You might have seen my last blog post on how to sell Retired Charlie Bears. Today's post is all about buying them.
Where to buy them, what questions to ask the seller and how to check the prices.
Firstly where to buy Retired Charlie Bears?
eBay
Facebook both marketplace and groups
Charity Shops
Auctions
Bear Shops
General Collectible Shops (Like us)
What questions to ask?
Does the bear have any smells. Second hand bears are going to smell a bit, household smells, storage smells, you name it the bears will pick it up. You need to be prepared for these kind of smells. Everyone's house smell different.
The smells you need to look out for are the ones that you don't like. I.e a smoker is unlikely to be put off by the smell of cigarette smoke but a non-smoker may well be. If you don't like incense, then you should probably check this.
Has the bear ever been washed? This is quite an important one because the damp can penetrate the bear and soften the joints, make the fur go matted or push all the filling to one place.
How to check the prices?
The best way to check prices is to use eBay sold prices, but ultimately if there is only one bear available the seller gets to set the price and you either wait for one to be listed at an attractive price, wait for them to become realistic and drop the price or up your budget.