CHILD’S PLAY
Nostalgic 90s cuddly toy sells for £420 after sparking intense eBay bidding war – do you have one hidden in your attic?
The brand first launched in 1987
A RARE cuddly toy from a brand that soared to popularity in the nineties has sold for a whopping £420 on eBay.
The Jellycat rabbit is one of the plushies produced in limited quantities - making it a 'rare' specimen.
4
4
The Bashful Bunny Silver Birch in small sparked a bidding war due to its pristine condition.
Jellycat first launched in 1987 and became known for making high-quality and super-soft toys for babies and kids.
The bunny range was launched in 2007 and has been a hugely popular toy since then.
The item description from the seller read: "Small Birch bunny, new with all tags, only displayed in glass cabinet."
read more on jellycat
It was listed as 'retired and a "special edition" on the selling site.
Jellycat pieces normally range from around £25 to £40 - but this bunny has something special about it.
The Birch Bashful Bunny has long, floppy ears and a cute peach-coloured nose.
Fellow toy collectors have cottoned on to the trend and other Bashful Bunnies are being flogged on eBay.
Most read in Money
Another seller is currently hoping to sell their Birch Bunny for a staggering £958.80 or best offer.
The teddy still has its tags and has been kept in mint condition.
‘Stop they are so cute’ people cry as Primark launches ‘adorable’ Jellycat dupes, with prices starting at just £3
A 12 inch Bashful Walnut Bunny, which comes in dark brown and auburn, is also waiting for a new home for £420, plus £5 postage.
As a rule of thumb, the rarer the toy, the higher its value.
If you have the special edition toy in your cupboard it could get you a fair bit of cash.
Toy expert and self-proclaimed Toycologist Peter Jenkins has kept tabs on which Jellycats are selling for the most money.
He told The Sun "The Bashful Kara Bunny, a limited release in 2012, has become one of the hardest to find.
Jellycats to collect
PETER shared the Jellycats to buy now that could increase in price:
Snowdragon
Peter said that the biggest in the Jellycat range, priced at £100, isn’t of mass appeal because of the cost, but it is in contention to increase in value.
“The production runs will be vastly lower than many others in the range. Keep its tag and packaging and store it away for a decent return.”
Sandcastle
“This is one of the more complicated pieces in the Jellycat range, hence its current price of £45,” said Peter.
“The intricate nature and detailing make it a contender for retirement sooner than many others, so it’s well worth a punt.
Bartholomew Bear backpack
This one isn’t cheap, at £55, but Peter said it is worth a punt to stash away ahead of a probable value increase.
“This is a move away from the core Jellycat range and is unlikely to come back into production next year.”
Fish and chips
This special set was created for a social media campaign and it boosted Jellycat interactions online, so Peter said the range will retire soon – and soar in value.
“Anyone lucky enough to have bought items from Jellycat’s Fish and Chips launch this year should keep them safe, dry and out of play’s way,” Peter said.
“This has taken the floppy-eared cutey to values of £500 and above.”
These fluffy friends have become so desirable to toy-lovers that clips of them have accumulated billions of views on TikTok.
Videos titled "Jellycat Collection Tour," "Unboxing New Jellycats"; and "Jellycat Haul" have taken social media by storm,
Peter added: "There are so many Jellycat forums and social media sites.
"Keep an eye on prices on eBay but, when it comes to selling, make sure you wait for eBay to be in free sale mode or their commission will eat into your hard-earned gains.”
Peter suggested to invest in seasonal Jellycats as often these are limited editions.
But of course there's no guarantee that the toy will be worth more than you paid for it.
How to spot valuable items
COMMENTS by Consumer Editor, Alice Grahns:
It’s easy to check if items in your attic are valuable.
As a first step, go on eBay to check what other similar pieces, if not the same, have sold for recently.
Simply search for your item, filter by “sold listings” and toggle by the highest value.
This will give you an idea of how much others are willing to pay for it.
The method can be used for everything ranging from rare coins and notes to stamps, old toys, books and vinyl records - just to mention a few examples.
For coins, online tools from change experts like Coin Hunter are also helpful to see how much it could be worth.
Plus, you can refer to Change Checker’s latest scarcity index update to see which coins are topping the charts.
For especially valuable items, you may want to enlist the help of experts or auction houses.
Do your research first though and be aware of any fees for evaluating your stuff.
As a rule of thumb, rarity and condition are key factors in determining the value of any item.
You’re never guaranteed to make a mint, however.
Rare items are only worth what someone is willing to pay for the item at the time.
He described them as the modern-day Steiff bears - in which a vintage one can sell for thousands.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
But if those prices are too expensive, Primark is selling dupes.
Prices start at just £3 with the collection including an enchanting orange mushroom, a sweet-looking fried egg and a cheeky-looking cup and straw, all with arms, legs and faces.
4
4
Topics