Teddy Bears - Hidden Treasures!

It is every collector's dream to find a special bargain at one time or another. There is a great sense of satisfaction in discovering that an old ted purchased at a car boot sale turned out to be worth a fortune! However, finding a great buy is never quite so straightforward and it is important to know exactly what you are looking for. As with many sought after items, reproductions and fakes exist on the teddy bear world and must be spotted to avoid expensive mistakes. It may be that the toys of today are the antiques of tomorrow – so where do you start and what do you look for?

Know Your Stuff

If you are a new collector, it is most important to familiarise yourself with various makers. Visits to museums and specially organised bear fairs can prove invaluable, as you will be able to see a vast array of teddies in all shapes and sizes. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and advice – we all had to start somewhere and there is no doubt in my mind that we never stop learning about this wonderful hobby as more and more new discoveries are made all the time. A reputable dealer will be happy to pass on his or her advice. A trip to a specialised teddy bear sale, such as Christies in South Kensington, can be a highly rewarding experience. You’ll be able to handle the bears, check out the catalogue and find out prices that the items finally realise. To top it all, you will experience the thrill of a real live auction, something every arctophile will never forget! Study books and magazines as these are a truly valuable source of information. For example, The Ultimate Teddy Bear Encyclopaedia by Pauline Cockrill, covers a wide range of toy manufacturers, helping you with identification techniques and showing designs and traits from different eras.

Cheap & Cheerful

Although many people are now becoming more aware of the value of an old bear, there are certainly good buys still to be found. It is unlikely that a very early Steiff will turn up for 50p at a car boot sale these days, but you may still unearth something worthwhile. In a local charity shop I came across a little 1970s Paddington bear in very good condition for just 25p. These later teds may never be hugely valuable but it is certainly worth taking a chance on such a low investment! Some people only collect very old bruins and these are much harder to find at low prices.

Best Buys

One of my personal bargains was the discovery a few years ago of a tiny 1950s Schuco bear at an antiques market. I asked the price and thought the lady said £40, which I felt was extremely cheap. In fact she had said FOUR pounds! To top it all, she then asked me if I had seen the little panda that accompanied him – again a Schuco miniature from the same decade. I bought the duo for £8 and knew they were worth £220 for the pair! Another friend picked up a long black felt Dashund at her local market. The ticket stated “Steiff” with a price of £70. She bought it because she found him rather comical with his thin snake-like body, but it was not until she got the canine home that she realised he had the elusive elephant button in his ear! This clearly dated him to around 1904 and she was thrilled to discover he was worth ten times what she had paid for him. Just as a rare button like this adds greater value, some unscrupulous people have been known to add these studs to fake bears or bruins produced by companies that did not even use this trademark. This form of intolerable deception will be covered at a later date.