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KiddoBearsHi everyone! I need your expert advise on this.
For all who have sold to serious Teddy collectors. I was just wondering if any one knows if they mainly look for a just one pattern bears or different pattern bears? What do Teddy Collectors or Buyers look for in your Bears? Besides workmanship and over all appearance and trademark.
I have never sold a bear to a collector yet. I will never forget My first bear was sold to a little girl in 2005 in my first San Diego Show. Since then not one have I sold.
All my bears are totally different from one another and I just love experimenting when I am working with them.
BUt! my family tell me I should stick to one pattern so I can get known toward that type of bear. So collectors can recognize my style and trademark.
So I am undecided and in dilema weather to stop working the way i am and make a transitiion to a single pattern.
I tell them I will stick to a specific pattern toward an edition or series bears when I start making them. I think my box bears I would consider them series. For now I am just making and making and what comes out comes out. But since the IDEX show I have stopped making any. I have too many 
Even though I have been making for a long time its not easy for me to be where I want to be, Since I am not known as a bear artist like all of you here in the forum. I started reading learning in the Edingburgh forum and now here.
Am I wrong working and thinking this way? I hope I made myself understand. :hug: I am not getting any younger and I strive to leave a known bear artist name for my grandchildern & family to feel proud of me. Any input on this will help lot of :hug: s
Posts: 3,540More experienced bear makers will pipe up and add their far better advice on this than me.
I have sold my bears, quite a few of them, but not a ton of them since I started in 2001. For me, my bears always sell better in person, and most definitely when in the person's hand, as I work with real fur bears. I've taken on sage advice from many members on here, and have over the years improved my photography (though it still leaves much to be desired!), and have sold from just photos expressing my bear's personalities as well.
Overall, when I first started, you could say my bears were 'cookie cutter' in that I stuck to only one or two patterns, trying them in different furs, or with different combinations of ultrasuede for pawpads. With each bear I paid particular attention to detail and always strove to improve on each and every single one. I tend to be a perfectionist, and my own worst critic with all my art. Things I found as 'flaws' others never saw.
I remember a bear artist next to me at a show commenting in laughing and passing comment how some bear makers thought they were bear artists because each of their bears looked the same. LOL, and then I dragged out my bears to plonk next to her very artistic, and highly beautiful bears....each one totally different from the next. We ended up selling the same amount of bears at the show. I wasn't smug, distraught, overjoyed, or really any emotion. It was a fun day at the show, I had a lot of fun chatting with people, and I didn't care a fig so long as I sold hopefully one bear to cover expenses of me being there.
Since then I've worked with smaller bears, taken up jointed bears (kicking and screaming the whole way because my first bears were large and non jointed for the highest possible hugging potential). And since doing the jointed bears, I've started tweaking my patterns with just about every bear because I'm tired of seeing the same ones. They still have the 'healing potential' that I've always aimed for with any of my bears, but my heart still lies in my dusty patterns, my non jointed teds that still give the best hugs, and have been reported to be my best healing bears. :rose:
I will say that I was told by someone who sold jewelry, the best way to sell something ~ is to pretend that you don't need the sale/money. Hard to put into practice, but I do have to say when I've had this attitude, its been the best for selling my bears. 
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)I think that as one refines their skills, the 'look' that is associated with an individual comes from the set of the eyes & ears, nose style, limb placements, etc, so one could presumably be making 100 entirely new patterns and almost every bear/animal will be familiar-looking.
Case in point: the URSAs just posted. The 3 images were first and then the artists' names.
I started to 'keep score' in a game with myself: I recognized the work before seeing the name 90 - 95% f the time. And these were all new designs.
It's the WAY we work that makes our work identifiable. I'd be bored silly and would've quit within a year (17 years ago!!) if I had to keep using the same pattern.
the best way to sell something ~ is to pretend that you don't need the sale/money.
I've found this to be VERY true - geographically. In the very tony North Shore (Chicago) suburbs, you sold best (I had a custom knitwear business through the 80s) as did many others not from that area, when we appeared to be dilettantes...
Said off-handedly to someone admiring your work, after oh-so-carefully choosing the artfully casual attire for the show,
"Oh, this little thing? Thx. Such a fun ______ to play with (read: design, source materials, create, schlepp out to the shows.......)"
Bears by EdieMary, I have been making bears for 20 years and have continually designed new patterns right from the start. In the beginning I did do limited editions but now I pretty much only do one of a kinds as I find it much more interesting and satisfying. People always seem to recognize my bears though - even though I am using different patterns and always experimenting with designs there are certain things that just follow through from bear to bear and you will find that happens for you as well the more bears you make. I would say definitely DON'T stick to using just one pattern - you will be bored to tears!!! Try to get your bears shown in magazines or list them on bid4bears or ebay - even if it is just for the exposure.
Little Bear GuyI have to agree with what Bobbie said, it comes down to finding your style and it could be anything from eyes or size of feet or ear placement. I find it funny that people can look at a bear and know it's one of ours, I didn't realize that we even really had a style until people started telling us that they could pick out our bears so easily.
We sell to some high end collectors and most of them aren't always stuck on one style or design, I know some collectors will only buy a traditional style bear while others will buy traditional and contemporary. It really depends on the collector, I'm not a traditional style of bear collector but that's not say I would never buy one I see lots that grab my attention but that's usually when I don't have the money to buy it 
.
Just keep working at it and your style will just emerge and you won't even realize it. Don't stick with one pattern just keep doing what you do.
big hugs
Shane
Melbourne, AustraliaMary, I have been making bears for 20 years and have continually designed new patterns right from the start. In the beginning I did do limited editions but now I pretty much only do one of a kinds as I find it much more interesting and satisfying. People always seem to recognize my bears though - even though I am using different patterns and always experimenting with designs there are certain things that just follow through from bear to bear and you will find that happens for you as well the more bears you make. I would say definitely DON'T stick to using just one pattern - you will be bored to tears!!! Try to get your bears shown in magazines or list them on bid4bears or ebay - even if it is just for the exposure.
Edie I couldn't have said it better myself.
I think it's so important to keep evolving and challenging yourself, while constantly trying to improve your workmanship.
Just as it is important to promote yourself at shows, where you can have personal contact with collectors, and in the media, to reach those who might not otherwise see your work.
We are very lucky to have wonderful editors of teddy magazines world wide, who whole heartedly support us by showcasing our bears and encouraging our "cottage industry" as a whole. So start sending those pictures in!
Bobbie, Edie & Shane... I know what you mean! I took a bunny class from a good artist friend of mine last spring... and when I was done she laughed and told me it looked like one of my own designs!
KiddoBearsThank You! Soooooo! much for responding and talking the time to write, Debbie, :hug: Bobbie, :hug: Edie, :hug: Shane, :hug: & Sandi :hug: I will taKe all this expert advise into consideration. Your bears are all extrodinary and beauitful. Hopefully I will settle all 7 opinons with this said :hug: on this end.
