Since things are kind of quiet on the Rilakkuma plushie front recently (well, except for the Yamanote release), I’ve been spending a lot of time looking at the older series on the Japanese auctions!
After compiling my Rilakkuma Reference Sheet, I was so excited to see and recognize so many of the plushies up for bid! It’s so exhilarating to recognize really old series and rare finds!
So check out my newest addition: the Rilakkuma Strawberry Car!
The cars are all separate plushies, and can be connected into one big car by little snaps!
Kiiroitori leads the way with a Rilakkuma steering wheel!
Kiiroitori and Korilakkuma’s seats are lined with pink satin.
Rilakkuma doesn’t sit in a seat, but just kinda lays on top of the caboose.
They also came in this wacky but somewhat appropriate Kumamon box that shows different faces of Kumamon (mascot of the Kumamoto prefecture, not the Digimon) depending on which flap is showing.
This plushie came out in February 20, 2009 – at the opening of the 2nd ever Rilakkuma Store at Tokyo Station, which also happens to be the first Rilakkuma Store I’ve ever been to :D
This release coincided with the Rilakkuma theme at the time, the Strawberry Series.
I find this set so interesting since this was one of the earliest Rilakkuma Store-specific plushies! It’s so wild that there have been six new Rilakkuma Stores that have appeared since this plushie came out. As of right now, this is my oldest plushie!!
Also, since my entire family was together the other week, we snapped a Rilakkuma family reunion photo:
It seems like there are so many when they’re pulled out of their boxes!
Though I JUST got another shipment sooo… haha this isn’t even the most updated family portrait, but it’s as good as it’ll get!
Wow, I can’t believe it hasn’t even been a year since I started collecting!
RilakkumaLifestyle 
Omg it’s so cute! I always thought about getting this one but it’s always been so expensive on auction. I am so glad you were able to get this one, it’s a rare find ^_^ do the cars separate or are they attached?
Also, amazing family portrait!!! So many kumas yay!!! I am the same, I am pretty overwhelmed when I see all my kumas out of their boxes, and I think to myself, really? I have that many kumas?? But I am so proud of my collection when I look at them~
Nvm just saw that they separate! Did it come as a set though or could you have bought them separately?
This one came as a set! I think Fansclub came out with another strawberry car like this around the same time, but you had to win each character’s car separately – yikes, that sounds so hard :X
Hahaha I’m glad we’re on the same boat with the Rilakkuma collection! One day I hope to have all of them on display but with the way my collection is growing, I’ll eventually have to line all of my walls with Rilakkuma display shelves haha
Wow that would’ve been very hard to win each of them!
I wish to someday line my wall with shelves to display all my rilakkuma too ^_^ I can’t wait till you display all of your collection! I know it will look awesome!
OMG I LOVE THIS SERIES! They’re so undeniably cute! But they’re always expensive, I found one on auction before and it’s like 30,000 yen or something :( But I’m glad you own it!
And that Rilakkuma family picture is just wow <3
Yeah, it’s really bananas how much some of the older series will go for! About a month ago, Ariel was trying to help me get a Sandwich Rilakkuma set (from the Bonjour Series) on auction and it ended up going way over 30000 yen!! That one’s my dream plushie but eeeeeep they’re so expensive sometimes! I’ll probably have to wait another year to see another one go up for auction T^T
Nice one I really like this series, it’s always so cute to look at. Kii driving while Rilakkuma just rests atop (just perfect). I always pass a car that has this set in their rear window, I always feel they’re going to get sun damaged but oh well.
Your reunion is super cute I love seeing them all is that all the ones still at your parents place? Will you move them to the apartment?
I can’t wait to see what else you have to show us ;)
Yep, all the ones at my parent’s house! This is basically the complete collection as of 2 weeks ago! My brother was back for a bit – he has the 2 Marine Series and the Sagittarius plushie; and so was my sister – she has a few of her own too haha. We’re basically a Rilakkuma family at this point.
I want to move more of them to my place eventually, but I don’t have a place to put them right now T^T But I’ll probably move a couple back to my place every time I visit my parents haha
Also eeeep at the Rilakkuma in the car haha yeah, I think they’d be a little washed out by the sun after a while :O
I think you have the cutest sickness in the world : Rilakkuma’s Disease. The only cure is more merchandise. :) or maybe there is NO CURE!
Hehehe this is a disease I’m happy to have haha and best of all, it’s contagious :D
Strawberry train is so so cute. I love how they fit together! My oldest rilak is prob from 2007? I have a plain korilakkuma and a Christmas rilak I got in a UFO machine on holiday. x
Yeah, since I just started collecting last year, I have to play catch up with essentially 10 years of Rilakkuma haha and plus since San-X always comes out with new series so often, I have to wait for major lulls in the Rilakkuma releases to get around to the older ones (and for my bank account to recover a little haha).
Painful on the bank balance indeed! :) I would love to have some of the older series too, need to start hunting mbok and yahoo auctions!x
Hey congratz!!!!! I’ve seen that strawberry car at auctions before and it’s expensive! And you won it from the Japan auctions? Congratulations again!!! It’s a very special and monumental Rilakkuma piece hehe, and what a lovely collection of Rilakkumas you have there! So many Rilakkuma heads of diff sizes haha, so cute! I <3 it!
Thanks!! Now I just have to figure out a way to display ALL of them in one place – even though they’re all snug on the chaise longue in the photo, it’s not so great for our guests who want to sit down haha I’m sure I’ll find the perfect display case one day…
haha! yes! a perfect display case actually makes all the diff! Definitely invest in one! :D You’ll be able to enjoy your cuties even more!