Nifty Thrifty and (Over) Fifty!: Who would pay $23.95 for a stuffed teddy bear at a garage sale?! Yep...ME!

Yes, it's true, two weekends ago I bought a stuffed, handmade teddy bear from a local garage sale and I paid $23.95 for it. Considering how much I can otherwise buy with that much money (such as a vintage fur coat, or a complete double bed set, or practically my entire fall and winter wardrobe) you might be wondering 'why?'.

Was it some rare Steiff bear that I was lucky enough to stumble across and that would sell at auction for thousands of dollars? Was it a one of a kind or limited edition bear from a modern day teddy bear artist? Did I notice a hole in one of the seams and discover that someone had secreted their life savings within the body of the bear?

No, nothing like that. Albert, as I call him, is just a very large, handmade, fully jointed, old-fashioned style teddy bear (29 inches long). He is without maker tags or any kind of identification. He is not made of expensive mohair.

I am also positive that he is not made of recycled real fur, like the seller thought, although he is made of good quality fake fur and is very soft and pleasing to the touch. This was one of those rare times when I came across an unique item that I felt warranted the additional expense.

Part of the draw was that for a time I created hand made jointed teddy bears myself. I designed my own pattern and sewed them entirely by hand. I appreciate the amount of work that goes into one.

One of my handmade teddy bears.

I have a sentimental connection to stuffed bears. I know that it would have cost more to make Albert in materials than what I paid for him. I know that on etsy or at a craft fair that for a hand made, one of a kind bear of this size, that I would have paid far more than what I did pay.

When I first saw him that day, and his brother who was made out of a lighter coloured fur, there was another woman there admiring them both and chatting with the woman seller. I gathered that someone she knew, perhaps a family member, had made the bears. The shopper was complimenting them.

Once she left, I went over to take a look at them. I asked how much they were and the seller replied, "She was asking $50 each, but I think that is too much. I would take $25." Regretfully, I passed on them and continued with other sales.

Later in the day, I had the non-buyer's remorse that I get on occasion. I knew that it was a lot of money to spend at a garage sale. But I also knew that I couldn't stop thinking about the bears and wanting one. I knew that I had not seen anything like them before and would not again.

I also recognized that while the price seemed high...while it was high for an item from a garage sale...that it was worth that much. At least to me. And that this was one of those rare times when I would not regret splurging.

But I had no idea where the sale had been located. I could not even have told you what part of town it was in, either than to say the north end because that was the only area we garage saled in that day.

Fortunately, my husband has a keen sense of direction and an incredible memory for places he has been. He recalled exactly where the house had been where I had seen the large stuffed bears. However, he thought it was crazy to pay that kind of money for one and balked at taking me back. But the next day he did.

I knocked on the door and a man answered. I apologized for the intrusion, and asked whether this was the right house that had had a garage sale yesterday, and had been selling teddy bears. I was not certain either or both of them would still be available, but figured there was a good chance based on the price and the fact that it was unlikely someone else like me with a real penchant for stuffed bears might have stopped at the sale and had to have them.

I did think that there was a chance that at the end of the day everything might have been loaded up and taken to the thrift store, which is what a lot of people do at the close of a sale when left with unsold items. Many people don't want to haul stuff back into the house that they have already mentally and emotionally parted ways with.

He was very friendly and did not seem irritated at being bothered. He called to his wife, who had been the one running the garage sale. When she came to the door, I asked about the bears and she said that they were both still available. I said that I was interested in the darker one, and asked if she would take $20 for it.

I was a bit surprised that she held firm on the price, and began to rummage around for additional change to add to the $20 bill I had brought with me, wrongly assuming that offer would be accepted. I managed to scrounge up an additional $3.95, which is where the odd total of $23.95 came from. She said that that was close enough, handed Albert to me, and off we went.

Albert sitting on my bed.

I am very happy with him and do not regret the purchase. I know that it was a lot to pay for something from a garage sale, comparatively speaking. I know I could get lots of shoes and clothes for that same amount. That I could get another piece of exercise equipment. That I could probably get a fancy kitchen appliance. I could get some nice pieces of artwork.

But to me this stuffed bear was worth it. He was not made by a well known artisan. It is highly unlikely that if I wanted to resell him that I would come anywhere close to recouping what I spent. But he brings me pleasure. I enjoy seeing him sitting on my bed.

I like thinking about the person who made him, wondering how long it took her, whether she named him, and whether he was an original design that came from her imagination, or was created from a purchased pattern.

As I have said before, garage sales are not just about saving money and being thrifty. Sometimes they are about those things that are simply nifty. Like Albert.