Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I'd second the suggestion to get your hands on some guides.  The Lonely Planet series is really good - tells you things straight and gives suggestions for off the beaten track kind of stuff (for instance, we found a medical specimin museum on the outskirts of Amsterdam, courtesy of L P - your kids would have loved it!!).  You can pick them up second hand or maybe even your local library.

Have a fantastic trip - and bring back lots of pictures!!!
Chrisx

Thank you so much, guys!
My mom-in-law knits the hats for me - she adores knitting and always has little scraps of wool lying around that aren't big enough to make into anything... until now!    I will bring some hats to Stratford, as I have lots of spares.
Hugs,
Chrisx

Aww, shucks - thanks, Vicki!!
Hugs,
Chrisx

Hi everybody,
I would like to introduce you to Julius - he will be going to Stratford in a couple of weeks' time for the Teddy Bear Artist Event 2008.  If the weather is anything like the way it is this weekend (cold, wet), he will be jolly glad of his hat!!

I have put more details and pictures in my Etsy shop, along with a few pieces of my hand-cast jewellery and some handmade journals.  What doesn't sell there will also be going to Stratford.  Please take a look here: www.EnglishEccentric.etsy.com

Hugs,
Chris

PS My special shop signing at Abracadabra is two weeks after Stratford, so I am stitching away like a madwoman!!!

Hi Guys,
Well, it's a little embarassing to note that I last said I was going to put up some things for sale in my Etsy shop on April 28th - eek!!
However, I have finally got around to putting up some of my handmade items - I have some jewellery and some handmade journals; all with a bear theme, of course!    
And I have also unveiled a very important bear - his name is Julius and he is the latest of my character bears, made using my direct sculpt method.

Please take a look at my items and feel free to ask any questions.  My shop is: www.EnglishEccentric.etsy.com

Hugs,
Chrisx

Crikey,
You all make me very glad that I live in boring old Blighty - the next time my mum calls me to moan about the badger digging up her lawn, I shall relay to her all your hideous tales of dangerous and exotic wildlife!!

Hugs,
Chris

Ah yes - well, Switzerland is definitely a law unto itself!

Regarding Mark's shows - yes, I have done his Christmas show in Toronto a few years back and had a fabulous time - it was also the first time I met the Bear Guys (more fabulousness, naturally!!).  When I posted the question about the stuffing license, it was really because I would love to go back to Toronto and do another one of his shows.  He and Susan do a great job and I know his shows are popular.  Maybe one day I will get to do Hunt Valley too...

Hugs,
Christine

Hi Guys,
You are so kind and helpful - thank you SO much!    I will see what the woman at the TSSA says and then decide on the best course of action.

Louise - are there any shows in your area??
Brenda - I have not heard of David Hogenson; I will have to google him!!
Hugs,
Chrisx

Goodness me, it does seem to be a minefield!!  And Brenda has a good point - what if your 'stuffed article' is too small for a label, given that they have to be a specific size??  By the end of yesterday I was bouncing off the ceiling with frustration, so my (calm and rational) husband called them and explained our situation.  The lady he spoke to agreed that it seemed pretty draconian that I would have to register as a manufacturer and she gave him the e-mail address of someone higher up in the organisation.  We are waiting for a reply.
In the meantime, I guess I could say that I was only going to sell wholesale - I think you only need the license if you are selling retail.  Or claim the bears are samples and not for sale on the day.  There has to be a way around this nutty legislation!!
Hugs,
Chris

I agree - thanks for the link, I will check it out!
Hugs,
Chrisx

I know - we all look and sound alike, it's hard to tell us apart!

Well, I guess I should stop talking about it and actually put SOMETHING in my Etsy shop!!!  I do have a couple of pendants and some handmade books that are ready to go so I will make a concerted effort this weekend to get some stuff on there.

Thanks, Shell, for all the great selling tips!!
Hugs,
Chrisx

Really???  On the TSSA website it looks like SUCH a big deal.  It does seem ludicrous that I should get hammered for $400 just because I don't live in Ontario.  The insane part is that I can legally sell and ship a bear to a collector in Ontario without having a stuffing license.  Sheesh - and I thought our government was the worst for pointless and expensive legislation - I can't even blame the EU for this one!! 

I am sure it wasn't meant to catch people like me - I guess it's the law of unintended consequences...

Oh well, let's see what the Head Honcho at TSSA says when she e-mails me back.

Thanks all you guys!!
Chrisx

Thanks Brenda - much appreciated!!

Unfortunately, I have just received a response to an e-mail I sent to the woman at the TSSA and she has said that the hobbyist category only applys to Ontario residents and that I would have to apply as a manufacturer - for $400!!!!!!!!!
This is not going to happen, so I guess I won't be looking to do any shows in Canada any time soon  

Before I write off the idea completely, my husband has got hold of ther contact details for someone higher up in the organisation, so maybe she can help...

Hugs,
Chrisx

Hi Shelli,
I hoped you would jump in as you are the Etsy Queen!
Great overview of what Etsy can do if you approach it in the right way.  I must, must get around to putting some things in my shop!!  I think you are right about lower priced items being more likely to sell.  Also, I have a feeling that a person will do better if they have several things for sale at any one time, and also make regular additions of new stock.  But Shelli has a point that it is a great shop front and might be a way to get your bears out to a wider audience - best to have some smaller, less expensive things in your shop as well though, I think.
Hugs,
Chris

Hi guys,
I'm hoping some of you might be able to help me out here:
If I want to come over to Canada and do a show in Ontario - what IS it with this new stuffing labelling???  Clearly, I would fall into the hobbyist/homeworker category, by the govt definition, but you have to be a Toronto resident to apply.  Surely I wouldn't have to apply as a manufacturer and stump up $400??????

I even e-mailed the woman in charge - who must think me very stupid because she just posted a link to all the info I had already got from the website, doh!  The nub of it is, is that there doesn't seem to be a category for overseas hobbyists.  Is there any way around this??

You can pm or e-mail me privately if you prefer me not to bore the pants off everyone else with the minutiae of government regulation!

Thanks!!
Chrisx

Hi Daphne,
All great suggestions - especially about using the local press, as they are always up for a light-hearted, quirky story.  So, if you can find an angle, contact your newspaper/radio or tv station, etc.  Could you haul in a local celebrity to open the show or present an award??  (Thinking off the top of my head here!). 

The thing about the general public is that, unless they know about artist bears, they are going to see teddies in terms of children's toys so may be a bit mystified as to what an artist bear show actually is.  You may be better off pushing the 'art' angle - could you put up flyers in local galleries, for instance?  Think of where your likely potential collector base might hang out and advertise there - local coffee shop, wine bar, bookstore?  Maybe the local library might be a possibility - loan them a bear or two for an eye-catching display, with your show and contact details in a prominent place.  But don't target the children's section, as I think thay would probably be a waste of time.

Being logical and hard-headed, you need to get as much of the right kind of publicity, in the right places, as you can - preferably for free, or for a small donation.  Whether that be a donation of a bear, reciprical advertising, or hard cash, will depend on the circumstance, I guess.  Oh, and what about other fairs - swap meets, antique fairs, craft shows?  They may have a policy of allowing you to put out flyers for your show for a small fee - at least you would be reaching the kind of people who collect things and understand the concept of specialist shows.

Could you offer to give talks to local groups?  I do this from time to time (although I am not sure it has raised teddy bear consciousness yet!!).

Well, I hope this helps - I feel quite fired up myself, now!
Hugs,
Chris

Hi Aleta,
Someone else asked the same question in another group, so you're not alone!!  I have an Etsy shop but haven't even put anything in it yet... but my husband has one too, for his prints.  He sold two in the first week - and then nothing for months.  I hear the same from other people, ie that they are not really selling anything.  I also hear that the best way to maximise your chances of a sale is to get involved with the Etsy community.  I am not even sure what this means  , but certainly, just sticking your work on there and hoping someone will wander in and buy probably isn't going to happen.  Unfortunaley, I just don't have the time to get embedded with all the STUFF that goes on there and find a lot of it quite confusing.  (That's probably a generational thing!).  I will certainly give it a try - but I really prefer selling the good old fashioned way - at a show, where you can meet people face to face.

Sorry I can't be more upbeat at present - maybe others will have better stories to tell?
Hugs,
Chris

I'll be there - I am hoping to put up some preview pictures of some of my bears later this week.  We shall be doing the show in a day, so no chance for any sightseeing - but maybe next year??...

I am sure it will be a great show - there is a fantastic lineup of artists and Samantha has worked so hard to make it a success.  For those of you who are coming - don't forget about the charity auction and please bid generously, especially on my bear   as all the proceeds are going to the British Heart Foundation!!  There is a picture of Marmaduke on my front page and he is featured in the current issue of Teddy Bear Scene magazine.
Hugs,
Chris

Connie, I LOVE them!!!
Sometimes coloured eyes can look a little 'starey' and jump out at you, but the way you have shaded the faces makes them look natural - a wonderful job!!!! :clap:
Hugs,
Christine

Umm.... retire to a shed in the garden??  Other than that, I think it's a bit like having pets - you just get used to hair with everything!
Chrisx

Hi all,
I do take cheques, especially at shows, since I no longer have a merchant agreement so can only take cards through PayPal (it got too expensive, I wasn't covered for show transactions anyway, and all my overseas transactions were getting regularly declined post 9/11).  Anyway, I have been very fortunate in that I have not had anyone bounce a cheque on me - yet!  I guess there will always be a first time, but, if it happens, I shan't hesitate in putting matters into the hands of a debt collector!  I only ever had to do this once, and that was over a magazine article that I didn't get paid for... one sight of 'Razors Frazer' (as I fondly nicknamed the guy), and the editor paid up pretty fast!

BTW - It wasn't a teddy bear magazine!!

Congratulations, Tina!! :clap:
You will have a wonderful time, I'm sure.  See you there!!!
Bear hugs,
Christine

You are SO right, Brenda!!!  My husband wanted to buy a quantity of blank dog tags from the US and was quoted 70 bucks for shipping!!!  We just assumed it was a polite way of the guy telling us to go shove our business as he didn't want to ship outside the USA... 
I am getting a wee bit fed up with it though as it seems to be only US sellers doing this: I ordered some BJD parts from Singapore and I am only being charged $12 for shipping, which includes a tracking number.
Hugs,
Christine

Oh my goodness!!!!!  Not sure I could handle that - now I feel very lucky that the worst thing I have to cope with is moles digging up my lawn!
Hugs,
Christine

Hi Ginger,
I have a shop but mine is empty too, at the moment - I'm working on it, though and should have some pieces up by next week.  Mine is: www.EnglishEccentric.etsy.com

Hugs,
Chris