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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

The hell that is Build-a-Bear.

83 replies

Orangeanddemons · 02/01/2014 16:37

Because it is he'll.

A queue that doesn't move. At. All.
Just when the queue seems to get smaller you realise that the family in front has 3 children to do.
The yoofs who stuff them. Clearly on minimum wage
The joy of creating the birth certificate whilst a million other people are shoving and pushing round you.
The queue for the till. As above.
The joy of receiving the birth certificate and noting that it is signed by the founder. Who is raking it in. A charming touch.

Just....

OP posts:
NoComet · 02/01/2014 16:40

Go on a inset day!

SuburbanRhonda · 02/01/2014 16:41

We went when it was The Bear Factory.

DD (aged about 7 at the time) chose a bear and we took it to get stuffed , so to speak. The young person on the filling machine didn't turn it off it in time.

The bear exploded.

DD was hysterical - for days Grin

nomorecrumbs · 02/01/2014 16:44

Lol!! An exploding bear!

I would have been traumatised by that at 7 Grin

Yes, I can empathise with the OP.

lookdeepintotheparka · 02/01/2014 16:46

Oh yes we had this experience earlier this week and I'm still recovering from it Shock

TBH the poor shop assistants were doing a good job keeping the queue moving and the kids entertained but it really was hell on earth I agree!!

So after an hour's wait, we got home to find the bear doesn't have enough stuffing in it so parts of it go flat when DD cuddles it - arghhh!!!

FreyaFridays · 02/01/2014 16:47

We don't have one of these dungeons of torture in Cornwall... Unlike not having an H+M or a Wagamama's, I believe this is a wise choice.

What in God's name inspired you to go there?!

Original poster
Orangeanddemons · 02/01/2014 16:47

Lol, i would love to have seen that! It would have made my day.

Those insidious hearts that beat . Smelly things that they shove in them that make their arses smell of strawberries.

It was a terrible experience. I wanted to punch everyone in there

OP posts:
SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 02/01/2014 16:47

I am a bad person - I laughed at the thought of an exploding bear! But I am not laughing at your poor, upset dd, SuburbanRhonda.

lookdeepintotheparka · 02/01/2014 16:48

Suburban - they've clearly learned from the over stuffing experience then - - now they are under stuffing Hmm your poor DD!

Joysmum · 02/01/2014 16:48

Of course it's going to be busy with kids all wanting to spend their Xmas money. It's not normally like that.

Preciousbane · 02/01/2014 16:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

yarn33 · 02/01/2014 16:49

The horror of dealing with young people earning minimum wage...

Original poster
Orangeanddemons · 02/01/2014 16:50

Well they should have had more stuffers on then (is that a real job description?) as 2 stuffing stations were unmanned

OP posts:
NameoftheRose · 02/01/2014 16:50

Exploding bear! I shall be hanging round Build a Bears hopefully from now on.

SuburbanRhonda · 02/01/2014 16:50

Well, she clearly recovered from the trauma (she's now 18).

The re-stuffed bear is in a bag ready for eBaying. She's made of steel, that child Hmm

Original poster
Orangeanddemons · 02/01/2014 16:51

I didn't mean that at all. I felt sorry for the stuffers, they should be on a bloody fortune doing that all day

OP posts:
yarn33 · 02/01/2014 16:52

OK, just your OP doesn't read like that.

Justforlaughs · 02/01/2014 16:52

I love Build-a-Bear! Was a little surprised to have a conversation with another customer about how her 27 yo couldn't go anywhere without her Bear, takes it on holiday with her, buys new clothes all the time, gets it ready for bed etc every night Hmm (just to clarify that I assume that 27yo has no SEN as she goes abroad with work, might be wrong but I doubt it) But it's great for little ones - just wouldn't go a couple of days after Christmas!

SuburbanRhonda · 02/01/2014 16:52

yarn, it's the minimum wage that's the horror, not the young people, IMVHO Smile

CadenceRoastingByAnOpenFire · 02/01/2014 16:53

Yanbu.I went in my teens when it was called Bear Factory to buy a bear for my neice. The girl on the stuffing machine made me kiss the heart, close my eyes and make a sodding wish. The shop was heaving and my cool 17 year old self almost died with embarrassment Grin.

ilovepowerhoop · 02/01/2014 16:53

you can buy them online and avoid the queues.

RandomMess · 02/01/2014 16:54

We went at 10am on a Sunday morning when most of the shops don't open until 11am in town. Had it to ourselves was still hellish enough though!

SuburbanRhonda · 02/01/2014 16:54

Cadence, that's just .....

I don't know, it's just ....

Shock
Heartbrokenmum73 · 02/01/2014 16:54

I preferred it when it was The Bear Factory.

It's very American now - we had a cardboard cutout outside our local one last year of some teenage lad (forget his name) who isn't even known in the UK! You could win the chance to meet him.

DD and all her classmates (Y6) were Hmm and Confused at who this boy was.

And I hate how they now do Smurf toys, Alvin and the Chipmunks toys, etc, for every sodding film that comes out.

It used to be quite cute, but now it's very garish and twee.

Bleurgh.

Original poster
Orangeanddemons · 02/01/2014 16:55

It would probably take as long as it did in the shop to buy it onlineGrin.

OP posts:
PickledMoomin · 02/01/2014 16:56

We queued for forty minutes today in Hamleys. Two people stuffing and offering all sorts of things to indecisive kids, doubling the queuing time.

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