Build-A-Bear: Building a Hole in Our Wallets but Warming the Hearts of Our Children

After receiving an early Christmas present of a Lil Luvables Fluffy Factory, our daughter was hooked on "stuffing" bears. She stuffed all three of the bears that came with the factory the day she received her present. Her dad told her that he would take her to Build-A-Bear the following weekend after seeing how happy these tiny bears made her. I knew that it was probably going to cost more than we wanted but a promise is a promise.

Our local mall, Spotsylvania Towne Centre, has recently added this store along with many other new stores during their renovation. We had never been in any of the Build-A-Bear stores before so we were "newbie's". We walked in and were amazed at the items this store carried. These animals, because you can build more than just a bear, have more clothing than most clothing stores. And don't let me get started on accessories.

Our daughter started by selecting her "skin". This is the empty animal before it is stuffed. She chose the cheapest one at $10. (We didn't tell her which one to pick, but it sure put a smile on our face when she selected the cheapest one.) Then you move along to the next station. Here you can add a heartbeat and also a device that says a message when squeezed. We opted for a device that has a few messages on it. This part of the building cost $5. Once this item was selected we moved along to the stuffing and stitching station. The lady there asked where we would like the device placed and then put it in place. She stuffed the bear until it had just the right amount of cuddliness for our daughter. Now it was time to clothe the bear.

There were vast arrays of clothes to choose from, casual wear, formal wear, tee shirts, etc. Our daughter picked a lovely pink outfit that only set us back another $13. This outfit was for the bear, not her. Well, we couldn't think of leaving the store without shoes for the bear. She selected a lovely pair of pink crocs for "Stephanie". This would be the name she picked for her new friend. Did I mention that none of us have our own crocs?

At least they were not as expensive as the real thing. The shoes only cost $7. I know, what a bargain! Once she officially adopted "Stephanie" she received a certificate and a box in which to carry her home. While our daughter was handed her new bear, we were handed our bill. As you can figure, our experience cost us over $30. She was so happy with her new friend as we walked out of the store. I don't think little "Stephanie" has moved since she's arrived to her new home. It's only been a few weeks, maybe she'll pick her up again soon.

All in all, we did love the whole "Build-A-Bear concept. I only wish I would have thought of it first.