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Judi Luxembears
Luxemburg, Wisconsin
Posts: 7,379

.......manufactured bear company?

I am totally nuts about Merrythought bears.  Especailly Cheeky and Punkinhead bears.  I can't seem to get enough of these goofy little teddies.

I have some other really nice manufactured bears from other companies but I think Merrythought is my most favorite.


What about the rest of you?   Not artist bears, manufactured bears.

heartsez Hearts Ease Bears
Fairfax,Vermont
Posts: 660

i bought a 1950's Cheeky bear at an auction last year,,,waited hours to bid on it and got it for $2!! I'm hooked now! and Gund makes some beautiful teddies! A friend has one that was for breast cancer awareness and he has a flower in his  paws..the cutest softest bear! I go hug him all the time at work!  deb

Judi Luxembears
Luxemburg, Wisconsin
Posts: 7,379

Ah, what a find, Deb.  I have seen older Cheekies go really high at auction.  Where do you work where you are able to hug your bear?  Do you sneak him in? bear_thumb

Laurie Laurie Lou Bears
Norfolk
Posts: 3,246

I have got one steiff bear and they are my favourite manufacturer.I would love an old steiff as I think they have so much more character than the newer ones but they are a bit too much money for me.I will buy one when I win the lottery bear_grin
Laurie :hug:

Judi Luxembears
Luxemburg, Wisconsin
Posts: 7,379

I know what you mean Laurie.  I love the older style Steiff and would love to see them make more of those today.    I recently bought/adopted a Steiff bear called Corduroy.  Remember that story of the bear in green corduroy overalls who lost one of his buttons?  Steiff did a really nice job with this bear.  I love him.   

I think the most  a Steiff auctioned ofr was soemthing around $175,000.000 .  Isn'tt that amazing?  Yep, I need to win the lottery too.

edie Bears by Edie
Southern Alberta
Posts: 2,068

Ooh, that's a tough call, Judi! I think Punkinhead (Merrythought) may well be my favourite bear as I wanted one from the time I saw him in the 1956 Eaton's catalogue and finally got my first one about 30 years later from my husband for a Christmas present. I now have 3 of the old ones in different sizes. Overall though I think I would have to say that Schuco is my favourite company. I love their tiny little bears with the metal inside and also their yes/no bears that come in a number of sizes. Oh, but I also just love my Chad Valley bears too - especially the smaller ones, and of course the old Steiff are incredible too - this is just too hard!!!!

BFB-Lyn Brimbin Forest Bears
NSW, Australia
Posts: 3,915
Website

bear_rolleyes Oooooohhhh, ummmmmm! A toughie but I do have a few Steiff's like the Petsy's and Swarovski Poinsetta flower bear. A Merrythought Cheeky - the purple Millennium one but would love to have some of the older Merrythought Cheeky's. Looks like I have to say these two makers then. I have a bear from the 1930's but I don't know what make it is - I did once send pictures to someone who was suppose to know about old bears but she couldn't really tell me much. Maybe I should post the pictures on here and see if anyone has any idea's of what it could be  bear_original

Hugs Lyn

Laura Lynn Teddy Bear Academy
Nicholasville, KY
Posts: 3,653
Website

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My favorite has got to be Deb Canham.  It was her bears that helped me take the step from $10 bears to artist bears as her minis were in the $60 range at the time.

All Bear All Bear by Paula
Kent
Posts: 5,162
Website

For me it has to be the UK's Chiltern Toy Company 1908 - 1963.

Group2.jpg


For current High Street availablility, I also really like the grey 'Tatty Teds' ... they are so cuddly and make lovely gifts!

heartsez Hearts Ease Bears
Fairfax,Vermont
Posts: 660

judi  i work in a small family owned co. that makes medical testing equipment. flex hours! and they let babies and puppies visit! you could have lunch with your family here ,,or let a bear sit on yhour bench!  w also collect ckerokerbecause my dh had one he adored when he was a boy . Have a few Steiff  but a BIng is my dream bear!  deb

lapousmor Sophie Z'Ours
Sarthe, France
Posts: 2,770

Merrythought Cheeky bears are definately my favourites and I have over 40 (I think) of them. I  only have recent ones. All from after the 1990's. I love sooo much their wide smile...

Beary hugs,
Sophie.

Aleta - The Silly Bear The Silly Bear
Portland, Oregon
Posts: 3,119
Website

Though I adore Steiff bears, my heart belongs to Schuco for sentimental reasons.  My first teddy bear (in my 20's) was an early Schuco.  I found him at a garage sale for $25.00.  In absolutely mint condition, ribbon, Tricky tag, working music box, the yes/no feature and a whopping 21 inches tall.  Little did I know what a find he was then!!  My father-in-law bought him for me when he saw my woeful face as we got back in the car.  Who would have thought that bear would play such an important part in my life?  I met Beverly and John Port through that bear.  Tricky actually lived with Beverly for awhile before coming back to live with me permanently. 

I took him out of his safe haven today, turned the twisty on the music box and hugged him tenderly as I thought of my father-in-law.  He is long since passed but the memory is one of my fondest.

The funny thing is, just yesterday Bill brought home another Schuco.  Same size, not in as lovely condition, but a Schuco nonetheless.  AND it's a pink one with a girlie face!!  Long since fadded to a dusty champagne grey the pink is still visible in the joints and inside the ears.  So, my dearest Tricky now has a girlfriend!   

Schuco.....definitely Schuco.

Warmest bear hugs,  :hug:
Aleta

millie PottersHouse Bears
Ohio
Posts: 2,173

Probably Steiff.  I have a couple of old Steiffs, a donkey and a rabbit.  I also have an old lion that I believe is a Steiff.

matilda Matilda Huggington-beare
WA
Posts: 5,551

I absolutely LOVE bear_wub the little grey 'TATTY TEDDIES'  as for your love of Merrythought Cheeky's? I find it interesting that two different impressions can be got from the one object......oh my goodness ...their horrid little demonic faces give me the willies........shiver shiver. bear_shocked  bear_tongue  :crackup:

SueAnn Past Time Bears
Double Oak, Texas
Posts: 21,912

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A stunning work of art, Lisa!

eteddys eTeddys
Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 880
Website

Schuco!  I love their little old yes/no bears.  They made amazing monkeys and some really funky things in the 60's.  I have a 60's tiger that's mohair and plush combined that I picked up for a song. 

Hugs,
Alison

fredbear Fred-i-Bear
Johannesburg
Posts: 2,243
Website

Mine has to be a very old Steiff. I picked up one in Sue Pearson's shop( well she allowed me to pick him up very carefully) and could easily have run away with him as nowhere in my budget could I have ever afforded to buy him.

Of course with all the emails I keep getting telling me how lucky I am to have won so many millions of £ and $ I am sure that I could afford a whole army of teddy bears.

Lynette

NewelleyBears Newelley.Bears
Harrow, Ontario
Posts: 284

I just love Steiff, old or new they just have a certain charm to them.  I was a bear collector who swore he would never buy a Steiff due to their high prices, they just seemed out of my budget.  I believe that I now have over 20 Steiff bears in my collection.  I also really like the limited artist designed pieces from Boyds as well as the Lorraine Chien Cottage Collectables line by Ganz...

Pumpkin & Pickle Bears Pumpkin & Pickle Bears
East Sussex
Posts: 2,047

I would LOVE to own a 1950's Steiff some day (I'd really love to own a 1910 centre seam Steiff but I'd have to win the lottery first!!!), so I have a real 'thing' for the older Steiff's (even though I am yet to own one!). I also love the Me To You bears (tatty teds). I own a couple of these. My husband and i have been together for 9 years now and it's a tradition that every birthday, valentines, mothers day, christmas etc, he gives me a Me To You card.......you see, the first card he ever gave me was one of these and what he had written inside was so beautiful that I cried.  bear_wub

Jellybelly Bears Jellybelly Bears
Australia
Posts: 4,066

Steiff, I'm not too original I guess lol, I love the early bears the most, and I especially like the history, how Margarete Steiff started the company, even if it wasn't bears originally....it was her, a single woman with health problems back in those tough times....I look in the mirror and see that I too can do anything with my craft that I love, shes inspirational  bear_innocent   May too get my nephew involved one day  bear_tongue

Lisa what a treasure of a painting!  bear_wub  bear_wub

Lovethosebears Yorkshire
Posts: 1,899

I have to agree with Elaine, I LOVE Charlie Bears I have just bought one called Romeo, which stays on my bed and I have Mia, a pretty chocolate & cream panda, BooBoo a small brown and white panda and Pippin a limited addition old fashion style bear.  My daughter has two Charlie bears, Fraya, the new white with grey tipped bear and bamboo (the black and white brother of BooBoo).  I am hoping to buy the Sophie bear for my daughter Sophie for Christmas.  I also have a friend who has a LARGE hug, mainly traditional style artist bears, but she also has three Charlie Bears.  I also love the me to you bears, both my daughters have these bears and they are beautifully made.  I do have a steiff bear, but he dosen't pull my heart strings as much as my Charlie Bears do - I'm either a cheap skate  bear_whistle  or is it I just prefer the more modern bear  bear_grin

Hugs Ali x

kellydean k e l l y d e a n & c o m p a n y
Narrowsburg, New York
Posts: 718
Website
Lovethosebears Yorkshire
Posts: 1,899

Awww thanks Elaine, my pocket isn't as deep as it used to be  bear_grin  but I still like collecting bears.  Had to look up Pierre, what a gorgeous panda! - love his little hat  bear_wub This seasons collection is the best yet, I saw some of the plush in a recent fair but only saw Fudge from the Isabelle collection, so cute.  I've got my eye on Patch, or maybe Justin .......... mmm Fentons lovely!!!!!  Lucky you working in a bear shop!

Judi Luxembears
Luxemburg, Wisconsin
Posts: 7,379

It's hard to pick a favorite, isn't it?  I like so many and I am not even going to look at some of the bears many of you mentioned becasue looking leads to buying for me. bear_whistle  and Christmas is around the corner.....along with my son's Birthday.

Hhhhmmm makes me wonder...is it okay to buy yourself a Christmas present?  I could use another ...'eh hem...bear. bear_wub   I have my eye on a beauty at Witney Bears.  Talk about eye candy.

Laurie Laurie Lou Bears
Norfolk
Posts: 3,246

Judi of course it is ok to buy yourself a bear for xmas.I have just done the same thing myself bear_grin bear_grin  bear_grin 
I buy the bear and then tell hubby to wrap him up for xmas so I get exactly what I want!!!
The bear in question is lovely little scamp from pumpkin and pickle(Gemma).I just couldn't resist him bear_wub  bear_wub  bear_wub
Laurie :hug:

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