'Pay Your Age' At St. Louis Build-A-Bear Workshops Thursday

ST. LOUIS, MO — On Thursday, the Build-A-Bear Workshop in the St. Louis Galleria will be offering quite a deal: Any Make-Your-Own furry friend that’s available in the store can be yours for the low, low price of your kid’s age.

No, really. It’s part of a nationwide celebration of the company’s launch of the Build-A-Bear “Count Your Candles” birthday experience.

“Everyone is welcome to take part in the Pay Your Age Day deal, regardless of age, as long as they are present in store that day,” the company said in a release. “Our entire in-store collection of furry friends, including popular licensed characters, will be waiting to be made at the event.”

Here’s the catch: To participate, adults, parents and guardians — who must be at least 18 — must enroll in the complimentary Build-A-Bear Bonus Club rewards program or give the company an email address and name so that the buyer — who must accompany the child when the purchase is made — can pay their age.

The store recommends that adults enroll before arriving in the store that day to save time at checkout.

Other caveats to be aware of:

• You have the option to buy the toy unstuffed and come back to fill it at a later date.
• The deal is only available in stores on one Make-Your-Own animal. This means extras, including outfits, sounds, accessories and scents, are not included.
• The person who wants to pay their age must be there when the toy is bought.
• The deal cannot be combined with any other offers.

“We have overwhelming data that indicates Build-A-Bear is synonymous with childhood, and nearly one-third of our sales are associated with birthdays,” said Sharon Price John, president and CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop. “We ‘heart’ birthdays at Build-A-Bear, so we’re hosting the Pay Your Age Day to launch our year-round ‘Count Your Candles’ offer for guests celebrating a birthday with us in stores — an experience we designed especially to commemorate birthdays in a memorable way.”

Here are the addresses and hours of the stores near YOUR PATCH TOWN.

• St. Louis Galleria
  • Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• 5050 Oakland Avenue
  • Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• 420 8th Street (Busch Stadium)
  • Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• West County Center
  • Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images for Build-A-Bear