Posted 6 years ago
AnnaB
(85 items)
Fresh off an estate sale today, an old looking teddy bear. I've heard there are reproductions that are made to look old, but this one feels truly old. He is all worn out naturally, it seems. He is about 24-25" tall. He has plastic eyes (i think, not glass); he is filled with what looks like long thing wood shavings that crumble/tear easily; He has some kind of a box inside but it no longer works. His legs and arms are attached by hooks, "bearly" holding up. He is in need of lots of TLC. I don't know the first thing about bears but he was so un-bearably sad sitting among a pile of clutter, I just couldn't bear to leave him there. Ok, enough with the bear puns =)
Can someone please help me ID his approximate age and anything that may be helpful? I paid $15 for it...how did I do?
Thank you!
Thomas, agree! But my husband doesn't. LOL
Nutsabotas, Thomas, Mike- thank you!
He's great Anna!! I'll bet that our CW friend betweenthelens could help you identify this little fellow.
Scott, yes, i hope i can get some clues here, so i can say "See, i told ya it was worth it!" =)
Buckethead, bratjdd, Scott, Mani, aura, newfld, vetra, Adele, Mike, Thomas, Nutsabotas- thank you all for your loves!
Fortapache, Tassie, Iggy- thank you for stopping by and your appreciation!
I thought I posted this link yesterday but I guess I forgot to hit the button
https://www.fred-i-bear.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73:how-to-id-your-bear&catid=1:latest&Itemid=2
Let's see long nose, arms are medium, jointed, short feet. I am thinking late 1930s based on the site in the link.
I remember a friend collecting teddys in the 90's probably when prices were at their highest, this looks to be a fine example !~
Fortapache, thank you for such a comprehensive resource and your assessment of the bear! I'm a little confused though about his age...The link says "Most early bears were stuffed with wood wool (wood shavings or excelsior). It was not until around the 1920's that lighter stuffings such as kapok and wool waste began to be used in bears body's". This one is stuffed with "wood wool" but his eyes are plastic which makes him a "postwar" bear...unless his eyes were replaced at some point? Or maybe they used wood wool up until 1940s?
Thank you, Phil, for complimenting this fine bear specimen =) I can only imagine the prices back in the 90s, they aren't that cheap now either, quickly browsing through ebay listings.
Officialfuel-always a pleasure!
sanhardin, Lady_Picker, crswerner, trukn20, MooreAntique- thank you for stopping by and your loves, much appreciated!
How did I miss this sweet guy? His fur looks to be synthetic or I could be mistaken. Do you know if it's mohair? You can easily replace his foot pads or have someone do this for you. Do you know Brenda Yenke of Bears and Buds? I definitely recommend her services to help identify your lovely bear. He is a beauty. Enjoy him and congratulations on a well- executed rescue!
Betweenthelens, thank you so much for stopping by, your nice comment and your appreciation. His fur - I did the burn test of a few strands, and it burned like some type of organic matter with ash left. I don't know if it's mohair, but it's not synthetic. Based on his features (wood wool fill, plastic eyes, etc) can you determine his approximate age? I haven't heard of Brenda, but i'll certainly look her up, thank you for the tip. I'm happy i got him, he was missing one leg and I would still get him regardless, but decided to check if it was lost in an enormous pile of clutter he was buried under, and was lucky to retrieve it! He looks happy to be rescued and in one piece =)
ttomtucker-thank you for stopping by, much appreciated!
Anna, I don't think I can give anymore information than was already imparted here. Brenda would be the foremost expert in this field to consult for a definitive answer, but I can certainly give you my opinion, for what it's worth. I am no expert, but I do love teddy bears!
I can say your bear seems older to me by virtue of his wood wool stuffing, and mohair was used in the early days of teddy bear manufacture. Also, his condition alone is indicative that he's been around for quite some time- the mohair wear, the worn arm pads and the absence of foot pads.
His arms seem shorter, which would point to a newer bear, but he has a longer snout, which is often a hallmark of an older bear. Does he have a pronounced hump? Another vote for an older bear are his cotter pins, which are metal as opposed to newer plastic. His eyes could very well have been replaced so he may have had original glass eyes. I am so glad you were able to find his leg.
I would be hesitant to even hazard a guess as to his age, but I'd say he is older and not a new bear or one made to look old. (I make teddy bears and use metal cotter pins BUT the pins on your bear are old.) He was definitely loved, that is for sure.
Do let me know if you find out anything as I am very curious.
I do have two reference books, which I will look through to see if I can find a bear similar to yours. You may even want to check them out yourself. They are Teddy Bears Past & Present: A Collector's Identification Guide by Linda Mullins and A Collector's History of the Teddy Bear by Patricia N. Schoonmaker.
Enjoy your new guy!
Laura, thank you, i really appreciate your thoughts and leads on this guy. I like a good puzzle which he still is, so i'll keep searching. If you come across more info on what he might be, please let me know! :-)
You're welcome, Anna! My pleasure. I will let you know if I find out anything about him. Do you have a name yet?
Nope, no name yet. I could ask my son, I guess, but i know already that i would get something along the lines of "Cookie" "Kiki" "Fluffy" or other similar ideas =)
Ha. That's about right with kids, huh?. Is Kiki in reference to the Miyazaki movie Kiki's Delivery Service? Now those are some great movies: My Neighbor Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle....