Quality at this Price

If you are wondering why anyone would want to pay Rs. 495 for a pair of sneakers for a toy, the reason is that they are branded shoes. Some of the shoes are custom made by the shoe brand Skechers. Also Build a Bear Workshop has Harley Davidson bandanas.

A little too much for your little child, but if you can spoil her it's all right. A plain Barbie doll starts from Rs. 195 and the Fairytopia range goes up until Rs. 895 and even Rs. 1500. Accessories for the Barbie dolls, can cost even over Rs. 2000. The popular G.I Joes cost Rs. 285 and the Power Rangers toys start from Rs. 300 and go on up to Rs. 1000.

So the basic Barbie and Power Ranger is cheaper than the Build A Bear Workshop animals. But, even if you compare it to other dolls and stuff toys, the quality of this toy is better. The fur is extremely soft and the finishing of the bears and other animals is fine...

And It is Safer

Some of the accessories like the handbag and cell phone case have sequences on them. If these come off the accessories your child may swallow the.

IMP: So check to see if the little extras that you buy are not hazardous for your children.

Even though you can use a Barbie after age 3, the tiny shoes, earrings etc of the Barbie can come off the Barbie and be swallowed by your child easily.

Since Build A Bear Workshop toys are bigger and you can choose accessories, it is safer for your child. Also unlike a Barbie, whose leg can poke your child's eye, the Bears are soft and have no sharp edges at all.

Age Group

Go to any Build A Bear Workshop website or store and they would day that anyone from 3 to 103 can buy a teddy bear from their store.

But if you are spending Rs. 595 up for a plain bear, it's worth it only if your kid can really participate in the process. So don't buy it as a surprise, take your child to the store and let him make the bear according to what he likes. If you are afraid he will spend too much, set up a budget.

Build A Bear Workshop toys are great for your young kids; it helps them in pretend play.

Want to know about toys that teach your kids? Click here...

For Both Boys and Girls?

Well it is, once your children decide what gender they want their bear to be, they can choose clothes and accessories accordingly.

If your son or daughter is not a teddy bear fan, the shop also has bear friends including rabbits, cats, dogs and even turtles. These friends are more expensive than the basic toy bears. The basic toy is Rs. 695 and they can go up to Rs 1,195 for the turtle.

Maintenance

The clothes are updated from time to time. So if your child wants new clothes for the bears or bear friends it is possible. Also the bears and the bear friends are all of the same size. So, you don't need to get special clothes if you decide to, say, buy a puppy.

If the toy gets dirty, you can brush down the fur. If needed, it is safe to dry-clean it.

Warranty

There is no official warranty. But, if there is a manufacturing defect in the product, the company will replace it. Also if you ever feel like you need to make your teddy bear softer or harder, you can always go to the store and tell them to add or remove some stuffing. The store won't charge you for that.

The store will not be able to repair or replace items that are ruined because of misuse. But if the toy is ripped a little, or the stitches have come off, the store will stitch it for you if they can.

What if my Child Loses this Expensive Toy

Yes, there is a possibility of that happening. But the store has a tracking device for every toy. When you buy the bear, the staff puts in a barcode in side the bear before stitching it up.

Another part of the bar code is swiped and the details of the owner of the bear at added. So if you ever loose your toy and someone finds and returns it to the store, the store can contact the owner.

Of course even though it is a sweet concept it is not very practical. If someone finds an expensive toy like this, they would keep it for themselves, not return it to the store.