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Hi all,
Here in Southampton, we've had one of these Build-a-Bear shops for years. I think the company was originally called "Build-a-Bear" and changed its name and/or was bought out by "The Bear Factory" -- I forget which. Either way there's one in the bottom of West Quay.
When I was at University I delighted in going round this shop -- it's a great idea, you choose a teddy, see it "come to life" with kapoc, name him, he has a certificate, etc., and then you carry him home. :D
I like the idea -- and as I wandered past the shop earlier today, I noticed lots of stuffed plushies, including teddies, dressed in their halloween costumes, etc. Interesting idea.
What do other people think of this shop? I can see the appeal for children, but it must be really expensive for parents.
When I was at University, I had a friend who worked there, and I have a plushy hippo I cuddle up to still at night, he has red PJs on, so it seemed appropriate. :D
-- Thomas Adam
PennsylvaniaAbout 15 "Build-A-Bear Workshop" Bears live in this den. They are great friends. They make good mascots and seasonal holiday Bears, too.
We have a chef bear who is the chief cook and kitchen manager. We have a fall/Halloween Bear. We have a Christmas Bear, a Valentine's Bear and several others.
We like being able to dress them up in seasonal costumes. The Bears like to be able to change clothes when they want to.
The birth certificates are a nice touch. It's cool to have an official name certificate for the Bear but being able to register the Bear's official birthday is cool. (Bearthday? 
) We have a Bear who was born on Christmas Eve. We have a Bear who was born on Good Friday. (Stores are closed on Easter Sunday.) We have a Bear who was born on Melanie's birthday.
Putting the bar code inside the Bear is a nice touch. If the Bear is ever lost, he can be returned to his human if he is sent back to Bear Headquarters first.
Build-A-Bears are 
Woodbury Park BearsI have bought them for my daughter and my grand nieces the very first one was on a trip to England from a biggggg toy shop in London called Hamleys (something like that) and she has her heart inside and her recorded message and her birth certificate and several changes of clothes. It is a momento of that first trip Sam made to England. Of course then she had to have one from here in Australia and we had (past tense) a bear factory close to where we live but it closed down. I bought several outfits from the closing down sale that I may or maynot use one day. I think mainly that the pricing was expensive for young families especially when they have more than one child.
The concept was a great idea all the kids I have bought them for have loved being able to 'make' the bear like Raewyn does 
I have bought them for my daughter and my grand nieces the very first one was on a trip to England from a biggggg toy shop in London called Hamleys (something like that)
Yeah... that minor toyshop in London. Hamleys. Blink and you'd miss it it's that small. It's not that famous either. :)
and she has her heart inside and her recorded message and her birth certificate and several changes of clothes. It is a momento of that first trip Sam made to England. Of course then she had to have one from here in Australia and we had (past tense) a bear factory close to where we live but it closed down. I bought several outfits from the closing down sale that I may or maynot use one day. I think mainly that the pricing was expensive for young families especially when they have more than one child.
Yes -- they are expensive. I did see a nice koala teddy that I went up to and cuddled as they had one already stuffed. :D
The clothes are a nice idea, but I prefer my teddy bear naked.
The concept was a great idea all the kids I have bought them for have loved being able to 'make' the bear like Raewyn does :lol:
Yes. But if you've got four children, that's £50 before you've even started. :)
-- Thomas Adam
PennsylvaniaThe clothes are a nice idea, but I prefer my teddy bear naked.
Ahem! I believe the correct term is "bare Bear." 
The clothes are a nice idea, but I prefer my teddy bear naked.
Ahem! I believe the correct term is "bare Bear." :whistle:
;) ;)
Pah. Same difference. :)
I have wandered through the Build A Bear stores. I think they are cute, but expensive. We live about 2 hours from the closet store....so I try to advertise my Stuff-A-Bear Workshop for birthday parties. I have done a few parties, Moms like it because it saves them from traveling, and I am less expensive, the kids love it because they get to put their hands in the stuffing, fill the bear the way they want, I even have hearts for them! Then we play Pin-The-Tail on the Bear and listen to a story, the whole time we listen to Teddy Bear Music.......each child gets a certificate that tells them they stuffed their own bear and how to take care of it (daily hugs and little treats of honey on occasion) Not really a birth certificate, but it is something.
I don't make clothes for the bears, because I don't enjoy doing the clothes, and I also like my bears naked (or bare) I have been trying to get some adults to get their friends together and do a bear party....no takers yet, but I have done a fund raiser and had about 20 adults stuff and take their "pink" breast cancer bear with them.
pandamac
PennsylvaniaUs Bears wrote:The clothes are a nice idea, but I prefer my teddy bear naked.
Ahem! I believe the correct term is "bare Bear."
Pah. Same difference. :)
Well, if a Bear's got fur, he isn't naked. Is he?
He's bare.
"a bear by kim"my kids love it there but by the time they have picked the bear they want and the most expensive outift it costs a fortune!!! iv got three kids so i usualy spend about £100, we dont go very often!
i tell them, mummy makes bears wouldnt you like mummy to make one for you... the answer is always no!!!!
i tell them, mummy makes bears wouldnt you like mummy to make one for you... the answer is always no!!!!
Pah! Educate them. :) Artists Bears are worth more than any Build-a-bear. :)
-- Thomas Adam
I had someone ask me this question before. I told her it was a great way to bring the next generation into the hobby of collecting teddy bears 
PennsylvaniaThe appeal of BABW Bears is mostly about the experience in the store.
You'll see a lot of bright colors and happy music. There are animated toy sculptures to greet you at the door and there are happy sales people to talk to you inside the store. Some of the first companies to grab hold of this concept were FAO Schwarz and the Disney Store in the early to mid 1990's. When they have lots of happy customers, business owners are happy too because they make lots of money.
Just look around next time you go to a BABW store. There are animated Bears at the front entrance. There are lots of Bears and plush animals all around to look at (and stimulate the buyer). There are lots of great colors. There's fun Teddy Bear themed music at all times. The sales people are fun and playful. Then there's the process of making the Bear, itself.
You start by the door and you line up and pick your Bear's fur. You take it to the Bear Wrangler who helps you stuff him with this fantastic-looking Bear-making machine! You go to the fluffing area where you brush up your new Bear's fur then you dress him up the way you like. Next, it's off to the computers where you type in your Bear's name then print out the "Bearth Certificate." Even when you go to cash out at the register, the sales person calls your Bear's name, gives you the certificate with an appropriate amount of ceremony then puts the Bear and everything into his own, personal "Cub Condo" with windows and air holes and everything.
It's really not about the Bear. It's all about the experience. It's a fantasy, almost like going to Wonderland.
Yeah, it's expensive. But you're not just buying the Bear. It's kind of like you're joining a club.
If you look at it on the financial side, you've got to remember, the store, the designs, the architecture, the fixtures and the employees are all very expensive. Somebody's got to pay for all that.
Other Bear makers might be able to take a trick or two from BABW's playbook if they were inclined to.
The internet is a place where you can create a "fantastical" introduction to your business. It's a good place to start. You can add in a little play acting as you interact with people. Kind of pretend a little and give Bears a personality all their own. Play it up. YaKnow?
The Bears themselves aren't really expensive when you compare to other things. An artist Bear is going to cost $100 and up. A Steiff or other name brand Bearmaker is going to start at $100 or more. Even if you go to the toy store in the shopping mall, you're going to end up with a $30-$50 Bear. BABW Bears aren't that much out of line if you compare them that way.
$20-$30 is about average for an 18 inch Bear from a retail store.
I'm of two minds about these shops. They give kids some fun and get them interested in bears. BUt I think they also give the general public the impression that making bears is simple and anybody walking into a mall can make a bear. It also takes some of the mystery and fantasy out of the process. One might think; Is bear making just a lot of loud machines and bear parts being thrown together?
Karen
