Collecting Build-A-Bears

I've extolled the virtues of some of the cutest stuffed animals (or 'plushes') currently full of stuffing in the world today many, many times on this blog. But if you've just recently fallen in love with these little 40cm average bundles of cuteness -- how do you manage to create a collection without being overwhelmed by the sheer vastness that is all of the animals and their accessories to choose from? (The number of items that they put out in a year is astounding... so when you think about the fact that they've been doing it for eleven years now... ohhhhh it's a LOT.) How can you possibly start a build-a-bear workshop collection without being inundated and unorganised?

For me, it all began with my friend Jer. I was visiting him in his office when I noticed a very cute little bear in a cheerleading costume.
"Oh Cer, you're going to LOVE this place... you MAKE your own animal and then dress it!" His insistence that I would be swept away by this place led me to try it out... I went to my local one (only a mere two hours drive away... child's play!) and there was *the* bunny. Charlotte came home with me, dressed very similarly to my style of fashion -- jeans, t-shirt, socks and brown suede shoes. I spent months staring at the website, oohing and aahing over every new development and item release until the holidays approached. When I saw the christmas outfits and accessories -- I knew I was hooked. My collection is devoted to creating a wonderful 'scene' of all of my build-a-bears dressed up for the holidays as if I were painting a Saks Fifth Avenue holiday window in NYC....

Over the years, I've developed a pretty good system about organising and growing my beloved collection, and I'll share it with anyone to spread the love of build-a-bear workshop around.

First, let's start with the Animals themselves. Since I collect them for myself and not to 'make money', my information will not be about which items have the highest monetary value nor which make the best sales. I couldn't even imagine selling my babies!
I have a couple of notes about collecting the animals --

• Start browsing the Build-A-Bear Workshop website.
  
• It is very possible that you will not like all of the animals that build-a-bear workshop produces.
• It can be very difficult NOT to purchase animals in the 'limited edition' or 'series' set of animals if you don't like them (especially if you really love animals). I currently have some animals in the new Gem bear series, and I really do not like their eyes. I don't think they are very cute and I wish I hadn't purchased the ones I do have. But now I'm torn -- because I can purchase the last one or two and then the set will be 'complete' for this year's series... or... I can find them a new home. They aren't loved by me, and so I don't think I should keep them... but....
• Sometimes the picture on the website doesn't represent the animal very well. I have had animals that were both cuter and not-as-cute as their pictures represented.

So, with those notes in mind, let's dive in and get to collecting our beloved animals!
Things to help you:

• A 12x12 Scrapbook (for birth certificates, stickers, calendar pages, etc.)
• The Official Collector's Guide
• The Collectibear Starter Pin Set
• A dedicated place for your animals and their plethora of accessories (I use a snap-together grid-system bookshelf to hang clothing and give each animal their own 'cubby' house).

For me, it all began with the bunnies. I currently have five bunnies in my collection.
To start collecting, try these tips:

• Find two animals that you adore to start with (now THAT can be a challenge -- there are SO many!)
• There are a number of different 'types' of animals that can help you start collecting, including Dogs, Limited Edition, Collectibear and Collectifriend Series, and WWF. Not every country has the same animals, so check your country's website!
  
• Purchase them clothed, if you can, but don't worry about theming your outfits/accessories just yet, unless you already know what theme you want. Getting your collection started with two animals fully dressed will help you decide which kinds of clothing and accessories you like the most. (And it helps to keep enough clothing for all of your animals!)
  
• If you are stuck trying to think of names for them, try naming them after your favourite desserts. I have Chocolate, Vanilla, Espresso, Chai Latte, Lemon Meringue, etc.
• Put each birth certificate into a sheet protector in the 12x12 scrapbook along with any calendar pages, stickers, or tags / paper goods that you want to keep.
• If your animals include collector's pins, keep the pin card and/or limited edition number tag with the birth certificate in the scrapbook. Place the pin on the lanyard of the starter pin set. (If I were a collector looking for monetary gains in my collection -- I wouldn't remove the tags and I probably wouldn't actually stuff the animals either -- but that's not why I collect them, so these tips will NOT be for that kind of collector!)

What happens when the animal(s) you adore aren't available in your local build-a-bear workshop or the website any more? Well, you can try eBay. Ebay is the source of both delight and heartbreak to the build-a-bear collector. I have seen an item that I was unable to purchase when it was available in the store go for more than 7x the original price. There have been unscrupulous people that bid only to raise the auction price and not to actually get the item in question. I have also managed to purchase items that were unbeknownst to me in the build-a-bear world, much to my surprise!
When shopping on eBay, these tips might be helpful:

• Before bidding on an animal, make sure that it is no longer available on the build-a-bear workshop website. Sometimes people will purchase animals from the website and then sell them on ebay for a much higher price, because people aren't aware that when their local store doesn't have an item, the website may.
• Check the collector's book to see which animals are actually rare before bidding. Many times a seller will mark an item 'rare' when it isn't, and have a higher starting bid.
  
• Set a maximum price you will pay for the animal you want in your mind before you start bidding -- the little rush of anxiety that happens when someone outbids you can cloud your judgement and you can end up paying *far* more than you ever wanted to if you are not careful.
• If you only want animals in 'new with tags' (nwt) or 'unstuffed' condition, be prepared to pay usually double the original build-a-bear workshop price (at LEAST!)
• If you are willing to accept 'used' animals that are stuffed and usually without tags, look for ones that are described as 'excellent used condition' (euc), 'gently used condition' (guc), or 'like new' (ln). Also check for a description that says they come from a smoke-free house; if it isn't listed -- ask before bidding!
• If you are allergic to dogs and cats, ask about the pets in the house before bidding! Stuffed animals can keep pet dander for a very long time...
• Once you have your new animal, take him to your local build-a-bear workshop to get him 'adopted' with a new birth certificate, name, etc.
  

So! You have your animals! Awesome! But... now... what about their clothing and accessories?! With so many choices, just where do you start? Well, this comes down to personal choice, but I can help to narrow down the choices. :)
There are many possible themes you can use to help you in your collecting quest. Here are a few examples of the choices that build-a-bear workshop offers to collectors:

• Disney Princesses
• Disney Characters (Male and Female)
• Collectiwear International Outfits (Usually male and female outfits, with some exceptions)
• The Wizard of Oz Outfits
• Regular Holidays (Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, American Independence Day, Memorial / Veteran's Days, Back-to-School, Halloween and Costumes (these can be REALLY fun!), American (and also Canadian) Thanksgiving)
  
• Christmas
• Baby
• Sports (Including NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB, etc.)
• Limited Edition Series Outfits, which vary by year (2007 were Season Fairies, 2008 are Gem Fairy Outfits)
• Limited Too

This list doesn't include all of the special t-shirts, seasonal clothing, and of course... shoes that you can collect! What I've found very exciting is to pick out a 'time of the year' theme, Christmas, in my case, and also to go with a 'year-round' theme so that I can continue collecting clothed animals every month or two.

Of course, if you miss that one super special outfit, then once again, eBay may be your only way of getting it. Again, eBay can be a source of grief and a source of happiness when it comes to build-a-bears. (I'm still reeling over the price I just saw for an outfit that I'm missing... I just gave up on it for now, because for the price it went for, I could buy FOUR new build-a-bear animals -- possibly fully clothed!) The same tips apply for purchasing clothing that apply for purchasing the animals, with a couple of extra notes here:

• Be prepared to possibly have to bid on an animal you don't want to get the clothing you *do* want.
• Many times, the *one* outfit you want will be in a lot of clothes you *don't* want.
• Make sure you know how many pieces are in the outfit/accessory that you want -- you might be bidding on something that isn't complete! Also, know what the pieces look like, beforehand, because sometimes other pieces can get swapped in their place (an honest mistake -- most of the people selling these clothes had children that played with them... and could have easily lost the pieces, etc.)
• Clothing/Accessories seems particularly subject to distress and wear, so ask questions before bidding.
• Some of the themes/sets have *very* popular/hard-to-find (htf) items that can cost you a LOT of money to get the 'final' piece.

A couple final notes here -
There are multiple editions (versions) of both animals and clothing, so when collecting (especially when viewing items on eBay), make sure that the item you want is the correct edition (version). For example, the disney princess outfits have multiple versions of some of the dresses -- and they are not the same. The same is true for the two different versions of the cow, moose, frog, turtle, etc.

Along the collecting quest way, you might also happen to run into some extra goodies. I've picked up a lot of fun little build-a-bear items, like t-shirts for me, bags, key chains, pins, umbrellas, jackets, and all sorts of other little stuff. (I still want the build-a-bear cd case!)

Happy Collecting!

Comfort Foods

I have some nifty comfort food recipes for the vegetarian (vegan if you want to swap out the regular cheeses like I do) that just wants something soothing on a cold cold day. The recipes include: Smoked Potato Cheese Soup, Salsa Pasta with Lime-Chilli Corn, and a Twisted Mac 'n Cheese.

On today's menu, we'll make the Twisted Mac 'n Cheese, for two.

For the Lime Salsa -
Ingredients
2 Medium Tomatoes (I prefer the kind still on the vine)
1 Yellow Banana Chilli Pepper
1 Lime
1 tsp Paprika (Smoked paprika is good too!)
1/2 tsp Chilli Powder (I use medium)
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Oregano
Ground Pepper (up to 1/4 tsp depending on taste)
Garlic Powder (up to 1/4 tsp depending on taste -- I only use a sprinkle)
Salt

Preparation:
1. Cut lime in half and squeeze completely into a bowl
2. Add paprika, chilli, cumin, oregano, pepper, and garlic powder to lime juice
3. Dice tomatoes and add to bowl
4. De-seed and dice banana chilli, and add to bowl
5. Mix well and let sit at least 15 minutes before using.


For the Basic Mac 'n Cheese -
Ingredients:
2 Cups Orecchiette Pasta
2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil Margarine (dairy and non-dairy work well)
1/2 - 3/4 Cup of Mild Cheddar Cheese (dairy and non-dairy work well)
1/4 - 1/2 Cup of Milk (dairy and non-dairy work well)

Preparation:
1. Boil the pasta in salted water for about 11 - 15 minutes (until desired texture).
2. Drain and return to pan.
3. Mix in butter until completely melted. (If 2 Tbs are not enough, add another Tbs.)
4. Mix in cheese until well melted into the pasta (some bits left are fine).
5. Stir in milk, 1/4 cup at a time until it makes a creamy sauce.


Now for the fun!

Twisted Mac 'n Cheese -
Ingredients:
1 recipe Basic Mac 'n Cheese
1 recipe Lime Salsa
1/4 Cup Sunflower Seeds (salted or unsalted are fine either way)

Preparation: (enough to have seconds!)
1. Prepare lime salsa, set aside.
2. Prepare mac 'n cheese.
3. Using a 1/2 cup measuring cup, scoop mac 'n cheese into bowls.
4. Add 1/4 cup of lime salsa on top of each mac 'n cheese.
5. Add a tablespoon full of sunflower seeds to each bowl.
Enjoy!


(If you need more than two... double each recipe -- you can even triple them for a party!)

The year of the bear. or bunny.

Truly, this has been a year unlike so many others. There have been many wonderful experiences this year that I know I will not forget. To accurately feel the weight of that joy, however, it has to be balanced by other events. Thus, this year has also become one of heartbreak and incredulity.

I don't want to add to the doom and gloom of the world news by describing in gossip-like detail the actions and consequences that are painful. No, as someone that keeps up-to-date on world events, I'd personally like one less depressing thing to read... and write.

So, I have once again chosen to focus on my favourite pastime. Oh yes. I have been visiting with my beloved Build-A-Bear Workshop.

After I said goodbye to my much-adored bunny, Entropy, I had a bunny-sized hole in my heart. To remind me of her sweet little face and how much she meant to me, I have now adopted an exceedingly adorable new Build-A-Bear creation:

Her name is Chai Latte.
The official picture does not do her justice -- she is far cuter in person than this picture could ever show.

Her little face and exceptionally huggable fur make her one of my most favourite, if not MOST favourite, build-a-bears I have ever adopted.

I've adopted a few more cuties and I will be posting their pictures and names very soon -- but this little cutie deserved to be in the spotlight.

I'm very picky when it comes to bunny faces and to be honest, most stuffed bunnies do not measure up to the cuteness of a real bunny. Chai comes close. She has completely stolen my heart. Of course, it didn't hurt that her ears are positioned so that if you put bows or flowers around them she looks like she has 'puppy-tails' in her 'hair' ... almost like when I put my own hair up into puppy-tails. Although I think hers look cuter than mine. Ha!

She's certainly the cream of the crop of cuteness. I have 24 build-a-bears now, and Chai is my special treasure, with a special birthday to boot.

Thank you Maxine, for creating Build-A-Bear.