To want dd's teddy back?

[MissingTeddy]

We gave dd(8)’s favourite teddy (her constant companion for 5 years) to John Lewis’ Teddy Bear Repair & Refresh service before Christmas to be cleaned and mended.

It’s been lost while in their care (or technically the care of Johnson's dry cleaning and/or the courier and/or the repair centre, who are all involved with the service).

She’s been asking almost daily when her bear is coming home and I haven’t yet told her it's lost.

The exact bear isn’t available new or secondhand anywhere online.

I’m sharing in the hope that someone might recognise it, have one tucked away, or know where I might find an identical replacement.

I’ll post a photo below. Any help hugely appreciated 💛

Wanted an AIBU to get more traffic so: AIBU to think the £35 compensation the dry cleaning company has offered isn't going to cut it with my dd and I somehow need to find an identical bear?

Now wish I'd just taken it to our local Repair Cafe who would have mended it while I waited!

Can someone with twitter tweet Jodie comer just an idea!

The Johnson’s service use their own vans. It’s actually nothig to do with JL/waitrose, they are simply a drop off and collection point.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/257292449518?_trkparms=itmf%3D1%26aid%3D1110006%26rkt%3D4%26mech%3D1%26algv%3DSimVIDwebV4WithCtxRankerV1UnifiedFeatures%26pmt%3D1%26amclksrc%3DITM%26sd%3D354295081146%26sid%3DAQALAAAAEK4OEXlmfSGBtTSCKum4Sqk%3D%26itm%3D257292449518%26noa%3D0%26plcampt%3D0%3A156276666015%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26brand%3DBear+Factory%26asc%3D20231107084023%26ao%3D1%26rk%3D4%26pid%3D101875%26b%3D1%26mehot%3Dnone%26lsid%3D3%26meid%3D2c58f37720b74c7fa49a4aa993698c06%26pg%3D2332490&_trksid=p2332490.c101875.m1851&itmprp=cksum%3A2572924495182c58f37720b74c7fa49a4aa993698c06%7Cenc%3AAQALAAABEKLoGo41gKHtqPfIa5lF%252FWjQjdzIQ73rtGosP%252BBGmcPis1364XGSU%252Fh7VHaFLoC%252BlmoZliHzcNM5A2vUsZ1QaMJzZp9TYHlMRgyvwt7kb9E5cyxSLryi%252B0UdJvlEkgDB65i%252BWxVFIH%252BwnbUxpg5Hl9RpwvjkJafiqh4HAbK6ag1d%252FlHM3tM2pSfUaYyv14UMEMywcSd8%252Fu%252FQrkdIjBWzpn41kKbiojUCGZTwcanA7EWdJj800y2L34hTlW82tLS0vOZ8zGamQ5BqAqjID0nFUQZh%252B6RLqeAP3OkaotTBK0E6%252BziT%252FKeIcGdK9B1Jk9ZkowJy1SKnLuRumOzF%252BlQ818CXVc8SwiEz0H880kEFAqmV%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A2332490&itmmeta=01KHBNCRCKW4YR3N5SKHTDKKRM

Oh, that's so annoying. I understand how important their little friends are. Have you looked on Vinted? It looks similar to an Anna / Elsa one we used to have ( you buy different clothes for the updated theme) there are lots of pink ones on Vinted. I know she'd know though if it wasn't the same!

My nephew has a duck he loves. We bought three and rotated them so they all got worn in the same but he can still tell when we’ve replaced his favourite (no idea why or how one is better) with a “double duck” as he calls them (he overheard me calling them “stunt doubles once) 🤣 Parents to be: BUY THREE!

Do they really dry clean the toy. I wouldn't let my kid near a toy that had been dry cleaned.

Possible idea - how about trying those companies that make the plushy of a child's drawing? 🤞🏻
If they won't do it (copywrite) then get a good artist to draw it maybe with an addition of a bracelet/hat or something!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/354295081146

is this it?

Or this one?
https://www.tjsteddies.com/product/tjs-teddies-cute-angel-wings-16/

scrap that it’s out of stock 🤦‍♀️

I’d post this on John Lewis socials I’m sure you’ll get a better reaction

This is dreadful - my 18 year old still has 'froggy' here beloved soft toy, she's had since she was a baby. She'd be heartbroken if she lost it.

Hope the power of mumsnet gets it back to you or a good replica.

Could you try the production company that made the TV show. They may well have one or even two in their props department and maybe even try the FB pages or X Accounts for Jodie Corner or Sandra O.

If you find one that’s slightly different you could say it was part of the refurbishment process?

I think we may have one of these at home that my daughter no longer plays with. Let me check and I will come back to you

https://ebay.us/m/vp8DHQ

This is the exact one OP!

They should compensate you for the lost bear and provide enough money for you to buy or (build a bear) new bear

If you have the time, try Vinted, FB marketplace and eBay as just “pink teddy” or similar search terms. Many sellers don’t put the brand in for something like a plush. I’m a saddo I know, I collect plush toys and I’ve sourced so many by using very generic search terms and spending a lot of time wading through unsuitable results.

When I lost a soft toy my mum got me a different one and told me it had a new coat.

I fell for it until years later when I found it in our loft - it had got filthy and was too difficult to wash and so my mum just got me a new one.

Could you do something similar? Or is your dd not as gullible as I was ;) I was 4 and it sounds like she is older.

This lady might be able to make one:

birdieandmudge (contactable on Facebook)
Handmade dolls / toys and children’s room decor

NBU at all. I’d be SO upset if I were you. I’m in my 30s and still have my teddy that I got given on the day I was born, the sentimental value is irreplaceable.

If you have no luck finding an identical replacement, could you perhaps get a new bear (not ideal, I know) and write a letter from the original bear saying s/he’s gone to help Santa in his workshop (or something your DD would believe and appreciate) but this new bear needs a home and they trust her to do an excellent job of looking after her/him? You could add that the OG bear will be looking out for her from afar, or something to try and make her feel comforted by the bear’s absence.

I think it’s really poor form of JL to have lost the bear, regardless of at what point in the chain it was lost. They should be offering you at least £100 and a replacement bear! I feel so sorry for you and your DD. Keeping my fingers crossed for you both that it turns up!

I mean, things get lost all the time, we need to be realistic about things.
I'm still reeling that someone sent a teddy away for a refurb 😂

I found this one on vinted, it looks pretty identical https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/7130517527-the-bear-factory

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/7130517527-the-bear-factory

Is this it OP? All the build a bear ones look bigger and have the BAB logo on the front paws rather than all purple but this looks a match 🤞 I do hope so. I know it won't be the real thing but hopefully close enough.

Haha! Didn't see this before posting.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/156413268816