Teddy Bear Memorabilia

Collecting teddies does not necessarily have to be limited to the cuddly variety. After the success of our best-loved friend in the early 1900s, all kinds of articles began springing up on the market that many collectors hunt avidly for today. Bear-related items such as children’s playthings, books, postcards, china, carvings and silver objects may all be displayed along side the furry bruins to bring a collection magically to life.

Enticing Teds

Soon after the birth of the teddy bear, firms quickly realised their universal appeal and began using them to promote all kinds of products from shoes and hosiery to tea and biscuits! In 1907, The Fleischmann Co. of New York utilised Seymour Eaton’s “Roosevelt Bears”, Teddy B and Teddy G, to advertise their baking products. Sales of yeast was accompanied by a booklet entitled “The Teddy Bears Baking School” which included some wonderful prose:

One bright day when they were free
The Teddy Bears, Teddies B and G
Made plans to give their friends a feast
To prove the worth of Fleischmann’s Yeast

The Home Bread Co. in the same city offered “Teddy Bear Bread” to the hungry consumer. This was promoted with booklets and even lapel pins, and claimed to have “won the hearts of millions of children”. In fact, the enormous popularity of Teddy B and Teddy G resulted in many companies cashing in on their success and depicting those handsome features on a vast range of products!

Good in Wood

The Black Forest lies in South West Germany and is known for the production of fine woodcarvings. Although not all carved bruins are actually made from the trees of this mountainous region, it has become a commonly used term for this kind of collectible. Many were produced long before the birth of the teddy and depict true-life bears.

Some products are ornamental, but many served very good purposes and were used in the home for specific functions. A hat and coat stand in the shape of a large grisly would proudly tower in the hallways of some Victorian houses. Intricately carved smoking tables consisted of the main bear standing upright and holding a tray above his head. The top part would contain a brass ashtray, cigarette box and match holder. The head was often hinged to hold pipes. These items are in great demand today and command very high auction prices, often running into thousands of pounds.

Smaller momentos include bookends, nutcrackers, pencil holders and ink blotters. Some of the tinier decorative animals may be picked up very cheaply at flea markets, sometimes for as little as five pounds. These wonderful treasures can be displayed in a collection quite easily, whereas the larger items tend to need a space of their own to make an impact and allow you to truly appreciate their importance and grandeur.

Paper Pals

Through the years there have been literally thousands of teddy bear books on the market, perhaps one of the most famous being “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”. However, the most highly prized for collectors are the old and rare ones, particularly those published in the earliest part of this century. “Mother Goose’s Teddy Bears” by Frederick L. Cavally Jr. was printed in 1907. Full of charming illustrations, a copy in fine condition may realise in excess of £450 at auction.

Postcards from the early years are also a wonderful addition to a collection. Thousands of different teddy designs were produced and can be picked up quite reasonably at markets. Some appeared in numbered editions, such as Eaton’s Roosevelt Bears or Raphael Tuck’s Little Bears, and to find a complete set is extremely rewarding.

Teddy bear paper dolls were popular with children and adults alike. Each consisted of a cutout bruin and several paper outfits in which he could be dressed. It is amazing that any of these simple and fragile toys ever survived to this day, but luckily it is still possible to find them in relatively good condition and they make a charming addition to a display.

One extremely rare item produced in 1907 was a card game featuring the former US President on a bear hunt. The cards show multiple colourful scenes of Theodore Roosevelt in various stages as he hunts out the animal through the forest, accompanied by his dog. Should you ever locate a set of these in any condition, particularly in the original box with instructions, then you have truly found a treasure worth holding on to.

Treasured Toys

A huge number of playthings became available for children that depicted their favourite chum. Tin drums, board games, bookmarks, pencil boxes, the list is endless. All these wonderful goodies can be utilised in a display. Wooden building blocks in an assortment of shapes and sizes can really enhance a collection. Jigsaws or miniature playing cards may be positioned to make it appear that an elderly pair of teds are truly enjoying a game of snap or trying to solve where those last few pieces of a puzzle should go!

Items for infants were also extremely popular. After all, what could make a more charming christening gift than a sterling silver hallmarked teddy bear rattle with mother of pearl teething ring, or a special silver locket with an appealing bruin embossed on the front. Many rattles were produced in England, and as luck would have it, they all had to be hallmarked. British law still dictates strong penalties to silversmiths that do not comply with hallmarking laws. This special stamp can accurately inform us of the date and city of manufacture.

Metal objects usually had a useful purpose and certainly did not stop at baby gifts. In the early part of the century, silver and brass was used to create teddy bear hatpins, spoons, menu holders, napkin rings and even salt and pepper pots. Cast iron banks, brass doorknockers, even buttons from children’s clothing were all created in his image!

Cherished China

Vintage pieces in bisque or porcelain can still be located decorated with wonderful teddy motifs. From kiddies collectibles such as doll’s tea sets, to useful adult items such as pitchers, vases and cookie jars, you can have wonderful fun rummaging around markets and car boot sales in search of that special find! If you should happen to discover a reasonably priced piece of Buffalo Pottery featuring The Roosevelt Bears, consider yourself extremely fortunate!

Sometimes we forget that many goods were made specifically for children. Today so many of us as adults derive such great pleasure from hunting down these nostalgic items and adding them to our collections. Perhaps it is because they conjure up visions of innocent, carefree days. One thing is certain, collecting these wonderful treasures allows part of us to remain a child forever!