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desertmountainbear
I purchased these three fellows this morning at an estate sale, they all range in size from 17-19 inches. (43-49cm) Anybody recognize them? There are no tags or marks. I have uploaded more pictures and a description to FB. I hope to be able to sell two of them and then have the money to keep one. Sounds like a good plan.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?s … 1285628205
Joanne
Not a clue as to the makers. They sure are fabulous souls though!! Sooooo, which one are you keeping? B'cause the one on the right just winked at me and said if you don't keep him he'd maybe like to live with me. 
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Ha, Aleta, I think that wink was meant for me! 
Just kidding - he is cute, though!
I can bring my books on Saturday, Joanne, if you want to hang on to them for a bit and see if you can identify them -
Hugs,
Janice
desertmountainbearYes that is great Janice. I am going to hang on to them just for a bit till I can find out what they are. They are very sweet. I do think you are right about the noses. Now I will have to look through my books again, it changes everything.
They were all together sitting on the table at the sale this morning. I knew they would be there and went and waited in line just for them. Good thing I got there early. I heard one the the ladies running the sale say "I think the bears will be the first to go" I already had them in my arms. I couldn't choose one, so I chose all three.
Aleta, he is a charmer, will keep you posted.
Joanne
One more question. How much fixing can I do to them? Can I restitch the ears on? or fix that ripped pad without devaluing them? Not that they are worth a bunch, but is it better to leave an old bear the way you found it? The old ones in my collection I don't touch. I love them holes and all.
What does the stitching look like on the reattached ears? Is it old sinew or cotton thread or is it something newer? If it's an old repair, I would leave well enough alone, if it appears to be recently (newer thread), I think I would try to fix it to it's original state - I have 2 books to bring along Saturday -
Hugs,
Janice p.s. No wonder you couldn't choose - they are all cute!
The Rexine pads on the bear on the left suggest that he's English, and I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that the one in the middle is English as well (based on the shape of the head, mostly). They all have a lot of old-bear charm, that's for sure!
Becky
Hi Joanne, 
Wow, congratulations on your wonderful find! How lucky you were to find such adorable little bears, especially when there are three! 
I'm afraid I have no idea as to their origins, but was thinking about the restoring part of your question. I think they look so appealing just as they are with their little frayed pads and everything else, it's those little things that give them their sweet characters. They look well loved and in good condition to me so personally, I think I would keep them just as they are, then if a new owner wishes to restore them in any way, then they can go ahead.
I bought an extremely battered bear about a year ago which I posted here on TT (Tatty Bear???), she was in such a state, she was only holding together by a prayer. I was going to restore her in some way, but the more I looked at this bear, the less I wanted to touch her, and she is still in her same old extremely tatty state, but I wouldn't change her for the world. I know that if I was to replace an ear or tidy up any of those many many many patches, she just wouldn't be the same and her character would be lost for ever.
I say, keep all three!!! 
Hugs,
Marilyn x
I purchased these three fellows this morning at an estate sale, they all range in size from 17-19 inches. (43-49cm) Anybody recognize them? There are no tags or marks. I have uploaded more pictures and a description to FB. I hope to be able to sell two of them and then have the money to keep one. Sounds like a good plan.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?s … 1285628205Joanne
Hi Joanne,
Can you get me a much larger photo of the left teddy bear? I can't quite tell from that distance, but I believe him to be a Dean's teddy bear -- maybe from the late 40s to early 50s? It's the shape of the head and the ears for me which suggest that.
The other two, I am not so sure about without more detailed photos.
-- Thomas Adam
desertmountainbear
Thank you Thomas, I will try to upload them here. I do believe the nose has been restitched, but the ears are in their original place.
Joanne
Thank you Thomas, I will try to upload them here. I do believe the nose has been restitched, but the ears are in their original place.
Joanne
Aww, bless. He's a cutie. Yes, I would think he's a Deans teddy bear from perhaps the early 50s -- the shape of him, the size of his limbs, and more importantly for a Dean's bear, the shape of his nose being quite short, points to the hallmarks of that -- but I could be wrong, of course. The only doubt in my mind is his ears -- they seem a bit too small, too narrow for the Deans teddy bears I've seen in the past; but maybe I've not been that well exposed to Deans teddy bears yet. :)
-- Thomas Adam
desertmountainbearThank you for your input Thomas. I will do more investigating into Deans. I am thinking it is a Chiltern Hugmee, but I am unsure about that too.
Joanne
Thank you for your input Thomas. I will do more investigating into Deans. I am thinking it is a Chiltern Hugmee, but I am unsure about that too.
Joanne
Hmm. No, I don't think so. I own a Chiltern Hugmee. :) The reason why are:
* His nose is too big
* His mouth is the wrong shape
* Most Hugmees had claws stitched on their hands and feet
But if he is, then I'd be impressed. :)
-- Thomas Adam
desertmountainbearHi Thomas, I think that there have never been claw stitches. But I am fairly certain that the nose and mouth have been restitched. I think that all three bears have had them restitiched.
Joanne
Hi Thomas, I think that there have never been claw stitches. But I am fairly certain that the nose and mouth have been restitched. I think that all three bears have had them restitiched.
Joanne
Maybe then -- he does look a bit like a Chiltern Hugmee in some regards, and that might lend more weight to him being one if he's been re-stitched, poor things. Do you know if they have their original stuffing?
-- Thomas Adam
desertmountainbearI am sure they all do. This one has a combination of what they call pad and wood wool. The wood is in his head, and feet and lower half of the body. The "pad" is in his arms, legs, and upper half of the body.
The other two are wood wool. The one on the right I think is the oldest bear, his stuffing has shifted, and his head falls forward.. The middle one is as firm as new.
Joanne
I am sure they all do. This one has a combination of what they call pad and wood wool. The wood is in his head, and feet and lower half of the body. The "pad" is in his arms, legs, and upper half of the body.
The other two are wood wool. The one on the right I think is the oldest bear, his stuffing has shifted, and his head falls forward.. The middle one is as firm as new.
Joanne
Well, wood-wool or similar would fit with the stuffing used in Chiltern Hugmees; so it's entirely possible, Can you take clearer photos of his limbs for me? Sorry to be a pain.
-- Thomas Adam
desertmountainbear
Thank you for all of your help Thomas. Here are some pictures. The paws are rexine, in an odd shape I think, like a boat on the feet. The arms are very straight. The legs are like a drumstick shape. One more thing, his eyes appear to be original and they are glass.
Joanne
Joanne,
Thank you for all of your help Thomas. Here are some pictures. The paws are rexine, in an odd shape I think, like a boat on the feet. The arms are very straight. The legs are like a drumstick shape. One more thing, his eyes appear to be original and they are glass.
Joanne
OK, I'd say he's a Hugmee; if you take the fact that he's been altered slightly, his shape, and of his head, are indicative of that -- and the colour of his eyes match many Hugmees I've seen, for sure. I can't tell you how old he is though for definite, but it's not as late as the 50s I might have originally thought -- more like a lot earlier, perhaps even late thirties.
I'm sorry I likely got it so wrong to begin with.
-- Thomas Adam
desertmountainbearI can not tell you how much I appreciate all your help. Thanks for your time.
Joanne
I can not tell you how much I appreciate all your help. Thanks for your time.
Joanne
For comparison, here's my Hugmee:
The one in the middle -- ignore the dying peace lilly -- I've since resurrected it somehow.
-- Thomas Adam
desertmountainbearYes, similar and different. This guy has a longer muzzle, but the overall shape and the way the arms sit on the body, look very much alike.
Joanne
Yours is splendid.
Yes, similar and different. This guy has a longer muzzle, but the overall shape and the way the arms sit on the body, look very much alike.
Joanne
Yours is splendid.
Hehe -- he gets lots of hugs, and I know he's from the mid 1930s or so. But he deserves them. I bought him knowing he was a Hugmee, a few years ago, but didn't buy him for his monetary value; I wanted him for liking the teddy, and were he to be worth 20p, would still make no difference to me.
His face is slightly squashed though in comparison to other Hugmees -- but that's OK, he's well-loved.
-- Thomas Adam
desertmountainbearHis face is slightly squashed though in comparison to other Hugmees -- but that's OK, he's well-loved. :)
And all the loving is probably the reason why.
His face is slightly squashed though in comparison to other Hugmees -- but that's OK, he's well-loved. :)
And all the loving is probably the reason why.
Bless. :) And your teddy deserves that too. Is there any indication from looking at him, that a tag might have been on him -- typically on one of his feet? Oh, and please cuddle him tightly from me. :) :)
--Thomas Adam
desertmountainbearNo not that I can see. None of the bears have any kind of identifying marks on them.
They are going to be seeing a lady on Saturday who is a very good and knowledgeable collector. She and her husband owned a large auction house for years and many bears have passed through her hands. I am hoping she will recognize them. I'll post here after the visit.
Joanne
