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Hello everyone!
Could you please help me identify this old teddy bear?
Here are some details: It is fully jointed, has no label or button. It has real fur, leather pads, and leather inside of ears. No claws. Soft stuffing in the body and limbs and harder stuffing of the head. It has gorgeous, large hand blown glass almond shaped eyes with brown iris, dark brown pupil, and white corners. Short arms and legs, short nose, with no nose stitching.
Any help in identifying him would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
Past Time BearsTo me, Diana, it looks possibly like a home-made bear. The seams appear to be a bit crooked and the design doesn't look like any manufacturer that I recognize. Just my observation.
PennsylvaniaA lot of furriers make Bears and other animals out of leftover fur scraps from garment production.
Go to any fur salon and you're likely to find at least one fur Teddy Bear.
They are usually made by the workers in the shop on an ad-hoc basis.
Bear making and garment making are similar enough that a person skilled in one craft can make things from the other craft but this is the reason why you might find your Bear to be a little out of proportion or lopsided. Garment makers just don't have the experience to make a "perfect" looking Bear.
(Then, again, a Bearmaker probably wouldn't have the experience to make a "perfect" looking fur coat. 
)
He's a very nice looking and well made Bear but, unless you can trace him back to a particular furrier, you might not be able to get much information on who his maker is.
How did you come to have this Bear?
Was he passed through family or friends?
If somebody in your family or circle of friends is known to have bought fur goods from a local furrier, it might be possible to trace his provenance that way.
A good, traditional furrier who makes his own goods will be able to recognize his own work just by the stitching and other small details.
Based on the photos, it looks like shearling sheepskin rather than mink, rabbit, etc. Many shearling bears were made in Australia, I believe. (And as Sue Ann and Us Bears both mention - probably not by a major manufacturer.)
Becky
Thank you all for taking the time to share your thoughts on this.
Unfortunately I do not have enough information about the bear to be able to trace him back to a particular furrier. I've bought it about 2 months ago from an op shop, and all I know about him is that he's coming from Germany or Austria.
Posts: 298He's SO sweet! Reminds me of a dark Pooh in shape. 
