Long lost teddy...

[Dazed]

I took my sons teddies out of the loft last week. He had a ‘lambie’ that he took EVERYWHERE with him. Lambie has nearly lost both arms, has scratched eyes and is very threadbare. We bought another on eBay for a pretty penny (they had been discontinued), just in case anything final happened to Lambie. Well, he rejected him.
He is now an adult and the first thing he did when he saw the Lambies lined up with his other teddies was rush straight over to them and grab the original Lamb saying “oh wow, it’s real lambie”. I asked him how he knew without closer inspection (I couldn’t tell) and he said “there’s only one REAL Lambie” and hugged it. He is 6ft tall and built like a linebacker! I started laughing and almost crying at the same time 😂😭😂😭

I’m sure your daughter will love the gesture of a new hippo, even after all these years!

[400ixl]

There were Moomin ones from the same era which looked very similar.

[dizzymcfarlane]

Well... the ‘power’ of fb. I told a friend the story. She posted it on fb and someone has contacted her to say they have one and it’s in the post to her ! So thrilled - I can’t stop grinning. Thanks for everyone’s suggestions and stories. A happy ending.

[Wee_Red]

I love this! My cousin had a wee stuffed dog toy 'Doi-gay' was how she said his name. weather beaten, eye missing etc. Lost it on one of the main roads when she was 5 and was utterly devastated. Years later she was in a pharmacy and they had the wee dogs for sale and said to my aunt. "Look mum, it's Doigy!" Woman behind the counter looked slightly confused, my aunt explained that she had one that she lost years ago and I kid you not, the woman reached under her counter and pulled out my cousin's dog. "Is this it?". They found it and figured it would be wanted and so no one ever threw it out.
I didn't quite understand this holding onto things for so long until having children leave many items in my class that they never reclaim (jumpers/keyrings etc)