Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Oh Jane, that is just horrible - how did they expect you to get better putting you in a ward like that - especially if stress makes asthma worse!! You have every right to complain! Sounds like you will be much better off at home and I hope you have a very speedy recovery!

I like that idea of the note to Customs, Laura - on the few occasions when they will see it at least they will know you are trying to be helpful!

Chrissi, I've never done anything different with mailing internationally than normal - other than filling out the customs form of course, but my bears are minis and I usually only use polyfil for stuffing.  I think the main thing to worry about is if you  have steel or shot in the stuffing and then Customs might wonder what it is so that should be stated on the customs form under item description. I had a mail lady once tell me not to put "bear" in the description as that might make it go missing so now I just put "miniature collectible toy" or "stuffed toy" if it is a bit bigger bear. Customs doesn't open all packages (that would take them forever!!) just random ones (I presume!) or any that look suspicious for any reason.

Wow, I haven't even heard of half of these movies! I really do need to get out more! 
My favorites are:
Bridges of Madison County
O Brother Where Art Thou
Fitzcaraldo
All the Harry Potter movies

Happy Thanksgiving fellow Canadians! We're having our turkey tomorrow (Sunday) but have been eating WELL all weekend with our daughter down visiting - so I am already STUFFED - 

What an incredible story Eileen - I hadn't heard about Daisy before! That is just so moving and inspiring - too bad people couldn't be more like dogs!

Congratulations, Sophie!!!!

Way to go, Jane!!!! Congratulations, you deserved to win with such a great entry!

Oh Judi, how wonderful to hear that you little dog is going to be okay! What a time you have had lately - sure hope things are looking up from here!

Oh Shelli, I feel for you - this all of our worst nightmare!  But as so many others have said there is a good chance he will turn up yet. There are just so many ways that things could have gotten screwed up and they do have a habit of turning up somewhere more often than not - I am sure we could collectively write a book on things the post office as done! Sending good vibes your way that "Sprite" will be located soon!

Wow, that is great news, Peta! Congratulations! - and now I see why the "but scary part" too!!! - this could send your life in a whole new direction, and I am sure a wonderful one!

Fingers and toes all crossed, Daphne! I'm sure none of the others worked out cuz he was meant to have this one!

Definitely summer!!!! It is so wonderful here where I live in the summertime with the river running through our property and we can swim and play in it when it is hot. We always get lots of visitors in the summertime too.

Although autumn is beautiful, I can't get round the fact that that means winter is on it's way (and some years we even get snow in September so just never know if you are going to have autumn or winter in the fall months!) and I really do not like winter because of having to drive on icy roads and perhaps get caught in blizzards (which has happened a few times and I think traumatized me!) Spring here is usually more like winter than winter is  - often we get our worst snow storms in March to May when it should be turning to nice weather and the last few years all it does is rain in June - so SUMMER is it for me!

I saw this on the news last night and just cannot comprehend what is happening in our world. It is just so sad.
Also, best wishes to your husband, Deb, and I hope he recovers quickly.

Gorgeous rainbows, Kim and Shantelle! Here's a couple from my house - the first adds a whole new meaning to "fall rainbows" - 

I've never put a return policy on my ebay auctions, Chrissi, but neither have I said that all sales are final and if anyone ever did buy one of my bears and then emailed to say they weren't happy with it for any reason then I would give them a refund as I wouldn't want anyone to regret buying my bear. I feel my bears are quality work so I am willing to stand behind that. In the 4 years I have been selling on ebay I have never had anyone say they were not happy with my bears so it has not been an issue - now there is no way of knowing if I did have a return policy if anyone would have asked to return a bear but I think even without the return policy if anyone had gotten a bear that they felt didn't live up to the photos, description, and their expectations they would likely have contacted me.

As a buyer I don't really think a return policy means that much to me - if I like what I see I bid on it and if I get the item and feel it has been misrepresented then I contact the seller and tell them how I feel, whether or not they have a return policy, and depending on their reaction to my comments I decide whether or not I would ever buy from that person again.

OOH, neat idea Patty, but I imagine it would be too expensive to do individual artists logos on shirts and to fit all the artists bears on one shirt would likely have to be an awfully BIG shirt -

Individual artists could do their own shirts though if they had enough customers wanting them. I did T-shirts with pictures of my bears, from drawings, a few years back when my daughter was working at a T-shirt printing place, but generally you would need to have quite a large order for it to be economical.

VERY impressive work!!! And Renae, you certainly don't need to slink away - your dragon is great!

Wow, GREAT bears everyone (oops! not just bears - racoon and tiger too!!!)- it is neat to see all these wonderful winners! I was going to post this at the start of my last message but since the words appeared under MY photos - it looked like I was tooting my own horn instead - 

Here are a couple of my "winners".
"Binkie and his Bear" was my first Toby nomination, and winner in 1995. I even got to go to the Toby awards banquet in DisneyWorld, Florida for the presentation and had to make a speech in front of a gazillion people - it was wonderful!!!

Old Father Christmas, 22",  was a Golden Teddy Nominee in 2000.

After reading the posts on the Lincoln City show, I decided to add one more - my "Vanessa, the Bear Collector" won "Best of Show" at the Lincoln City show in Oregon in 2000 - totally unexpected and such a thrill! ( No wonder I loved the show and can't wait to go back!!  )

P.S. How do you get the words to appear under each photo - or before the photos - mine always end up at the end of all the pictures and I can't see any way to change it - if anyone can help please PM me so as not to disrupt this thread - thanks!

Oh, I'm so envious! I did the Lincoln City show once a few years ago and had a ball! That's one of my favourite places to go for a nice relaxing holiday too! Maybe one of these years I'll get back there - and it would have been so nice to meet the other TT'ers going too!

Havea great wedding, Heather and enjoy your holiday!!!

Congratulations, Nancy, that is VERY exciting for you! Can't wait to see the issue.

Hi Brenda,
Nice to see you on here again! Hope you get it all organized soon!

Well, Bobbie, I don't know how that lady could speak for all of Canada like that - if she did a poll I wasn't included -  I don't think there is any such thing as expecting to get something at a set percentage on ebay - it really does depend on how available the item is and how many people want it at that particular time. Anyone selling on ebay is entitled to ask what they want for an item. Don't let her intimidate you!