Standing in Line for Beanies

We stood there like concertgoers for stuffed animals.

Princess, Peace, Valentino — three plush reminders that joy can be simple. I wasn't thinking about price guides; I was thinking about the faces I'd get to see when we finally walked back to the car. The best collections hold feelings first.

The line formed before the store opened — a mix of parents, collectors, and kids who understood that sometimes magic comes in small packages. When the doors finally opened, it wasn't chaos. It was community.

I walked away that day with three bears and a dozen new friendships. The bears sit on the shelf now, but the memory of that morning — the shared excitement, the collective joy — that's the real treasure.

“The best collections hold feelings first.”