Look Out for Smiling Friends Plush Restocks at Hot Topic

There’s no denying it: Smiling Friends is here to say. Adult Swim’s newest darling has been renewed for another three seasons, and that means plenty of merch is on the way.

Earlier this year, limited edition vinyl figurines were sold at Comic Con and the show’s Brooklyn pop-up. Those are now flipping for over $1,000 as a complete set.

These plushes aren’t quite as popular or profitable, but we’re still seeing a pretty healthy number of sales coming through at a regular basis. You can find these online or in-person at Hot Topic, and they restock frequently. There are individual designs for Pim, Charlie, and Allan.

Your best bet is hitting up Hot Topic stores in person. Online drops happen randomly throughout the day, usually early morning or late afternoon, but they’re gone in minutes. In-store is where the real opportunity sits.

Buy multiples if you can. Hot Topic doesn’t usually limit these like they do with exclusive Funkos, so grab what you can carry. Just don’t be that person clearing entire shelves if other collectors are around.

Here’s where you maximize profit: sell locally or through Facebook Marketplace when possible. You’re looking at $35-45 per plush on eBay after their 13% fees and shipping costs eat into your margins. Selling locally bumps you up to $40-50 pure profit since you skip platform fees entirely.

Note that there’s been a spike in cheap knockoff versions of these plushes sold on eBay. The authentic Jazwares designs are still flipping for well above their MSRP.

Volume is the name of the game here. This is low effort, low risk flipping. One plush nets you $15-30 profit depending on your selling method. Hit up 2-3 Hot Topic locations weekly, grab 5-10 plushes total, and you’re looking at $150-300 in relatively passive income.

Risk is minimal. Even if resale prices dip, you’re not stuck with expensive inventory like you would be with sneakers or electronics. Worst case scenario, you sell at cost to a collector on Reddit and break even.

Keep an eye on restock patterns at your local stores. Most get shipments Tuesday and Thursday mornings, though this varies by location.

Prices have already started cooling from the $60+ range they hit when the plushes first dropped, settling into the $35-50 range now. This is actually good for volume flipping since more buyers can afford them, but don’t sleep too long. Once Hot Topic’s exclusive window closes and these hit other retailers, the secondary market will tank.