I spent yesterday in San Antonio visiting my niece. She’s having a birthday soon and I wanted to spend some time with her before starting school. Since I have absolutely no idea what a five year old girl wants, I took her to the mall to let her pick out her own gift. We ended up in a store which I never knew existed: Build-A-Bear Workshop.

I wish I could have been when they came up with the idea for this place. I bet it went something like this:
Rich Boss: “we need to come up with a way to make more money on out teddy bears.”
Boss’s Lackey #1: “we could cut the cost of making them.”
RB: “how, we already make them overseas in sweatshops using slave labor. how could we possible do it cheaper?”
BL1: “we could make the customer do it.”
Boss’s Lackey #2: “no one’s stupid enough to stuff their own teddy bear.”
BL1: “of course there are people are stupid enough. we can even sell clothing for the bears that way over priced, before they ever realize it, they’ve spent $50 on what they now buy for $15.”
RB: “I love it! BL1, you heard up this operation. BL2, you’re fired.

My wallet is now almost $50 lighter, and my niece now has a new best friend. Complete with a new outfit, bow for her hair, and Sketchers, but no purse. I had to draw the line somewhere.

A good thing this is my only niece, but I have no idea what I’m going to do for my nephew, whose birthday is next month.