X rival Mastodon has started selling toys

If you like open-source, decentralized social networks that put the power in the hands of the people instead of billionaires, you can now support that cause…by buying toys. On Tuesday, Mastodon, a decentralized alternative to X, began selling its own merchandise in the form of cute, plushie mastodons – the proto-elephants with long tusks that give the social network its name.

The company announced last year that it would help fund its development efforts through merchandise sales after a poll found that over 6,700 Mastodon users said they would buy something if merch was made available. Shortly thereafter, Mastodon quickly sold out of a small test round of products, including mugs, tees, and pins. The lineup, which had only included 250 units of each item, was soon sold out.

That leads us to today’s launch of the Mastodon plushie, available in one size for $45 (USD). The light-colored, washable stuffie is 35cm high and cushy enough to serve as a travel pillow, the company says. Unfortunately for Mastodon’s US fans, it’s initially available only in the EU, as shipments to the US have been delayed by recent storms. 

Within a few hours of launch, Mastodon had sold 176 plushies, earning the company nearly $8K in revenue, (less its manufacturing and shipping costs). By the end of the day, the figure had topped 200. While that’s nowhere near paying even a single developer’s salary, it could help the company make a tiny dent in its server bills at least. 

It’s hard to imagine how a small, social network that primarily funds itself via Patreon, according to founder and CEO Eugen Rochko, will ever make enough money to topple tech giants like X and Meta’s Threads. Still, it’s fun to see the open social community rally behind the effort, posting their plushie support #plushtodon after their sales are complete.