Hi Brenda
Here's what I know about the bear: This was my great-grandmother's bear. I was told before that the bear was a "World's Fair" Teddy but am not sure if that's true.
She lived in Pennsylvania.
The photo of her with the bear is dated 1906. It might be a year or two off as she was born in 1904 and she looks older than 2 in this photo.

Thanks,
Corinna

Hi Corinna,
What a great history and provenance with your heirloom teddy bear! You have the picture and the bear! I believe mystery teddy is from 1907-08, is American, and made by Am. Doll & Toy Mfg. Co. of NY. The advertisement made for this teddy was also called the Whitehouse Teddy Bear. It was available through Baker & Bigler in NY. Characteristic shoe button eyes, long arms and legs, lg. feet and round body. Appears to be excelsior stuffed, has a long snout with horizontally stitched nose.. and some ruff backing in the mohair. The shoe button eyes are outside the head seam. The ears are cupped to the side of the head, outside the head seam. He appears to have the body closing in the back torso, with felt backings on the hands and feet. Teddy has been loved through the years, and retains some mohair although sparse as we compare to the original photo. They were all said to have a voice! Value for your 15” teddy as is with provenience would be $425.00.
Brenda

Hi David,
Great center seam worsted wool bear on all fours with cast iron wheels! Very few bears had center seams, so that makes this one very special as well. I saw the Sortiment picture…regular facial features but yours is even better with the center seam. The slight “dip” in the body was probably from children riding the bear! At 18” in length, and 14” height, teddy is versatile and could be perched on a piece of furniture or atop a cabinet. Larger riding bears need the floor space. I think he dates to 1904…with original shoe button eyes, and possibly the original red leather collar with an appropriate time related pull chain. Well over one hundred years old, the “antique” status has blossomed beautifully. He is a great piece and would be valued at $3,500.
Brenda

Hi Gail,
Your mohair teddy with tail moves head device is German, from the Schuco Co. Originally called Schreyer & Co., they were formed in 1912 and founded by Heinrich Muller, and Heinrich Schreyer. Established in Nuremberg Germany, they were quite the toy company. They did mohair pieces, bears and animals, and were famous for the tail moves head (talking bears)..they are mechanical. Your example dates to the 1950s, with the classic turned down paws to make him appear very gentle. At 13” he is a small example, but they also made miniatures as well as larger pieces. The sweet appeal is the good mohair, pads complete, and a slight damage to the left pad. The eyes are glass with a perfect vertically stitched nose made out of cord and mouth extension to complete his face. He does communicate saying yes for an up and down lever or side to side saying no! More than a stuffed toy, these teddies were communicators! The value for your near mint working teddy is $500.00. Brenda

Hi Janis,
I am so glad your remnant teddy is with you! I am fairly certain with the plastic spangle type eyes, radiating their spokes in irradiance, your teddy is a Knickerbocker from the early 1960s. They were the only company to use this eye. So, without this characteristic it would have been very hard to pinpoint the maker. So, your picture of the one from Paul Stanley and your memory of original teddy made the inroads! Knickerbocker Toy Co. was established in 1850, in Albany NY as an alphabet lithograph block company…VIctorian era! The name was a reference to the original settlers of NY..who were Dutch. Early bears were mohair and jointed with wool felt pads, and were jointed. They also made mohair dogs. A term they coined in the 1960s was “Toys of Distinction”. Shirley Temple had a large brown Knickerbocker pristine bear named Grumpy in the film “Now and Forever”. As a star, he sold for $5,500.00
But an ordinary person with the same bear would get much less! Your teddy was once mohair covered, with the inset muzzle, plastic eyes and a cord nose.
Your remnant bear has only a sentimental value today.
If you had pictures of you and teddy that adds to your provenance!
Brenda

Hi Karen,
Your early 10” teddy is American and resembles the Ideal Novelty and Toy Co., and dates to 1907. The Michtom’s established their business in NY, with the stationery store and novelty shop, inspired by the hunting trip in MIssissippi! TR refused to shoot the bear, then the characteristic cartoon created such a buzz in 1902, everyone was talking about the boundary dispute vs the saved little bear! Your teddy has a piece of jewelry, with a coin attached to a chain, an 1875 Liberty Seated dime. The name regraded on the dimes reverse side is “Kate”. The shoebutton eyes sit inside the head seam, with a rust colored cord nose sew horizontally and claws. She is a primitive teddy, with the hump back, arms placed low in the shoulders, and a front closure. The ears are cupped to the side of the head, indicating an early manufacture. Her smile is underneath the nose area. The front mohair is more evident than the back view. Value for your piece of American History with Kate as teddy bear, would be $400.00.
Brenda

Hi Kris,
Blue teddy, at 20” is considered a large bear with wear and repair. He has French characteristics, such as the large body with no center or back seam. The vertical nose is original and the red glass are set far apart, and may be replacements. The back hump is slight, while the ear backing appears to be recovered. It could have had only one ear, so they split the one intact and made two mohair pieces for the front while the back view is fabric. You mention this one is also musical. The foot pads are replaced as well. Dating to the 1920s, the value would be $175.00.
Brenda

Hi Kris,
This large teddy has fur loss, but the backing is intact. The large head has wide set eyes, which may be replacements, but they are appropriate. The nose is vertical cord and the ears are cupped. He is English, Deans Rag Book Co. dating from the 1930s. Your skills at replacing pads fit into the color theme of the mohair backing. English bears commonly had the kapok stuffing. He has more mohair on the back view, and the squeeze music box is an additional perk. Value wise, repairs taken into consideration, his sweet nature brings a value of $200.00.
Brenda

Hi Brenda,

This is Petunia. I know she is worth very little, but I love her. She is about 11.5" (30cm) tall, with sparse golden mohair over wood wool filling, a humpback, rod joints, and her non-working growler thuds around in her bell. Petunia has three claws on each foot and perhaps should have the same on her curved paws. I have practiced my repair skills on her. Petunia doesn’t mind. I re-stitched her nose quite carefully and recovered her paws since they were in terrible condition. I think I replaced the eyes, they are amber and black.
Thanks, Kris

Hi Kris,
Petunia is a great name for this American stick teddy! Dating to the 1920s, it seems one mohair ear was in tact then split and shared to create two mohair backed ears for the front view, while the backing is white cotton. Just under 12”, this is considered a small sized teddy,. The hand claws are missing, while it seems the foot claws have been restored. The horizontal nose cord has been added as well. The arms are pin jointed. Value is $65.00.
Brenda

Greetings Brenda,

He’s very old Steiff bear my mum is 69 and given this bear as a baby from her godfather. Not exactly sure how long he had him for before giving him to mum. You’ll see that he has some stitching due to being well loved. He is filled with wood shavings.He measures from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet 21cm. 7 3/4"
Regards,
Symone

Hi Simone,
Your heirloom teddy is a Steiff from the 1950s and is a classic! He’s loved so much with some of the mohair worn on his kissable face, and gently woven stitching to keep the excelsior stuffing intact. There is no button in the left ear,or chest tag, but he has the style to show his heritage! Four claws are visible on hands and feet, while the tummy area shows his hand closed finishing seam. He looks like a boy teddy, and has brown glass eyes. Pictures of your Mom with teddy would create the provenance..his life with her and increase the value. He is small, under 10”, but the stoic appearance makes him seem larger. As he appears, this German classic is valued at $125.00.
Brenda

Hi Anya,
Your 18” teddy is an artist teddy, handmade and stuffed with excelsior. His blue glass eyes and stitched nose (a bit primitive) offer a sweet face while the spoon shaped felt hand pads and the cardboard inserts for the foot pads allow teddy to stand! Most artist teddies had some form of ID tag to identify their maker. Sometimes a business card was also available. The fur seems to be mohair, which was the fur of choice for collectors. He is rather simple in the nose presentation with two downward outer stitches and vertical stitching. I would value him at $85.00. Brenda

Hi Dana,
Your small mohair bear on all fours appears to be German from the construction and detailed exposed metal in the feet. The missing wheels were cast iron from the metal attachment. He has considerable wear and could use some reinforcement for the mohair backing that is missing. A simple match in color with suitable wool felt might work, or matching mohair backing. The eyes are amber glass, and original. The ears could be cupped and gently sewn into place. Missing a vertical small cord nose, there is a remnant of the mouth cord still in place, He resembles bears from Carl Harmus Jr. in Sonneberg and the dating would be 1925 with the cast wheels. I would estimate his as is value at $85.00.
Brenda

Hi Karen,
Your large mohair teddy is English, from Chad Valley with those beautiful large glass eyes and rather long torso. The nose is vertically stitched, with the outline starting at the seam level. The shaven muzzle has some wear areas, while the center front finishing seam and body have good mohair coverage. The foot pads come to a point at the top while there are no cord claws. He dates to the 1920s. Chad Valley went from a stationery store to board games and then formed into a successful bear making company! By the late 30s, they were “Toymakers to Her Majesty the Queen”! In the mid 20s, they had an Aerolite circular button, silver rimmed with an ivory interior. At 24” he is large, and would carry a value today of $2,700.00
Brenda

Hi. I am hoping you can provide me with some information on my beautiful large Teddy Bear. He is 27" tall.  His head, arms and legs are all jointed and turn 360 degrees. There is a leather patch behind each of his plastic ? eyes. It looks like his color is a little faded on front compared to the backside. Because I am new to Teddy bears, I am not sure what type of stuffing he has or what type of fur he has. It sounds like there may be some plastic, like a baggie, or something else inside the stuffing.

Hi Phillip,
Your new teddy find is quite a large example at 27”! It dates to the 1950s, and is an Irish teddy made by Tara Toys. The nose is their trademark, with a shield design and two outer stitches on each side to frame the hand stitched cord design. The fur is gold mohair appears to have a slight mauve backing.

The outstretched paws were a trademark as well, a huggable trait. Through the opened pads, we can see the kapok used as stuffing. That is a pure cotton product. The pads themselves were originally rexine, a coating that has since worn off, with some remnants of the original brown showing. No claws are detected. These teddies were designed by the former Sonneberg toy designer, Hans Weberpals from 1950-1965. The eyes are plastic and you can probably see the leather better than the photo presents. To me they look to have a painted backing, and an amber tone for the iris. As a pink mohair teddy, that was a lot of yardage to create this large size. Value for your Tara Toy bear is $1,700.00 Brenda

Hi Liz,
Your unjointed teddy was made in America, in the 1950s by Gund Manufacturing Co. Teddy appears to still have a few mohair plugs in the muslin backed fabric, but is very well loved. Unjointed and made as the 4 circle teddies, they were safe for children. Originally made with applied fabric for the eyes, nose (on the separate sewn in muzzle), and mouth have come off, possibly being loved beyond recognition! Gund began in the early 1900s producing novelties, and stuffed toys. Until the 1970s, they remained in Brooklyn, so your Cuddle Gund was made in the USA. The pompon nose helps him breathe. Value for your well loved teddy is minimal (under $10.00), but he has great outreach!
Brenda

Hi Brenda,
My bear is 24” tall. I think the mouth, nose and other thread has been redone. I think the bear is mohair, not sure.

The pads look felted.

He is jointed including the head.
Jake

Hi Jake,
Your very large teddy is wonderful and in pretty good condition. It may need a gentle cleaning-soft white washcloth, dipped in warm water and then wrung perfectly to do a top over cleaning. Looking at the cloth after some delicate strokes, you will see a residue if he is slightly soiled. I think his plush mohair will be revealed a light honey color. He is American, an Ideal, and dates to the early years (1908) and is similar to the one Smithsonian has exhibited. The rust colored nose and claws were early too (color may have faded somewhat and it appears to have been overstitched), but the glass eyes were introduced later. Early bears had shoe buttons. We can see the origination point is inside the seam. This was also called the top stitched bears in some books, referring to the seams being very visible. Like other American traits, the final seam closing in the back was tradition. He is stuffed with excelsior, and the pads are wool felt. Cupped ears are placed lower than the later bears. I would value him at $4,000. Enjoy your keepsake!
Brenda

Hi Rita,
How great that you possibly have your mother’s teddy bear! Even though it dates to the 1930s, there is a good chance older children also had teddies…many were even adults! Maybe that is why the condition is still good! The Dutch maker, Arthur Van Gelden, of the Netherlands was in business from 1930s-till the start of WW11. Teddy at 15” is made of a silk plush fur, excelsior stuffed, and five way jointed. The sweet face exhibits a high forehead, ears sewn near the top of the head, a simple horizontal nose cord with one mouth extension, and reddish eyes. The foot pads are rather worn, with a synthetic felt, while the flannel hand pads seem to be hand sewn. Your adoption offer for Good Bears of the World is very thoughtful! Value for Sir Gelden would be $85.00.
Brenda

Hi Stacy,
You have an artist teddy made for the Walt Disney 1995 Teddy Bear Convention held in FL. This was the place to be if you wanted a specialty bear! Made by Laval Bourque and numbered 44/100, Tal Nok is signed on the leather paw pads, and the fur is “real” mink. His eyes blend in perfectly and he look very realistic. At 9”, he is small but mighty, with a value of $145.00. Teddy bear collectors paid top dollar at Disney World and it offered some of the most unique teddies!
Brenda

Hi Susan,
Your Grandfathers teddy is American, from the Knickerbocker Toy Co. Formed in 1869, they started out with educational toys in Albany NY. The wooden alphabet blocks were their Victorian era toy. In 1920, they made teddy bears and other stuffed toys. Shirley Temple had a great 18” teddy from this company, that starred with her in a movie, Now and Forever in 1934. Your Grandpa’s teddy has the long mohair with velveteen pads and lg. cupped ears. He is in excellent condition with glass eyes and an inset snout with shorter mohair. The vertical nose cord is also very good. He dates to the 1950s with the velveteen paw pads. Earlier Knickerbockers had felt pads. Value for your heirloom teddy would be $300.00. Pictures of your Grandpa and teddy would be provenance and increases the value by 15%!
Brenda

Hi Bill,
Wonderful provenance you have with your Aunt’s teddy! The bear is American and known as the “stick” bear, with slender arms and legs, and a slender body as well. Ideal Novelty and Toy was credited with this type bear in the “slim” years… WWI. It saved on mohair (which is your fabric) and stuffing as well ( excelsior). His eyes would have been glass (either clear or amber) with a black pupil, inserted on a wire, and the pads would likely be a lesser grade of wool with the War efforts. Despite the depression, his smile is wonderful. The cord is mostly there. The hand sewn back seam was an American trait too. If you pictures of your Aunt and teddy, that would add to the provenance. As he stands at 17”, teddy would be valued at $ 250.00.
Brenda

This 16" tall bear is heavy, all limbs move and has needle felted snout and paws.

I got it from a charity store for free. I imagine it was once a collectors.

I look forward to more information

Kind Regards,
Hayley

Hi Haley,
Your “gifted” teddy is indeed an artist piece, made of mohair and very unusual. “Teddy” has a needle felted nose, made somewhat flat and oval, resembling a very cute dog. The large nostrils allow him to breathe easily! He is probably stuffed with excelsior or perhaps a cotton batting. He is one of a kind, with a variation in length of mohair. The tongue looks to be needle felted as well. Teddy bear makers create all kinds of animals as well. Usually they have a sewn tag in the seam to identify the artist. The bicolor mohair is ver long and luxurious, and his down turned paws have a kind notation. The hind feet are large and have varying textures- needle felted at the heel. He is top quality with materials and design. Value for your winning pup would be $200.00. Brenda