I have little ones and big ones. I have some that are very expensive (usually I don’t gift these ) from large teddy bear factories and free ones that came with a meal. All of them have a story behind them and looking at them remind me of where I was when I got it and even who I was with.

I have a complete collection of those tiny ones given out by a restaurant chain some years ago. They are still in the plastic bags. I worked hard to get all of them and ate a lot of cheeseburgers along the way.

Ever since I upgraded to high speed internet and more recently to the internet service provided by get.wildblue.com, my online search has gotten a little out of hand. Although, I have found many teddy bears that I was missing from my collections this way, my spend has gotten a little out of hand .

The ones I spend the most money on and are hands down my favorites are the Christmas bears. I have one for every years since I was 6. My mom started this tradition and continues it still. The shiny velvet and rich colors are always welcome on Christmas morning. When I have a child, I will continue this tradition with them too. If you’re looking to get a start on creating your own teddy bears that you can gift to others a great starting point is www.vermontteddybear.com. Personalizing a bear for someone else is great way of showing others you care. Especially if you focus on the details.

In Southey’s version, the story featured three bachelor bears and a nosy old woman, described unflatteringly. With Southey’s approval, another British writer, George Nicol, published a rhyming adaptation that same year, also with an old woman breaking into the home.

In 1849, the old woman became a young girl, and over time, the bears became who we now know as Mama Bear, Poppa Bear and Baby Bear. The name “Goldilocks,” took longer, though. Although the girl in the story had many names over the years, it wasn’t until the early 20th century that Goldilocks stuck.

What was once, like most folktales, a scary, cautionary story, has changed over the years. The unsetting tale of an elderly, unlikeable woman trespassing and taking liberties in the home of three bachelor bears transformed, becoming a story fit for a nighttime cuddle with a favorite teddy, just about the same time that teddy bear itself was born.

There are some things that one must keep in mind with dealing with Steiff. They are many knockoffs of this type of bear. By following these tips you will be able to make sure you are dealing with an authentic:

1. In 1904 Steiff began putting metal buttons in the left ear. While the material of the button is not important, be it brass, copper, metal the lettering is. The earliest bears have raised lettering.

2. Really old bears were made of mohair. The newer bears after 1947 were made with synthetic fibers.

3. The eyes can tell you a lot about a Steiff. Early eyes were button style. Then in the 1910 they started
inserting glass eyes and finally in 1960 they switched to plastic.

4. Look for an authentic tag sewn into the bear. This tag should say Made in Germany and Steiff and have a serial number.

5. The early bears were stuffed with wool and the later bears were stuffed with a soft synthetic.

Trust your gut when purchasing one of these bears. If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. By doing a simple once over on the bear and verifying a few things you could have quite a find on your hands.The information party rocks on: Saturday Scavenger Shots: Bear

• Condition: A bear with all his original features will be more appealing to a collector and therefore more valuable; ;but a bear that shows sign or wear and tear may be equally valuable depending how that wear and tear occurred (or by whom).
• Manufacturer: Steiff and other German manufacturers are highly sought after by collectors and Merrythought Ltd. Bears are increasing in value and desirability.
• Age: As with anything valued for rarity, the older it is typically indicates a higher value (with the exception of the aforementioned Louis Vuitton Bear which brought its auction price the same year it was issued). With that in mind, older is still preferred to newer.

At the very least you have a new hobby: bear collecting at garage sales. At the very most you already own a valuable friend!