Banner Sponsors
For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
Posts: 7
Hello all. This is my bear. Ive had him for 26 years, and as you can see, he has been very strongly loved throughout those years. This was the teddy I dragged by the arm everywhere I ever went as a child.
Now I have a child of my own, and I am nearly desperate to find another bear like this one. I've seen one other one, and just as in my case, the tag was missing. The stub of the tag, however, remains, so I know the bear was mass-produced.
I dont want to buy a catalog in case the bear is too rare to actually be in one. Has ANYONE ever seen a bear like this before?
thanks!
Hi Arkalem.....don't know where you are from. This looks like a bear my daughter received for her first Christmas in 1979. She named him Tubby because of the chubby tummy. He was purchased by my brother in Texas. I will email her and see if she still has the tag on her Tubby Bear. (just a note, when we received the bear, he had only 1 eye. My brother decided to send it anyway, because if he waited until after he took it back to the store, we would never get the bear. I think it is the only thing my daughter ever received from that Uncle.)
Have you thought of trying to make one like it yourself?
Wild Thyme OriginalsMy brother had something similar to this guy! He was a mass produced teddy and would have been from the late 70's. Very similar in the tummy and legs..... I remember my brother's as being fairly large, and he was named Potbelly... but honestly, I don't remember if that was his given name from the manufacturer... or if it was a pet name given by my brother! Do you have a height measurement? My brothers is well loved and safe and sound in his old bedroom at my parent's house.... I'll have to ask my Mom to check to see if "potbelly" has a tag still attached.
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals
Posts: 7Okay, yes, this is all very good! I got this bear in '79, so we're likely talking about the same bears here!
His height measurement is about 15''.
And I'd try to make another one, if only I had ANY idea how to go about that. Now, I'd certainly pay to have one made by someone if I couldn't find another.
Posts: 7Any word yet on the tags? Were we able to find out where the bear came from?
Posts: 8,574What a cute bear!
Its good to see a well loved bear.
have you considered making a couple like him? You might decide you have a wonderful new calling in life> And everyone herecould give you help.
hmmmmm
dilu
Posts: 7honestly. I wouldnt even know where to begin. Im a 26 year old guy, and I'm a soldier to boot, so I'm a bit short in the teddy-bear sewing skills dept.
Bumpkin BearsI have had a look for you through my teddy bear encyclopedia with no luck. You might like to try writing to some of the bear collectors magazines. I know for sure that one of the UK bear magazines called Teddy Bear Club International have a section dedicated to helping people identify their old bears - the email for the person is Gail Edwards gail.edwards1@talk21.com and website for the magazine is - http://www.planet-teddybear.com
You may find that if your question appears in the magazine that someone may be able to help you find another of these bears or at least tell you the maker. Good luck,
Catherine
LuxembearsArkalem,
I sure know the feeling of wanting to find a particular bear. My sister who passed away in 2004 had a mohair teddy bear from England, she had since birth, that she slept with every night. My head not being where it should be at that time, did not think to try and retreive it from the firey remains of thier burned down house. I knew just where it was too. That is the only thing I wanted as a keepsake. All I have is a very tiny photo of the bear....and lots and lots of memories.
I check on ebay regularly for one like it but so far no luck. You could try that.
You may also want to send a copy of the photo to Teddy Bear and Friends Magazine. They have experts in this feild.
Bets of luck with yoru search, :hug:
Past Time BearsArkalem, where are you stationed in the world?? Guys DO make bears, you know! I corresponded with a soldier in Iraq for several months . . . he was a bear collector and commissioned a couple of large bears from me. I also sent him a pocket bear to keep him company during his time there. Sorry, I can't identify your bear, but hope someone can.
Posts: 7Im stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas. I've been home from Iraq for about 2 months now.
Wild Thyme OriginalsHey there!!!!
talked to my Mom and my little brother.... your childhood playmate is from a series of bears entitled "Pot Bellied Bears" produced by Daekor ... but probably made in Korea from 1978 onward.... I don't know how long they continued making them, and there were several different manufacturing plants that produced them, so they did change slightly here and there through the years. My brother's is a 1979... but his is 18." I do know that they were made as small as 8 inches though. Here's a link to a little one one on auction ....
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-TAG-DAEKOR-POT- … dZViewItem
And here's a bigger one...
http://cgi.ebay.com/1970-Daekor-Pot-Bel … dZViewItem
If you'd like to look for them on eBay... go to the Dolls & Bears category and type in "Daekor Pot Belly" Id search in the title and description for these words.
They were reasonably inexpensive bears sold for 8-20 at gift shops and such... and VERY POPULAR!!!! My brother was the same as you, loved him to death... and he is one of the few stuffed animals that my Mom kept of his. It sits on his bed at my Mom's house! So, I wouldn't necessarily run and bid on the first one you see... there could be others in better condition right around the corner! Good luck finding a nice one that your child can love every bit as much as you did!
And hey... by the way.... a big HUGE THANKS FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART for serving this great county of ours! Really... thank you. We don't say it enough!
Beary truly yours,
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals
Past Time BearsIm stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas. I've been home from Iraq for about 2 months now.
FT. HOOD??!! You're practically my neighbor . . . well, at least you're in the same state! I'm near Dallas. So glad you're back from Iraq. You won't have to return, will you?
Kim, so glad you were able to identify his bear!! :hug: :hug: :hug:
Wild Thyme OriginalsKim, so glad you were able to identify his bear!! :hug: :hug: :hug:
Oh... I do hope he comes back and finds the post... I PM'd him as well.... but his e Mail isn't listed here. :pray:
You know, if my little brother had been more creative in naming his bears... I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to figure it out down to the maker and all that! He called his bear just what it said on the tag. Tag on his bear was totally gone too, but I called him and asked him if he remembered how Potbelly got his name. He said that he just read the tag and that was that. So after searching Potbelly.... and coming up with Shelli's lovely bears!!!! 
I tried Pot Belly ... and there he was!
I can't tell you how many times Pot Belly and I had tea together!!!!!
Kim Basta
Wild THyme Originals
Posts: 7Holy cow thank you thankyou!!
You guys are totally aresome!!!
Now I can try and get one for my son when he finally gets old enough to play with it! Thanks a million guys!
Wild Thyme OriginalsAlways happy to help a fellow teddy lover! :hug: 
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals
Posts: 7Arkalem wrote:Im stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas. I've been home from Iraq for about 2 months now.
FT. HOOD??!! You're practically my neighbor . . . well, at least you're in the same state! I'm near Dallas. So glad you're back from Iraq. You won't have to return, will you?
Kim, so glad you were able to identify his bear!! :hug: :hug: :hug:
Not right away, but Im sure Ill be back there eventually.
Arkalem,
Just wanted to say thanks for serving our country. I appreciate everything you do! :clap:
I'm glad you found info about your bear.
ToadBriarI had this same bear! & loved him much as well. The company
seemed to have started with bears like him in different sizes
but I seem to recall they branched out to other sorts of animals
like pot belly pigs, mice, bunnies, etc. But my bear was the same as yours
- 15" tall - & his muzzle & paw pads were the velvetiest soft stuff 
Wild Thyme OriginalsDear Toadbriar... I guess these guys were HUGELY popular in the very late seventies through the early eighties! They big branch out and do other animals as well... most with that same general body shape... big puffy belly and "haunchy" type legs, sausage shaped arms... I know they did a kaola for sure, as I've seen that one... my best friend had him! :dance:
Kim Basta
Wild thyme Originals
Posts: 2Arkalem: I was going to list some teddy bears on ebay when I saw your enquiry. I have the exact bear that is in your picture. It has a date on it of 1979. It is a Daekor Pot Belly Bear. I would love to sell him to a good home. Kitty55
Posts: 2Hi, Arkalem -- I'm new to Teddy Talk. I did not see that your enquiry was posted in 2006. I sent you a reply earlier about the Pot Belly Bear. The bear I have belonged to my daughter. He was purchased at a toy shop in San Francisco. He is in pristine condition. My daughter was a bear collector and he sat on a shelf and never had the opportunity to be lovingly dragged around. This reply is to such an old post but I'm sending it anyway. Kitty 55
Posts: 1Is that bear still available? I finally ID-ed my bear while on eBay, then googled and found this board. Problem is eBay doesnt have the bear, just the puppet or a similar one in a different color.
I'm looking for the medium brown (eBay currently has a beige one which I may buy just to have something similar)
Anyway, I've been looking for a pot belly for years -apparently they were recalled (something about wires poking out). A friend in high school borrowed him, when she was very upset, and then lost him. I went through a lot (including a long hospitalization) as a child with that bear, so silly as it seems, nearly 20 years later I still feel like my bear is missing. If I ever get another I'm going to practically loJack it.
If you see one of these bears for sale or know how I would make one, let me know!!!! I can sew, but my biggest concern is that I'd want the plastic nose and eyes to be right - so I don't know that a homemade one would fit the bill.
Thanks!!
