2010 UPS Shipping Rates

Unfortunately, we have gotten word from our usual shipper, UPS, that their rates will be going up in January of the new year. It is interesting to note that both UPS and FedEx are doing one of their largest rate hikes ever. Ouch!

The UPS average rate increase is going to be about 4.9%. UPS Air and International Services will increase a net 4.9% through a combination of a 6.9% increase in the base rates.

This is the part that bothers us the most - "Shippers of light weight packages will see a 5.9% increase. Average increase is calculated on base rates only. Surcharges are also going up, sometimes in a very big way. "

Additionally, the big increase for 2009 is the Address Correction surcharges. Address Correction Air goes from $10.00 to $11.00, Ground increases from $8.00 to $10.00. That is a heavy 25% increase for getting an address wrong. (We do not charge our customers for address correction changes.) We ask that all of our customers be diligent in making sure their addresses are correct before placing orders. Thanks for your help. With these types of UPS increases, every little bit helps for sure.

Quote of the Day - "Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us." - Thomas Paine

Collectibles and Toys with Staying Power

Did you happen to see the interesting article in the latest AARP Bulletin? It was named "Playing for Keeps" and it listed 50 collectibles and toys that have been on the market, pretty much unchanged for more than 50 years. (And, they still sell for under $50.00).

There were many classics listed but the three that really caught our eye were the Barbie Doll, Eloise Doll by Madame Alexander Dolls, and the Steiff Bears Stuffed Chimpanzee. (We weren't quite sure which chimpanzee they were referring to as there weren't any photos of this within the article).

Incidentally, Eloise debuted way back in 1946 by a woman named Kay Thompson. One day she was late for a rehearsal while on a night-club tour. As she arrived, she was asked, "Who do you think you are, coming here five minutes late?" Thompson replied, "I am Eloise. I am six," in a high childish voice. Thompson began entertaining fellow performers with the prattle of the little girl. The other performers each invented a juvenile identity and joined the game. From there, Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight teamed up in 1955 to produce Eloise: A book for precocious grownups which was published on November 28 by Simon and Schuster.

It is uncertain when the Madame Alexander Doll Company started producing Eloise dolls but they have always been quite popular for both children and adults. They have introduced both the 8-inch Eloise dolls and 18-inch cloth Eloise dolls.

Eloise's popularity over the years has been quite astounding.

Quote of the Day - "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." - Mother Teresa

Update on Fall 2009 Charlie Bears

This is the latest news on the delivery of Charlie Bears from the Fall 2009 Collection from Charlie herself:

"Whilst we had hoped to get all the Autumn 09 Collection out to all stockists before the Holidays began, we have sadly been let down by one of our major suppliers which has meant that there are some items still pending Worldwide (inclusive of the UK market). We have also been disappointed by our freight handlers who have been overwhelmed with shipments, resulting in our deliveries arriving much later than planned.

Both our Charlie Bears Factory and UK Bearhouse have literally been working around the clock to sort out as much as we possibly could of these two unforeseen circumstances, but unfortunately some things have shown to be just beyond our control.

We have asked our supplier and freight handlers for priority service in the New Year for which we have been assured that this will happen, so I would like to think that we will be back on track and able to clear all orders early in the new year. We will endeavor to keep you as up to date as we can and are constantly observing ways to enable a smoother growth of our exciting little bears.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our American and Canadian stockists a very happy and prosperous New Year and look forward to building our teddy bear business together in the coming months.

Charlie Bears Limited are aware that we have all been placed in an awkward situation, from us here at Charlie Bears Ltd, through to our stockists and your collectors, as Christmas gift shopping is to be taken seriously. The amazingly warm reception that our 'Bears with Personalities' has created has astounded us all at Charlie Bears Limited.

Hopefully, any recipient of any Charlie Bear plush or Isabelle mohair bear knows that it's a bear for life and will be overjoyed when their bear arrives on their lap!"

We will, of course, keep you posted as to any shipments of Charlie Bears that we receive.

Quote of the Day - "The best changes often start as single, simple thoughts. Think big, and discover how to make your dreams real." - Anonymous

Boyds Bears Spanglers Collection

We have received in the full set of 5 Boyds Bears from the Spanglers Collection. These bears are all dressed in patriotic colors of red, white and light blue. This is a bit of a variation from the red, white and blue patriotic Boyds bears of the past. Do you remember the "Old Glory" Collection from way back?

This set of bears is perfect for displaying in a group of by themselves year-round.

Their names are:

- Sarah Beth Spangler
- Sydney Spangler
- Emmy Lou Spangler
- Molly Sue Spangler
- Maggie Mae Spangler

(Incidentally, all are shown in the group photo with the exception of Maggie Mae Spangler).

This Spangler Collection by Boyds should definitely be categorized as a classic Boyds Bear Collection.

Quote of the Day - "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." - Helen Keller

We have the nicest customers

By far, doll collectors and bear collectors are the nicest group of people in existence. They continually amaze us with their kind comments (and, of course, their ability to word things so incredibly).

We got this email over the weekend and without a doubt, have decided that our customers are the best group of people out there.

"I just wanted to thank you for the phone call today, alerting me that these much sought after Favorite Friends Madame Alexander dolls came in over the weekend!! Such personalized service is not all that common anymore, and I wanted you to know how much I appreciate it. Your prompt processing of my order has put my mind at ease, as I now know that my little girl will have a beautiful gift awaiting her on Christmas morning. Also, I have to point out that your prices are less than all of the other online vendors of the same doll. This was a wonderful surprise, and a great added bonus!! Even your shipping charges are less than the others. (I know...I asked!!) So with your personalized service, your lower prices on the dolls and your lower shipping charges, this makes you THE BEST online store that I've come across this Christmas season!! Thank you so much...everything about my shopping experience here has been dearly appreciated. Merry Christmas and best wishes with your business."

Thank you all for your business, and I hope that you and yours have a blessed holiday season!

Quote of the Day - "To find what you seek in the road of life, the best proverb of all is that which says:"Leave no stone unturned." - Edward Bulwer Lytton

Boyds Bears Friends of Boyds (FOB) Club

We received word from Enesco, distributor of Boyds Bears, some news regarding the Boyds Friends of Boyds (FOB) Club.

Per Enesco: "As you know the launch timing of the 2009 program was later than in years' past. . . recently we have been seeing an upward trend in membership enrollments. We attribute this to your continued support of the club, increased brand awareness as a rsult of appearances on QVC as well as the increase in buying activity during the holidays.

Because of the current trends we are also learning that many past members are just now feeling comfortable renewing for a variety of reasons, some as a result of the economy and some as a result of our delayed schedule with this past year's inventory. To better serve our customers and give everyone time to become a "Quiltin FOB" we've decided to extend our renewal efforts through the holidays and into 2010. We've received extremely good feedback about this year's theme of quilting, as well as the quality of the pieces within the FOB kit. We want to make sure that we've given all past members the opportunity to become a "Quiltin FOB" before launching the new program.

For all existing members, all benefits will be extended through 2010. Please note that this in no way means we are discontinuing the Friends of Boyds program. We are solely reacting to the renewed interests in the 2009 program and extending the current program through the holiday season, continuing through 2010."

We have been notified by Boyds Bears that we will be receiving the 2001 FOB Kits in October of 2010. This will allow us to have the new kits available to our customers during the 2010 holiday season.

Quote of the Day - "Dost though love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of." - Benjamin Franklin

Madame Alexander Dolls Favorite Friends In Time for Christmas

For those of you that did not know, December 17th is the last day for shipping anywhere in the United States using UPS Ground. We here at Beacon's Glow Collectibles have continuously used UPS as our source for shipping. That is, with the exception of international orders and we have no choice but to utilize the US Postal Service.

Anyway, we received in late today the complete line of the Favorite Friends Collection from Madame Alexander Dolls. These vinyl dolls are all 18 inches tall and come dressed in the latest fashions. They have fun to style hair (made of Kanekalon hair which is the best there is), and eyes with long lashes that open and close. Additionally, there the articulation at the neck, shoulders and hips to allow for multiple poses. Their bodies are soft and huggable.

Six (6) Favorite Friends dolls have been introduced by the Madame Alexander Doll Company, as well as six (6) different outfits. (Incidentally, all 18-inch outfits can be worn on any 18-inch doll).

These 6 Favorite Friends dolls are named:

1. Party Perfect
2. Urban Cowgirl
3. Spring Fling Dance
4. Turning Heads
5. After School Cool
6. Oh So Groovy

There is a good choice for eye and hair color combinations also. As is always the case with Madame Alexander dolls, their quality and attention to detail is unsurpassed.

Quote of the Day - "The only journey is the journey within." - Rainer Maria Rilke

Boyds Bears - The Wellingtons are Here

We were quite surprised to receive in very recently several of Boyds Bears Fashion Family Collections. It was our understanding from Enesco, distributors of Boyds Bears, that these brand new collections would not be arriving until early 2010.

We were very impressed with the Wellington Collection. As Boyds puts it "The Classiest Bears in Town!"

This collection includes 6 different bears ranging in size from 10 inches to an incredible 30 inch bear named Chandler Wellington. Each bear wears rich colors and textures of shimmering satins and velvety velours that were inspired by the vibrant shades of autumn. Hand-crafted accessories add a touch of class to each elegant piece.

Names of these bears are as follows:

1. Chandler Wellington
2. Lady Wellington
3. Whitney Wellington
4. Gracie Wellington
5. Buffy Wellington

Quote of the Day - "So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains, and we never even know we have the key". - The Eagles

Marie Osmond Material Girls Tiny Tots are In

Late last night we received in a shipment from Marie Osmond Dolls that contained the 4 brand new Material Girls Tiny Tots. They are all so adorable that we cannot decide which one is our favorite.

These 4 Material Girl Tiny Tots include:

1. Taffeta Tiny Tot
2. Organza Tiny Tot
3. Cotton Ginny Tiny Tot
4. Velvet Tiny Tot (Pictured Left)

This Marie Osmond Doll Collection was inspired by her mother, Olive. Her saying was "She who dies with the most fabric, wins!"

Each Material Girl Tiny Tot has been sculpted by the same sculptor who did the full-sized models - Karen Scott.

We were so pleased that they arrived in time for ordering for the Christmas holidays. All Material Girl porcelain Tiny Tot dolls are priced at $49.95.

Quote of the Day - "If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes." - St. Clement of Alexandra

What a great idea for Steiff Bears

We were on the phone with a customer this morning and we were trying to navigate the Steiff Bears subcategories on the Beacons Glow Collectibles site. Confusing and difficult to navigate to say the least - we were both having trouble finding what we were looking for. Her suggestion was to create an "All Steiff" category and list every Steiff item we have available in this category. What an excellent idea. . .

Steiff collectors can immediately identify the difference in numbers between Steiff North American Exclusives and Steiff Worldwide Limited editions. But oftentimes, it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between the two.

Creating this new category remedies this issue by allowing potential customers to scan each page (or select "View All") to see all Steiff items currently in stock.

Quote of the Day - "The bird of paradise alights only upon the hand that does not grasp." - John Berry