Build a Bear - how much does it REALLY cost?

[Cagliostro]

DD has been yearning for a BaB for a couple of years now, we've not been in as I've always said it's too much. But my parents are asking for ideas so I think this year it may be the time.

BUT I am concerned about the cost - I know the bears themselves can be around £20, but then there's all the extras. I'm not sure what's included, or if you can leave out things like the voice bit etc.

She's 9, so well able to understand she can't have everything in the store :o and I thought it may be good to set out what kind of things she would be able to choose from IYSWIM. As I'm assuming the present would be a voucher type thing to spend after Christmas (perhaps they have a sale?!)

So, can anyone please tell me how much we can expect an average visit to BaB to be...?

Thanks :)

[Babyiwantabump]

About £50 every time I've been!

[Cagliostro]

oh crap! really?!

Would you mind telling me what you got (roughly) for that please? (sorry I am seriously clueless)

[FrazzleM]

I second £50.

I've taken my DD twice and let her choose a bear and a basic outfit. £50 both times.

[FrazzleM]

A bear, a sound button in the paw, a top, a tutu & shoes.

[FrazzleM]

You can check their prices on the online store.

[Babyiwantabump]

(Which isn't very often)

[Babyiwantabump]

(Twice)

[Thissameearth]

I bought two recently as special presebts and it cost me £90 for them though I got full fancy outfits for both (1 had pjs, a dressing gown, slippers and eye mask) and extras: 1 with beating heart and a scent, 1 with sound and scent. So if they were bells and whistles for £45 each hopefully you could do normal one for £35?

[Haudyerwheesht]

Their website is good for pricing.

Took Dd (5) recently and she got a pony with a beating creepy heart and a lead for it think all in all it was £30. She wants the stable too but she's having to save up for it!

Personally I think £35 would be OK and she can spend any other money she has if she chooses to.

[SlinkyB]

Watching with interest as I have a 5yo ds who would love one. I took him into a shop the other day for the first time (we have an Outlet one nearby - not sure if they're much cheaper?).

I was thinking for his birthday in Jan he could go and take a friend instead of a party. Or do they do parties? Bet they cost a fair whack though!

[Mybeardeddragonjustdied2016]

I dress was £9.99!!
Shoes £5.99!!
Glad we moved too far to go back!!

[Emochild]

Never spent more than £30 but dds don't like the sounds and tend to avoid the branded bears

[AnneGables]

I must be really mean then, we went last week and ds just got a Pokémon one for £23, with no extras. It came with a standard heart, certificate and carry box.

It's currently naked, he can have to £10 outfit when he has filled his reward chart.

Could you get a few bits to go with it or give her some money to spend in the sales, they usually have a few bits reduced.

They had basic bears for £15.

[Muddlingalongalone]

Over £30 when I took dd on her birthday after school. I thought that was bad enough but £50 - it's a bloody teddy!

[CharleyDavidson]

She's 9, so old enough to understand a budget. And to understand 'not today' when it comes to outfits and that she can pick something another day. Or to use pocket money to make up any extra.

Some of the bears can be £9. They get to listen to the sounds and see the prices, so if you don't want them you can avoid or refuse. DD didn't often want one as when the batteries go they are non replaceable I think.

They usually get to choose a fabric heart for free, hold it, kiss it, make a wish, other twee stuff like that, then add it in to the bear themselves. And the step on the lever for the stuffing to be added in themselves too.

You fill in a birth certificate on the computers in store and they have that in a box to take away. You can use the cert to log on to a virtual game if you want.

We would often see people going the whole hog while in there, but rarely did ourselves. Ours would have a bear and perhaps a sound, depending on the price of the bear.

Other people could be seen choosing a bear, sound, clothing, accessories (sunglasses/skates/wings etc) and ending up with a huge bill.

You can often buy a gift card for the place at a reduced price (£10 for £5?) when buying the bear which means that a repeat visit for clothes can work out cheaper. Or there are sometimes vouchers available.

[AppleJac]

I spend £60 last time.

We got a my little pony bear, hat, cape, 2 pairs of boots and 2 sets of skates!

[Emochild]

Oh and you need to be careful because the staff will put things in a child's hands while you are queuing which is sneaky

[leccybill]

DD likes the ponies, on bloody rollerskates of all things! Which are only sold in pairs! And they need a lead to pull the damn thing along. £50 easily.
We've only done it once.

Someone bought her a £25 voucher and we got a bear and a tutu aswell.

[CharleyDavidson]

If your parents are looking for ideas then you can suggest that they take her, or that they buy gift cards for the visit.

It takes a bit of time and the shops can get manic in holidays and at the weekends.

[Thissameearth]

Ps the scent doesn't last two mins and it gets a normal heart for free that your daughter will be asked to kiss and make a wish on before it is put inside bear so you can cut out on these extras I'd say. It is expensive but it takes a fair while and is quite cool process. They let you or the kids push the pump to stuff it and as well as the heart bit, there are dressing stations to dress your bear before you leave, you get to make up your own birth certificate on their computers and the little box they come in becomes their little teddy home and can be coloured in...

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

£50?!? We buy one for DD each birthday and never spent more than £25-£30. That's a bear/rabbit or whatever (maximum £13) plus an outfit (usually £10). We've only bought a sound for the Olaf she wanted. I'm so pleased we have an outlet BAB near us now but even when we buy from a full price shop, it's nowhere near £50.

[BaronessEllaSaturday]

Cost me £15 last time but she got a rabbit with no accessories. She does have others and I have never yet bought an outfit with them. She has been bought outfits at separate times for example she got the shoes and rollerskates as a christmas present.

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

Emochild, I have never experienced them putting things in DDs hands.

[trufflepiggy]

We spent £40 last time but she did choose a cheap option!

[Gyderlily]

Definitely around £50... Dd2's was slightly more but she got the my little pony that needed not 2 but 4 pairs of roller skates which only work with shoes so 4 pairs of shoes too plus a skirt and a collar and lead! This didn't include any built in sounds or beating hearts etc etc so potentially could have been even more!