THINGYMABOB

Arrival Date: 3/8/21

Size: 15"

Year: 2020 Secret Collection

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: 40 cents! I used my rewards. (Retail $104.95)

Thoughts: I wasn't planning on getting Thingy, because I had Whatchamacallit and wasn't bonding with him at all. But I do love me some red, black and white, and this one's face won me over. She's contentedly sitting with the other bears on the red shelf and it may be a little bit before she gets cuddles, but she will get there eventually. 

CRIN (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 3/8/21

Size: 19"

Year: 2020 

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $167.95

Thoughts: Ooh, Crin! I love Roger, who's the companion bear to Crin, but I swear she's somehow even more lush than he is. The price is high, but that tyber fur is so worth it. Super cuddly, super luxe, super gorgeous.

CLINTON

Arrival Date: 3/8/21

Size: 15"

Year: 2020 Secret Collection

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $90.95

Thoughts: Oh, Clinton. Clinton and Bambino came out pretty early on last year, but our US stockists only just got them now. I caved and bought Bambino months ago from QVC, but I decided to wait on Clinton because I really wanted to pick a face and because I didn't like him as much. I wasn't even 100% sure I wanted him. However, when I saw Valerie's selection, I saw so many cute ones! I ended up with my first choice, this little guy. He's a bit wider-eyed than others were and I think he's so much cuter for it. He's got thicker, soft fur and I know he's going to be so cuddly. 

WISHES

Arrival Date: 3/1/21

Size: 14"

Year: 2016 Secret Collection

Edition Size: 750

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: ebay

Cost: $50

Thoughts: Wishes is a little bear I've wanted for a few years. I first saw him available on CB Direct but never ended up ordering one. Then I saw him a few times on ebay and never imported one, but it was clearly because I was meant to have this great deal from a US seller. Look at those big sad eyes. I love him. He's small and simple, but also soft and adorable. Sometimes simplicity is just fine. 

MOONMIN (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 2/13/21

Size: 11"

Year: 2020

Designer: Charlie

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $51.95

Thoughts: Moonmin wasn't on my pre-order list, but I added her when I found out she was coming in with Logan's shipment. I pre-ordered Moon, who's like Moonmin but silver, and she isn't in stock in the US yet. Moonmin is an adorable little fluff. She goes perfectly with Eleanor, who I sat her with.

LOGAN (US) (Rehomed)

 Arrival Date: 2/13/21 (Rehomed 7/23)

Size: 14"

Year: 2020

Designer: Charlie

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $62.95

Thoughts: My second Logan is here! I got this one from my usual stockist. He's such a sweet bear that I wanted two. 

ATIQAH

Arrival Date: 2/11/21

Size: 18.5"

Year: 2017

Edition Size: 2300

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: FB collector

Cost: $155

Thoughts: I originally had Atiqah on my 2017 preorder list but took her off. I liked the more full mane ruff of the prototype in the promo pic and the actual bears seemed to have shorter fur there. Not a huge difference, but enough for me at the time. Over the years following, I've been drawn more to her and finally managed to get one after missing out a few times. She's a pretty massive bear. Her limbs are thick and her feet are huge. She's got good weight to her. She's not enormous like the ones over 20" that I have, but she's definitely not a skinny, delicate one either. I'm glad to have her in my hug at last!

BASSETT

Arrival Date: 1/26/21

Size: 13"

Year: 2016 Sweetie Shop Collection

Edition Size: 972

Designer: Heather Lyell

Purchased From: ebay 

Cost: About $68 (Retail $62.95)

Thoughts: I only bought Mix when the Sweetie Shop collection debuted in 2016, but I grabbed Pick a few months ago, then went on the hunt for Bassett. Shipping made his price a little high, but I haven't seen one for sale for a while, so I went for it. I am a sucker for orange. Why in the world did I not buy him when he came out? Ugh. Stupid. 

COUSIN JACK (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 1/25/21

Size: 16.5"

Year: 2020

Edition Size: 3000 (Mine is #742.)

Designer: Alison Mills

Purchased From: QVC 

Cost: About $77

Thoughts: While I liked this guy, I wasn't interested in buying him until I saw people's pics of him without the hat. Then I thought he was cute. I still didn't really plan on him anytime soon, but then QVC had free shipping and I figured why not. He arrived today and he's tall and skinny with his wild hair and I like him a lot. He sits nicely with my Halloween and fairy bears. 

LOGAN (Australia)

Arrival Date: 1/20/21

Size: 14"

Year: 2020

Designer: Charlie

Purchased From: Lovely Bears 

Cost: About $99 shipped from Australia (Retail $62.95)

Thoughts: Oh, Logan. What a year it's been. Logan was one of my three big faves from the 2020 catalog. It was Rea, Logan and Carousel. Logan was supposed to be out in the 2nd quarter, which means April, May, June. It's been too long to talk exact time frames, but I saw him release in the UK. And waited. And waited. And waited. Almost all of the releases have been good. The UK gets something, then not too much later, we get it. But there were a handful of Q2 bears that did not make it out in the US. We were not told. I'm not the only one who waited to see their names on arrival lists. I believe I have watched Logan release in the UK three separate times now. Not once here in the US. I asked about him on Facebook repeatedly and it took months before I finally got an answer, which was something about having to close a manufacturer. (I think.) But that doesn't explain why the UK got him three times to our zero. During his second UK release, I asked a pretty big name UK retailer for info on shipping to the US. I know they do it. I've seen them do it for others on my FB groups. And they sell to the US on ebay. So what did they do? Ignored me. Completely. I forced myself to be patient and keep trying to get answers. Then finally I heard about the manufacturer being closed and decided it was time to commit to importing. I still planned on getting him from my stockist, since I was fine with having two, but I needed this bear in my life and the delays were just unacceptable at this point. So I went with Lovely Bears in Australia, because they have photos of all their different bears right on their website. Everything went very smoothly. He disappeared in tracking from the 8th until a few days ago, but he got her safely today. As for Logan himself, I adore him. His dark purple parts are nice and soft and I love the gray, too. He's not very tightly stuffed, so he's wonderfully squishy and cuddly. I'm always a fan of the oversized feet, too. If you like Wren, you'll like Logan. So now he's here and I'm just awaiting my stockist getting her shipment in so I can pick out his twin. Worth waiting for? Absolutely. Definitely one of my favorites from the year. But was the wait utterly ridiculous and likely unnecessary? Also absolutely.