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Honey Valley BearsHi Everyone.
I made it through the Teddy Bear Show today. Sadly only one little bear found a new home. Funny thing though is he doesn't look very happy about it.
For some reason Winston never wanted to be a happy bear, but someone saw passed his grumpiness and took him home.
The Littlest ThistleROFL, he certainly looks like a bear with attitude!
PennsylvaniaDon't you think Winston is the kind of Bear who could be grumpy for you? He could be the kind of Bear who is grumpy so his human doesn't have to be. ;)
I believe the one big myth about Teddy Bears is that everybody thinks they are happy-happy all the time. Well, as the keeper of a Bear den of 1,000 members strong, let me tell you: Bears are not all "sunshine and lollypops" all the time!
A Teddy Bear's main job is to make his human feel better in times of trouble, to share in his human's happiness and, sometimes, if the situation calls for it, to be grumpy.
The short answer: A Bear is an emotional surrogate. Something to focus your emotions on when you can't express them by yourself.
So... Don't you think a grumpy Bear can be good for some people?
I'll bet you Winston and Oscar the Grouch could be good friends! 
Amber,
Oh, I feel like Winston today! As for selling only one bear, no worries. That happens to me ALL the time at shows. Sales are slow, but then I come home and people that were at the show call and email and buy. I look at shows as a marketing tool. You get your and your bear's faces out there. They are well worth the time and money spent even if sales are lack luster.
Hugs,
Alison
PennsylvaniaThat is so true! When I go to Bear shows, it is very hard to pick out that "One" Bear who should go home with you. There could be HUNDREDS of Bears to visit with. How can you pick just one?
We often visit Bear shows and make mental notes on the ones who caught out attention then wait until we are home before we decide.
Sometimes, if we find that "extra special" bear we might go back and get him just before we leave to go home.
So I bet somebody thought Winston was an extra special Bear if they took him home right then and there! 
Honey Valley BearsThe funny thing was I notice most people look around at all the bears before they buy. The person who took Winston home bought him straight away and I was the second table she went to. Within 10 mins two others came back looking for him. He was a very popular little guy and it was fairly late in the show. Overall I'm glad that he went to someone who really wanted him. I noticed when they left they were caring a few different bears as well so he will have company. It was a little girl that picked him.
My husband said I should make more like him. But that just isn't possible. I think that poor little guy was so grumpy because the fur we used had a horrbly thick backing that was near impossible to sew through after a few minutes of working on him I had to give my hand a rest, I even passed half of the sewing off to my mom and husband, and we all cursed the entire time. Under normal cicumstances I would have probably given up it was such a pain but he wanted to be born, and so he was and no wonder he's so grumpy after all that cursing at him while making him. I almost considered keeping him, or giving him to a family member so that I knew that he would come back home one day. He is a special little bear and his grumpiness has made a little girl very happy.
PennsylvaniaTough call, isn't it? 
Your work your fingers to the bone to produce just one Bear but everybody seems to want one. What do you do? Make more and be miserable or pass up an almost sure sale? Not an enviable position to be in!
Is it possible that you can change your technique or use different equipment (an awl?) to make it easier to sew the Bear? Just asking...
Maybe Winston is grumpy, as you said, because you were so grumpy making him. You know... the emotional surrogate thing. Whatever the reason, I think Winston is so popular because he is a non-typical Bear. You see "happy-happy" Bears every day of the week but a grumpy looking Bear is a rarity.
Novelty sells.
Posts: 751Amber
I burst out laughing when I saw Winston, he's great. If I had made him I don't think I could have parted with him. What character.
Karon
Honey Valley BearsI have an agreement with my husband if there is a bear that I really don't want to give up. I take it to two shows if I still have them I can keep it. I go along with this so willingly because there is usually more than one that I don't want to part with and he will spark an interest in one of them and I promptly hand him or her over "Honey, I have something for you" sometime in the weeks before a show so one bear saved. Lol
glad I did that this time it saved my favourite large bear.
