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Email excerpt from Ashley Buenning, Head of Advertising for the New ~ Teddy Bear and Friends:
The merger means several great things for KJ Lyons Design.
1) You can advertise in 1 magazine and reach your entire audience as our circulation has taken a leap from around 1,300 to over 4,000.
2) Teddy Bear & Friends (formerly Teddy Bear Review), will be published 6 times a year.
I asked who the editor would be for this new Magazine and Ashley was kind enough to answer:
HI Karen
The Editor is Joyce Greenholdt and the Publisher is Carie Ferg.
It is all the same staff from Teddy Bear Review, we have just taken the Teddy Bear & Friends name because we felt it told the story of what is in the publication better! 
I hope to work with you in the near future!! Call or email.
Ashley Buenning
800-331-0038 x114
Teddy Bear & Friends
Past Time BearsThat is interesting, Karen . . . thanks for sharing.
Newcastle, OntarioHmmm - I would have thought the opposite, that the staff would be mostly Teddy Bear and Friends staff. That's interesting.
Did she say anything about the Golden Teddies? Many of us are thinking they are gone for good - it would be interesting to know for sure.
Bears by EdieBrenda, I emailed TBR and asked them about the Golden Teddy awards four days ago but they haven't answered yet - perhaps they haven't decided themselves what to do????
I'm not surprised to hear that it is all TBR staff as I got the impression right from the start that they were just taking over the Teddy Bear and Friends name when they said it was Jones Publishing handling the magazines and Madavor Media managing Idex.
Newcastle, OntarioOh thanks, Edie - please let us know if you hear anything
I have to say I am really surprised at how small a reaction there was to this announcement. I know many of us expected some sort of announcement about at least one of the two major US Teddy Bear Magazines, and this one was a bit of a shocker. Teddy Bear and Friends had had the widest and largest circulation of any Teddy Bear Magazine through early 2000 (actually I'm sure longer than I remember). The magazine came out 12 months a year and each issue was over 70 pages! When I had my first article in TB&F they assigned me their professional writer and they photographed my pieces for the article. Times have changed, now almost all my sales are through the internet. I'll probably attend only one show this year. We're not even sure what is happening with the Awards. This year should be interesting as we follow what happens next. But I can't help feeling sorry for all the people who lost their jobs and wonder about where the rest of us are heading?
Past Time BearsYou're right, Karen. I started purchasing both TBR and TB&F in 1996 (still have all those back issues stored in boxes) and they were full of a variety of interesting ideas, information, photos, and articles that appealed to most all of the diverse interests that make up the whole teddy bear industry. Artists, collectors, manufacturers, suppliers, show promoters, etc. My opinion is: the one thing that has had the most influence over the direction our industry has taken is the internet. It's just progress and with progress comes change. Then we adapt - or not.
Tami Eveslage Original Teddy BearsI have to say I am really surprised at how small a reaction there was to this announcement. I know many of us expected some sort of announcement about at least one of the two major US Teddy Bear Magazines, and this one was a bit of a shocker. Teddy Bear and Friends had had the widest and largest circulation of any Teddy Bear Magazine through early 2000 (actually I'm sure longer than I remember). The magazine came out 12 months a year and each issue was over 70 pages! When I had my first article in TB&F they assigned me their professional writer and they photographed my pieces for the article. Times have changed, now almost all my sales are through the internet. I'll probably attend only one show this year. We're not even sure what is happening with the Awards. This year should be interesting as we follow what happens next. But I can't help feeling sorry for all the people who lost their jobs and wonder about where the rest of us are heading?
Perhaps the reaction is limited because it seems like it has been a long time in coming to this. I think it is better than both going belly up. Like you said, the magazines used to be full sized, lovely color photos, etc. but it has been years since issues like that were published. Then they went down to quarterly, I thought perhaps the magazine would be a bit bigger again, but it wasn't so. When I got my last one my husband joked, "that's not a magazine, it's a pamphlet!" I think a few years ago, some folks said wouldn't it be nice if bear artistry had a cool, book-sized quarterly magazine like Art Doll Quarterly? Of course it would be nice, but that magazine has TONS of advertising to support it because there are TONS of companies which make/sell supplies for "altered art" scrapbooking etc. which seems to somehow overlap the art doll genre. Since a huge proportion of our industry is made up of individual artists who do not have the advertising budgets of these big companies, I don't see how the publishers could get enough ad money to support something like that.
What does it say about our industry? It says things are changing, as they always do, and always will. The same week as I read about the magazine merger, I received news that the owners of 26 year old shop which has carried my work for more than ten years were retiring...The shop may be sold, and therefore continue to do business, but the news left me reeling anyway! I was sharing this with my mom last night asn she took a postive spin on it--a sort of "When one door closes, another opens." attitude. I think this is what I will do. I do hope that the magazine merger brings postive changes.
Posts: 1I just wanted to write a quick note to say that it is not the same staff as before because I was the Advertising Sales Manager for DOLLS & Teddy Bear Review for the past 2 years and was let go right before the merger of the 2 magazines without any notice or reason. Luckily I have faith in God that when one door closes another one opens. I was a little shocked at first because if it wasn't for me getting most of the advertisers in TBR they wouldn't have been able to acquire the other one and now they don't want to pay me for the sales I had made before they let me go so I'm not the biggest fan of Jones Publishing right now. I want to wish all the best to all the teddy bear artists out there and I hope 2012 is a better year for all of us! Thanks for letting me a part of your world the past few years! Lynn Pockat
Newcastle, OntarioHi Lynn,
Thanks for your input and I am so sorry that you were ousted from your job - it must have been a huge shock. I wish you all the best in the future and hope you'll post her occasionally and let us all know how you are doing :)
hugs,
Brenda
Bears by EdieLynn, that is just horrible that they would do that to you - and to not pay you for sales you made prior to the merger is just so wrong! Shame on them! I really do hope there is something so much better waiting for you. Best wishes and good luck in the future.
Past Time BearsMuch good luck in finding a job even more rewarding and enjoyable, Lynn!
