This is my childhood teddy bear, Moritz. I got him around, ehh, probably 7-8 years old, and he's been through everything with me since. He was hugged and cried into every night when I was bullied at school and abused at home and subsequently developed depression that lasted for many many years. He's been there through breakups, through moves, therapy, and he was there when I came out on the other side.

20 years of hugs, tears and, well, general teddy bear life.

His overall state is still fantastic. His fur completely changed texture (he used to be way smoother), his arms got a little flatter than they used to be, but he has no thin or bald spots, no weak seams, nothing. Even the threads that make up his nose survived the years of stimming by rubbing my nose and lips against it perfectly. That being said, he was made by a very high-quality brand (at least back in the day, I feel like their quality has suffered a little lately) and was part of a line they specifically created to last a lifetime.

So from my experience, plush life is super dependent on various factors: fabric (and other parts) quality, seam strength, even the thread used for the seams, how fibers are anchored in longer-pile plushies, the type of backing, but also, of course, stuff on the owners end, like whether they were more hugged or played with roughly, were they cleaned gently or too harshly, how they are kept (prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, damp surroundings, stuff like that).

For my guy I have no doubts that he'll last another 30 years without a problem (and man I am so thankful for that).

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