Teddy Bears



Collecting teddy bears is a great hobby. Whether you collect the hard to find and expensive antique bears or the easy to come by modern bears you will enjoy the search. It often starts with with the teddy bear that you had as a child. Most people find them hard to part with and keep them around over the years. If you saved your teddy bear you have a pretty good start to your collection.

If you know little about old bears, you can buy a book or reference guide to assist you. There are  many books on the market which will help you to get the necessary knowledge about the most popular bears made in the last one hundred years.

If you enjoy auctions, thrift shops, garage sales, and flea markets, you have the perfect source for teddy bears.You can find collectible bears both old and modern to add to your collection. If you have some knowledge of teddy bears, you can try surfing online auctions. Auctions are a great way to find rare and hard to find teddy bears.Your online search will be much easier if you know the names or kinds of teddy bears you are seeking.

Collecting rare valuable teddy bears will require more knowledge. For this reason I suggest researching the different types of bear and how to identify them properly. Knowing what to look for to identify a good bear will help you build a valuable collection of teddy bears.

Teddy bear collecting can be enjoyed by anyone. People are surprised to learn  the history that goes with old teddy bears. When you are out searching or browsing online for your next teddy bear it will help greatly if you have researched the history of each manufacturer. Knowledge is invaluable in collecting anything and bears are no exception..

The first teddy bears were made in 1902. The story of President Teddy Roosevelt and his bear hunt is well known so I will not repeat it here. The Teddy bear was named after Roosevelt of course. In the same year the Stieff company in Germany produced a bear and Steiff bears,particularly the early ones are amongst the most valuable bears for collectors.

Other well known manufacturers of collectible bears in the USA and England include Chad Valley,Chiltern,Farnell,Hermann,Ideal,Merrythought and some others too numerous to list.If you find an old bear by any of these makers it is very collectible.