Saturday, May 10, 2025

Build-a-Bear breaks my wallet

Well, actually, no, they won't be breaking my wallet since a tree in our backyard already did that.  Remember back in March when I said that a tree limb took out one of our windows?  Yeah, that whole tree had to come down, and the man who took the tree out said it was just a matter of time before the whole thing came crashing down.  It was rotten at the top and hollow in the center, so yeah.  So I won't be buying anything else for awhile, but OMG, are these new stuffed animals freaking adorable!  They're critters, but they're also...FRUIT.  The frog is a watermelon, and y'all might think that he's my favorite of 'em all since I love frogs...
...but I'm also very fond of axolotls, and Build-a-Bear has a long history of making cute axolotls.  This one is a pineapple.
But believe it or not, my favorite of the three is this one.
She's a dragon AND a dragonfruit!  Now...I've never eaten dragonfruit.  I've eaten and thoroughly enjoyed both watermelon and pineapple (there's a funny story behind the pineapple), but I've never had dragonfruit.  Do dragonfruit-flavored HiChews count?  LOL, probably not.  Anyway, I squealed like a piggy when I saw the dragonfruit dragon pop up on my Failbook feed (Big Brother knows that I love Build-a-Bear, LOL again).  But I have to show some self-control, as I just bought a VERY expensive doll and had to help pay for the aforementioned tree.  Just the same, I can admire.

Treesa, you're my Build-a-Bear girl.  What say you about these?

Fruity love,
RagingMoon1987
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4 comments:

  1. TreesaMay 10, 2025 at 10:18 AM

    I hadn't heard about this line. It's refreshing to see Build-A-Bear releasing original products that aren't from licensed franchises. These days, it seems like over half of their inventory is licensed items that tie in with the latest blockbuster movie or children's series. I remember when licensed tie-ins from Build-A-Bear were rarer, and consequently were more of a big deal.
    Also, the quality of Build-A-Bear's products, especially their clothing, seems to have gone down in the years since Mattel took them over. There were more recent outfits from Build-A-Bear that I wanted to like because of the beloved franchises they were based on, like Indiana Jones or The Lord Of The Rings or The Matrix. But on closer inspection, the clothes and accessories just looked cheap.
    There's also the fact that Build-A-Bear's whole business model has changed. In the early days, the idea was that the average customer would buy one or two animals and then purchase a bunch of outfits for them over time, continuously adding to their furry friend's wardrobe. Nowadays, the idea is to collect as many plush animals as possible, while the clothes are more of an afterthought. For example, Build-A-Bear has released so many seasonal Disney Stitch plush recently that they had to create an online checklist just for those. I've personally been rather disappointed with the recent Stitch furry friends from Build-A-Bear, as the fabric being used is so smooth and close cropped that it's not at all furry, which totally negates that in universe Stich is described as "cute and fluffy".
    But anyway, this shift from 'one animal, many outfits' to 'many animals' is very similar to what happened with Barbie over time. Nowadays, separate fashion packs for Barbie doll are practically nonexistent. Build-A-Bear's change of business model, and by extension their change in advertising, might also partially explain why I own more Build-A-Bears than I have space for and have been attempting to downsize my collection.
    Signed, Treesa

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    Replies
    1. RagingMoon1987May 10, 2025 at 12:40 PM

      That shift in business model may hurt Build-a-Bear in time. I love the variety that they have, but the clothes make whichever little creature one chooses more special. Flaxie could be Elsa or Hermione or the Fourth Doctor if she wanted to. Those little outfits could've potentially bankrupted someone, LOL.

      That's a shame that Stitch in particular isn't as soft as he looks. I like those seasonal Stitch friends, but soft is more important. As to the quality of the clothes...all I can say is it doesn't surprise me. Mattel is like Wal-Mart: take over, cheapen up, quality takes a hit, but people buy because it's what they can get.

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    2. TreesaMay 10, 2025 at 2:08 PM

      Speaking of Walmart, did you know that both American Girl and My Life As (Walmart's 18 inch doll brand) have licensing deals with Harry Potter now. I was at Walmart the other day and saw the My Life As line of Harry Potter themed 18 inch dolls and accessory packs. Considering that American Girl is now owned by Mattel, the cynical side of me can't help wondering just how much of a quality difference there is between the two brands, or if it's mainly just a price difference.
      Signed, Treesa
      P.S. Did you manage to find Flaxie? You were going to post a picture of her in the Build-A-Bear Disney Beauty And The Beast yellow Belle gown I sent you a ways back.

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    3. RagingMoon1987May 10, 2025 at 6:15 PM

      I did see the sets, yes! I'd love to do a comparison post, but I'm watching the ol' money closely ATM. Maybe in the future...

      No, no Flaxie yet. I'm still looking for my other Walda dolls too. I promised to take a picture of them with your Lydia.

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