Build-A-Bear Recalls Colorful Hearts Teddy Bears Due to Choking Hazard

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #12068) was formally reported on December 23, 2011. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc., of St. Louis, Mo. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate 284,000 in the United States and 13,200 in Canada units are affected, placing this recall in the million-unit bracket that typically triggers nationwide consumer alerts and retailer sweeps.

The documented reason for this recall is: The teddy bear's eyes could loosen and fall out, posing a choking hazard to children. Distribution information was not included in the agency filing, so consumers should assume broad potential exposure until the firm publishes point-of-sale details. The remedy documented by the agency is: Consumers should immediately take the recalled teddy bear from children and return it to any Build-A-Bear store to receive a coupon for any available stuffed animal from Build-A-Bear. — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 6 were also issued by CPSC. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 15 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.