Arrival Date: 7/19/21
Size: 16.5"
Year: 2021
Designer: Isabelle Lee
Purchased From: BAMS
Cost: $72.95
Thoughts: OMG, this guy. I loved a lot of this year's Bearhouse designs and Tasmania is a good example of why. They're unique animals and so well done! I love some of the more commonly done animals like Cubby Hole and Pampas, too, but it's the unusual guys that have me really excited. I got to choose my Tasmania first and I flipped through the pictures, noting more somber faces...and then there was this guy. He was tilted back a bit more than he is in this pic and his smile looked huge like "HEEEYYYYYY, PICK ME!!!" And so I did. He's adorable. I can't wait for Peru and Darwin to join him soon!
Arrival Date: 7/16/21
Size: 16.5"
Year: 2021 Secret Collection
Designer: Isabelle Lee
Purchased From: CB Direct
Cost: $125
Thoughts: Linton caught my eye in the sneaky peeks catalogue when it came out and I picked him up from CB Direct. He's a nice soft fellow, which I knew he would be with that fabric on his limbs and face. I'm amused by the tie. He's apparently quite the businessbear.
Arrival Date: 7/15/21 (Rehomed 7/23)
Size: 14"
Year: 2016
Edition Size: 2600
Designer: Heather Lyell
Purchased From: The Doll Lady/Mary
Cost: $75
Thoughts: I used to own Sergio back when he came out, but I sold him. I somehow never bonded with him, which doesn't make much sense. I love the Heather Lyell bears from that time, especially the ones with big adorable feet like Sergio has. I saw a photo of him recently and paused to wonder why I sold mine. Then I was perusing The Doll Lady's site and decided to ask about some older bears. He was the one I ended up needing to bring home, so welcome back, Sergio! He's got such a dark face that it's impossible to see how cute he is in photographs. He doesn't have Scrummy's huge "smile," but he's pretty close. He also goes very nicely with Peppermint color-wise, so they're seated together.
Arrival Date: 7/12/21
Size: 15.5"
Year: 2016
Edition Size: 2500
Designer: Isabelle Lee
Purchased From: Facebook collector
Cost: $60
Thoughts: I stumbled upon a collector with some amazing deals and couldn't resist scooping up Carlo for such a low price. He's along the same vein as Kekezza, Keeley and Carmela from that same production year, and like Dean, too, from this year. Smaller size bear with longer fur on the head and torso and close cut arms. He's not nearly as starey in person as he is in photos. He's darker than he looks here.
Arrival Date: 7/12/21 (Rehomed 4/20/23)
Size: 22"
Year: 2019 Secret Collection
Edition Size: 637
Designer: Isabelle Lee
Purchased From: ebay
Cost: $200
Thoughts: I can't remember how this big guy was handled in the US, but I don't think it was very well. Possibly CB Direct only? I think I might have tried him out if he was on QVC, but then again, maybe not, as I skipped and missed Neil from there, too. I wrote him off as too big for me and I wasn't a fan of the longer pile bears for a while, but then he got my attention well after his availability was long over. I've been looking for him after missing out on a couple on FB within the past year and lucked into seeing him on ebay. The seller accepted my offer and he arrived pretty quickly. He's a big guy for sure, but I've got bigger and I've already cleared a shelf spot for him, and his hair is soft despite its scraggly look.
Arrival Date: 7/6/21
Size: 14"
Year: 2021 Secret Collection
Edition Size: 3000
Designer: Isabelle Lee
Features: Plumo
Purchased From: CB Direct UK
Cost: About $83 before shipping
Thoughts: I loved Dean and Jenny in the Sneaky Peeks book, so when people (in the UK, of course) started getting him, I really wanted one. I bought him from CB Direct UK despite the high shipping cost and I don't regret it. He's gorgeous. I love the feathery bits and the blue that peeks through. He's quite soft, too, and a good smaller size.
Arrival Date: 7/5/21
Size: 9"
Year: 2021
Designer: Alison Mills
Features: Standing bear
Purchased From: BAMS
Cost: $48.95
Thoughts: Oskar was another unplanned buy. All of these three weren't ones I pre-ordered, which is the way it goes sometimes. I was waiting to pick my Lettice and Peppermint and saw all the Oskars move from the reserved but not allocated album to the main album and no one got adopted! I skimmed through the photos and this little guy caught my eye. I do love green bears and my childhood dog was named Oscar, so I decided I was meant to adopt him. I don't have another bear this exact shade of green and there definitely is always room for one more bear if they're this tiny and standing.
Arrival Date: 7/5/21
Size: 15.5"
Year: 2021
Designer: Charlie
Purchased From: BAMS
Cost: $62.95
Thoughts: Peppermint is actually my first 2021 bear bought from my usual stockist. My others were all Secret Collection except for Cubby Hole, who I bought from a local stockist. I hadn't planned on Peppermint, but knew I might be interested. After seeing pics of one in particular on Facebook, I put my name down for him. I ended up having to make a hard choice. There was one that looked like the one I fell in love with, but not quite as cute. Then there was this one. I ended up picking her with her unusual black stripes. I think I could eventually find another that looks like the one I fell for (he belongs to another collector and didn't come from my stockist), but finding another with facial stripes would not be easy. I haven't seen any other like her yet. I also wanted one with "freckles" and she has them. Peppermint is like Lettice in that she's a bit different in construction. It's similar to Lettice in that she's differently-stuffed than my other CBs. Her belly is very squishy, while her limbs are more firmly stuffed. Her ears are the most unusual though, because like Lettice, they're stiff. Her fur is soft and I think she's going to be a good cuddler. Also like Lettice, she's much bigger than I expected! 15" is really an odd size for CBs because they can be tall yet dainty or more massive like Lettice and Peppermint. She's definitely bigger than she appears in photos. Peppermint is wearing her own bow plus a necklace from my stockist.
Arrival Date: 7/5/21
Size: 15"
Year: 2020
Designer: Charlie
Purchased From: BAMS
Cost: $62.95
Thoughts: Lettice wasn't initially on my pre-order list for 2020, but I saw some cute owner photos when the UK finally got her in and ended up adding her to my list. Lettice was one of a handful of 2020 characters that got delayed to 2021. I had a later pick, but still got a really cute one, though honestly most of them look the same. She has an unusual stuffing that isn't as padded as other bears. She's not as skinny as one of the really skinny Magical Snugglies, but she does feel like the ones from that series that have a bit more weight to them. Her feet are huge and I love that. Her ears are a bit firm, which is different. Like the liner fabric is a little stiff. She's also bigger than I expected, even though I knew she was 15". I don't have too many CB bunnies and she makes a nice addition.
Arrival Date: 7/2/21
Size: 15.5"
Year: 2011 Secret Collection
Edition Size: 4000 (Mine is #972.)
Designer: Isabelle Lee
Purchased From: ebay
Cost: $55
Thoughts: I have my second of the animal print standing bear foursome! I got Shardul a few months ago and now Akhuti. I goot a great deal on him on ebay. He's really sweet. I love the side ears on these guys and despite being flat-footed, they're quite cuddly.
