The bears themselves are ok. About £25 per bear. They stuff them in the shop and you can choose how much stuffing you want in them. Then they offer up-sales such as...inserting a silk heart and a device that place a tune when pressed. You can also buy a birth certificate for the bear.
I bought one for my little grandaughter when she was born. I would have loved to buy her a bear from Steiff but...a little pricey. So she'll have to wait to inherit my Steiff bear that I had since I was born.
I find the price reasonable. Suitable for small children, safety tested and even washable if I recall correctly. My grandaughter can't sleep without her bear. As for the stuffing...you can decide between three amounts, depending how squishy you want the bear to be. Should the bear ever get lost and then found and the finder would take him to a build a bear store, they would send it back to me.
They do different size bears. Some costing around £5.
A bear of that quality from Steiff would set you back around £50 and if you'd go for their classical range you're starting to look at around £150 plus. The very early Steiff bears cost a lot more and you wouldn't want a child to play with them, as they are collectors items and very fragile.
I wouldn't have gone into one either, but when my little grandaughter was born I thought she needed a trustworthy companion for life and only a teddy bear will never let you down
My bear had the works. Certificate, outfit, recorded message. Its not as well built as a Charlie bear and the total cost was probably alot more. I brought my niece a Charlie bear a few years ago was very costly (£50 half price sale). She takes it everywhere, collectors my wince at that but it's very loved.
I can scarcely believe what I'm reading here. Never heard of build a bear and having read all these comments I really don't want to see one. Children are usually happy with any stuffed animal in my experience. My daughter still has a rather battered panda purchased nearly 50 years ago though my son's elephant (made by me) finally gave up the ghost long before that. At least there's some sense in all the advice on making your own but easy enough to buy any bear and dress it if a bear is required. For certain sure your build a bear isn't never going to turn into a Steiff
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Thanks a ton willow, what a fantastic and lovely forum this truly is.
And to think I nearly shut the door on you all at one bit
Steve I 'll do your pockets , I'm a dab hand at emptying them , are they full to the top ?I don't mind overflowing pockets either ............
Are the build a bear things really economical or is the appeal in the fact that kids can personalise them?
I guess the major profit stream is parents being brow beaten by kids into buying more accessories?
Your idea to enlist said grandkids in making their own clothes for them is an excellent idea.
The bears themselves are ok. About £25 per bear. They stuff them in the shop and you can choose how much stuffing you want in them. Then they offer up-sales such as...inserting a silk heart and a device that place a tune when pressed. You can also buy a birth certificate for the bear.
I bought one for my little grandaughter when she was born. I would have loved to buy her a bear from Steiff but...a little pricey. So she'll have to wait to inherit my Steiff bear that I had since I was born.
I knew about the hearts and birth certificates. Is £25 a reasonable price for a bear of the size or do they do a variety?
Just how much stuffing can one get into a bear to get your money's worth?
I have visions of a bear groaning under the tension of kilos of fluff...
Re Bears... The full article seems to be only available to journal subscribers but this article appeared in the Vet Record in April 1972!
http://hoaxes.org/af_database/permalink/brunus_edwardii/
I find the price reasonable. Suitable for small children, safety tested and even washable if I recall correctly. My grandaughter can't sleep without her bear. As for the stuffing...you can decide between three amounts, depending how squishy you want the bear to be. Should the bear ever get lost and then found and the finder would take him to a build a bear store, they would send it back to me.
They do different size bears. Some costing around £5.
A bear of that quality from Steiff would set you back around £50 and if you'd go for their classical range you're starting to look at around £150 plus. The very early Steiff bears cost a lot more and you wouldn't want a child to play with them, as they are collectors items and very fragile.
I know Steif bears are very expensive indeed. I just have never had reason to go into a Buildabear shop so I had no idea if they were worth it!
I wouldn't have gone into one either, but when my little grandaughter was born I thought she needed a trustworthy companion for life and only a teddy bear will never let you down
My bear had the works. Certificate, outfit, recorded message. Its not as well built as a Charlie bear and the total cost was probably alot more. I brought my niece a Charlie bear a few years ago was very costly (£50 half price sale). She takes it everywhere, collectors my wince at that but it's very loved.
I can scarcely believe what I'm reading here. Never heard of build a bear and having read all these comments I really don't want to see one. Children are usually happy with any stuffed animal in my experience. My daughter still has a rather battered panda purchased nearly 50 years ago though my son's elephant (made by me) finally gave up the ghost long before that. At least there's some sense in all the advice on making your own but easy enough to buy any bear and dress it if a bear is required. For certain sure your build a bear isn't never going to turn into a Steiff