The Avon Monkey & A Returned Memory

Being as I still have almost all of my toys from the 1980s and early 1990s, finding some of these items going for a good amount of money on EBay leaves me to believe I have hundreds of dollars in my childhood toy collections. Now, as with many people, we pick and choose what toys/mementos from our childhood we wish to keep and wish to dispose of, whether through donating to thrift stores, giving to younger family members, EBay, or even the trash.

I was never one to "ruin" my toys, though the occasional Barbie did receive a haircut or a limb went missing. Hey, at times there required an evil twin when you had two of the same Barbie... and obviously the evil twin needed the shorter hair. As for missing limbs, that is what happens when Ken tries to do a split.

Anyway, searching through EBay I came upon a stuffed monkey that Avon had put out in 1988. He was a cute plush, of the beanbag variety. His body was littered with numbers and stars. The packaging for Count on Andy stated the following: "Andy loves numbers, he's got 'em galore. Better count them again - there may still be more!" He measured around 20inches in length and for a blue monkey, was pretty cute.

There were a few sold listings for Andy, ranging in price from the $30s to $60s. I remembered that I had this plush and thought that I actually remembered where it was located in my childhood home. You must understand that my old bedroom at home has not really changed in the past 20 years. There are still toys, still drawers filled with my old clothes from when I was 10. The good thing about this is that the room is a treasure trove of toys for my youngest cousin, as well as a version of a time machine. Open the door and you are back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I love being able to sift through my old toys, but completely understand that some things have got to go. My mother would love to keep this room of memories as is, but I no longer need all of the stuff I had growing up, including the Avon monkey.

Andy was where I thought I had seen him last - on a shelf filled with other assorted plush. He was still in good condition, no rips or tears. His cute face was easy to recognize and I vaguely remembered playing with him when I was younger. This is what makes it easy to decide on what stays and what goes when it comes to childhood toys - if you don't have strong memories of an item, let it go.

I listed Andy for around $40 with free shipping. Nothing. A few watchers, but no bids. I knew that he would sell and wasn't deterred. I dropped the price down to $30 with free shipping. There was no sense in keeping a higher price, considering if it didn't sell it would just continue to sit around and collect dust. Sure enough, Andy received one bid. The only bid. I was a little disappointed that he didn't bring in a few more dollars, but happy that I had sold him.

Andy was packaged up, given a final farewell, and sent out to the post office. A week or so later, I received feedback from the buyer. I figured it would be the common phrases of  "Great Ebayer. Fast shipping. A+". Instead of the usual, I sat with my tea mug in hand, laptop positioned on my lap, and teary eyed as I read the feedback.

"Thank you. My daughter that passed away in 1993 had one she played with."

A simple sentence that moved me to tears. I immediately contacted the buyer and wrote that I was sorry for her loss, but glad that I could reconnect her with this item. I understood the feeling that she must have felt by finally being able to secure this tangible memory. In my last blog entry, I wrote about finally finding a puzzle that I had played with as a child at my grandmother's house. It was something that I thought would have been lost forever. But thanks to EBay, it was found again.

I was glad that I could bring Andy back into this person's life. I was thankful that they had been the only bidder and could now have some peace that they had secured a memory from their daughter's life. Sometimes, EBay isn't always about the money. Personal stories like this one bring us back to realize that people are always searching - whether it be for something to complete us, bring back a memory, or make us feel prized in the eyes of another. Reselling items is a way to make money, but it is also a way to return what has been lost, a treasure hunt of sorts. 

The more that I search, scavenge, and find, the more I realize that this one of the things that I love most: finding what was lost and making it found. Returned treasures.