RUBY

Arrival Date: 2/25/19

Size: 12"

Year: 2009

Edition Size: 3000

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: ebay

Cost: $26

Thoughts: Ruby was a surprise find on ebay. I could not believe her price! $19.99 opening bid, but $26 Buy It Now?!! I  was shocked! And quickly grabbed her. She was never one on my want list, but I always thought she was cute, and she's even cuter in person.

MERCURY

Arrival Date: 2/23/19

Size: 20.5"

Year: 2014

Edition Size: 1600

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: Kitty

Cost: $130

Thoughts: I've wanted Mercury for probably at least a year now. The few times he's popped up on ebay, I had no money. I managed to luck into one from an awesome US seller I've bought from several times before, after seeing someone else get one from her. I'm so thankful she had two! So here he is, my first new bear in my new apartment. He's so soft!

CANDICE

Arrival Date: 2/11/19

Size: 15"

Year: 2019

Edition Size: 1660

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $84.95

Thoughts: I automatically wanted Candice's sister Cara from the catalogue. She's shades of pink, gray and black. But Candice grew on me and ended up in my preorders. When people started getting theirs, I was less sure, because quite a few pics had her looking kind of scruffy. But when she arrived with my stockist and I saw photos, I fell in love with this one. And another one, too. It took me probably almost an hour to make all my selections! She is lovely in person and not a bit scruffy if you comb her fur.

MUFFIN

Arrival Date: 2/11/19

Size: 12.5"

Year: 2019

Edition Size: 1860

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $68.95

Thoughts: I loved Muffin and Bakewell right away in the catalog. Muffin's color is this rich, luxe, deep blue. It's simply stunning. I love that his paw pads and tickly toes are also blue, while the outer parts are cream. Mine looks like he's lost in thought, which I always love on bears, and I'm amused that his little arms are so thick! He's tiny, but he works out.

TOADSTOOL

Arrival Date: 2/11/19

Size: 13"

Year: 2019

Edition Size: 1460 (Mine is #843.)

Designer: Alison Mills

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $85.95

Thoughts: I fell in love with Toadstool immediately upon seeing the catalogue. I love greens, but especially rich dark greens, and I love his little leafy hat. Then people started getting theirs and I saw some with the cutest little wide-eyed squish faces and I'm so glad I was able to pick one of them! He's soooooooooo cute!

SHANI

Arrival Date: 1/24/19

Size: 19.5"

Year: 2017

Edition Size: 1850

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: Beacon's Glow

Cost: $108.95

Thoughts: Shani is one of those bears that it took me some time to want. I loved her name right away, because it makes me think of Shani from Christopher Pike's Weekend. But the bear herself I never pre-ordered or really took a good look at until a few months ago. A stockist posted one of hers on Facebook and she was just gorgeous, but I couldn't afford one at the time, so she got pushed to the back of my mind. My usual stockist had sold out and I don't think many people in the US had her for sale. Then by a twist of fate, I saw a screencap of the Beacon's Glow CB page a few days ago and there Shani was! I emailed about her right away and she arrived today. She's a big girl, which is one of the reasons I wasn't really into her at first, trying to cut down on the bigger adoptions since I was running out of space. I love her face and her soft arms and legs. She's gorgeous.

SADIE

Arrival Date: 1/7/19

Size: 14.5"

Year: 2017

Edition Size: 1850

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: QVC

Cost: $78

Thoughts: Like Layla, I was never sure on Sadie. I knew I liked her, but none of the ones from stockists really spoke to me, so I took my chances on a blind order from QVC and was not a bit disappointed. Mine has a little quirk to her head so she looks very inquisitive. She's a nice fat bear with skinnier arms and legs to emphasize her round, fluffy belly and head. 

LAYLA (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 1/7/19 (Rehomed 2/25/21)

Size: 12.5"

Year: 2017

Designer: Charlie Bears

Purchased From: QVC

Cost: $55

Thoughts: Layla is one I was never 100% sure on, so when she appeared on QVC, I figured it was an opportunity to try her out with an easy return policy. I opened up the box, turned her over and fell in love. She's another really lightweight bear like Mattie and she's just darling.

KIMIKO

Arrival Date: 12/15/18

Size: 13"

Year: 2017 Secret Collection

Edition Size: 900

Designer: Alison Mills

Purchased From: ebay

Cost: $82.73

Thoughts: I have wanted Kimiko since she came out! I hoped she and Koda would make it to US QVC like Kiri, but they never have. In November 2017, they were both on CB Direct, but they don't combine shipping, so I was looking at $52 in shipping costs for a box the same size as one larger bear for $26 shipping. I didn't like that, so I wavered on buying the pair and then Kimiko sold out. I haven't seen her for sale often since then. I remember one that was damaged, but the seller wouldn't lower the price accordingly. Well, finally, today I got my Kimiko! She came on ebay the same day Annuska restocked at CB Direct, so one is a Christmas present from my mom and the other I'm paying her back for. Kimiko is stunning. She's just like Kiri, but with different colors. The same chubby belly, cute face, little feets, thick tail and super soft fur. I love both of them and I need Koda now!

ANNUSKA

Arrival Date: 12/8/18

Size: 14"

Year: 2018 Secret Collection

Edition Size: 600

Designer: Alison Mills

Purchased From: Charlie Bears Direct

Cost: $85.88

Thoughts: Annuska caught my eye in the Secret Collection catalog and I've been eagerly awaiting her to become available. So of course she did everywhere else first! She's still not available within the US, but we Americans can order her (if we want to pay almost $27 in shipping) from CB Direct in the UK. I missed her the first time she was offered and was very upset, but then caught her the next morning. She arrived today, which I was not expecting at all, because she was supposed to come on Monday. UPS doesn't deliver on Saturday, but I'm thinking they made an exception for this huge snowstorm we're supposed to get these next few days. Annuska's bigger than I expected and she's SO SOFT. I think she's the softest CB I own. She's just amazing and gorgeous and wonderful.