Bing Teddy Bears
Another of the big names in popular collectible bears is Gebruder Bing. Bing bears date back to the early twentieth century. The Bing toy company itself dates back to the 1890s but they made their first “Teddy Bear in 1907, amidst the explosion of the bears’ popularity. There were some issues with charges of copying between Steiff and Bing, but both made wonderful, beautifully detailed bears that are prized by collectors today.
Bing bears are often prized and recognized for their mechanical capabilities. Before bears became the popular collectible to own, the Bing company was known for its superior mechanical toys. The company did a great job of translating their mechanical expertise to the bear market. Depending on the particular bear, they could skate, look around, walk and even do acrobatics! That seems quite advanced looking back one hundred years.
Not all of the bears made by Bing were mechanical however. They were a quality brand in competition with other big bear names like Steiff. The quality of Bing bears was top shelf and the non-mechanical bears could hold their own based on the merits of cuteness and quality.
Bing used button eyes (black) up until World War 1. After that time, glass eyes became standard on the bears. Many of their early bears are quite collectible and very valuable. The Bing company ran into financial trouble in the 1930s and was gone from the scene until a rebirth later brought them back in to the stuffed teddy bear arena.
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 Bing Grondahl Moms Mothers Day Plate Polar Bears 1974  US $4.99 |  BING GRONDAHL 1974 Mothers Day Plate Polar Bears LE US $5.00 |
| Cute Teddy Bears |
If you have somehow managed to have a vintage Bing bear in your possession, you may be holding on to something quite valuable. One of the best ways to get a feel for the approximate value of your bear is to check out the eBay “completed” listings for similar items. A completed listing is simply an auction or “buy it now” transaction that has already run its course and has either ended in a sale or without any offers from buyers. You can get a great look at not only what is out there that is similar to your bear, but also the condition of what is being sold. There are very few “mint” teddy bears of vintage age floating around out there.
There are plenty of serious bear collectors out there today who purchase their new bears and only touch them to keep them from collecting dust. These early bears were not bought to be shelved however. Most of the vintage teddy bears you will find spent the early parts of their existence being regularly hugged and loved by little arms. All of that squeezing is exactly what they were built for, but it isn’t very conducive to keeping the bears looking pristine. You will find as you check out listings, that there are a lot of well loved bears being bid on without any hesitation though.
