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Ultra-rare cuddly toy sells for £640 after sparking bidding war – do you have one stuffed in the back of your cupboard?
Check below to see if your toy is on the list
AN ULTRA-rare cuddly toy has sold for a whopping £640 after a fierce bidding war broke out on eBay.
The fluffy pal surged on the auction site selling for far more than its retail value - after getting 40 offers.
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The Bashful Imogen Jellycat Bunny sold for a whopping £640 after the bidding war.
Jellycat pieces normally range from around £25 to £40 - but this bunny has something special about it.
The toys have sky-rocketed in popularity recently and are often produced in limited quantities, meaning some are classified as "rare toys."
With very few Jellycats in each range, the cuddly toy becomes somewhat exclusive, and is highly sought after.
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Released in 2011, the pale pink bunny has curly hair with long floppy ears and is revered as one of the cutest of the Jellycats.
Production for Bashful Imogen stopped in 2015, according to The Jelly Collector, leading to a spike in demand for the rabbit.
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.
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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.
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“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.
Jellycats to keep your eye on
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.
"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.
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.
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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.
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.
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