Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Thanks everyone.
Your support and advice make me feel better about this.
I didn't think I could resell Paddy and Polly due to the Irish St. Pattie's theme. But after seeing that some of you have taken away your themes and resold them in a different way gives me more hope. I guess I will take all the shamrocks out of the wagon and off of Paddy's suspender. Maybe add something different to the wagon.

Perhaps I will give that Bid4Bears a whirl. And maybe for my bear Hattie also. I will do that if I can find out more information about how it works. For example, how do I arrange payment with a customer? It's very simple on ebay. I only accept Paypal. And ebay lets me know how much a calculated shipping is for that item's weight and destination. Does Bid4Bears do any of that? How does it work and is it a safe site like ebay? I went to look at the website but it doesn't answer any of my questions. Could someone please clue me in on how Bid4Bears works and any difficulties you've had with it?

Also, on a happier note I just looked at my bear Gertie's auction in its last hours. She finally has a bid! Thank goodness! Hope the same thing can happen for my black bear cub. I was starting to doubt my bear designs.

-Eliza

So sorry to hear this sad news. It makes me want to cry too.    I too know the pain of losing a beloved cat. I will say a prayer for you and your husband. I know Edgar Winter (what a wonderful name) is happy now and at peace...running through fields of flowers and curling up and purring in God's lap.  And trust me that cat knows the kindness you paid to him during his last days. He'll never forget you...and someday when you too make it to Heaven he will come running to greet you.   :hug:

Take care.

Lots of Love,
Eliza

I'm feeling down and discouraged, and I can't understand what has happened. I used to sell every one of my bears. For one whole year I've had some not sell the first time around but then they would sell on the second try.

Well, my St. Pattie's set didn't sell first or second try. Now it's too close to St. Patrick's Day so I know I'll never be able to sell them.  Poor little Paddy and Polly.
I originally priced them at $125 feeling that that was a good deal since my bears normally go for $65. Plus this is a set. You get 2 bears and a wagon and clover.
So they didn't sell. Then I relisted the whole set for $95, a whopping good deal in my opinion. They barely got any attention.  Now the auction's over.

I think they're pretty cute and very well made but ebayers really didn't look at them very much.

This all started with my bear Hattie whom I had on auction a couple weeks ago. She didn't sell first or second time either.

Right now I have a little bear named Gertie in auction. She's the one with the hooded cloak. She will be ending in just 20 hours and so far no bids and not much attention from ebayers.

I just listed a black bear cub and I'm already worrying that I might not sell him either.

I list a new bear regularly every few days...so it's not like I've been gone for a long time. So what has happened? Talk about a dry spell... Ugg.

-Eliza

Awwww...reminds me of my collie when he was just a wee pup! 

Now he's 6 years old and nearly 90 pounds! 

They grow up so fast.

-Eliza

Wow. I've never done a sitting measure before. I measure from toe to head and never include the ears in the measuring.

-Eliza

That's a true story, Jodi
Glad it made you laugh!

-Eliza

Hey Karen,

I got that!  Pretty clever of you, trying to get us to do your work! But I think I'll have to pass! So you're dressing your real cats up as pirates!? I got to see pictures of that!
I used to have a nasty mean cat named Romeo who would chase me and attack me...one day he fell out of a tree and broke his leg. He had to have a cast put on his back leg. But did that stop him from chasing me and trying to kill me? No, it did not. I could always hear him coming from behind faster and faster, his cast hitting the floor...Kerplunk! Kerplunk! Kerplunk! I knew then to run! From then on we called him Peg Leg Romeo.

-Eliza

Hey I don't know you cause I'm new here for the last few weeks, but I went to your website and just adore your bears! I especially love your purple avatar bear. What a sweet face! You do great work!

-Eliza

Yeah, I'm here and bored too!
My husband works till 3:00 on Saturdays. I just walked the collie. I think I'm about to cut out a new mini from black fur. Hoping to get a haircut today too. Would like to go hiking today. It's so pretty and warm.

-Eliza

Hey Pauline,

I totally understand you wanting to keep your daughter's things. (Wow. She's just a year older than I am! I just turned 28) I'm sure I will be keeping most of my future children's things! And I will be making their teddy bears! Don't have any kids yet...but I feel that my mission in life is to adopt unwanted children and give them love. I feel that very strongly...because I was so unwanted, and I wasn't even an orphan!

As for what you said about if only my mother knew how everything she did to me made me feel....she did know, she does know, and has told me time and again over the years with both her words and her actions that she just doesn't care how I feel. Gosh, if all she'd ever done to me was throw away my teddies and toys I could have still had a happy childhood. But she did way more to me and my big sister than that...and our horrible stepdad as well. The first 20 years of my life was just hell, and I wouldn't want to depress anyone here with details. Now that I'm out of that household and moved hundreds of miles away things have been going much better in my life, and I'm truly happy for the first time ever. The last eight years have been soooo different for me. And I have a wonderful husband who has been my best friend since I was 16. I honestly don't think I would be on earth if it hadn't been for him. And I surround myself with happy childlike things in my apartment...stuffed animals and old-fashioned toys and a statue of Peter Pan. I know it sounds weird but I basically feel like I'm just now getting to experience a childhood and a happy freedom...and making teddy bears brings me lots of joy. And I'm so happy I found this wonderful teddy-talk site to share my bears and thoughts with all you wonderful teddy people!

-Eliza

Pauline,

Wow...what you just said really hit home with me. My toys were taken away and given away all the time too...but not for any good reason....not like giving to the poor. My mother was a very cruel woman who from time to time would clean out my room throwing away my very favorite things...just to hurt me. I would come home from school and my entire box of Disney records were taken to the dump (because she hated the sound of children singing) and my favorite stuffed animals and other toys would be gone as well. I would receive no explanation from my mother. It was just one of those things. She would purposely leave the things that I wasn't attatched to and get rid of the things she knew for certain that I loved.

-Eliza

Tina,

I just visited your website to look at all your past bears, and I can safely say it's not your bears! Cause you do very cute and original miniatures! I just love that one that looks like he has twigs sprouting out of him. So adorable! 

I don't think you should doubt yourself based on ebay results. Although, I must admit that sometimes I too doubt myself when my bears don't receive much attention on ebay...but I keep at it and I'm always improving my bear patterns and I try to keep my work fresh...you know, do something a little different each time. Like with my newest St. Pattie's set I used a different fur pile I'd never used before...it's shorter and shinier...and I used two different colors I'd never used before. Plus, I normally distress my bears but these I decided to keep fresh and new. It's fun to vary your work too. It keeps it all much more interesting for the artist...and hopefully for the regular buyers too!

So keep at it and have fun with it!

-Eliza

Man, I can't believe y'all have that many watchers! Um, I currently have 4 watchers on my newest bear set.... :redface: And that's usually the average for me...and the most I've ever had was 7 watchers.  :redface:  Still, I always manage to sell my bears in the end.  :dance:
Well, except for one... :redface:

-Eliza

Hi Louise

First off I'd like to say I hope you are always able to create bears because you do beautiful work.

Now this is a very interesting question you've posed. There are probably lots of reasons why I create teddy bears and why I am drawn to them in the first place. I can definitely list a few reasons...some good and some very sad.

For one I've always been a creative person. Since I was little I've been writing and drawing and creating little children's books, I experimented with painting and cross stiching, and by the time I was a teenager I made my first mini bear and other stuffed animals every few months over the years...until last year when I actually "learned" how to make teddy bears and started selling them.

My reason for selling them is that I needed to contribute money to our bills. I have an extremely difficult time working in what I call "the real world" due to severe social anxiety disorder. If I know I have to go out to a social event with my husband I have to first take Xanax to calm my nerves. I do not do well in places where I'm faced with a lot of people and confrontation. The confrontation thing is based upon being faced with that all throughout my childhood. I don't handle stress very well or crowds. I was never good at answering phones at some of my jobs either because I found that people are harsher toward you on the phone as opposed to being there in person with you. Okay, so the truth is I kind of live in my own fantasy world where I feel safe. This is the first time in my life when I've ever felt truly safe and happy. I can be creative, I can be my own boss, and I can bring in a bit of cash to help out with our living expenses. I love solitude, however, somedays I get extremely lonely and sometimes feel that I'm the loneliest person in the world. 

As for that deep down soul-searching reason as to why I make teddies...would have to stem from my childhood. My childhood was nothing short of tragedy. I came from an abusive and neglectful home. My parents did not love me and I knew it. I have memories of trying to hug my mom at age 4 and her pushing me away. Even as a little kid I collected more stuffed animals than any other kind of toy. Something I could hug and love. I was absolutely starving for love  (actually still am). I eventually got a huge Mickey Mouse and I would cuddle up in his lap and hold on to him...because I wanted to know what that might feel like with a grownup. I had never been held or cuddled by a grownup. 

Okay, so now I'm starting to get emotional because my childhood is still so fresh and painful to me. All I can say is that teddies and other stuffed animals have always been there for me, and I'm still just as attached to them today as I was back then. So why not create my own teddies?

-Eliza

I made a big bear once, and how I got it to stand was lining the footpads with cardboard. To avoid the stiff feeling on the outside put felt down first into the footpad,  and then the lining of cardboard.  You have to cut the cardboard into the same footpad shape, but much smaller all the way around or it will stick out the sides of the feet and look awful. It's a trial and error sort of thing. I also had put steel shot in the feet/ankles...but what really made it stand was the cardboard. Good luck.

-Eliza

Daphne,

How exciting is that!!  :dance:
I had seen previews for that movie and wanted to see it before I knew you were even involved. Now I really want to see it!! I can't believe you made that bunny!! I went to the official website and also your website. That is just too cool!
So you made 6 bunnies for the movie!!  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:
Good for you! You must be so happy! 
Like everyone else here I will be telling people in the theatre that I know who made the bunny!
Ha Ha! I can just see you sitting in the theatre with a big hat and sunglasses, trying to avoid all the paparazzi trying to take your picture! :photo:   :crackup:

Once again... congratulations!  :clap:

-Eliza

Jane,

The same thing has happened to me soooo many times! It makes me want to scream. I spend all that time listing and then I hit the last button and ebay freezes up. Can't tell you how many times that's happened to me. There is no explanation for it as far as I know. I just get off the computer and try to list again later and then it works. Weird. I had wondered if anyone else had this problem. Keep trying...it will eventually work.

-Eliza

Growing up, the squirt bottle method always worked with our houseful of cats. Eventually you don't even have to use it...they learn when you say no and they'll jump off the table or countertops. This method worked with everyone of our cats over the years. We always had a ton of cats. At one time I think we had 8 in the house. I still have my cat Ginger from when I was 12 years old. She's now 20 years old and hasn't aged a day! She trained faster than any of the cats with the spray method. She only wanted to please and she's such a little sweetheart.    I LOVE GINGER! 

-Eliza

Hi Roxanne

There's always different animals in the Artist Bears section so that's just fine. I see all kinds of animals listed...bunnies, mice, fox, giraffe...etc. So it's for bears...and their friends!
I look forward to seeing your creations on ebay.

-Eliza

Hey Maria! I think we're playing "tag"! 
I just emailed photos to Kathy Martin...so we'll see what happens!
Thanks for the advice.

And Daphne, thank you so much for your advice and words of wisdom. I will take it all to heart. Thanks! 

-Eliza

Okay, I wanted to let y'all know that I emailed one editor at a magazine yesterday. The magazine is Teddy Bear Review, which I don't have a subscription to but I am awaiting a free sample copy. I sent a photo of Milo, my recent bear who was just auctioned today...(thanks to Maria of Pucabears...thanks again Maria!!), and the editor emailed me today saying she loved the photo of Milo and she sent me an attached file of advertising rates. I downloaded it, and it's teeny tiny writing...very hard to see. But those look to be some very steep rates to advertise your bears. I didn't know this was something very expensive.

So what option are y'all choosing when you have a little photo advertisement in one of the magazines? I probably can't afford to do anything like this at this time, but I'm just curious. Are the other mags just as expensive?

Which magazines have any of you gotten a photo in? Especially, when you were new at this whole bear business?

-Eliza

Yay! I got my Sassy fur today too! And I've already dyed one piece mint green for a St. Pattie's bear!!

-Eliza

Ooohh! He's just lovely, Sonya!
Thanks for sharing that photo!

-Eliza

Oh, what beautiful pictures! Thanks everyone! That really clears things up for me! I knew that the limbs were straight and simple and they had shorter muzzles but I was not aware that they have no hump on the back nor a belly. I would eventually like to make my own version of a primitive stick bear....a small bear, not a mini like I normally do. I've been dying to make some bigger bears!

Thanks again!

p.s. Diane I just love your bears! I've been an admirer of them for quite some time now. Truly adorable. 

-Eliza

I want to know exactly what a "stick bear" is. Anyone with a photo of an early stick bear? And what is the history of stick bears?

-Eliza