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I have to thank Sandra for sending this to me and I am in the middle of composing a response to this letter printed in Teddy Bear Club International:
"I have been a bear collector for many years................I don't own a computer or a car. so many of the fairs are too far away to travel, and the internet and ebay are not possible.................I have tried in vain to buy a 3O'clock Bear but it appears her general on-sale bears are via ebay auctions and probably way too pricey.
Its sad that many artists have chosen to go via the 'net as it puts the likes of me way out of the customer market........."
I am feeling a little bemused by this since I seem to remember speaking to the lady in question only a couple of months ago and tried to explain that as I am a one woman band I cannot make as many bears as I would like as quickly as I would like.
There are two points here...one: should a magazine single me out as a person who uses ebay regularly..which is a lie ..as in the last year I have sold over 120 bears and only about 6 have been via ebay. Surely they should invite me to respond in the same magazine.
Two: If I make 10 bears and 15 folks want to buy them..and 5 miss out..is that my fault?
I don't feel I charge a lot for the work that I do. If I was working in the salon full-time I would easily make three or four times the money I make on bears..so why wouldn't I try to get the most money I can...I am not making bears solely for the money but if I made them for peanuts there would be no pleasure..I have bills to pay.
I find it really hard to service a snail mail mailing list as well as shops ...as well as fairs..as well as my website....and on it goes.
How do you all manage your work-load...how do you share yourselves out? I am feeling rather annoyed and perplexed (can you tell 
?) that I have been made to look like I sell only on ebay and am not being fair to people..I know that I am lucky to have this problem in a way...but I only have one pair of hands!!
Back Road BearsAw, Jenny.
As I read the letter I was shocked that a magazine would even print 'negativity' toward an artist and had to go back and see which magazine it was. I'd be writing to THEM first and foremost! That is just plain wrong! They could have edit that portion of this woman's letter.
And it's her own problem if she doesn't have internet or ability to get to shows. Many don't, I realize. But in this day and age, that is how things work... via computer. And you have a business to run. And You can't make everyone happy!!!
When you talked to this woman did she ask you to make a special piece for her? Offer to pay you in advance to make something? If I wanted a bear by an artist that bad and knew that the only way I was going to get a bear by her was to ASK for one then that is exactly what I'd do. And as an artist I'd put her into my schedule once I'd received a deposit. That's the way I do it. I often have a waiting list up to 6 months long but those who have sent a deposit are guaranteed a bear as long as they have patience. I have returned a deposit only once to a customer who, after waiting two weeks on a piece I told her would be 3 months, started pestering me almost daily. It was obvious she was going to be a problem customer at that point and she was taking away from my bear making time with her calls and emails so I kindly sent back her deposit with a friendly note. I had a show coming up at that time and would believe, she traveled 3 hours to the show and bought two bears from me!
Anyhow, I do try to accomodate everyone the best I can. In this case I'm not sure what it is she wanted you to do but this all come back to the magazine in my opinion. They should NOT have included artist info. That is who I'd be mad at. This lady probably figures that NOW she has your attention and will get herself a 3 O'clock bear! Win win for her.
I'm sorry this has happened.
Is there a full moon or something??? Why are all the difficult people in the world suddenly coming out of the woodwork and affecting teddy bear makers??????
Ruby Mountain BearsIf she was so interested in one of your bears, why didn't she just contact you and commission one. Or if you don't do commission specify the purchase of your next completed bear with price in advance. If she can not afford your bears then not your fault.
I know that there are alot of bears I would love to own, however I also know I can not afford $1200 for a bear ( yet)
So I am happy with what I do get, and don't whine about what I can not.
Unfair of the magazine to print that without a response from you, with the many ways that your bears are available.
Kathy
Pandy Potter BearsJenny, ebay, fairs, websites what more can you do? Who cares where you sell and even if it was just ebay so what! You work hard at what you do and deserve to be where you are at and more importantly never take anything for granted and strive to do more. :hug: I too would be most annoyed at the magazine. As for the lady, hard luck if she can't afford one. Lifes like that. Phew its making me annoyed for you! Rise above it!!!!!
Flying Fur StudiosWow, I can't believe that! I mean sure, it's nice to know your bears are wanted, ( 120 by the way! Jenny you are a machine! )
Anway, I guess Im' mad at Rolex then, I can't afford one of thier watches. Or Luis Vutton, bec. his bags are so out of my price range. HOW DARE THEY! lol It's not fair!
Come on, I want lots of bears, from artists that do well but can't afford it. I say GOOD FOR THEM!!!!
Ahh, some people.
Daphne, it MUST be something in the planets, you're soo right!
Posts: 3,177erm..........i think the legal term for this is WELL OUT OF ORDER!!!!!!
Jenny, this is awful - does the magazine not know how to edit?
Contact them and tell them your feelings on the matter - this is wrong - how did they even know that the woman was being truthful? Did they check with you?
Penny :hug:
Well...I phoned the editor and next month they are printing a response from me...
I told them they should've spoken to me before going ahead with this..and explained that it is not true that I put my bears on ebay to make more money..(which is the inference here I feel) and that a very small percentage of bears go on ebay because I feel that way lots more folks get the chance to own a bear.
I updtaed the website at 2am...and they are all pretty much adopted now. That is not my fault.
What should I do ...work nights...take drugs??
By the way I am eternally grateful to Sandra for letting me know about this letter...I would have seen it myself at some point...but, Sandra, you are star in the true spirit of Teddy Talk and it is very much appreciated.
Matilda Huggington-beareYEP! absolutely , what Erin said. Totally in agreement.
Plus!! how the hell did you get to make so many bears in a year?
That's what? 21/2 bears aweek? just curious. I could never make that many. I would find it physically impossible. ahahahahh I'm kinda sitting here going WOW!!
Wendy 
Wendy.....Didn't I mention..I am an octopus..I have 4 pairs of hands!!!
Bears-a-Bruin!I really can't believe the magazine published this, at least without consulting you first. How awful. I'm glad you made your feelings known to them - and I hope they know not to do this again.
:hug:
West Sussex, EnglandHi Jenny. I got a copy of this at the newsagent this morning and saw the letter in question. The lady was praising the Sue Pearson catalogue and expressing her sadness at the emergence of 'the online buying of new friends'. This appears to be because of her limited/ no access to the internet and the fact that she cannot travel to shows as she has no car.
In one way it is a huge compliment that she really wants one of your lovlies but it is a real shame about the way her letter has been worded/edited, especially using your name when it could have said that she had tried in vain to purchase a bear from a well known bear maker.
It is also a shame that this lady was not able to travel to one of the bear shows that you have exhibited at recently by another means of transport. After seeing your wonderful show piccies on this forum, I wish I'd got there too! 
As a footnote the editor has asked for the thoughts of other readers - 'has the internet made it easier to find teddies, or do you feel closed out by the artists and shops selling online?' Hopefully they will put more thought into printing the replies.
I look forward to seeing your response in print.
Hugs 
Estelles canal bears and Tod TeddiesI agree with Kate, the part I take umbrage with is the price thing, there are lots of things I should like, a big red Ferrari, a house with a stable block all way more than I can afford, but I don't expect people to sell below cost just because I cant afford the price.
Bear take a lot of time + love to make and no one I know gets back in money what they put in in care and skill and artistic talent. ( there i have had my rave, I think I will go and lay down now) :redface:
Jenny, I feel for you, honey.
But didn't you know you're supposed to make the needs of every individual bear-loving person on earth the central focus around which your life revolves? Obviously, you missed that day in bearmaking class.
I can read between the lines to see the compliment that is being offered; this lady wants one of your bears badly and because she doesn't travel to shows and has no computer, she can't get one.
Interestingly, though, this begs the question... how did she find you and your bears in the first place?
If it was through exposure in a magazine, then my question for her would be, why not seek you out for discussion by contacting the magazine and tracking you down? It's probably only a five minute phone call to do so, on her part. And in fact, I had a UK magazine do just this: they sent me an inquiry once from a woman who wanted one of MY bears, but who did not have a computer, or internet access. The note said something like, "Miss So and So would like to contact you regarding your bears but has no internet access. If you'd like, please return her call at (123) 456-7890." Seems pretty logical and easy to me, and avoids all the blaming stuff about how I'm so greedy that I only offer my bears on the web. Which, mostly, I do. Because charity begins at home, I think... and that's what works for me and my kids and my life.
A life which I do NOT revolve around the needs of every individual bear-loving person on earth.
I want as much attention, as a bearmaker, and as many collectors, as possible. Don't we all? But it doesn't make practical sense to even ATTEMPT to please every last person on earth who MIGHT want a piece of my work. Because there is only one of me, and I can only make so many bears (they're very slow going), and I can only market to so many audiences (I don't have staff,) and I can only go to so many shows (my kids are young and money is tight,) and I can only put so much information into my published advertising (frankly, I don't want phone calls at home.) And I'm doing okay working this way, even though I know I can't please everyone. As in all aspects of life, boundaries get drawn here, too. Some people won't like them -- especially those people who are somehow left out of the loop, which is NEVER personal to, or about, them. But I need those boundaries to keep my life functioning smoothly, or all would be in chaos, as I jumped from one thing to the next, based not on MY plan and goals, but to please the plan and goals of OTHERS.
Jenny, you're doing nothing badly that I can see. You're making bears. You're marketing them. You're exposing yourself to many markets (hey, that makes you sound like a grocery store flasher!)
I do want to reassure you that from my perspective, you come out looking okay in this article. Your would-be collector's statement makes your bears sound rare and exclusive and hard to come by and MUCH sought after! And the implied compliment in her comments is pretty clear. In fact, the way I "read" what she said about eBay wasn't that you are greedy or money-grubbing, but that on eBay, prices can go "too high"... FOR HER. Which, while unfortunate and disappointing from her perspective, isn't YOUR problem.
I'm a big eBay user myself, and I'm not greedy either. But wouldn't anyone, selling anything, be happier to get $10 for it, than $5. ??? This is capitalism. Big demand raises prices. Low supply raises prices. Such is how the market works in societies like ours. Does that make Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft/Windows, greedy? Or, rather, does it just make him an incredibly genius kind of guy, who made something everyone wanted, that nobody else could offer... meaning that he earned his fortune in the way it should be earned: with ingenuity, hard work, a solid marketing effort, and great timing!
Anyway, I'm soapboxing here.
I say, put this out of your mind. Sure, reply to the magazine if you want. But to my eye, this reads more like a frustrated customer who loves your work, and isn't angry exactly, but feels left out. More than left out; left BEHIND. My intuition is that she feels left behind, however, not by your "3 o'clock" bears and their internet and eBay appearances, but by the world, and technology, in general... and that you just got to be the named scapegoat, shouldering the blame for it all.
Interestingly, I've been watching and listening to these discussions as they occur between the bear world's "old timers" and the "newcomers" like us who are internet savvy... or attempting to be. There is a lot of animosity, as far as I can tell anyway, toward the internet/eBay user, and how they are "ruining" things for those who started this industry up in the first place.
I understand how many of the old-timers, who are used to doing things in a certain way that does NOT include computers and auction sites, could feel threatened or resentful toward people like us; we in the online community represent a new marketing angle, that addresses a new audience. And I'm sure that, at least on some level, that DOES effect business, and certainly also affects show attendence and event success (which makes me sad, frankly; shows are great fun and such a wonderful place to meet people and get inspired.)
While I understand that perspective entirely, it seems to me that IN ALL THINGS -- not just in the bear world -- one must be open to the idea that THINGS CHANGE. It wouldn't make much sense, to me anyway, to complain about, for instance, the invention of the automobile, or to hold a grudge against those who buy cars, with tyhe thinking that people "used to" walk, and walking "worked just fine" and was "as God intended."
It's certainly true that walking DOES work as a means of transport! Can't argue that point!
But when technology advanced to the point that we could get around by car instead of on foot, it made sense to adopt that method of transport, IN ADDITION TO ... and not INSTEAD OF... walking. To grow... to advance... to move forward, into the future.
Those who couldn't afford cars, or who were afraid of them, or who didn't want to learn how to use them (takes too much time, too complicated,) or who otherwise couldn't accept that TIME MARCHES ON and that THINGS CHANGE, got left behind, and resented it.
I think that in some way, this letter writer, these bear industry old-timers, are going through a very similar thing. Things in this industry are changing, thanks to the advent of the internet. We can blame the internet, or Best Buy, or people who sell on eBay, for the changes that are occurring. Or we can accept that things just DO that: CHANGE, I mean. And we can change along with them! That is my personal take on things, anyway.
Anyway... Chin up, lovely Jenny! Sounds to me like you're pretty much selling every thing you make and can't hardly keep up, even at 100+ bears per year. So I think you're pretty secure in knowing your collector base thinks quite highly of you indeed... disgruntled, car-less, computer-less, letter-to-the-editor-writer, or otherwise!
Big hugs,
No shows, no internet, no mail order ... where is the lady seeking in vain? Presumably she wants to stumble across your work in a local shop Jenny? 
I'm surprised that the magazine hasn't thought this through, it seems an unnecessary letter to print to me. I'd pay no attention. Inadvertently she's probably just done you a huge favour by highlighting the exclusivity of your work in the UK specialist press! As they say, all publicity is good publicity! You've just had a free advertisement!! 
If she can afford artist bears then she should buy a computer poor dear!!!
If only these people could see the time and effort it takes to make a bear and not just the one you are buying but all the rejects and weirdo's you made to get to this stage!!!
Diane xxx
If only these people could see the time and effort it takes to make a bear and not just the one you are buying but all the rejects and weirdo's you made to get to this stage!!!
HA! This made me laugh out loud! Too true...
Newcastle, OntarioJenny, I can understand your total surprise at seeing you name in the letter. The magazine should definitely have edited your name or contacted you about the letter before printing it. It's a poor choice on their part, but you did get a "free mention" of your name and now that they are letting you respond to the letter, you will have even more free publicity. I think you should ask if you can submit some pictures for an article - they may jump at the chance. Obviously this lady loves your work and who doesn't, for that matter. Your look is really unique and you have such endearing faces. You also deserve the "purple heart" of bearmaking for finishing 125 bears a year - good grief, that seems an incredible amount to me. Anyway, with all the unexpected attenion from the letter, this could end up being one of those "serendipitous" moments for you! Take care and bye for now.
Hugs,
Brenda
Baird'sBears To put it bluntly, Jenners, she's a nutcase, and the mag needs to clean out some deadwood from its staff.
I can't believe the mag had to use this letter to start the discussion mentioned, or that they had the gall to involve you in a potential wrangle without so much as a heads up.
That said, I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to charge you for the publicity.
I'm sorry to say it, but this woman does not deserve a 3 O'Clock Bear.
Eileen
Posts: 3,177Eileen wrote To put it bluntly, Jenners, she's a nutcase, and the mag needs to clean out some deadwood from its staff.
I can't believe the mag had to use this letter to start the discussion mentioned, or that they had the gall to involve you in a potential wrangle without so much as a heads up.
That said, I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to charge you for the publicity.
I'm sorry to say it, but this woman does not deserve a 3 O'Clock Bear.
Eileen
Now come on Eileen - don't pull your punches love - tell us what you REALLY think
Bears by EdieJenny, I would wonder if perhaps the magazine printed the letter for the same reason you started this post " to provoke discussion"!! (and encourage people to still advertise in their magazines rather than relying only on the internet??)
For sure they should not have printed your company name but left it anonymous but I really don't see it as negative publicity for you. As a collector, reading that would make me think that I better hurry up and get one of your bears before they are even harder to get or afford! LOL! I agree with Shelli that the lady sounds like she feels she is being left behind by modern technology and feeling a bit sorry for herself - I would think she did not mean it to be anything disrespectful to you - but of course I do not know this lady.
I think we have to be really careful about "reading into" things that are written in magazines (you wouldn't beleive the editing that goes on sometimes from what was originally said!) and also on sites like this - it is so easy to misinterpret something that is said when we only have the words to read and cannot see the body language and hear the tone of voice and expressions that go with the words - that is why people are always putting in little things like "lol" and "tee hee" and smiley faces to try to get some of that expression across.
In responding to the item I would advise putting a postive spin on it rather than being too defensive - as Shelli, and others, said you haven't done anything wrong to need to defend yourself. Point out the errors in the statement but try to keep everything else positive. (unasked for advice, I know!)
There, I've said my two cents worth! (and keep in mind that I am a peacemaker according to Shelli's little birth number diversion!) tee hee!
Bear hugs, Edie
The editor already said she'd print a photo alongside the reply...so yes I know it's publicity..and all publicity is good for business.
But my problem is not the fact that she's bemoaning my not supplying Three O'clock bear to the shop on the corner of her road (a prospect I shall look into immediately!!! LOL) it's more the fact that it's the inference of my somehow driving up prices by using the internet.
I make no bones about it..I get what I can for my bears. I will not stand and do a haircut in the salon for peanuts, I don't need to..and neither will I get my thinking cap on and create my bears for peanuts . Bears are only worth what someone is prepared to pay...and I try to cater to all my customers needs where I can.
I have a good work system which is efficient. I try to make as many bears as I can. My mother helps with the cutting out and stuffing...which is why I can finish so many bears...but that does not mean I can offer them at cut prices. I need to make a profit.
I feel that I am maybe feeling the need to justify my actions which I am annoyed about. The fact that she does not understand my loyalties to customers have to be split in this way, that I am not being unfair..just realistic.
I will write the letter when I have calmed down...
Edie...I think you are right that's the intention...to get people to comment. I won't write anything hastily....I realise the spin that can be put on these things!!
Newcastle, OntarioIt must by lovely to have your mum help you with your bears, but you're right - that shouldn't affect the price at all. My mum and I were very close and she taught me all I know about sewing - I wish she were still here to enjoy my bearmaking.
You shouldn't have to justify your actions to anyone - Shelli is so right when she says "charity begins at home". We were raised on that phrase. The thing I love about the internet is that you can write something and then edit it over and over again. Sometimes when I'm angry, I write exactly what I think and then come back and re-read it later and it almost always makes me laugh, knowing I couldn't possibly send a letter like that. By the time I'm done, it's always civil but I've managed to vent. Good luck with your letter - I look forward to seeing the reply in the TBCI in the future.
Hugs,
Brenda
Teddy Bear and FriendsTo me, the woman seemed to be bemoaning the prevalence of the internet versus other means of sales. We've done research that shows that about half of teddy bear collectors buy online. Which is great -- but means that if you're only online, you're only reaching half your prospective audience. This woman is evidently part of the other half.
I think the internet is great -- it's made it possible for me to talk to and "meet" people all over the world. I can find more information, faster, than I could find in a full day at a library, and I am more efficient because I don't have to leave my desk. Heck, without the internet, I would have been unemployed when my job moved out of state several years ago. I learn, laugh, work, shop, meet people, keep up with friends and family, share -- all from a chair in my basement.
However, I, too, bemoan the fall-off in other forms of promotion and interaction. I like going to shops and shows and seeing bears in person, meeting their creators, and talking to other interested people. I'm a tactile person, so I won't buy a bear unless I've touched it first. For me, that's part of the experience. If artists stay home, though, or don't sell to shops, those venues will get a bad reputation and collectors won't attend, which makes it worse for the shows and shops, which will close. Then, I won't buy anything.
Plus, frankly, I often find the internet overwhelming. There are simply too many options, and I have to do it all myself. It used to be, when I wanted to book a flight to a bear show, I called the travel agent and she offered a few flights that fit my schedule. Now, I have bookmarked at least six Web sites to search to find the cheapest flight with the best price. I have "dings" set to alert me when prices fall. I have e-mail newsletters coming to tell me about other travel options and destinations. I've got a pop-up to remind me to start all searches at U Promise so I get credit for the purchase. And all I want is a plane ticket to San Jose. There are lots of times I have chosen to do nothing rather than deal with making a choice from the internet. And I'm sure I'm not the only one.
The thing about shows, shops, catalogs, and even magazines is that they filter the information. They pick out "some" and give it to me in digestible bites. I don't have to consider all of the options for a plane ticket or blue jeans or books or dishes or teddy bears -- I can choose from among the prescreened selection. I choose who does the screening to find those I agree with and trust, and if they don't serve my needs, I can find more shows/shops/magazines to consult, or leap into the fray and search for myself. But I don't have to be an expert on everything, and I don't have to spend all of my time considering all possible options -- and that is hugely valuable to me. I know there are many people who like to do it all themselves and be totally responsible for all of the details of every decision, but for me, that is inefficient at best and paralyzing at worst.
So when other people say they prefer to shop from a bear catalog or store or show or magazine, I believe that it's not because they're old, or old-fashioned, or too cheap to buy a computer, or a Luddite. I think they want the experience of seeing the bears and their people in person, and the freedom to enjoy the experience in small doses, without the stress of having to navigate 11.4 million Web sites (at last Google) to find what they want.
Cheers,
Mindy
Mindy, you make some points worth serious contemplation, and I appreciate your perspective, and the things you've given me to chew on.
First, though, I have to say that, if you're THAT efficient at setting up "dings" and bells and whistles to remind you when to book flights, and with whom... can you come here and set that up for me, too?
I HEAR YOU when you say that doing it all, in every area, all the time, with ten million options to choose from, on the web, is completely overwhelming. I could spend all day here, every day, for the rest of my life, just viewing OPTIONS, or taking TUTORIALS, or searching relentlessly for the BIGGEST/BEST/BRIGHTEST/CHEAPEST one-thing-or-another. It's just too much.
The way I figure it, we all start every day with a "pie" of energy, and each morning, we decide how that "pie" gets sliced, and who gets each slice, and how big each slice is going to be. At the end of the day, the "pie" is gone! How that pie gets divided is entirely up to me. And, logically, it makes sense that if I give half of my "pie" to one thing... that only leaves half a "pie" to cover the rest of my life. TEDDY TALK, for example, eats WAY TOO MUCH PIE almost every day!!!
So, I hear you, about how sometimes, too many choices can be a massive, paralyzing hindrance, rather than an assist.
Your comments remind me, actually, of the time I spent living in Zurich in the early 90's. I was SHOCKED to find that Zurich supermarkets offered TWO kinds of potato chips, and ONLY two kinds: regular, and paprika. What the heck is a paprika chip??? Remember, I came from the US, where ENTIRE AISLES are devoted to the hundreds (literally) of varieties of chips and chip relatives.
But after the initial shock wore off, I remember settling into a smooth groove every time I went shopping. It was very easy to "choose" which potato chip to buy -- and which kind of milk and which brand of broth and which size of box -- when there were only two possible choices from which to do so. Life sailed along smoothly and seamlessly, without stress and pressure, when it was simple and straightforward in that way.
So... I get it, in a really deep way. What you're saying. About how sometimes, less really IS more. And for some people, the internet may represent a kind of "more" that just doesn't work.
Second... I very much want to clarify, in case you (or anyone else) interpreted MY use of the phrase "old-timer" in ways I did not intend, or perhaps communicated clumsily.
I don't remotely think that the founders of this industry, as a group, are stodgy, rigid gripers who can't adjust to changing times, or are computer illiterate. I think everyone at TT has those forward-thinking, determined folks to thank for the place we find ourselves, today, and I'm glad to see so many of the names I recognize from early magazine issues still circulating in the press and at shows today. When I first met Denis Shaw and John Paul Port and Joan Woessner it was like touching three of the universe's brightest stars... literally.
I hope I communicated clearly that, like you, Mindy, I, too, value shows and shops enormously, and the opportunity -- becoming all too rare nowadays -- to touch and feel and hold and interact with those bears we all so love.
Even as a newcomer to this industry, it pains me to hear about show closures and shop closures and fewer and fewer opportunities for people to literally GET IN TOUCH with bears.
Ruth Johnson of BEARS & BUDS writes frequently on the importance of 'Top of the Mind' awareness -- staying right in front of your collector, because audiences can be fickle and quick to forget, and so it's important to work, always, to stay at the forefront of the marketplace.
And on that point... I don't see how teddy bears, as a collectible, as a hobby, can march into the future gathering NEW collectors and hobbyists, if there are fewer and fewer opportunities and venues in which people, not yet exposed to this great furry love of ours, can SEE and TOUCH and SMELL and just plain EXPERIENCE teddy bears for themselves!
Being in the flesh with these little creatures just can't be compared to an internet view of them, or even a magazine page featuring them. Even with the small number of shows I've attended, that much is plain to see.
Third, even though I understand your points and am in agreement with you on the deepest levels, and don't ever want to take on a "blame the victim" mentality -- as in, "That lady is STUCK, or LAME," or, as you put it, "a LUDDITE" because she doesn't want to try something new and find her bears on the web now that she can't get to them in the flesh...
... I still maintain-- and this is just one girl's opinion -- that while it's entirely okay for a person to PREFER shops, or magazines, or shows, as a means to find and purchase bears (I'm like that too, frankly) ...
... that's not quite the same thing as bemoaning the fact that eBay, and the internet, even EXIST, as an alternative means of selling and purchasing teddy bears.
And, to my mind, they are a valid alternative, indeed. Were it not for the internet, I wouldn't have discovered artist bears; I had never seen one in my life, before finding one on the web. Without the internet, I wouldn't BE in this industry! I'm raising a young family on a limited budget and I simply don't have the flexibility in my schedule or my budget to travel with them to shows or shops; none are remotely nearby.
So, just as I respect that this letter writer, or bear-show old-timers (some of them, anyway, as they've been described to, or have spoken to, me), PREFER in-the-flesh experiences with bears...
.... I would also hope that those same people, whose preferences I both understand AND respect, could respect that it's equally okay to prefer -- or even just ENJOY! -- selling, or buying, bears on eBay, and more generally, on the web. Without BLAMING those venues -- auction sites, websites -- for RUINING the industry. Without BLAMING the artists for choosing to use the internet as a sales venue out of GREED.
That, in case I communicated it clumsily, was supposed to be my larger point.
My apologies to any I may have inadvertently upset with clumsy wording.
Thanks again, Mindy, for your input; I always enjoy your seasoned perspective, especially since it comes from somewhere entirely unlike my own, and introduces concepts to me I might otherwise not have considered, even though I try to be open and fair-minded.
You're appreciated!
:hug:
Patsy Lake BearsJenny, I am sorry that this has had to happen to you. I agree that the magazine shouldn't have named you at all.. Make the most of it, and use the magazine to advertise your incredible work.... :hug: :hug: :hug:
But while we are on the subjuct why don't you live in Australia and the Blue Mountains to be precise... so as I can get to see your work in the fur... 
