RAINDROP (Rehomed)

Arrival Date: 5/29/18

Size: 7"

Year: 2018 Minimo Collection

Edition Size: 1000 (Mine is #402.)

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $111.95

Thoughts: Peashoot and Raindrop are my first ever fully mohair bears. Technically, Botticelli is, since I ordered him last year, but I'm still paying him off, so these two are the first to actually arrive. Raindrop was a later add-on to my pre-order list, but I'm glad I got him. He contrasts nicely with Peashoot. And he looks like a Raindrop. A little dark and melancholy. The mohair feels nice, but it's not something I'd ever pick over plush. Plush are cuddly. Based on this and my experience with plumo bears, mohair really isn't. I need to pick up little display boxes for these two now. They're adorable and tiny.

PEASHOOT

Arrival Date: 5/29/18

Size: 7"

Year: 2018 Minimo Collection

Edition Size: 1000 (Mine is #309.)

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $111.95

Thoughts: Peashoot and Raindrop are my first ever fully mohair bears. Technically, Botticelli is, since I ordered him last year, but I'm still paying him off, so these two are the first to actually arrive. Peashoot went right on my pre-order list when I saw him. I love the soft pink with the green. Raindrop got added later. My Peashoot has the cutest face by far of the ones I had to pick from. My mom loves this guy, too. The mohair feels nice, but it's not something I'd ever pick over plush. Plush are cuddly. Based on this and my experience with plumo bears, mohair really isn't. I need to pick up little display boxes for these two now. They're adorable and tiny.

MACAROON

Arrival Date: 5/11/18

Size: 14.5"

Year: 2017 Secret Collection

Edition Size: 1100

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: CB Direct

Cost: About $58

Thoughts: Oh, Macaroon. I fell in love with this design back in September 2017 when QVC UK got him. I contemplated having a UK friend help me get him, but then there became a possibility that he'd make it to our QVC, so I waited. Then he showed up on CB Direct Australia, sold out on QVC UK and the US QVC March show passed with no older Secret Collection bears, so I became a bit worried. He returned to QVC UK, but there was no chance for me to ask for help, because you saw how many bears I've been getting! Paying double shipping was out of the question. Last week, he turned up on regular CB Direct FINALLY. My mom helped me get him, because I was a few bucks short, and he arrived today. Although it was not a happy delivery. The lazyass carrier took him to the office instead of my door, so I saw that my package was delivered and a stranger signed for it and I flipped out. Thankfully, I thought to call the office and fetched him from there. I'm still mad though and when I opened poor Macaroon's box, he looked mad, too. He's more serious-looking than a lot of other Macaroons I've seen. He's got a less rounded bobble head. It's more in proportion. I like it though. His colors are so cool and unique. I'm a sucker for the tipped fur that shows off another color underneath when you touch it. You can see the white splotch on his belly from where my hand was. So yes, all troubles aside, I think we're going to bond just fine.

TAGGLE

Arrival Date: 5/9/18

Size: 14.5"

Year: 2018

Edition Size: 2783

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $86.95

Thoughts: Taggle caught my eye when people in the UK started getting him. I like all the patchwork bears in this year's collection, but there are a lot and I couldn't pre-order them all. Raggle and Taggle were cute, but I went with Hodge Podge instead and later added Caboodle to go with MishMash. But upon seeing Raggle, I liked him, and then waited to see Taggle, who I preferred of the pair. I liked him, too. So when BAMS did a Cinco de Mayo promotion and I'd made some money on sales, I opted to adopt Taggle and ended up with not only him, but a $5 gift certificate, a cute mini plush Boyd's Bear, two Charlie Bears magnets, and a $25 Amazon gift card from the prize drawings! Taggle is incredibly soft and it's amazing how many different plushes he uses. There's cream, pink, beige, light blue, the pebbly-looking one, dark gray, a white-tipped gray, regular gray and a whiter gray. NINE different types of plush! All in one bear! I'm going to need Raggle now. Sigh!

WHO MEE?

Arrival Date: 5/1/18

Size: 16.5"

Year: 2014 Secret Collection

Edition Size: 1500

Designer: Heather Lyell

Purchased From: ebay

Cost: About $48

Thoughts: I've wanted Who Mee? for maybe a year or more now, but his timing is never right. Either I have no money or the price is a bit high or the price is right, but the bear looks a bit bedraggled. Well, finally, the right guy for me appeared on ebay and at the right time. Who Mee? is so adorable and expressive! I love his bent knees and elbows and his big paws. The lower-set downturned ears are also perfect. He's just darling.

YEAR BEAR 2018

Arrival Date: 4/30/18

Size: 18"

Year: 2018

Edition Size: 4000

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Features: Plumo

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $94.95 after coupon (Retail $104.95)

Thoughts: People went nuts over an early ad featuring the Year Bear. I thought she was very cute and looked soft, but wasn't as smitten as others seemed. Now I finally have her in my hands and she's lovely. The lighter fur on her head and body is super soft and the rest isn't bad either. Even her mohair isn't as rough as other plumos I've had. She's a very feminine, elegant bear.

TANGO

Arrival Date: 4/9/18

Size: 18"

Year: 2015

Edition Size: 2400

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: BAMS

Cost: $79.95 on Today's Special (Retail $114.95)

Thoughts: Despite my love of orange bears (my favorite bear color group along with red and green), I somehow didn't notice Tango for ages. Then I fell in love with this particular one. I was planning on buying him two months ago, but then Agnes went on Today's Special and I got her instead. I kept thinking of Tango, but my money went to QVC bears, older finds and 2018 pre-orders. Then he was Today's Special a few days ago and I managed to have enough to get the one I wanted, although it took all my fun money for the week. This particular Tango is amazing though. He has the most judgmental expression on his face, like he knows I really shouldn't have spent on him when I should have been saving. His fur is mostly beige, but it's got rust tipping, so he looks orange more than anything else. Some places have just plain rust and others are this wonderful striping. He's not the softest, but he's still plenty cuddly. He's a heavy boy and at 18", I've had to do some rearranging to get him a place, but he's going on the orange shelf with Autumn, Pumpkin Pie, Biddles and Kaycee Bears Tango.

BRADY

Arrival Date: 4/2/18

Size: 20"

Year: 2018

Edition Size: 1870

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: Beacon's Glow

Cost: $104.95

Thoughts: Brady was an unplanned purchase. He didn't catch my eye in the catalog, but when Valerie (from BAMS) got him in, I fell in love with a particular one. Unfortunately, Brady is very, very popular and the one I loved was the first to get picked. Then went the other one I was interested in. And all the others. So I waited for Beacon's Glow to get their shipment in and Brenda helped me find the right Brady for me. Using Valerie's pics, we both felt this one was closest to the original one I'd fallen for. He's a little more mature-looking and serious than several of the others I've seen, which is what I liked about that original bear. Brady made me break my vow of no more bigger (over 17") bears other than what I'd pre-ordered, because I'm running out of space for such large ones. I spent last Thursday reorganizing and freeing up a shelf for Brady and the Year Bear, who hopefully will be coming in soon. But at 21", he's one of my four biggest bears! The others are Shades and Graeme, also at 21", and Ozzie at 21.5".

KARL

Arrival Date: 3/30/18

Size: 17"

Year: 2018

Edition Size: 2000

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: QVC

Cost: $99.94

Thoughts: I decided to give Karl a test drive (test hug?), because while I liked people's owner pics of him, I wasn't 100% sure on him. Then I got home from work and hugged him and he was fabulous. His brown fur is very thick and dense for a softness unlike any of my other bears. And at 17", he's tall, but not that tall. Mine also has freckles I haven't seen on other Karls, so I love that. He's atypical for my collection, because he's a plain, unpatterned panda in natural colors, but he was worth taking a chance on.

PAIGNTON

Arrival Date: 3/30/18

Size: 17"

Year: 2017

Edition Size: 1270

Designer: Isabelle Lee

Purchased From: ebay

Cost: $27 (Retail $61.95)

Thoughts: I always thought Paignton was cute and should have picked him up from QVC during the September show, but I never did. Then he appeared on ebay and I won him for the fab price of $27 plus shipping! Guess it was good to wait after all. He's wonderful quality, despite not being jointed. The detailing is gorgeous and he's so soft. He makes me extra excited for the two Bearhouse characters I have on pre-order!