Care Bears began as ten original characters created by the greetings card company American Greetings in 1981, designed by the artists responsible for shaping Strawberry Shortcake’s iconic aesthetic. By 1982, a full line of plush toys had been released, with six books and a television special all following by 1983.

Nowadays, many iconic Care Bears toys fetch huge numbers on the resale and collectors market. The starting price for authentic 80s Care Bears is around $12, but limited edition or regional specific bears can sell for over $1,200. Ready to find out how much your old bears are worth? Then check out the highest value vintage bears below!

Nobleheart Horse Care Bears Cousin – $800-$1,200

The Care Bear Cousins have been popular with Care Bear fans ever since they were first introduced, with their first appearance being in the 1985 full-length feature The Care Bear Movie. Updated versions have been released on a few separate occasions, but the original 80s designs continue to fetch the highest price.

Out of all the Care Bear Cousins, Nobleheart the horse is the rarest and most prized amongst collectors, and can fetch on average between $800 and $1,200. What a teddy goes for across that spectrum depends on whether the original box is still owned, any fading on the label or of the fur, and whether plastic elements like the nose or eyes are scratched.

80s Cheer Bear – $12-$43

Cheer Bear is the quintessential Care Bear. First debuting on greeting cards in 1982, she soon became the main character of the Care Bears cartoon and subsequent movies, charming audiences with her exuberance and determination to make everybody feel happy. Given that she’s the most popular bear, there are lots of her original 80s teddies floating around, making her one of the less valuable bears on the resale market.

If you’re looking to sell your old Cheer Bear, then your return will probably start at around $12 dollars for a bear that shows some wear and tear, like fur that has faded to a baby pink colour rather than a flamingo pink. For teddies whose fur is in perfect condition and which come with their original box or some other accessory, the price can rise to $43.

Team Spirit Love-A-Lot Care Bear – $649

As a general rule, the highest-priced Care Bears are those released as a limited run for some kind of event or celebration. Therefore, it is no surprise that the Team Spirit Love-A-Lot Care Bear is prized by collectors, despite it being an early 2000s release. The bear was created to celebrate 20 years of Care Bears, and boasts a varsity jacket and matching bow in her hair.

If you’re lucky enough to have a Team Spirit bear tucked away somewhere, then you can expect to sell her for just under $650 dollars. You could end up with slightly less based on whether the bear still has the limited edition celebration tag attached, and the condition that her fur is in.

80s Grumpy Bear – $28

Given that the Care Bears originated as characters on greeting cards, it might surprise you to know that the gruff and reserved Grumpy Bear has always been a central figure in the cast. A brilliant mechanic and inventor, he is the only one equipped to handle helping difficult or aggressive kids, and builds most of the wacky machines that keep the Care Bear world running.

His unique personality when compared to the other bubbly Care Bears means that he’s many people’s favourite, which may explain why there are so many in circulation. It also means that he’s one of the less valuable bears, with an average resale price for the 80s designs being roughly $30 dollars. Versions from the 90s and early 2000s are, on average, worth even less.

Surprise Care Bear (Blue) – $72

If you’re all caught up on your Care Bears media, then it might surprise you to know that the above teddy is actually Surprise Bear. That’s because ever since 2002, Surprise Bear has been a purple grape colour, and not the blue you can see here. However, Surprise Bear debuted as a UK and US exclusive teddy in 1986 with pale blue fur, and didn’t even make her debut in the cartoons and games until 2007, when her look had been refreshed.

Needless to say, Surprise Bear’s blue design is much rarer than the purple and, if you have a blue Surprise Bear at home then you are holding on to a pretty valuable collector’s item. On average, the 80s blue Surprise Bears are sold for around $70, depending on the level of fur fading and whether or not your teddy still has its box.

Proudheart Cat Care Bear Cousin – $500+

Proud Heart Cat the Care Bear cousin is another animal who has gone through a significant transformation over the years. First of all, while her original design gave her an orange body with a peach muzzle and inner ears, when the teddy was released in the late 80s, her muzzle, inner ears and belly were all coloured white. Following 2002 though, Proud Heart was turned into a turquoise cat with white socks and fate.

The orange Proud Heart teddy with white accents was actually only released in the UK, making it hugely desirable to any collector. As a result, Proud Hearts start from around $500 on the resale market, with the price increasing based on the amount of visible wear and tear and the clarity of the label and Care Bear heart.

Harmony Care Bear UK Exclusive – $98

Ever since her appearance in the original 80s Care Bear cartoon, Harmony Bear’s colour palette has remained the same. However, her belly badge has changed numerous times, beginning as a rainbow music note, then a red heart with two small pink hearts next to it, and then a smiling rainbow flower.

It is this belly badge that you can use to determine just how valuable your Harmony Bear is. The original 80s teddy with the triple music note was released as a UK and Australia exclusive in 1986, and so is far more valuable than any other iterations of the toy. If you have one of the 80s Harmony Bears at home, then you can expect to sell it for almost $100, depending on how good shape it’s in.

Playfulheart Monkey Care Bear Cousin – $1,000

Playful Heart the Monkey has had one of the most consistent designs not only of just the Care Bear Cousins, but of any of the Care Bears full stop. He’s always had the same sandy yellow colour palette and the same belly patch, but that hasn’t made his original 80s design any less valuable.

Like all the other original 80s Care Bear Cousins, Playful Heart is always sought after by collectors, and he might actually be the most in-demand. Whether it’s because fewer of him were made or just because he was fewer people’s favourite and thus not many stuck around, if you have a Playful Heart at home you can expect to fetch $1000 for him!

80s Birthday Bear – $26-$94

Given that the Care Bears originated as characters for greeting cards, it’s not surprising that Birthday Bear was part of the original roster. Ever since he was introduced in 1982, both his design and belly patch have remained the same, from his buttercream yellow fur to his single cupcake and candle emblem.

As another original member of the core Care Bear squad, there are plenty of Birthday Bears out there in circulation, which means that the starting price for an 80s edition of the teddy is pretty low. However, if you’re lucky enough to own one still in its original box, then you could expect to take home $94!

Loyalheart Dog Care Bear Cousin – $800

Loyal Heart might not be the most valuable of all the Care Bear Cousins, but he might be the cutest. Not only that, but given his 2003 redesign, which added a white heart-shaped spot around his eye, a white tail tip and smaller ears, it is easy to tell which version of the teddy you have at home.

If you are lucky enough to have preserved your 80s Loyal Heart, then you could be looking at $800 in the bank, depending on the cleanliness and quality of the fur, the lack of scratches around the eyes and nose, and whether or not the original label, tag and box are still attached.

Maverick Yellow “ASTRO BOY” Care Bear Plush – $1,000

Few things evoke the 1980s as strongly as the Care Bears, and it’s hard to make them any more era-defining than they already are. However, one surefire way to do it is to combine them with another iconic 80s property, namely Astro Boy. For a limited time in the 80s, anyone could purchase a Care Bear with the well-known anime character as a belly badge, to celebrate the New Mighty Atom being released outside of Japan.

As a limited-edition Care Bear that combines two separate beloved 80s properties, yellow Astro Boy Care Bears are hugely desirable on the resale market. If you’re lucky enough to have snagged one during the limited-time promotion, then you can expect to sell it for $1,000, a number that makes it one of the most valuable vintage Care Bears of all time.

Sweet Sakura Care Bear – $150

As a general rule, the older a Care Bear is, the more valuable they are likely to be. However, as the world of Care Bears has grown and expanded, more and more region-specific bears have been introduced, which are prized by collectors due to their limited runs and difficult procurement. Sweet Sakura Bear, which was created specifically for Japan to celebrate their cherry blossom festival, is one such example.

Though Sweet Sakura Bear was only released in 2009, she has since become popular enough to require several releases and minor redesigns. If you are lucky enough to have one stashed away somewhere with the original tags or box, then you could sell her for $150 on the resale market.

Bo the Take Care Bear Yellow – $850

Bo the Take Care Bear is another modern Care Bear that collectors are always looking for. Produced in 2013, the bear was created to act as a mascot for University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, and at first, only existed as a mascot suit and walkaround character. However, the bear brought so much joy to children dealing with chronic illnesses, that soon plushies were also made and released.

Bo the Take Care Bear was released in three colours: yellow, blue and pink, but his original yellow fur is by far the most valuable. A yellow Bo the Take Care Bear usually sells for around $850, but given the newness of the bear in question, that number is likely to go up even further the longer you hold onto it.

Wonderheart Pink Care Bear – $145

Wonderheart Bear is actually the protagonist of a major Care Bears cartoon, but don’t worry if you don’t recognise her. Wonderheart was only introduced in 2012 as the niece of the original Care Bears character Tenderheart Bear, before she became the main character of the 2015 Netflix series Care Bear & Cousins.

Despite the fact that she is only a recent addition to the cast, Wonderheart is a favourite of collectors and fetches a pretty high price on the resale market. If you have a Wonderheart whose fur is in good condition and doesn’t have any visible wear and tear, you can expect to sell her for $145!

80s Tenderheart Bear – $13-$94

Speaking of Tenderheart Bear, he is one of the few Care Bears introduced as a greeting card character in 1982 that is also coveted by collectors today. Tenderheart’s belly badge has remained the same over many decades, but the shade of his fur has varied over time, changing from a light brown to a reddish-orange in 2003.

As one of the core Care Bears, Tenderheart Bear’s resale value begins fairly low, due to how many are in circulation. However, even though pre-loved Tenderheart Bears begin at just $13, the price increases hugely based on the quality of the teddy. If you are lucky enough to have a Tenderheart Bear still with its original tag and clean fur, then you could sell him for up to $94.

Treatheart Pig Care Bear Cousin – $140-$5,000

For whatever reason, Treat Heart the Pig is the least desirable to collectors of all the Care Bear Cousins. This is probably due to her lack of appearances, as she does not show up in either the second Care Bears movie or the associated comic strips. Not only that, but she is one of only two Cousins to not have an early 2000s redesign.

The only two versions of Treat Heart that exist are the regular 80s design seen on the left, and the prototype seen on the right. While the standard 80s design resells for around $140, the prototype has the whopping price tag of around $5,000, but has never been available for general sale and as such is pretty rare.

Jumbo American 20th Anniversary Bear – $425

Not every Care Bear toy that has ever been available for purchase is based on a character that was actually featured in the movies, books or cartoons. Over the years, several special edition bears have been released, to celebrate countries, cultures or celebrations from around the world. One of these special bears is the Jumbo American Care Bear.

As the name suggests, this is a large, white Care Bear with a belly badge that is evocative of the US flag, although not with the correct amount of stars and stripes. Given that it was released in 2002 on the 20th anniversary of the Care Bears, it’s no surprise that this patriotic bear’s value sits at around $425 on the resale market.

Secret Share Bear – $500

With its marigold-coloured fur and adorable belly badge, the Secret Bear is one of the cutest of the original Care Bears’ run. Secret Bear first debuted in the 1985 Care Bears Movie, and went on to become a semi-regular part of the roster, though the bear’s shy and retiring personality meant it was not showcased as often as some other bears.

The reason why there aren’t many yellow Secret Bears either on the shelves or at auctions is that when the Care Bears brand was relaunched in the early 2000s, Secret Bear was changed from a sunny yellow fur colour to pink. This has resulted in the value of yellow Secret Bears skyrocketing to $500 on the resale market.

Talking Smart Heart Bear – $500

The best thing about the Care Bears is that each bear promotes a good or moral quality for people to emulate, and the whole community works hard together to help each other to be better, kinder bears. With this in mind, it’s not surprising that one Care Bear is dedicated to the noble pursuit of education: Smart Heart.

Smart Heart was not included in the original run of 1980s Care Bears, but instead debuted in 2005. That’s why it’s so surprising that both the original Smart Heart plush teddy and the more high-tech talking teddy can fetch higher prices on the resale market than some 80s bears, with an average auction price of $500.

UK-only 80s True Heart Bear – $470

True Heart is not a super popular Care Bear, which is strange considering she’s actually the closest thing the Care Bear society has to a matriarch. Along with Noble Heart the horse, True Heart was responsible for founding Care-A-Lot, the home of the Care Bears, and she first debuted as a character in 1986.

Though True Heart is not a super popular character, the original 1980s version of the toy based on the character – which was sold in the UK only – is highly prized on the collectors’ market, and can fetch around $470 when in good condition!

UK-only I Love You Bear – $410

If you’re a serious Care Bears fan but you’ve never heard of I Love You Bear, don’t worry – you’re not alone! Unlike most of the original 80s toy line, I Love You Bear was never featured in the Care Bears comic books or cartoons. This is because she was released as a limited edition, exclusive teddy, which was handed out to select charities in the UK as a mascot.

Because she never officially appeared on the shelves, was only released in the UK and had several minor design changes over the years she was available, many Care Bears fans have concluded that I Love You Bear is just an unusually popular knock-off. However, that hasn’t stopped her from fetching over $400 on the resale market!