Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Hi,,
They sound great! As they are relatively 'unknown' in the market, it may be worth listing one on ebay, to test the market. Generally smaller bears will sell more easily, as they are easier to display, but your teds are comparatively rare, and so may do well with their nostalgia/novelty factor. They sound very cute! Sorry, I'm not able to give an accurate value but hope you find someone who has dealt with them before, or find happy buyers! Best of luck

Thanks for your help, Marianne and Becky! We'll contact these two places and see if they are who our fellow Australian friend is looking for! Thanks again! 

Hi!
He is a very cute panda!
He may have been made by the Shanghai Bear Company, from a short-pile wool fabric and with glass eyes. Is he VERY firmly stuffed? If so, he is probably stuffed with sawdust. This company made (makes?) a range of toys, from this quality wool 'fur'. Are his pads of a brushed cotton? This was the most common fabric they used for pads.
If he doesn't match this description, then he is probably English. He is similar to the style of several English companies, who would have made him from mohair, mohair blend, or a woven-backed synthetic plush, with matching pads and stuffed with kapok, woodwool, or crumbed rubber.
Sorry to be vague! If I gave him a hug I could tell straight away! 

Hi!
We are in Australia and are trying to find info on Purple Patch Bears, a UK company....we were wondering if anyone knows more about them or where we could find out? Hope someone has heard of them!
Thanks!!! 

Hi, I believe your little dog is a Steiff, possibly an open-mouthed Molly or Cocky. The bunny could well be Steiff also, as they made a myriad of different styles in the 1950s and we are always seeing 'new' ones in our dealings with other collectors! Hope this helps!

He may be a Wendy Boston teddy bear. He has the distinctive outstretched arms and ear shape. The age seems right for when the company first introduced this style and they were exported all over the UK and Ireland. Hope this helps!

Hi, firstly I agree that he is a monkey :)
The market for selling 'teddies' is a fickle thing at the moment, so an exact value is difficult, but he is cute so his value would probably be around $20-$40 on ebay and $50 if sold at a collectors' fair. There are lots of monkey collectors now too, because they make great teddy bear 'friends'!

I'm so glad they have given you a diagnosis! You can't fight what you don't know! Glad too that you have such a wonderful, positive spirit that I'm sure will help you on the hard, long path ahead. The best of luck! :hug:

Thanks for your expertise Isabelle!   :clap: ...and for sharing your old bear, Richard!    We have been collecting old bears for 15 years, and agree with Isabelle. He is a very cute bear!

Congratulations Clare! It showed both how much people love your friend AND your teddy! Well done on raising so much for your friend's recovery!  :clap:

I have found that the best brushes to get the dust out well are old pure-bristle clothes brushes-i have picked them up very cheaply at trash and treasure markets! They have very soft but dense bristles and do a great job!

Definitely at least the largest and smallest bears are Steiffs, and most probably the other one too!. Very distinctive look!
Ebay is an easy option in which to sell, but you probably won't get as much as you would if you sold them through a collector's auction, teddy bear fair, or privately via other methods. Have a look at ebay by typing in 'Steiff', and go to 'completed listings' to get an idea of what similar bears actually sold for.
Good luck!

Hi Sheila, by now you would be on the road to recovery! It has been said before, but yes, recovery will take a few weeks but will happen! I have had to take cortisone over the years-it DOES make you very hungry! The weight gain can be managed by trying to avoid cakes, bikkies, chocolate (sorry!! lol ) etc and eating lots of fruit, rice bikkies etc! Anything to fill you up with fewer calories. I hope you have a fast recovery! All the best!

Hi, yes, he does look like he could be Pedigree, with those cute big ears! His stumpy little arms mean he could be English. It can get more difficult with some modern collectable bears who don't have tags, because the features look like they could have been made by one of several companies! I'll have a look around for you and let you know if I find someone like him!

I agree with the others here-definitely market a new pattern, so that Ellie is safely 'yours'! There is so much copyright infringement (theft!!) on the internet,  and from it, that unfortunately we have to be more careful that we should have to be! (For me, it is outright copying of my blogs, which are my little 'babies'! lol). Best of luck with your kits/patterns-I'm sure they will be very successful!
With your big teddy, we've all made mistakes, and learn from them. I think the woman who ordered him DID intend to pay, but finances fell through for her. Not good for YOU though! I hope you make a nice profit on him through ebay instead! 

I hope it works out for you! I haven't used Bearpile but I do know that with other sites eg ebay, that sometimes you don't hear back from people for 3 days. Some people just don't check their emails etc every day. I have been known to forget too! 

A lovely story!  I once chose not to live overseas because i wouldn't leave my pussy cats behind!

It was a sad way to begin a day, but by posting on here you have shown your heart! Perhaps your hardware shop has another more bird-friendly alternative mesh? Or try leaving part of the crop uncovered, to share with the birds? You didn't WANT to hurt the birds; it was an unfortunate accident  :hug: