Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Lovely pictures ... I love the colours of autumn ... but hey Paula, have you forgotten, it's spring down under! 

Okay girls let's keep this positive...I'll say it again...

QUOTE: Please don't think I am trying to have a go at anyone here...

I just think it would be great for us to come up with some ideas that may help increase our teddy magazines circulation and get them back on the shelves.

Can you tell me what you would like to see in the magazines that would entice you to subscribe?

I know Teddy Bear Scene has a Direct Debit system so you can pay monthly, quarterly or bi-annually which spreads payments out more evenly, but unfortunately it is only available to UK residents.

Would you subscribe if this facility was available world wide?

Oh Nat! Mohair in the supermarkets      Sweet Dreams!

Beautiful pictures Denise ... just beautiful, thanks for sharing them with us.

Just been reading everyone's posts again and couldn't help thinking when I read this part of Judi's post, that it reminded me of a story about two shoe salesmen who were sent to an island to research the possability of opening a shoe shop.

One came back with the idea that it wouldn't be a good idea as no one wore shoes so they wouldn't buy them.
The second one came back with the idea it would be a terrific idea...no one wore shoes and what a marvelous opportunity there was to corner the market.

Perhaps Judi, you should ask Barns and Noble...how can anyone buy them, if they are not on the shelf for sale.

The other thing I noticed was in Andrea's post about stumbling across the magazine by accident...if they are not available in the shops first, how are people going to find them to subscribe to them.

Do you think maybe publishers should do more advertising in their own magazines? Like maybe promoting teddy bear mags in beading, quilting or scrapbooking mags?

Please don't think I am trying to have a go at anyone here...I just think it would be great for us to come up with some ideas that may help increase our teddy magazines circulation and get them back on the shelves.

Hey Aleta you said you had some ideas...come on we'd love to hear them.

Judi... Super News!
Love your snow bear princess...she's gorgeous!!

Gemma ... it's really great to see!

:clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Well I subscribe to Teddy Bear and Friends and Teddy Bear Scene.
I just love receiving them and reading them from cover to cover, but I would also love to be able to buy the others occasionally too.

I guess the only way to be really sure of getting them is to subscribe, but like many of you it's not always possible to find the money to pay for for a full subscription all in one go. I know Teddy Bear Scene has a Direct Debit system so you can pay monthly, quarterly or bi-annually which spreads payments out more evenly, but unfortunately it is only available to UK residents.

Perhaps it might be worth suggesting to all our Teddy Magazine Publishers that they would get more subs if this was available world wide?

Are there any among you who would embrace this idea?

I really didn't think I'd get this challenge finished in time ... in between show bears he's finally done!
Please meet Renfield ... my peculiar rendition of a ghoul bear.

There comes a time in everyone's life when they have to make the decision to move on
and it's not always an easy task to take those steps, sometimes it takes great courage.

Congratulations Shelli...I hope the future holds great things for you!

I do a little beading (for my bears) and I do a little scrapbooking (also for my bears) so I don't mind seeing some on these subjects, but I think it would be nice to see a balance of craft magazines on the shelves.

The things I like to read in the magazines I subscribe to, are the Artists Profiles...and I would dearly love to see a "What Happend to......." or a "Where Are They Now?"

I know many of the early bear artists that I "grew up with" are still out there somewhere, but have they moved on to bigger and better things or are they so swamped with orders they don't need to promote themselves anymore?

Yep the cat's curious again!

Thanks Jude!

NOTE TO ABC SUBSCRIBERS:
Due to an oversight by publishers ~ you will need to enlarge the Tremayne pattern to 200%.

Okay 21 people have looked at this post and have had nothing to say...
so let me put it another way.

I want this to be a positive thread...so to those who subscribe or buy teddy magazines already ~ can you tell me why?

And those that don't ~ can you tell me what you would like to see in the magazines that would entice you to subscribe?

...with how we can build our teddy magazines back up?

I am fed up with going to my local newsagents to find the shelves filled with beading and scrapbooking magazines? 

My age must be showing, because I can remember a time when we (in OZ) had all the teddy bear magazines available on our shelves.

I have also noticed, not only are they thin on the shelves, some of the magazines  are getting smaller in size and thickness.
We used have mags with at least 140 pages and now we are lucky if they have 70.

Has this been brought about by lack of stories to write about, lack of subscribers, lack of advertising or just a general lack of interest?

I would have thought by the amount of members here on TT and it's continued growth, that the interest in teddies was beginning to generate again.

Any ideas? I'd be very interested in hearing your comments and opinions.

Oh Yeah ... and I'm supposed to be getting bears finished for Woodend!

Hey Patsy ... Love the Chrissy bag!

I just couldn't help myself ... could I?

Wow! These are great!
Patsy you have really been working on those computer skills I see! Well done!
Well after seeing all these I just had to have a go ...

Hope you have a great day!

Another Facebook member has joined your group!
ME!!!  :crackup:

Love your felties Mikki and this one is no exception!   

Whooo Hoooo another COVER GIRL!!! Well done Yvonne!!!!  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Thanks Gaby. I noticed you posted comments...and I have just posted a new picture of my little shorn companion.

I suppose if I just continue to post things like I have been doing, I could manage it and who knows...I might eventually improve. 

Aleta, Shelli and Laura.....Thanks for shedding some light on this subject for me. 

Like Sonya...I do all my own website. I don't have any problem updating on a regular basis, it seems to come like second nature to me and I really enjoy working with my website.

I have tried this blog thing twice now and I just don't seem to have enough to write about...or maybe I do, but just can't think of anything that makes any real sense. I would like to do one, but it all seems too much for me....I guess blogging is not for everyone.

Thanks again for the insight.
Now I'll go back to my little corner and hibernate.

Here's my first bear ...

the one that got me hooked back in '96.

Now let's see some more first bears from the oldies!

why do you need a blog?

How do you manage to keep both up to date and still get bears made?

These are just a couple of questions that have be gnawing away at me...
anyone willing to shed some light on this curious ol' soul?