Almost every child owns a teddy bear, and so it’s amazing to think that less than a century ago, these toys hadn’t even been thought of. The story goes that the American President, Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, was on a shoot in 1902, after three days no bears were found. Eventually his guides found an old bear which they had trapped – here was the bear for him to shoot. The President refused, and the incident was turned into a cartoon by Clifford Berryman in a Washington newspaper. A Russian emigre called Morris Michtom, who owned a store in Brooklyn, made some toy bears and displayed them in the window, calling them ‘Teddy’s Bear’. They became so popular that Michtom established the Ideal Toy Company.

However, at the same time a German toy company called Steiff was developing a jointed
bear, which was seen by an American wholesaler. The wholesaler promptly purchased 3,000, aware of the sudden interest in bears. Steiff bears are probably the most sought after, and can be distinguished by their trademark ‘button in the ear’ – a round metal tag firmly attached to the bear’s ear. Old bears have long arms, elongated noses and humped backs, and often don’t look as friendly as modern ones. Their eyes are glass and they are filled with wood wool, so feel much harder than modern-day bears filled with soft, synthetic stuffing.

Other early manufacturers included Bing, Schuco, Hermann and Gund. British bears are collectable too , and today companies such as Deans and Merrythought run their own clubs, which allow members to obtain special editions of their bears. Other British companies included J K Farnell, Chad Valley,  Pedigree and Chiltern.

In the 1950s, a company called Wendy Boston introduced an unjointed, machine-washable bear, with screw-in plastic safety eyes. Many people collect character bears. Probably the most famous is Winnie-the-Pooh, who can be obtained either in traditional style or based on the Disney cartoon. Disney Stores sell a range of Pooh Beanies.

Pictured left: “Teddy Girl” a cinnamon Steiff teddy bear Sold for £110,000,
December 1994 A World record price for a teddy bear London, South Kensington

Another very popular bear is Paddington who becam e famous in a series of books by Michael Bond. Originally Paddington was made by the company of Gabrielle Designs in the UK, and by Eden Toys in the U.S. Recently, however, Gabrielle Designs closed down, and now the bears are made by Eden. Consequently the Gabrielle versions of Paddingtons are becoming very sought after.

The Daily Express bear, Rupert, is another favourite character, very distinctive in his red jumper and yellow check trousers with matching scarf. Care Bears, a range of brightly coloured bears with embroidered motifs on their tummies, were made by Kenner in the 1980s, and today are becoming increasingly collectable. They can be obtained in many different pastel colours, and have names such as Love-a-lot, Good Luck, Grumpy and Wish Bear. Some of the bears, such as Sea Friend and Forest Friend were UK exclusives. Modern bears, such as those made by Applause and Russ Berrie, all have their following – as well, of course, as the colourful Ty Beanie Bears and Buddies.

Teddy collectors are known as Arctophiles, and a collection of teddies is called a Hug!