26/09/2026
A teddy bear with a large online following is attracting jaw-dropping bids for our charity!
The vintage Alresford Crafts honey bear was donated to the Clayton Road shop in Bradford. The shop team spotted that other toys from the brand can sell for around £30, so they decided to list the soft toy on eBay.
But a Bournemouth-based blog starring a similar bear has drastically increased the number and value of bids for the furry friend.
Louise Wilcock, shop assistant at the Clayton Road store, said: “We put the bear up hoping to raise double figures, but then it started receiving some amazing bids and a mini-bidding war broke out.
“We did some Googling and it turns out this specific model of bear has something of a cult following online. There's an online blog called Horace the Alresford Bear, and a related page with 14,000 followers, and it seems that some fans are desperate for a Horace of their own.
“What's really interesting is that the Horace from the blog was also bought from a Sue Ryder shop back in 2011.”
The original Horace was bought for £15 from a Sue Ryder shop in Bristol back in 2011 – and now is helping raise hundreds for the people we care for.
The auction is due to end on Monday. If you’re looking for a Horace of your own, you can bid at https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/820145696249