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Posts: 1,836"heavy" "weighted" "rock hard" ...is there a reason behind weighting a teddy bear or making it heavy? I remember reading a topic where it was thought that artists bear were "suppose to be" heavy or stuffed hard. Is this the standard that collectors and artist expect of bears or is it a artistic choice at this point?
If a bear doesn't need heavy weighting in order to stand, if it's a seated bear that doesn't "need" extra weighting in order to sit, is it still the thing to do?? Is it considered a lesser quality if it's not weighted??
I know what I like myself, but I'm wondering what others think.
:hug:
~Chrissi
Past Time BearsI just like the way a heavier bear feels.
Newcastle, OntarioMe too, Sue Ann! It just feels right in my hand. Some of my bears are so small, they would blow away without weight in them.
hugs,
Brenda
BrisbaneMe too I find that the smaller bears tend to topple over is they are not weighted...other than that I just like the way it feels!!! (very technical I know 
)
Delartful BearsMy bears are stuffed quite firmly - some would say hard. They are also very heavy. Personally I think they feel like better quality- I'm not sure why.
It also works well, heavy little bears, which are fat - I think it's effective.
Danni
PaI like hard stuffed, heavy bears too, I really don't know why, guess I started making them heavier when I wanted them to stand, and I always stuffed hard because I thought they would stay nicer over time. I recently bought soft soft pellets though, and have been toying with making squishy, floppy bear - so I guess I'm not really much help! lol
Kathleen
Posts: 1,836My mini's are always weighted...I liked that it gives them substance when being held, they're so small 
.....and it assisted them in posing,etc. But for larger bears I'm wondering if it's just preference. I have a few bears nows in my collection and it seems half are "heavy" and half just are not....well filled and wonderful to the touch yes, heavy no. Visibly they're all fantastic artisan bears (from very well known and respected artists) and I think they're all made to perfection, although different.
So if you saw a bear and feel in love and then got to hold it (before or after purchase) and it wasn't weighted or heavy...would you feel the quality was lacking? Would it or would it really not be a factor??
:hug:
~Chrissi
Sunnie BearsI also like mine heavy. I have had collectors email and ask about a particular bear, saying they like them heavy as well. So I guess I do what the collectors tell me they like
Sonya
I personally don't mind about weight, but I know it matters to a lot of people.
I personally don't weight my minis because I like to thread joint them. I once tried steel shot in a bear with thread joints, and the steel shot rubbed away at the the thread running through the bear, and it broke, within days. Since that first try, I have never combined thread-jointing and weighting. I want my bears to last!!
Swan Valley BearsI like mine a little heavy too. It seems to make them more substantial. I stuff mine pretty hard too, but don't you have to stuff pretty firmly to get the shape the way you want it?
I..... I once tried steel shot in a bear with thread joints, and the steel shot rubbed away at the the thread running through the bear, and it broke, within days.....
Samantha that is a VERY good point!!! I would not have thought of that! Mine aren't really small enough to thread joint yet... but I've considered it for future smaller bears. Now I know if I do thread joint... only weight the feet!!
Oh... I weight my bears just because as a collector I like heavy bears. I think it's just personal preference.
Little Bear GuyWe always use to put steel shot in our bears, but not a lot of it. A good friend of ours and a huge collector of teddy bears asked us one time if we could take some criticism, well of course we said yes feeling anything he had to say about our bears would only make them better. He commented that our bears had no "SOUL" they were to light and needed more weight. He felt that a bear that was to light didn't have a soul to it and he doesn't buy bears that dont' have a soul.
Well after that we started weighting our bears a lot more, our bears are usually very heavy and the one you in our avatar weighs at least 6lbs if not a little more (he's roughly 18" in height). Majority of our bears are heavy, even our mini bears. Now Samantha I know you talked about string jointing your bears and having a problem with the steel shot rubbing against the thread and breaking it, instead of putting the shot in the body put the shot in the hands and feet of the bears, gives them a nice weight and won't interfere with the string jointing.
I like picking up a bear and being surprised at their weight, someone in Schaumburgh had some small bears maybe around 5" and I was really shocked at how heavy they were and I loved it. We stuff our bears very firm all over, again our avatar bear his arms were not stuffed so hard as he does have loc line in his arms for possibility.
IT's a preference I think and will vary between artist and collector, when dealing with a collector over the internet we do advise them that the bears are heavy and firmly stuffed, some collectors don't like that so it's best to tell them ahead of time.
big hugs
Shane
LuxembearsI think it is a matter of personal taste. Froam my experience most people like a bit of 'heft' to a bear. I have had collectors that have requested bear both ways, weighted and non-weigthed. I agree that they sure feel more substantial and sit more solidly when weighted but I myself like to take a bear along in my purse or bag and in my car when I go anywhere and I like bears that are not wieghted...even though most of what I make are weighted.
I really don't think there is a right or wrong answer. The end result of an artist bear is ...well...up to the individual artist. 
Wild Thyme OriginalsI like to weight my large mohair bears, simply because I feel that when you pick them up they should "feel" like there is "flesh and bone" in there... not just polyester fiberfill. They should feel as heavy as a small animal with slight build, that would be about the same size.
Even though I was pretty little, I do remember how disappointing it was to discover that my favorite stuffies were filled with "cotton." What a let down! 
To me... a bit of extra weight gives the impression that there is a remote possibility that maybe, just maybe, when you are not looking.... 
I often weight my minis just a touch too... in the wrist, ankle area and/or in a tiny pouch that remains in the waist area, so that the string jointing doesn't become abraded.
Kim Basta
Strange BearsBeing around for many years.....I can remember the first discussion about weighted bear.
The first discussion went something like this..............it's like picking up a a puppy or kitten .......you pick up the size and weight and it has an imstant appeal.....unlike woodwool ot polyfill that has no weight and therefore there is no "real" feeling to picking up a baby animal.
This is obviously some years ago but I do feel that the subconscious does associate weight to being "alive" or "real". As so many of us associate real feeling and personalities to our bears a "real" weight just adds to it........and for the collectors.
Well ......that;s my take on weight.
Pumpkin & Pickle BearsI completely agree with Kim. I like my bears to feel as if they are real when I hold them so I always weight them. As a collector I always prefer bears that are weighted - the heavier the better!
I do stuff my bears firmly and i think that is just because I want them to last....we all know from looking at Antique bears that their stuffing tends to break down over time and I'd like to think that because mine are firmly stuffed that are less likely to get hollow areas within the body/limb cavities in years to come.
Melbourne, AustraliaAs a collector: I prefer a bear with some substance.
As an artist: I am a firm stuffer and even though the bears designed to stand do stand on their own, I still love adding a little weight to my bears (preferably glass beads).
Bears by EdieInteresting topic - and I am on the other side of the fence from most! I still remember years ago agonizing over buying an artist bear that I fell in love with that was designed to look like an antique bear and I KNEW I had to have it the second I saw it! And then I picked it up! It was weighted with steel shot and was very heavy! That, to me was just SO WRONG for an antique-looking bear that should have been light with excelsior stuffing. I so nearly didn't buy the bear just because of that but every time I set him back I just couldn't walk away so finally bought him anyway and now since he sits in a glass case and I so rarely take him out it doesn't bother me and I am very glad that I bought him as he is still one of my favourites.
I make mostly string jointed minis so I don't weight them - unless the feet if they have to stand, or in the bum on some sitting ones. I have had people email regarding a particular bear and ask if it is weighted and when they find out not they have said they would have bought it if it had been so I guess I have lost out on some sales from not weighting them. I just don't personally see any point in weighting them if it isn't for a reason. I did however weight my later larger bears as I stuffed mostly with plastic pellets - but that WAS for a reason - after I got tendonitis in both arms I could not longer stuff bears as firmly as I liked so then just stuffed the heads firm (as necessary to keep the shape) and pellet filled the rest as it was so much easier on my arms. Most of my minis are stuffed fairly firmly but that I could manage because of the size.
I really like variety in bears and would now never restrict myself from buying something because of how it is stuffed or what is made from - it would the final finished look that would be all important and mostly the appeal of the bear's face. Which reminds me of another artist bear that I bought that again I almost didn't as it didn't have foot pads. The face was incredible but it bothered me that it didn't have foot pads - until I checked out all the other bears on the artist's table and realized that she was NOT good at putting in foot pads - they were all very crooked and lopsided. Instantly I decided the footpadless one was the one for me as crooked footpads I could NOT live with no matter how cute the face!
Anyway, back to the topic I do think it is a matter of personal preference for both the artist and collector and I think we should not get stuck in a rut of always doing the same thing and maybe occasionally try other ways too! I really DO feel that weighting just suits certain bears and doesn't suit others so it is perhaps something we should be flexible on - both as artists and collectors!
Burlison BearsI make sure my minis are heavy. I put lots of steel shot in the majority of them, probably more than most people would. I have had compliments on their heavy weight. To me it makes them feel more real. And it helps keep them stable while sitting without falling over, and also some of them I can get to stand with steel shot in just the right places. Miniatures should definitely be weighted in my opinion. Bigger bears...it's just preference. I love the weight in big bears too, but sometimes would want something soft and cuddly for bedtime.
-Eliza
Posts: 8,574I like to weigh down with glass bear feet and flat footed dolls to help them balance better when standing on their own.
However with the en-point ballerinas I stuff as firmly as I can but it is still not as hard as i would like-so am switching to kapok-its an ankle thing, ballerinas with weak ankles just don't cut it now do they....
Also some gollies have been made specifically to sit on ledges and i weighted their bottoms with steel shot so they wouldn't fall.....
don't want any Humpty-dumpty type accidents......
Flying Fur StudiosI like mine heavy.
I guess the reason I like to weigh them so much is I love the reaction when someone who has never seen an artist bear before picks up one of my teddies and they ALWAYS comment on the weight. It's at that point they seem to understand it's just not a regular teddy bear.
As a collector I don't think I would care so much, but that's the nice thing about going to a bear show because you can really pick them up and feel them. Tough to tell when buying off the internet.
Laurie Lou BearsI like my bears to have a little bit of weight with steel shot but what has influenced how much is that I have sold a lot of bears through e bay so they need to be posted and quite a few have gone overseas and I like to limit the amount of steel shot I use as it can make the postage so expensive.
If I am buying a bear I like a bit of weight but it wouldn't be the deciding factor in buying that bear as the overall appeal is more important to me.
Laurie :hug:
I think maybe heavier bears are designed to subconsciously bring out the 'mothering' instinct in collectors! There's something reminiscent of picking up a toddler when cradling a bear ...
Pumpkin & Pickle BearsPaula said:
There's something reminiscent of picking up a toddler when cradling a bear ...
And your bears do exactly that Paula! I just love picking up Dilly-Dally as his weight makes him feel so real - I love it!
Very interesting subject.....certainly has a lot of "weight" to it! :crackup: Being on the other side from most of you, I have to add my 2 cents worth. Personally, I do not like weighted bears......I like my bears to be soft and cuddly. Each of the bears I make has it's own personality brought out by their face, positions, color, etc. I have a few weighted bears, and they tend to just sit on the shelf, the other bears get picked up and hugged (they all get talked to) :hug:
Ellen
