The Basics

This is a sample "Hang Tag" also known as a "swing tag" or "ear tag". Bears 1 and 2 and 5 had price tags attached to their ears. Bear 2 and 3 had a "Hang Tag" attached to their aprons with a ribbon. Bearista #4 and #6 onward all bears had tags on their ears. The value of a bear is increased by the presence of a Hang Tag. Condition is a factor as well. Creased or defaced tags lower a bear's value.	All bears have a "Tush Tag". The Tush Tag is attached to the bear's little bottom. The tags can be in multiple languages depending on where the bear was distributed. The absence or defacing of a Tush Tag decreases the value of the bear. Note: The Elf bear has a unique Tush Tag - it is green with white writing and sewn to his pants.
(photo by aloha lani) Bearista Bears come in multiple sizes. The majority of the bears range from 9" to 11" in height. There are larger or jumbo bears which range from 15" to 26" in height. They are rarer, but take up way more space if you collect them!!! Starbucks made the larger size bear for the following editions: #1, #3, #4, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, and #23. Starbucks calls the Jumbo 23rd Edition the "XL" size.	Promotional materials are a plus for the collector. There are various promotional materials such as the little (2"x3") booklet displayed. This item was only released in Europe and Asia. It chronicles the bears from 1 to 15. Magnets, finger puppets and mini bears usually offered in a package of some kind are also offered by Starbucks. Here is a picture of the full Japan 300th Store Bearista package.
Advertising materials featuring the bears are also popular with collectors.

This is a picture of my collection as of January 2003.

Some items to note:

	The Moose/Reindeer Bear is NOT a Bearista, see the Imposters page for details.
	The little guys on the bottom right are Ganz Wee Bears. I bought them because they ware dressed in the same costumes as the Starbucks Bearista Bears.
	The picture frame on the bottom right contains USPS Stamps with Teddy Bears, my neighbor bought them for me because they reminded him of Starbucks bears. They actually resemble the new Bearistas as far as fur composition goes.
	The little blue "balls" you see in the cabinet are moisture grabbers. I bought them through mail order to help fight any dampness problems.
	I only have the one Jumbo (or XL as Starbucks calls it) and you can see why - they are HUGE! As tempted as I am, I don't have enough space to house the Jumbos. I may pick up a few of the "smaller" Jumbos, but I haven't decided. To see more Jumbos click here Jumbos.

As you can see, I am almost out of room in my cabinets. So, it will back off to IKEA to get more Billy Cabinets with glass doors and shelves. I used cabinet lighting to give the Bearista Bears a glow at night (can't see it in the picture, but trust me they look fabulous in the spotlight!).

The Basics