DILBERT (Rehomed)

 

Arrival Date: 8/20/20

Size: 18"

Year: 2020 Secret Collection

Edition Size: 900

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $100.95

Thoughts: Dilbert is one I wasn't completely convinced I wanted, but I put myself on the pre-order list anyway. A lot of the earlier ones were too light. Then I started seeing people in the US who supported QVC and CB Direct instead of stockists (stockists always get the shaft and get things last, which sucks) getting theirs with darker faces. So I had hope that when he finally made it to my stockist that there would be a good one for me. And there was. Dilbert is actually a slate blue. I was never sure if he was blue or gray. He's a bit skinnier. Kinda reminds me of the Magical Snugglies, but not quite that lanky. He's got a squishy tum so I think he'll be nice and cuddly. 

ANNIVERSARY KUMA

 

Arrival Date: 8/15/20

Size: 11"

Year: 2020 Secret Collection

Edition Size: 600

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: CB Direct

Cost: $90

Thoughts: Kuma is one of my favorite bears. He's sat on my bed ever since I got him years ago. So when I saw one of the 15th anniversary bears was him, I had to have him. He's been through quite a lot, since he was shipped on August 4th and only just arrived today. Poor little guy! He's adorable, although I honestly wish they'd stuck with the simple plain black eyes. That would have made him look more similar. But he's still adorable!

JANE (Rehomed)

 

Arrival Date: 8/10/20

Size: 15"

Year: 2016

Edition Size: 3200

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: Fellow collector via Facebook

Cost: $120

Thoughts: Jane is an older bear that didn't catch my eye until she became unavailable from all the US stockists. Of course. I never got around to importing her, but considered it a couple times. Finally, I lucked into this one from a lovely US collector that offered her to me after seeing the bear's name on the group wishlist. For a rather plain and unassuming bear, Jane's arrival was sure loaded with chaos. She was marked as delivered in a parcel locker at 8:49am today. But I got no texts or email with a Hub number. So I tried calling the office repeatedly, only to get no answer. My mom was working with me and when she left, she called them. They couldn't see anything in the Hub for me. So Mom came home and checked our mail. No key. This is the FIFTH mishandled mail incident we've had within the past month. So she got on the phone with the post office and tore them several new ones. They promised to do something, but did nothing. Thankfully, whoever the package was misdelivered to was more honest than last time and they brought the box to our door. They just left it, so Mom had no idea who it was, but at least Jane is safely home. She's super soft. A bit less ostentatious than what I normally like, but she suits her name. Plain yet also elegant and classy. 

ANNIVERSARY BAMBOOZLE

Arrival Date: 7/23/20

Size: 13"ish

Year: 2020 Best Friends Club

Edition Size: 600 (Mine is #328.)

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: CB Direct

Cost: $88 ($98 retail)

Thoughts: It took forever for the US to get Baby Bam, as he's called, due to covid-related bullshit. We're still horrifically behind. But things from Q2 are finally starting to seep in. A list of collectors' names was sent to CB Direct after a lot of us (including many essential workers) missed out on him, because they put him on sale during a show that we worked during. (Not the best idea. And they're doing it again in August.) However, in even more bullshit, they did a random draw instead of addressing the list of names they ASKED to be sent. Which pretty much completely sucks. I was however lucky enough to get chosen so I was able to purchase Bam and he arrived today, three days later than he should have, because the mail also sucks right now. Ugh. Let's just say everything sucks right now. Except little Bam. He's adorable.

JUSTINE

Arrival Date: 7/19/20

Size: 15"

Year: 2018 Secret Collection

Edition Size: 600

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: ebay

Cost: $66

Thoughts: I never planned on buying Justine. I mean, let's face it, I tend to like more colorful bears. Her stock picture was particularly unflattering, too. So when I saw this adorable one on ebay from an American seller, I was surprised by how much I liked her. I ended up winning and she was a surprise early delivery today! She's very squishy and more lightly-stuffed than some of my others. Kind of like Stuart, Sharon and Ainsley, who I think she'll fit in well with. I just need to make some space on that shelf for her.

MOSEY (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 7/15/20 (Rehomed 5/2023)

Size: 13" (ish)

Year: 2018

Edition Size: 1390

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: All Nations Trading (local stockist)

Cost: $60.95

Thoughts: I was shopping in Hendersonville today when Mom and I passed a store and I stopped in my tracks, because I saw the white year bear staring at me from the window. I went inside and it sells mostly Native American goods, but also CBs! My very first time seeing CBs in a STORE! I thought I wasn't going to get anyone. I had most of them, aside from the bigger ones I have no space for. But then I saw Mosey back behind the register a bit. I was like "Oh! Mosey!" The lady said he was the last one and he was holding some random fake flowers. I looked him over and decided to adopt him. I've always liked him, but never hunted him down. He's wayyyyyyyyy bigger than he looks. I should have taken a profile shot, but his body is almost as thick as it is wide. He's quite cylindrical, aside from the limbs. So cute!

DIMPLES

Arrival Date: 6/18/20

Size: 16"

Year: 2020 Secret Collection

Edition Size: 900

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: Free! Used my PAWS and only paid part of shipping. (Retail $114.95)

Thoughts: Dimples was one of the Secret Collection I really fell for. I can't exactly say why. He's one of the most standard teddy bear-types in my entire CB collection. Maybe it's the chonk or the tyber fur that I knew would be soft. Or  maybe it's because he reminds me a little bit of tiny Dave only bigger and with a dark muzzle. He's great in person though and I think he's going to be almost as comforting as Rum Baba to cuddle.

STUART

Arrival Date: 6/15/20

Size: 15"

Year: 2018 Secret Collection

Edition Size: 800

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: ebay

Cost: $135

Thoughts: FINALLY. In two ways. First, FINALLY I get to own a Stuart. He's from a set of three released in 2018. Ainsley was part of the regular collection and Sharon was from the Secret Collection, like Stuart. We got Ainsley, of course, and then also Sharon here in the US, so I kept waiting for them to let us have Stuart. And while I waited, he disappeared from CB Direct UK and I missed the opportunity to order him because, you guessed it, we never got him here. I really should have just imported him, because it would have been cheaper than the price I paid on ebay for him now! Second, FINALLY he got here, because he was supposed  to be delivered on freakin' Friday. His box was all beat up, too, and they jammed it into the package hub, so I had to really pull to get it out of there. Thanks, USPS. Anyway, if you'd asked me back in 2018, which one of this trio was my favorite, I might have said Sharon. Or Ainsley. I don't think I would have picked Stuart, but he's definitely my favorite now. The fabric used for his limbs and ears is actually a pale blue tipped in that sandy color, so he kind of glows blue and it's awesome. And not easy to photograph or I would have liked him more from the beginning!

DANUTA

Arrival Date: 6/8/20

Size: 20"

Year: 2020

Edition Size: 1500

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $130.95

Thoughts: Danuta was a last-minute addition. She was completely not on my radar, because in her promo photo, she looked rather monochrome and boring. Very tan. But a few weeks ago, owner photos started appearing and they showed she was a lovely peach shade. (Some make her look pinkish, but that's just odd lighting. She's not pink at all.) So I added her to my pre-orders. I ended up being third to choose, but I had the advantage of my most wanted being this unusual lady. There were plenty that were more traditionally cute and looked more like my Marisa, but I'm drawn to unusual faces a lot of the time. This is especially so when I'm getting two bear characters who are so similar. I like a little variation. So when it came my turn, this wide-eyed lady was waiting for me. I love her because she looks really leonine.

MARISA

Arrival Date: 6/8/20

Size: 20"

Year: 2020

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $130.95

Thoughts: Marisa went on my pre-order list right away, so I was first in line to choose and got this beauty. I love her colors. These ladies are 20" tall, but they're not overwhelmingly huge. They're mostly long arms and legs and not so chunky in the body. Their arms, legs and ears appear to be tyber plush. They're so soft! Marisa and Danuta are going to join Simone on the same shelf, as I see similarities in them.