How to Select Care Bears Plush Toys

Decide on a 'Classic' Care Bear or a 'New' Care Bear. Classic Care Bears have the appearance of the original set of Care Bears while the New Care Bears have more updated appearances. According to the manufacturers, Classic Care Bears can be found at specialty stores like Carlton Cards, while New Care Bears can be purchased at regular retail stores.

Visit the Care Bears website to browse through the list of all the plush Care Bears in production. Click on 'Collector's Corner' on the home page then scroll down to 'The Checklist' and click 'Plush Collection'.

Look at the section titles on the collector's list for a description of the listed Care Bears. The categories of the Care Bears vary based on their appearance and their abilities, amongst other things.

Select a Care Bear based on the message it promotes. Each Care Bear's tummy symbol is a caring message. For instance, Share bear has two lollipops on its tummy to promote sharing.

Select your plush Care Bear based on what it does. Special feature bears include bears that glow in the dark, bears that talk and bears with tummies that will light up when squeezed.

Search for a local specialty retailer that sells classic Care Bears. These stores, like Carlton Cards (see Resources below), can be found in shopping malls.

Visit a toy store or any of the major retail chains for new Care Bears, for example, a nation-wide chain like Walmart (see Resources below). Some of these stores will have an online presence.