://velocity.net/~galen/plushcod.txt

16) How can I clean a plushie?

This subject is worthy of a FAQ by itself. It's a complex question,
not only because many stuffed animals have individual qualities that
require different approaches to cleaning, but also because it seems
most of us have different ideas about how to clean our plush friends.
As for myself, I think the best way to keep a stuffed animal clean is
to try not to get it dirty in the first place. Most importantly, I
always make sure *I* am clean before I handle or snuggle my plushies,
because inevitably, whatever grime is on my hands, clothes, or body is
going to end up in my cuddlemate's plush. Dirt, dust, body oil, sweat,
skin flakes, hair, lint, even the smoky fallout from one's kitchen -
all these foreign substances will accumulate in a plushie's fur over
time, and getting them out - especially if the fur has become tangled
or matted - can be a major chore. Since most stuffed animals are
'limited editions' which years from now won't be replaceable, keeping
a favorite plushie clean is crucial to prolonging its life.

On a week-to-week basis, the best thing to do for a regularly-cuddled
plushie is to give it a good thorough combing. This will minimize the
tendency for the fur to get tangled and matted. Plush that you have
around the house just for display purposes should be combed at least
once monthly to get the dust out of their fur. Make sure to use a comb
that is dedicated solely for the purpose of grooming your plushies,
though. Anything that is on a comb will work its way into a plushie's
fur, too, and you definitely don't want to get scalp oils, dander, or
the residue of styling gunk embedded into a stuffed animal's plush.

For simple clean-ups, there is an excellent commercial product called
'Bubble G u n d' that works wonders on plush that is moderately soiled.
Spray lightly onto the soiled area, rub it into the plush with a clean
dry towel, let it dry thoroughly, then buff the fur briskly with
another clean dry towel. The results are usually quite pleasing.

Sometimes, however, radical surgery is required to clean a seriously
dirty plushie. This should only be done, though, if you're skilled in
the art of sewing. Undo enough of the seams to completely remove the
stuffing, then hand-wash the plush 'skin' in a dilute solution of a
mild detergent like Woolite. After you're done with the hand-washing,
dry the fur by hand, as well. Re-stuff the plushie using only fresh
new Poly-fil (available at most arts and crafts stores), and re-sew.

Be aware that semen or vaginal fluid can mar plush fur if it's left to
dry untreated. If this concerns you, be sure to comb and dry the fur
thoroughly right after sex, and untangle all the stuck-together plush.
If the sexual fluid has already dried, re-moisten it with a damp
cloth, and then untangle the plush.

Whatever method you choose to clean a plushie, try to avoid soaking the
inner stuffing. Some stuffed animals are indeed made to be machine
washable, but most are not, and getting the stuffing wet will at best
make a plushie undesirably lumpy inside, and at worst, ruin it by
encouraging the internal growth of mold and mildew rot.

17) How can I modify a plushie?

As alluded to above, there are two principal ways people may modify
plushies for sex. One is to form a space for penetration. This type
of modification is called a 'strategically-placed hole' (SPH). The
other basic type of modification is to give a plushie a maleness, for
receptive sex, or simply for anatomical correctness. This is called
a 'strategically-placed appendage' (SPA). The specific techniques of
how to create these modifications are really beyond the scope of this
FAQ, however. If you have questions about mods, though, post them to
the group, and someone will likely know where or to whom to direct you.

18) Where can I buy plushies on the net?

This FAQ used to include a list of plushie resources on the Internet,
but it became too much work to keep it updated. If you'd like to view
this list, go to one of the three sites below, but bear in mind that
each of the new hosts have permission to modify the resources list as
they wish, so the info available at these sites may differ.

http://velocity.net/~galen/sources.html (or */sources.txt)
http://www.spottycat.com/marlos/plushres.html (includes updated info
        for Canadian plushie resources)
http://www.sonic.net/~maxi/plushres.txt