KAY (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 3/29/19

Rehomed: 1/2/22

Size: 11"

Year: 2019 Secret Collection

Edition Size: 2550

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: QVC

Cost: $65.88

Thoughts: Kay wasn't a bear on my radar, but when she appeared on US QVC, I ordered two so I could pick the one with the cutest face. This girl was the winner. Some bears I like enough to buy on QVC but not enough to import, you know? Kay's main attractive feature is her unique paw pads. They're half pink! And I like her key color a lot, too. And she has a tail!!! She's definitely a cute, girly, little bear.

LI'L RED

Arrival Date: 3/25/19

Size: 13"

Year: 2019 Fables Collection

Edition Size: 600 (Mine is #53.)

Designer: Alison Mills

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $104.95

Thoughts: Li'l Red is the first of the Fables collection that has come in and she was one of my most wanted from the set, along with Winco Hopper, the grasshopper. The detailing on Red is amazing and you can see why these cost a bit more. The number of pieces of fabric in her wings alone is a lot. I wasn't sure I was going to like these, but I think I'll definitely be keeping all my pre-orders for them!

DANDY

Arrival Date: 3/11/19

Size: 18"

Year: 2019

Edition Size: 4100

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $104.95

Thoughts: I pre-ordered Dandy, figuring he'd be very popular and if I wanted one, I'd better get on the list. I really wasn't sure I'd be able to handle all the 1st quarter pre-orders I had, so I was prepared to cross him off the list. I liked people's photos of him, but wasn't completely wowed. And then I got to see the ones my stockist had and there was this guy. When I lived in NYC, I went to the Met a lot and there was one sculpture I had to visit every time.

This lion is why I ended up getting Dandy. There was an absolutely stunning, fierce-looking perfect one, but I picked the one I did because his sad expression reminds me of this sculpture and the Met and my time in the best city in the world. 

BAKEWELL

Arrival Date: 3/11/19

Size: 12.5"

Year: 2019

Edition Size: 1650

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $68.95

Thoughts: Bakewell also arrived to be with brother Muffin. I actually don't have them seated near each other though. Bakewell looks really cute with Befuddle and Edith on one of the orange shelves, while Muffin is hanging with Macaroon on one of the blue shelves. I love that both of them have cute tilty heads.

VINNIE

Arrival Date: 3/11/19

Size: 12.5"

Year: 2018

Edition Size: 800

Designer: Alison Mills

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $81.95

Thoughts: I didn't pre-order Vinnie, but expressed interest in him and ended up with first choice. His big smile won me over!

RUM BABA

Arrival Date: 3/11/19

Size: 19"

Year: 2018

Edition Size: 1560

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $119.95

Thoughts: Rum Baba was a late addition to my pre-orders. I liked him in the catalog, but I've tried to buy less big bears and I decided to wait and see what his color really was. When I saw owner pics of the glorious deep red, I knew I wanted him. I also heard he was soft and that is incredibly true. He is the softest bear in my hug by far! I can't stop cuddling him!

CHILLBLAINE

Arrival Date: 3/11/19

Size: 16"

Year: 2018

Edition Size: 2000

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $89.95

Thoughts: I went back and forth a bit on Chillblaine. I debated cancelling his pre-order a couple times, then decided to wait until I saw the final product. Once people in the UK started getting him, all of them looked great, so I was pretty sure I wanted him. When I got to pick mine, this one jumped right out at me. He looks like he's patiently listening to you, but also judging every word you say!

HAKATAN

Arrival Date: 3/11/19

Size: 15.5"

Year: 2018

Edition Size: 2000

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $89.95

Thoughts: I finally paid off my last layaway of 2018 bears! Hakatan was one of the first ones I was most excited about from the 2018 catalog. He's an adorable little bear. And he's not black. He's actually the darkest shade of blue I've ever seen!

SPLODGE

Arrival Date: 3/11/19

Size: 12"

Year: 2019

Edition Size: 2074

Designer: Heather Lyell

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $58.95

Thoughts: Yep, I have two Splodges! This one was actually my first choice, because his markings are absolutely perfect.

SPLODGE

Arrival Date: 3/6/19

Size: 12"

Year: 2019

Edition Size: 2074

Designer: Heather Lyell

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $58.95

Thoughts: This is actually my second Splodge! I bought two! I've never gotten CB twins before, even though some people regularly buy twins and triplets. I have neither the room nor that level of disposable income. Yeesh. But Splodge is easily the most varied bear I have ever seen. Every one is distinctly different. My initial pick was not this guy, but one you'll see soon. He had more even distribution of all the colors, whereas this guy is dominantly red and yellow on the face with that one blue ear. I fell in love with this one, too, though and asked to adopt him if no one else who had pre-ordered picked him. I was so happy when he was still available! I call him Ol' Blue Ear and the other one will be Splodge. He's dark chocolate brown, by the way. In a lot of photos, he's so dark he looks black, but he's dark brown, red, yellow and blue with a pale orange stitched nose.

BERTHA (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 3/6/19

Size: 25"

Year: 2018

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $179.95

Thoughts: Ah, big Bertha! She wasn't initially on my pre-order list, but I added her after paying off my 6-month layaway on Botticelli. She's my second most expensive bear after him, because she is HUGE. She's the size of a freakin' toddler and HEAVY. I finally paid her off, as well as bringing a 2019 pre-order home. She's gorgeous and I'm glad I decided to go for her, even though she's far bigger than my ideal size. She's sitting nicely on my hallway bookcase with Year Bear 2018 and Trudy.