Gotta Love Teddy Bears
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Gund Career & Lifestyles Collectible 11 inch Hair Stylist Teddy Bear |
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Teddy bears are one of the most recognized and collectible toys in the world. Growing up, both boys and girls often become attached to some special Teddy. Teddy Bears
Children are not the only ones who collect teddy bears of course. Some bears have become extremely desirable to collectors. Many of the early bears and bears from particular makers or artists are becoming quite valuable. Most collectors really enjoy the bears themselves, but there is no denying that some of these old toys are worth a lot of money. A quick glance at the top completed listings on sites like eBay is all it should take to convince you of both their popularity and their collectible value.
Teddy bears have been around since the beginning of the 1900s. Back then, events seemed to coordinate in different areas of the world to make things just right for the arrival of the Teddy Bear. Many people may already know the history of the Teddy Bear, but in case you do not, the original Teddy Bear idea goes all the way back to the days when Theodore Roosevelt was president of the United States. In 1902, while trying to settle a dispute about the border of Mississippi and Louisiana, President Roosevelt was taken on a hunting expedition that was not very productive. Trying to be good hosts to the President, one of their party captured a bear specifically for Roosevelt to shoot. President Roosevelt made a wise choice and refused to shoot the helpless, captive animal. Word of this event got out and it ended up being the subject of a widely seen cartoon that was drawn by Clifford K. Berryman and then published in The Washington Post. A couple from Brooklyn, Rose and Morris Michtom, got the idea into their heads to fashion a boy bear based on the cartoon, and it really caught on.
photo credit: Todd Huffman
In as example of great coincidence, Steiff bears were also being invented just around the same time in Germany by Margarete Steiff and her nephew, Richard. The two introductions of toys bears on different sides of the Atlantic Ocean were unrelated but the timing was outstanding. The Michtoms introduced a fanciful looking “cartoon” bear, while Steiff was bringing beautifully crafted, lifelike toy bears to the people.
As the first decade of the 1900s continued, the Teddy Bear craze really took off. There were some down times in the history of the Teddy Bear
Around the time of the seventies, Teddy bears started showing an increase in popularity again. This time it wasn’t so much as a child’s toy, but as an adult collectible item. Artist bears, as the name implies have wonderfully detailed designs created by individual artists who have developed their own following of artist bear collectors.
Today, the classic names in teddy bears still do well and draw many collectors old and new, but there are also those who choose to collect artist bears or bears from other, new companies. Businesses have sprung up built with the idea of making specially individualized bears for children. These bears (and other stuffed, plush animals) are hand picked by collectors and assembled right before their eyes. These bears may not hold the classic appeal of some of the more established names in collectible bears, and they are certainly aimed at making massive sales. Just the clothing for these newer bears is a huge market in and of itself. Regardless, to the little ones making these bears and instilling them with their own special personality traits, they are just as precious and collectible.
photo credit: mostly Chris
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