The Bear Facts on Teddy Bears

The endearing teddy bear is a perennial favorite for youngsters, and no Christmas morning would be complete without one found sitting beneath a decorated tree. No matter how high-tech toys become, all children probably owned a teddy bear early in their childhood.

Antique dealers and most collectors know the story of the origin of the teddy bear…originating from an incident on a bear hunting trip taken by former United States President, Theodor Roosevelt. His refusal to shoot a trapped bear endeared him to a political cartoonist, Clifford Berryman of The Washington Post, then to toy maker, Morris Michtom. The popularity of the “Teddy” bear spawned the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company owned by Michtom.

Simultaneously a stuffed bear was exhibited at the Leipzig Toy Fair in Germany, by Richard Steiff, and production started in Europe. In 1906 the bear craze caught on and other manufacturers rushed their bears to market, but the Steiff bears are the most prized among collectors for their realistic-looking appearance and quality materials.

Current teddy bears have taken on more of a cartoonish look, which make them even more enduring, especially to children. Winnie-the-Pooh certainly did his part to perpetuate the love affair children had with the teddy bear. First responders have found that a teddy bear can be comforting to a child in a crisis situation, so police, fire and emergency public safety officials provide the bears in a time of need. And it’s probably no coincidence that the U.S. Forestry Service selected a bear to convey their message of preventing forest fires by creating their mascot, Smokey the Bear.

Retail sales of teddy bears and other stuffed plush animals is a billion dollar business, as a result of the Teddy Ruxpin (1980s) and the Care Bears (1990s), and especially due to the emergence of ‘do-it-yourself’ franchises to custom-decorate a bear, the best known being Build-A-Bear Workshop.

The most popular mass-marketed teddy bears are the Gund, Paddington, and Ty Inc. brands. Prices for bears are determined by the quality and the size, but because the manufacturing of teddy bears is so prolific, it’s difficult to determine which if any, will become highly collectible. The real value in teddy bears will most likely be determined by the sentimental value that comes with a being a beloved toy.