A charity shop customer claims to have 'hit the jackpot' after stumbling across a collection of vintage Care Bears in their local thrift store. The shopper, who shared their find on Reddit, discovered the plush toys at a Goodwill Bins outlet and now plans to resell them for a profit.
Vintage Treasure Found
The Reddit user posted: 'Vintage Care Bears from the year 1983 to 2005. Jackpot at my local Goodwill Bins [outlet].' Care Bears first appeared on greetings cards in 1981 before becoming popular soft toys manufactured by Kenner. They gained further fame through animated TV specials and a cartoon series, prompting many children and adults to collect the bears, each characterized by unique colors and belly badges representing their personalities.
Cleaning and Restoration
The Goodwill customer shared before and after photos of the bears, having cleaned each plush toy thoroughly. 'I went with my best friend and they brought out a new bin full of them. I was like, no way,' they added. 'I actually hand washed some and the other massive part I threw in the washer machine! I used hot water, Oxy stain remover, Tide pod, and fabric softener because some were very hard or dirty.'
Community Reactions
Reddit users reacted with excitement and nostalgia. One commented: 'It's so exciting when you find 80s toys at thrift stores. Used to be able to find them all the time 20 years ago but now it's less common.' Another joked: 'Those are probably mine from when I was little! Still upset my mum got rid of them.' A third asked: 'Wait are these actually worth money? I still have mine in my parents' basement.' A fourth exclaimed: 'I had so many of those growing up! Great haul!'
Reselling Plans
The new owner later revealed they plan to resell the bears. 'I've been getting into reselling vintage plushes and it's been amazing, I love it! And out of this pic I only have 3 left. The NWT [new with tag] ones in the pic, but that's an amazing start,' they wrote. However, another Reddit user admitted difficulties in selling their own collection: 'These have been really difficult for me to sell. Apparently there are conventions because I've had some people just come in and buy my entire stock to resell at their booth.'
