Posts Tagged ‘teddy bears’
It is important to know how much your teddy bears are worth before buying or selling them. Some have been known to go up in price over the years while others stayed the same or went down. If you aren’t sure how to figure out how much your teddy bears are worth you can ask a dealer or go out and get a book. Collecting teddy bears can be very profitable if you know what you are doing.
Examine your teddy bears thoroughly before ever taking them for a show or auction. Before buying them look them over and ask as many questions as you can think of. Find out where the bear came from and who had him last. By examining your teddy bears you should be able to tell how much they are worth and know if you want to sell them or buy any new ones.
If you have inherited a teddy bear collection, or if you have started looking for bears when you go out to estate sales and the like, you may be wondering if you actually own a collectible teddy bear or not. Although any teddy bear is certainly collectible if it makes you happy, there are some bears that are worth more to collectors than others. With a bit of practice, you can learn to look for signs that one bear is more collectible than another. For starters, there are several different things to look at on teddy bears to determine their value. This article is a basic primer to get you started. Labels, joints and pads on their feet can tell you just how old they are. Their face can give you a round about guess on which decade they were distributed. Fur is another issue, depending on what type of fur, the condition it is in and everything to that nature.
photo credit: San Sharma
If the joints that are stiff hard like a bear you’d find in a craft store, remember in the beginning these were what the teddy bears looked like. The pads on the teddy bear will indicate if he is good quality or not. In the early years of teddy bears, many companies would make them with really long noses because it was suppose to represent the real thing, not something cute and cuddly. If your teddy bears have glass or button eyes they might be worth something. Last, if you have a hand-sewn teddy bear with no flaws or very minimal flaws.
Here is another Teddy Bear story. This one comes from India...
I have liked Teddy Bears very much from my childhood onwards I used to play with them. One of my favorite Teddy Bears was the one given to me by my sister when we were both little. I had other Teddy bears, but that is the only one I could fall asleep with at night. My father gave me a huge Teddy bear on my next birthday, but I still loved the one from my sister the best. Those two bears were also the start of my collection. It isn't the biggest Teddy bear collection in the world, but they cover my bed and I move them every night before going to bed.
I had 23 Teddy bears in my collection. I only lost one Teddy bear from my collection. That bear was given to me by an uncle when I went to visit him. I was carrying the bear with me as I rode home after the visit on a train. I can still remember the feel of that bear's fur as I listened to the chugging of the train. I dozed off and awoke as my parents hustled me off of the train. Somehow I managed to lose the bear as we got off and picked up our bags. I only realized that he was gone when we were already on our way home in the car. My parents tried to call to see if anyone ever turned in that missing bear, but he never turned up. I was upset, but got over it. If it had been the bear from my sister though, I don't know what I would have done.
Giant Teddy Bears|Personalized Teddy Bears
Posted by: admin
Teddy bears are one of the best gifts you can give someone you care about. Even without any kind of personalized message, their unique personalities, shown in their tiny, expressive eyes can speak volumes to the one you love. Every once in a while, you get someone who just has to do things a little bit bigger and better than everyone else. These are the people who tend to own giant teddy bears. Sometimes they just buy these for other people. Sometimes these come from winning games at amusement parks. When I was little I won a giant teddy bear that was as big as I was and my Mom was tired of it within a week. She never made me get rid of it though because she knew I liked it so much.
There are many people in the world who actively collect teddy bears, but if the person you are buying for is not a collector, that does not mean that the gift will not be greatly appreciated. Bears can now be made designed to your specifications and can include special messages for the person getting the fuzzy, huggable gift. When someone receives such a special gift from you that just cries out to be held, you can be sure that each squeeze will contain a little thought of you, the one who gave the gift.
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 SUPER CUTE GIANT TEDDY BEAR Plush Toy 47 White Brown  US $89.95
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 NEW Giant Huge Brown Teddy Bear Stuffed Animal Large 38 US $64.99
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 120CM NEW GIANT TEDDY BEAR LIGHT BROWN PLUSH HUGE 46 US $79.00
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 120CM NEW GIANT TEDDY BEAR HUGE WHITE PLUSH HUGE 46 US $79.00
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These precious collectibles have a long history that dates back to the very early 1900s when President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a captive bear. The story became a widely seen cartoon, which then became a stuffed animal. The stuffed toys became all the rage in the United States. The fortunate timing of the Steiff company also coming out with a stuff bear toy at the same time in Europe added fuel to the craze and the rest is toy history.
If you are stuck for an idea of what to give that special someone, a teddy bear is a choice with a long successful history behind it. There are plenty of places around that will let you personalize a teddy bear for a loved one. Kids absolutely go nuts for taking a trip to make a custom made bear. A giant teddy bear or a personalized bear will be be memorable for the person who gets the bear. Pick out the bear that sends just the right message to your loved one and just put it into their hands. The bear will do the rest.
Some people collect things. Other people wonder why some people collect things. I don’t think there is any one reason why people build collections. Many collections start completely by accident. I’m sure that many teddy bear collections were begun after someone received a couple of bears that they really liked and then put them out on display. Maybe they talked about them a lot or played with them constantly. That caught the eye of someone who cared about them who thought a new bear might make a nice gift. THAT bear got added to the collection, and so on and so on…
photo credit: riptheskull
I’m sure there is probably some deep psychological reason why we collect things. I’m not really into looking at any deep seated motivations. I just like teddy bears!
Some people starting a collection want to know exactly which bears they should “focus” on as they build their collections. I guess maybe I’m the wrong person to ask if you want an answer based purely on financial investment opportunities. My reply would simply be a question. What do you like?
If you enjoy searching out the oldest and rarest of bears, then by all means, feel free to save your money and buy some old antique bears. Some Steiff bears from the early 1900s will sell for over a thousand dollars. I’m sure if you keep them in good shape, there is probably a good chance they will appreciate in value as they get older. There is absolutely nothing wrong however, with wanting to collect Build A Bears or some other type of bear. Want to collect all white or dark brown bears? Go for it! Who is to say you are wrong for liking what you do?
photo credit: Rennett Stowe
Personally, I like to actually pick up and handle my bears. To me, each one is tied to some special memories that I can soak up and savor each time I give it a squeeze. I’m sure that some people cringe at that, but I don’t like to just watch my bears collecting dust on a shelf. I’m not recommending that anyone do anything with their bears that may damage them. I’m just stating my own collecting technique. Another reason I like to actually pick up my bears is that they don’t collect dust nearly as much when I do that. A dust collection looks pretty bad and once they get dusty, it can be a real pain trying to get them clean. Hey, but that’s just me!
Russ Bears are one of the more searched for teddy bears on eBay. They part of the Russ Berrie line of dolls, trolls and bears that have become so popular because of their great designs and attention to detail. Many people collect these bears exclusively. eBay is a popular place to look for Russ Berrie Bears because the hard to find ones can still be found there and the prices on very gently "used" bears are often quite reasonable. Of course, there are Russ dogs and cats too, so if you have any special people in your life who love those animals, they've got you covered!
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 SNUGGLES 1986 PLUSH 15 SNUGGLE BEAR DOLL W TAG RUSS US $36.00
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 Russ Berrie SNUGGLE Plush Bear 23 Lever Bros 1986 MWOT US $9.00
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 Brand New teddy bear from Russ Berrie Champagne 25cm US $10.98
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 B NEW teddy bear Russ Berrie Penley 2010 release 35cm US $27.52
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 CRKT KNIFE RUSS KOMMER BEAR CLAW 2510 MODIFIED TIP US $6.99
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The oldest of the Russ Bears are now in their mid forties. Mere babies compared to some of the older classics like Steiff and Bing, but still old enough that some of the original owners are feeling some nostalgia as they look back at the special teddy bears they grew up with.
Here are a few quick tips to help you as you check for deal on Russ Bears on ebay:
1. The site has been making a move toward showing a lot of "buy it now" items. That is great for people who want to get what they want and go, but don't forget to check out the auctions. It seems that lately, many great bears are slipping by without a single bid even though they are priced outrageously low (like $5). This may just be something that was happening when I checked, but it is worth checking out.
2. Be sure to ask any questions you have about a bear you like before bidding. Most sellers are happy to answer questions or provide extra photos to potential buyers.
3. Check completed listings (auctions that have ended) to see what similar bears have been selling for on eBay. Doing this can help you to recognize a steal when you see it.
Russ bears are one of the more commonly seen collectible bears on eBay. While the company does have its own site, people concerned with saving some money might want to compare prices there with those available on eBay. There are many bears in excellent condition being sold at very low prices. This may just be an effect from the economy which is currently down, but it is definitely something worth checking out if you are a collector of Russ bears or any collectible.
