Care Bears Care-A-Lot Playset Information & First-Shot Prototype

 

 I found the above image online years ago. Check out the differences between the catalog first shot (above) and the finished product (below). I especially love that gooey cake Birthday Bear and Tender Heart are about to devour. If you look closely you can see that the shapes are very similar but subtly different.

OTHER INFO ON THE CARE-A-LOT PLAYSET:

  Rarity: Semi Hard to Find 

MIB VALUE: Around $80 Complete, $100 with box


MIP Pictures

On the sides of the box it says: "Use the Look About Loft to help the CARE BEARS see if anyone needs some special "CARE BEARS" help! You can help the CARE BEARS have fun sliding in their cloud chairs. And how about a ride on the swinging star? Oops, looks like Bedtime Bear has found another place to sleep."

Additional Info

The designer of the remarkable playset was a Kenner Employee by the name of David Winslow.

This playset was sold worldwide. It appeared on the market with the 1st-issue poseable line in 1983 and the package remained the same throughout 1987. The European box is slightly different as you can see in the above photos.

It came with the following loose and removable accessories: Blue Slide, Attachable Telescope, Attatchable Sun (Top of Playset), Blue Cloud Table, 3 Cloud Chairs, Yellow Swing, Yellow Spinner (Poseables sit on it and it spins in the center of the playset), Heart Tabletop Piece, Star Tabletop Piece, Cupcake Tabletop Piece. No poseables were included with the set.

David Winslow's Origional Care-A-Lot artwork:

Helpful information from David Winslow: "I was a designer for Kenner in the early 1980's and developed product for Care Bears along with Strawberry Shortcake. Up for auction from my personal files is the the original rendering (25 X 19 INCHES) presented to Kenner management to get the go ahead on the Care a Lot playset. Also included is an early production sample boxed for the playset, an original Kenner inter office write up for the Care Bear line that was passed out at the meeting. Original drawings inclued for the elevations of the playset that were used by the model maker to start creating this toy."

This art set was auctioned off on ebay in July of 2007. Notice the variations from the produced version, a heart window, an entrance from the back, a middle pole, sun and moon retraction, etc.

OTHER HELPFUL SCANS
Click on the Picture to see it full sized

STICKER SHEET SCANS

DIRECTIONS PAMPHLET SCANS