Grandma gets in eBay bidding wars to buy son’s old stuffed animal for grandson

Kids have a special relationship with their security items. Whether it’s a stuffed animal or a blanket (or in my case both—don’t judge me!), a so-called “lovey” goes everywhere with a child, and the whole family soon learns the importance of that precious belonging. I remember frantic nights spent searching the house high and low for my “beepum” (security blanket), and believe me, no one in my family was going to get a wink of sleep until we found it.

Even once kids reach adulthood and “grow out of” their special security items, those worn and faded blankies and teddy bears often come to symbolize the owner’s childhood and are stashed away in a drawer or closet somewhere—because you can’t just get rid of a treasured possession like that. (I’m 33 and married, but Gizmo, my tattered, old stuffed gremlin from the movie “Gremlins,” is currently in my dresser drawer).

And that’s exactly what Nick Hollinger’s mom, Jan, did with her son’s beloved stuffed giraffe, Fraffy. Although Hollinger is all grown up now, his mom had Fraffy stored away all these years. When she learned that Hollinger and his wife were expecting a baby, she wanted to share the magic of Fraffy with her grandchild.

But instead of passing on the much-loved and now-tattered, old Fraffy to the next generation, Jan took to the internet to find a brand-new version of the toy. After an exhaustive search—and even a few bidding wars—on eBay, she finally found what she was looking for: a new Fraffy for her grandson! On Christmas in 2016, Jan presented her son the gift she had so doggedly searched for.

“My mom handed me a particularly fancy package and sits down next to me, eyes sparkling,” Hollinger told Babble. “Carefully, I raised the lid and there he was: a brand new Fraffy—vibrant and velvety, horned, hole-less and whole, stuffed full of soft cotton and life. He was the best Christmas present I ever received.”

Hollinger took to Reddit to share a side-by-side photo of the old and new Fraffy. It’s resonating with people all over the internet because anyone who’s ever had a lovey can imagine how precious it would be for their own child to receive the same one as a gift.

What a sweet story! I hope Hollinger’s son loves Fraffy as much as his dad did when he was little.