CARLO (Rehomed)

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. 

ELIJAH (Rehomed)

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.  

DEAN

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. 

OSKAR

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. 

PEPPERMINT

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. 

LETTICE

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.

AKHUTI

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. 

CHUNKY (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 6/18/21 (Rehomed 5/19/22)

Size: 28"

Year: 2020

Edition Size: 2000 

Designer: Alison Mills

Purchased From: QVC

Cost: $161.69

Thoughts: CHONKY. He's HUGE. He's not as big as Bertha though. He's actually taller than she is, but I find her more massive. Or found her. I sold her not long ago. He's actually got her spot at the top of one of the bookshelves in the hallway. I'm not sure what it was about this guy, but I liked him from the first time I saw him in the catalog. At 28" though, I didn't preorder. QVC really is great for trying out bears you're not sure of. I went back and forth a bit before deciding to go for it and ordered. He's huge, but not TOO huge. I like his bigger paws and his fur is gorgeous colors. He has two rather pointy ears, which is cute. Not that you can see both. The right one likes to bend back. He's got a cute face, too, though you can't see it either, because he looks down. Just trust me that he's cute!

JACK & JILL (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 6/18/21

Size: 13"

Year: 2020

Edition Size: 1000 (Mine are #373.)

Designer: Alison Mills

Purchased From: QVC

Cost: $125.65

Thoughts: I liked Jack & Jill in the 2020 catalog, but I didn't preorder them. When they turned up on QVC recently, I thought it would be a good chance to give them a whirl. They're both adorable. I don't have any CB mice and I love their colors. Dressed CBs aren't normally my thing either, but these outfits are darling. I left the hats off when I put them on display, but I wanted them on for this photo. (To help me remember they exist if I ever sell these! They're not pictured on them in the promo photo.)

NEIL

 Arrival Date: 6/10/21

Size: 20"

Year: 2019 Secret Collection

Edition Size: 700

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: Facebook collector

Cost: $130

Thoughts: Sometimes there were so many bears during a QVC show that I didn't get everyone I was considering. Neil is one of those. I didn't immediately fall in love and by the time I really considered him, he was sold out. He hasn't been a major want over the past couple years, but I have liked him when I've seen him in owner pics, so when one came up for sale, I kept an eye on him until I had the spare money. I'm frankly amazed he didn't sell! He's a gorgeous, larger panda, though not overwhelmingly huge. I like the other colors blended into his gray parts. I never realized he was so brown-tipped on that fur.