Charlie Blech ...(Bears)

[May]

The fella who sells them just described himself wearing a onesie ...sorry but too much information ...
Blech ...and very pushy sales techniques today ...

 

[shopperholic]

He always goes on about the prices, Connaughtonline and almost everywhere else sells them cheaper, instantly cheaper by £6 because they're free p&p.

 

[ERICS MUM]

In one show yesterday he kept referring to "the secondary market", as if the bears are being traded internationally on some sort of stock exchange (bear market !). Does he actually mean EBay ? (Or Freecycle, Gumtree ?).

Anyway I find him creepy - a big flabby Yorkshireman talking about the bears as if they are human.

 

[candycane]

Do beware the hype. I bought a lot of dolls in the past, before I knew what I was doing, with big talk of secondary market and even "investment" value. There are only certain brands of dolls and toys, including bears, that sell for more than you paid for them and, knowing a bit about the market, I would be surprised if Charlie Bears was one of them. Things peak and then unfortunately the mass/minor collectors move on to something else so sales drop off.

CC

 

[historymystery]

It's naughty when they imply that the items are going to increase in value - they cannot have any way of knowing that, even people who work in the Financial sector get it wrong (and big style, over the past few years). This gives a totally misleading impression and should be stopped, in my view. One of the reasons they might be practising the hard sell now is because their volume of sales have been down in recent years - sadly, Charlie herself was the "face" of Charlie Bears and much more knowledgeable about all the design and manufacturing processes than Will is - and with her long, unavoidable absence because the poor lady was so ill, I think it was inevitable that people didn't tune in because they knew she wouldn't be there. And you're so right, shopperholic, about the bears being cheaper elsewhere - many of the outlets are free p & p which instantly saves you £5-£6 and the prices are often cheaper to start with, so it's win-win. The only obvious exception is any bears which are exclusive to QVC - if anyone wants those, they've got to stump up QVC prices.

He always goes on about the prices, Connaughtonline and almost everywhere else sells them cheaper, instantly cheaper by £6 because they're free p&p.

 

[shopperholic]

It's naughty when they imply that the items are going to increase in value - they cannot have any way of knowing that, even people who work in the Financial sector get it wrong (and big style, over the past few years). This gives a totally misleading impression and should be stopped, in my view. One of the reasons they might be practising the hard sell now is because their volume of sales have been down in recent years - sadly, Charlie herself was the "face" of Charlie Bears and much more knowledgeable about all the design and manufacturing processes than Will is - and with her long, unavoidable absence because the poor lady was so ill, I think it was inevitable that people didn't tune in because they knew she wouldn't be there. And you're so right, shopperholic, about the bears being cheaper elsewhere - many of the outlets are free p & p which instantly saves you £5-£6 and the prices are often cheaper to start with, so it's win-win. The only obvious exception is any bears which are exclusive to QVC - if anyone wants those, they've got to stump up QVC prices.

Couldn't agree more H, that's QVC for you they make it up as they go along or shall I say, their selling is based on fabrication :mysmilie_14:

 

[Brissles]

The bears are like all those 'collectable' commemorative plates and china figurines on the Bradford Exchange. People collect them thinking they are going to be worth a fortune, but even 30 years later they are worth no more, sometimes less than was paid for them. In another life I used to be an estate agent, and particularly back in the 80's I would see living room walls full of these plates, whether it was birds, royalty, Thomas Kinkade, etc. all now probably residing on the shelves of charity shops. So do beware, as these bears can take up soooo much room !!!!

 

[historymystery]

brissles, were you ever tempted to make anyone an offer for one of their Kinkykade's? Only joking, but I can remember someone I worked with who collected anything that was advertised as a "collectable" back in the 1980's and 90's. She was convinced it was going to be her pension, but when she downsized and tried to sell off much of her collection, the auction house sold the stuff for peanuts. Sadly she is no longer with us, but I often thought with a shudder of how much of her money went on collecting these things - true that they gave her pleasure, which was great in its way, but the penny dropped for her when she tried to sell them and realised that all the big talk from these companies was a load of rubbish.

The bears are like all those 'collectable' commemorative plates and china figurines on the Bradford Exchange. People collect them thinking they are going to be worth a fortune, but even 30 years later they are worth no more, sometimes less than was paid for them. In another life I used to be an estate agent, and particularly back in the 80's I would see living room walls full of these plates, whether it was birds, royalty, Thomas Kinkade, etc. all now probably residing on the shelves of charity shops. So do beware, as these bears can take up soooo much room !!!!

 

[Glittergirl]

In one show yesterday he kept referring to "the secondary market", as if the bears are being traded internationally on some sort of stock exchange (bear market !). Does he actually mean EBay ? (Or Freecycle, Gumtree ?).

Anyway I find him creepy - a big flabby Yorkshireman talking about the bears as if they are human.

Don't usually watch these shows, as find the way they play and stroke the bears too much!! :mysmilie_43: They seem to have a good following but just not MY THING really!!! :mysmilie_7:

 

[Turandot]

There are too many of the bears around to be worth anything in the future. they keep saying only 4000 of a particular bear will be be made, but the reason the antique bears are worth money is because they are the first original teddy bears ,hand produced that were named after The USA president.And they are very rare.

 

[historymystery]

Very few old toys are worth anything much - you've got to be very lucky to have bought or inherited a particular toy that has become rare. And often they still only sell for megabucks if they are in reasonable condition and/or have original packaging, as in the case of model cars. Like you, Turandot, I cannot see Charlie Bears becoming rare anytime soon, and as for all this chat about "the secondary market" - where? I've seen the bears for sale on Ebay or elsewhere, and they seem to go for about the same - or less - than the original prices. One of the mistakes I think CB's are making is to hike up the prices on the bears - some of the bears they've brought out in the past few years have looked cheap and nasty but have a high price tag. Some loose-haired and bright/'loud' coloured bears look like something you'd win at a funfair, they don't look well-made to me. When the range first came out, they were reasonably priced and well-made. I know they are a big-selling line in other countries (like Australia).

There are too many of the bears around to be worth anything in the future. they keep saying only 4000 of a particular bear will be be made, but the reason the antique bears are worth money is because they are the first original teddy bears ,hand produced that were named after The USA president.And they are very rare.