Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

How much was the Bear's adoption?  If it's not too expensive, go ahead and take the Bear back but specify that the Bear must be in original condition.

Tell the person that they will get their refund when the Bear comes home and you have had a chance to look at him.  (or her.)

If you want, you might be able to deduct a certain amount (say 10%) for restocking fee.  After all, it was a final sale with no refunds.  You are doing the person a favor.

The number one reason I would take the Bear back is because I would not want to have an unloved Bear all by his lonesome with nobody to care for him.

These suggestions come from one who buys a lot of Bears.  As a customer, this is what  I would  expect.

In the end, I can only suggest.  This is something you need to decide on.

:)

We had a couple of Bears who got tanked up.  Yeah, they had great fun that night but they regretted it in the morning!

Funny you should mention that.  My wife, Melanie, has hypoglycemia.  (Essentially reverse diabetes.)  She can't eat sugar either.  She gets "Hank's Premium Root Beer" from the grocery store.  It comes in sugar free version.  She bakes sugar free cookies using fructose.

The Bears all love her baking.  We all could stand to take off a little bit of extra fluff around the middle. 

But don't let the Bears have too much root beer!  They get tipsy real quick!  Before you know it you'll have a bunch of riled-up Bears on your hands!  If you've ever seen 1,000 Bears all juiced up on root beer and raising caine, it's not a pretty sight!   

Hot diggity!! 

The Bears are glad to hear that Bear Power is working!   
They are going to take a short break to charge up their "Bear Batteries" with some chocolate cookies and some root beer.  They'll do it in shifts so the signal won't go down completely but there are 1,000 of them.  That's a lot of cookies and root beer!

Your Bears could probably use some cookies and root beer themselves.
While you're at it, you should probably get yourself a treat too!  Don't you think? 

Good to hear he's doing better!  :)
Very good news indeed!  :)

Is he communicating?  Indicating "Yes" or "No?"  Tapping a finger or blinking an eye, etc.?  Or even making rudimentary sounds.  It's not about the response.  It is about whether he can understand what people are saying.  If he can get that far the rest will come, hopefully.

The Bears still have their transmitters at full power for you!
They said something about varying the phase relationship of the carrier frequency to focus energy on the frontal lobe but I never understand what they are talking about.  Whatever they are doing, it seems to be working and that's all that counts.  Right? 

Try letting them just air out in a place with lots of air circulation.  They became smelly from being in an atmosphere of plastic fumes.  If they are no longer in that atmosphere they should stop smelling like that after a while.

After that, take the least aggressive means possible.
I like Eva's and Pat's idea of using the drier sheets.
Use Fabreze only as a last resort and only in the smallest amount necessary to do the job.  Possibly even spraying it on a clean cloth and wiping the dolls with it.  In other words, you don't want to put more chemicals on top of what's already there and take the chance of compounding the problem.

Bear Power activated!

Glad to hear he pulled through so well but he definitely needs a Bear to help speed the healing process!   

I don't know the circumstances of the accident so I hesitate to bring it up but you should probably think about calling a lawyer as soon as possible.

I had an accident last fall.  I wasn't hurt nearly as badly as your son but I did have a concussion and several small fractures of the skull and vertebrae.  The insurance companies all acted very nicely at first but, even though the accident was not my fault, (I was hit by a car while riding a bicycle) they soon started sending me letters trying to say it was my fault.  The case was pretty clear-cut but they continued to play games until I had finally had enough and lawyered-up.

I made it very clear from the beginning that I only wanted fair treatment.  They all smiles and made "nice" at first but it wasn't long before they turned into a bunch of snakes.  Regardless of fault, you will need to have an advocate on your side who knows the law.

And, if there is somebody else who is at fault, don't be afraid to ask for monetary compensation.  This is not about suing people for "all they are worth."  The main goal here is to make sure that you have enough money on hand to deal with any future expenses you might incur because of his injuries.

My lawyer put it to me this way:  "You're all healed now but what if you have medical problems 5 years from now because of the injuries you received in the accident?  Who is going to pay those costs?  You need to put some money in the bank, today, to pay for any expenses you might have tomorrow."

Many lawyers charge on a contingent fee basis.  You won't have to pay any money up front.  If they do recover money from your case, they simply take a percentage of the proceeds as their fee.  Just look in the phone book for a lawyer who specializes in motorcycle/bicycle accident claims.

Remember, this is not about suing somebody's a$$ off.  This is about making sure you have an advocate.

I am glad to hear he is moving his hand.  Hopefully that means he is starting to recover.
Doctors are always so conservative in their diagnoses.  They always make things out to sound so much worse than they actually turn out to be.  It's good to be conservative but it's not very comforting.  Is it?

Just hang in there!  Bear vibes are at full power.
We're all pulling for you!

All Bears facing west-southwest.  Antennas tuned for maximum gain.  Transmitters on full power.  Signal meter reading full strength.  You should be receiving 1,000 Bear vibes at any moment!

I don't know how serious his injuries are but think of a coma as the brain's way of protecting itself in time of crisis.  It basically shuts down in order to save resources while it tries to repair itself.

If your computer crashes you have to shut it down and reboot it in order to get it running again.  Right?
Well, this is your son's brain's way of rebooting itself after a crash.  (Both in the literal and figurative sense.  :lol:)

I know it's not an easy thing to do right now but just try to stay calm.  We need to wait and see if his brain can come back on-line by itself.  The brain has an amazing ability to heal itself.  If it didn't mankind would not have been able to survive all those thousands of years in the past.

All our fingers and toes and paws are crossed for you.

And, don't forget to put a Bear in your son's room so that he can receive all the Bear Power and relay it on to your son!

Good name!      Very nice looking dog!   

"Chico" is the correct name for that dog.  No doubt about it!
It's a good name for a dog.  He's a Mexican dog and he has a Mexican name.  ("Chico" means "boy" in Spanish.)

Plus, he just looks like a "Chico."  The name fits him.

Except, every time I hear the name "Chico," I automatically think, "...and the Man!" 

Smell the fur if you can.  Does it smell "musky" or  "rich and leathery?"  If so, it is probably all right.
If it smells "dusty" or smells like a "dead animal" you probably have an old, worn out fur on your hands.

Also try to feel down to the leather beneath the pelt.  See if it feels soft and supple versus hard and dried out.  Dried out pelts are old and have not been cared for.  They will not last very long.

It is common for people to sell off old, worn out furs.  They think of them as venerable objects because they were so expensive to buy but they will not put them on cold storage for the summer or they will not have them professionally cleaned by a furrier.  (Standard dry cleaning damages fur.)

Consequently, furs can depreciate very rapidly.  A fur that is not well cared for could be fully depreciated in less than 5 years.  A fur that has been taken care of will last much longer.

Bottom line:  Check the fur out and don't be afraid to be critical.  If it is old, dried out or smelly it is not worth much, regardless of what the seller thinks.  If it is old and the seller won't let you bargain the price down, don't be afraid to pass.

You're making Bears, here!  You want to make something that will last and can be loved for a long time.  If you make a Bear out of old fur he won't last very long.  Will he?

BTW:  If you can get a picture of the coat and can tell us who is the manufacturer and approximately how old it is, I might be able to ask some people I know how much they think the fur is worth.  A couple of them are professional furriers.  They know 100 times more about furs than I do. 

There was a little dog in the Disney movie "Lady and the Tramp" whose name was "Scamp."

Scamp ended up being one of the most famous little dog characters that Walt Disney created in the 1950's.  He even ended up having his own comic strip in the newspapers.

Some dogs are really smart!  Aren't they?

Tyrone, the schnauzer, loved to ride in the car and he would run and bark at the door any time he heard the words "car" or "ride."  After a while we started to spell words but, it wasn't long before spelling "C-A-R" or "R-I-D-E" would set him off.  We finally had to start saying "automobile" or "journey" to keep him quiet.  But, if he heard the car keys jingle, that was enough to set him off.

I'm not surprised your dog can tell the difference between "Wookie" and "cookie."  He's probably pretty smart.  I bet you talk to him in plain English a lot too.  I'd venture to say that makes dogs smarter. 

Whatever name you give the dog, try to keep it short.

Regardless of what people think, dogs don't understand their names.  They only understand words in terms of rhythm and intonation.

I used to have a dog named "Reggie" and our neighbors had a dog named "Apache."  When we called one dog, we were likely to get the wrong dog or even both dogs at the same time.  To a dog "a-PACH-E" and "r-EGG-IE" sound alike.

Try to pick a name that has a good, strong tone and rhythm.  Two syllables are best.  Keep the stress on the first syllable or the last and have a strong vowel sound in the middle.

For instance, "Duchess" would be a better name than "Princess."

Some dogs will respond to their "formal" name and a "play" name.  We had a schnauzer named "Tyrone" but we usually called him "Ty."  He would come when you called him by either name but he knew he was usually in trouble for something when he heard somebody yell "ty-RONE!"

Chihuahua's can be smart dogs.  He would probably respond to "Bandito" as a formal name and "Bandit" as his play name. 

If you remember the old 1960's vintage cartoon series, "Jonny Quest" the little dog's name was "Bandit."  :)

"Nipper!"  He definitely looks like a "Nipper!"

The little dog that was seen looking into the bell of a gramophone in the old RCA radio logo was named Nipper.

Absolutely fabulous!      

More cities need to do this!
If you don't already know, there is a public charity that donates Bears to children and adults in need of comfort.  They also give Bears to police department, fire companies and ambulance crews.

Good Bears of the World:  http://www.goodbearsoftheworld.org/
Do check them out!  :)

Us Bears occasionally donate.

The Teddy Bear is much more than a physical object.  It is a symbol.  It is a symbol of love, caring and enduring loyalty.

It is precisely because we know that some childrens' lives are not as happy as we wish that they should be that we have created the Teddy Bear.  The Bear comforts sad, frightened children.  He is their confidante when they are sad and unsure of life.  A child's Teddy Bear is ALWAYS THERE and is ALWAYS READY to help a child endure whatever adversity comes his or her way.

This is a VERY important symbolism which we have created for the Teddy Bear.  People who make Teddy Bears make them just for that reason.  It doesn't matter whether it is a collectible Teddy Bear or one which will sleep in the crib with a newborn baby.  A Bear is a Bear.  It is important to keep this symbolism intact for future generations of children so that they may have comfort in times of sadness and fear.

To turn a Teddy Bear inside out is to INVERT the symbolism of the Bear.  This turns the Bear into a symbol of UNcaring!  Anybody who claims that this is art is not thinking very well.  Just about the only thing I can think is that he is practicing the art of mental masturbation.  The guy is an unthinking idiot who has no grasp on what the Teddy Bear really means.  All he is doing is grasping at straws and playing with concepts in order to make a name for himself.

It is my advice that we do not respond to idiots like this.  To do so only validates their point.  The best thing we can do is to IGNORE bums like this and hope that they fade off into obscurity.

How come the Bears aren't behind the wheel?  Bears can drive a car!  Don't you know that?

Yes, it takes about six Bears to drive a car.

Two to turn the steering wheel. (Preferably larger Bears.)
One to push down the gas pedal.  One to push down the brake.
One to turn on the turning signal.  One to beep the horn.
One to look out the windshield and tell the other Bears when to stop or go and when to turn.

So your Bears got a chance to check out a Mercedes E-Class and they didn't even get to sit inside?

JK.     

People are more inclined to accept unsolicited e-mail if the subject is interesting to them even if they aren't going to buy.  Just as some people like to window shop, some people like to e-mail shop.

If the message is tasteful, well written and offers something they like they won't be upset by it.  They might not buy anything.  They might not even read the entire e-mail but they are happy to just skim it over and delete it when they are done.

I think they keys are:

1)  Taste and professionalism.
2)  Customer interest.
3)  Not obtrusive.
4)  Allows customer opt-outs.

Cover all four of those bases and I don't think you will have trouble.

It is okay to send an OCCASIONAL unsolicited e-mail to past customers.  (A few times per year or once per month.)  But you must always allow people to opt out.  It would be smart to put a link in the e-mail that lets them opt out automatically.  If and when you do receive opt-outs, OBEY THEM.  If you don't do this, you risk getting reported as a spammer.  If you do get reported and your e-mails get blocked, you won't be able to do business with anybody under that e-mail address.

For pictures, it's a good idea to LINK people to them or to send people to your website to see them instead of including them in the e-mail.  Large attachments in e-mails will make them download too slowly.  Don't forget.  There are still a lot of people in the USA who can not get DSL or cable internet.  At least 25% of the population still uses dial-up.  In some areas it can be even higher.  If your e-mails contain large images and they take too long to download...  CLICK!  They go in the trash!  They'll never be read!

If you want to include a SMALL picture that would be okay but it should be less than 100 or 200 kilobytes.  It takes about 5 to 7 minutes to download a megabyte via dialup.  100 kilobytes would take roughly 45 seconds to a minute to download.  That's about the limit of patience you can expect from your customers.

Most people are used to getting commercial e-mail, these days so they shouldn't get upset by receiving an occasional e-mail if it is polite, well written and doesn't take too long to download.   

My brother once hit two deer in the exact same spot within the same week.

It was the night before Thanksgiving, right in the middle of the rutting season.  He was on the way home from work, late at night, when the deer ran out in front of him.  There was no way to avoid it.  The deer died instantly and the entire front end of his car was smashed.  We called the game warden and the insurance company.  All the paperwork was done and the car went into the shop the following Monday.  He got a rental car while his car was being worked on.

It was the following Friday, the auto body shop called and told him his car was ready.  He was on his way home from work, driving the rental car.  Then he was going to return the rental and we would go pick up his car.  It was the exact same spot where another deer ran out and he smacked into it with the rental car!  Luckily, insurance covered the rental while his car was in the shop.

From this experience, I can tell you that insurance companies can not hold you at fault, surcharge you or drop your coverage for damage caused by deer or animals in the road unless it can be proved that it was willful or that you were grossly negligent.  If you tried to hit the deer or they can show that you were driving so fast that an accident was inevitable they can charge you.  But if you are driving down the road in the normal way, the law says that they can not hold it against you.

At least that's how it is in Pennsylvania.  I'm sure most states have similar rules.

If it is possible, you should pick up the deer and take the meat.  It's too bad that the deer had to die but it's also a shame to waste the meat.  That's why we called the game warden.  If the warden inspects the deer and gives the okay, you can butcher the deer.  (The warden needs to check the carcass to be sure you weren't poaching.)  Even if you don't eat game I'm sure there is somebody who will.  Even if your family or friends don't eat it you could eat least donate it to a food bank, a homeless shelter or a church.  Like I said, I feel bad that the deer was killed by a car like that but, if somebody eats the meat, some good can come out of it.

Besides, venison is often much better for you than most commercially produced meat.  There's a lot less fat in it and wild deer eat what animals SHOULD eat instead of chemically enhanced feeds with antibiotics and junk.  If it's prepared and cooked correctly it is perfectly safe to eat and the taste isn't really much different than meat that you eat every day.

That's not entirely true.

First off, it is customary to bargain for a better price on big-ticket purchases like cars, furniture and real estate.  It is common to bargain for services rendered such as general contracting or home repairs.  These customs often vary by geographical region.

If you go to a single proprietorship grocery store or restaurant in the southern U.S. you could bargain for a better price *IF* you know the custom for such a thing.  I, personally, have walked out of a small "mom and pop" restaurant in Chatham, Virginia paying $5.00 or $10.00 less than the prices listed on the menu simply because I was a good customer. 

There is a bar I used to frequent in Boston, Massachusetts where I regularly drank beer for free because I knew the custom:  First, always tip the bartender.  Then, second, when you are ready to pay up, put enough money down on the bar to cover your tab and say, "One for the road."  The bartender would pour you one last beer, take your money and charge you for one less beer than you drank.  It was all unspoken.

Yes, I agree with you in one respect.  It is not customary to ask for discounts at retail stores, supermarkets and nationally owned chain retailers.  In that case you will get turned down flat.  Sometimes, it won't be polite.

But, if you are talking about small businesses or proprietorships, it IS possible to bargain for a better price.  Small business owners often like to build goodwill with their customers.  That is often how they compete with other businesses.  They might not be able to compete on the advertised price but they can quietly offer their best customers small discounts in order to build a loyal customer base.

And finally, I have personally witnessed art sales which closed at far less than the posted asking price for the work.  I have seen a painting by Richard Anuskiewicz get sold for several thousand less than the posted asking price ($50,000) simply because the buyer talked to the artist and politely asked for a bargain.

As an artist, you have the right to decide whether you want to bargain on price or not.
You do not have to.  In some cases, it might not be right to offer a discount.  But, in other cases, it might be all right to offer a small discount (maybe 10%) if you think it will build goodwill with your customers.

On the other hand, if the customer is just trying to gyp you out of some money you would be right to turn him down.

Bottom line:  If you like the customer and you think it will build a little goodwill for your business, go ahead and offer a reasonable discount.  If you think the guy is just trying to get something for nothing then turn him down and don't feel bad about it.

I do need to qualify my example in respect to the goods being exchanged.  There is a difference between apples and an original work of art.

In both examples you consider cost of goods plus labor needed to produce the product but, with artworks you have to consider the artist's premium.

With apples, there is the cost of materials and labor needed to grow them and bring them to market.  The farmer also deserves a fair profit for his time and trouble but it would be rare to charge extra just for the privilege of having an apple from "Farmer Brown."

If you were buying a painting or a photograph, there is also the cost of materials and labor used to create the painting but there is also an extra premium just for the privilege of having a painting created by a given artist.  A painting by a first year art student might have the exact same cost of materials as a painting painted by an old master and they might also spend the exact same amount of time painting it but you would not expect the art student's painting to sell for the same price as the master's.  A Picasso sells for millions of dollars just because it was made by Picasso.

Bears are the same in that respect.  It could cost the exact same amount for me to make a Bear as any one of you master Bearmakers.  We could spend the exact same amount of time to make it and they could be virtually identical in style and quality but I would NOT expect my Bear to bring the same price as an established master.  I just can't demand that kind of premium unless and until I am able to establish myself as a Bearmaker.

So, *IF* you decide to bargain with a buyer it is fair for you to demand a premium just for the privilege of adopting one of your Bears.  It is up to you... and SOLELY up to you... to decide whether to demand a premium and how much that should be.

How much does it cost you in materials to make a Bear?
How many hours does it take?  What do you value your time at?  $10.00 per hour?  $20.00 per hour?
Add on a fair amount of profit.  Then, from there, decide whether to adjust that figure based on whether you think you can demand a premium price for your art.  When you get that figure in mind, decide on whether you are willing to bargain from that price.

Maybe you are not willing to bargain.  That's your right.  There's nothing wrong with that.
But, if you are willing to bargain, come up with a bottom-line price below which you will not accept a deal.  Stick to that price.

It is NOT fair for somebody to expect you to go below your bottom-line price.  If somebody tries to fault you for it, you can just tell them to take a hike!

However, if you ARE willing to bargain, go right ahead and ask the other guy for an offer.  Be prepared to make a counter offer.  Don't be afraid to go back and forth a couple of times until you can agree on a price.  If the two of you can not come to an agreement, don't feel bad if you have to walk away from the deal.  That's just business.  There's nothing personal.

Most people who bargain with merchants or sellers should not be offended if they don't get the low price they wanted.  It's often more about the deal than it is the price.  As long as you bargain fairly and in good faith, nobody should fault you for not making a deal.  That goes both ways.  The buyer should ALSO bargain in good faith.  He shouldn't be upset if he can't make a deal either.

Again, it's all just business.  Nothing personal.  Right?   

Just a suggestion...
You might not be willing to bargain on the adoption fee for your Bear but there is certainly room to do some reasonable bargaining on postage.
If the postage is not too expensive you could offer to pay for the postage if the seller pays your asking price for the Bear.

Assuming the Bear is being adopted to some place where it is not expensive to ship, it is not unreasonable for a person to ask for a discount equal to the shipping.

You are never obliged to discount your adoption fees but these are just some things to think about.

The customer certainly has the right to ask you to bargain with him but you are not obliged to sell your merchandise below what you consider to be a fair price.

Don't forget that many other cultures consider bargaining a normal practice.  When I traveled to Europe right after graduating high school I discovered that there are some places where bargaining is not only accepted practice but it is even expected.

It was not uncommon, in my experience, to find goods priced higher than anybody would normally pay because the merchant expected people to bargain with him.  If he was selling apples, for instance, they might be priced at $1.00 each.  That's a crazy price!  But if you made him an offer on a dozen apples he would probably take any reasonable price you offered.  You might walk away with a dozen apples for $6.00 or even less if you bought other things besides apples, too.

The bottom line is that you shouldn't feel insulted because somebody is asking for a lower price.  If you feel like bargaining with a customer it is perfectly all right to do it.  But you should NOT feel obliged to bargain with a customer if you don't want to.