Would You Pay $300 For A Teddy Bear?

 

a beige bunny sitting

Let’s talk about Jellycats. What are they, and why are they so popular? If you can believe it, the adorable bunny you are looking at has a price tag of $300 USD. As of the time I’m writing this article, it is available from the site known as Amazon. This bunny is a Jellycat. A Jellycat is a British toy and home decor company. They are really known for their collectible toys. And that’s all well and good, but what makes them worth $300? 

 

According to multiple websites to which I researched for this article, Jellycats are made with high quality materials that are safe for babies, they have sturdy sewing, and high production standards. Okay, could that description have been more vague? What kind of materials? What kind of thread is used? What is the sewing method? What kind of testing has been done to back-up these claims? I’m being critical of this commercial brand because I too make toys, and I can tell you first hand what goes into making them. 

 

Handmade teddy bear


Meet Louie. The first bear I ever made. He’s Not perfect. He very much has that “homemade” feel to him. That’s what makes him unique. He is a 100% human made collectible. His fur is 100% fleece. He has a hand-sculpted polymer clay nose and claws. He has glass eyes and is stuffed with Silky Poly-fil. His paw and ear pads are made with faux leather. He has a stiff felt lining. He has movable joints to make him fully poseable. He is double stitched by hand using 100% polyester upholstery thread. He is also worth about $300 USD. I have poured around $150 worth of materials into him. Not to mention the amount of time that was spent. He was a true labor of love. 

 

Unfortunately, he will never sell. The very thing that makes him unique, also makes him unappealing to the retail market. He has a “homemade” feel. Now you might be thinking that my cynicism is simply due to jealousy. They’re making a fortune, and I’m not. Well, you’d be mostly wrong. While I do feel salty about the unfairness of the market; I do understand to a degree why Jellycat have the success they do. 

 

It comes down to marketability. I certainly can’t afford to pour thousands of dollars into marketing, even if I had thousands to pour into it. I could never mass produce enough bears on my own, and I would have to have years of teddy bear making experience to create a bear that is marketable. With that blow to the ego, tell me what you think? Do you own a Jellycat? Would you spend $300 on a teddy bear? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for visiting this blog. Happy knitting and creating!     


Here are some pictures of Louie for attention. You can see all his little details. 




 #jellycat, #teddybearmaking, #toys, #fiberart, #toycollecting

 

 


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