I hope you're all planning to join us at the TOBY Awards and TBAI on July 21-23. The Awards event is the 23rd; tickets are free, but you need to register in advance at: info@TBAI.org or 518-562-4076.
Please note that the show is open to the public on Saturday, August 23, NOT Aug. 21!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
TBF Business Blog
As a service to the artists, retailers, suppliers, and other business owners in the teddy bear market, we have begun a business blog. You'll find it at http://tbfbusinessblog.blogspot.com/. There's really nothing there at the moment, but we hope to add articles, tips, and references regularly to build a library of information that will help teddy bear businesspeople run their businesses more smoothly and successfully.
If you have a tip or article to share, please e-mail it to: mkinseymadavorcom with "TBF business tip" in the title.
If you have a tip or article to share, please e-mail it to: mkinsey
Events Calendar
Want to find a bear show? Visit our events calendar at www.teddybearandfriends.com/forum. Look on the toolbar in the upper right corner for a link to the Calendar.
Want to post a show to the Calendar? Please send an e-mail with all of the show information (name, sponsor, date, time, location including address, admission fee, and contact name and number) to: mkinseymadavorcom.
To have your event published in the magazine, be sure to send the details at least five (5) months in advance.
Want to post a show to the Calendar? Please send an e-mail with all of the show information (name, sponsor, date, time, location including address, admission fee, and contact name and number) to: mkinsey
To have your event published in the magazine, be sure to send the details at least five (5) months in advance.
Olympics Trivia
Vote for your favorite Olympics Bears from the Sept/Oct 2008 issue (mailing to subscribers on July 29) at: www.teddybearandfriends.com/forum.
In the meantime, here is some Olympics Trivia to dazzle your friends and family!
In the meantime, here is some Olympics Trivia to dazzle your friends and family!
- The first modern Olympics Games were held in Athens in 1896. The first Winter Olympics Games were held in France in 1924.
The Olympic Creed: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well."
The Olympic Flame was first introduced into the modern Olympics at the 1928 Amsterdam Games. The flame represents "the light of spirit, knowledge, and life." The Torch Relay began in ancient times and was revived at the 1936 Berlin Games.
Women first participated in the Olympics in 1900.
Tug-of-war was an Olympic event from 1900-1920.
The 1936 Berlin Games were the first to be televised – 25 big TV screens were set up throughout the city so locals could follow the Games. The 1948 London Games were the first to be shown on home television.
The 1904 Olympics were the first at which gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded for first, second, and third place.
The Olympics have been cancelled three times in the past century: 1916, 1940, and 1944.
The 1972 Munich Games were the first to have a named mascot: Waldi the dachshund.
Los Angeles was the only city to bid for the right to host the 1984 Olympic Games.
In Atlanta in 1996, for the first time in Olympic history, all 197 recognized National Olympic Committees were represented at the Games.
In 1904, the American gymnast George Eyser won six medals even though his left leg was made of wood.
At the 1972 Munich Games, the U.S. swimmer Mark Spitz won a medal count unique in the history of the Games: seven Olympic titles and seven world records.
At the 1976 Montreal Games, 14-year-old gymnast Nadia Comaneci of Romania was awarded the first-ever perfect score of 10.0. She eventually earned seven 10.0s.
At the 1980 Moscow Games, the Soviet gymnast Aleksandr Dityatin became the only athlete ever to win eight medals in one Olympics.
At the 1996 Atlanta Games, the Austrian sailor Hubert Raudaschl became the first person ever to compete in nine Olympics.
At the 2000 Sidney Games, Brit Steven Redgrave became the first athlete to win gold medals in five consecutive Olympics.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Teddybar Total
Imagine three huge halls packed with nearly 300 exhibitors and thousands of collectors – that’s what we found at Teddybär Total in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany. The world’s largest teddy bear show was a marvelous kaleidoscope of people and teddy bears. At right is Kellie with a Teddy Hermann studio-sized bear. Below is Diane with a Studio Steiff.
We met new artists, hugged century-old bears, visited with manufacturers, and reconnected with old friends. Here's Bettina Springweiler with one of her new bears, Knout (below right).
Helga Torfs (at left) 
Eleonore Unkel-Schaufelin and
Heike Boam
Erika Knirsch of Crunchy Bears
Fabian Song
Martin Hermann with his company's show exclusive, Reiterbar.
Ursula Hermann with a new bear made with old heads she found in the attic!
We were honored to attend the banquet where the Golden George award winners were announced – congratulations to all of the winners. (See the list here.) One of the traditions of the banquet is the CAKE. It's huge, elaborately decorated, unique each year, and delicious. This year's cake was covered in 3-inch marzipan teddy bears. Really amazing!
Our hosts, Frank Wohlfarth, publisher; Jutta Nagels, ad sales; and Susanne Nagels, editor. They really went out of their way to make us and other foreign guests feel welcome at the show and banquet. They even projected Mr. Wohlfarth's speech in English so we non-German speakers could follow along.
As a bonus, the village of Wiedenbrück is charming and friendly. It's got timbered buildings, cobblestone streets, and outdoor cafes galore. The people seem to walk or ride bikes most places, which is good because the streets are reeeally narrow. This church was right behind our inn. The steeple has bells, which played concerts several times a day -- starting at 7:15 a.m. on Sunday! We saw so much more and met so many wonderful people and bears! Look for more in upcoming issues of Teddy Bear and Friends!
Look here for information to plan next year’s visit. <http://www.teddybaertotal.de/CMS/O/1/s/e/>
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
TOBYs at TBAI
Teddy Bear and Friends magazine is proud to announce that we will be presenting the TOBY Public’s Choice Awards at the TBAI show in Binghamton, New York. Join us on Thursday, August 21, for hors d’ourves, wine tasting, and the TOBY Awards!
There is no charge to attend the presentation, but advance registration is required (e-mail info@TBAI.org). We'd appreciate your making a donation to the Ross Park Zoo at the event.
We hope you’ll stay for the weekend and enjoy one of America’s best collector shows. Get more information at www.TBAI.org.
Note to TOBY nominees: The show is full, but the show's organizer, Cindy Malchoff, will try to squeeze you in if you want to exhibit. Please contact her immediately at the above e-mail.
There is no charge to attend the presentation, but advance registration is required (e-mail info@TBAI.org). We'd appreciate your making a donation to the Ross Park Zoo at the event.
We hope you’ll stay for the weekend and enjoy one of America’s best collector shows. Get more information at www.TBAI.org.
Note to TOBY nominees: The show is full, but the show's organizer, Cindy Malchoff, will try to squeeze you in if you want to exhibit. Please contact her immediately at the above e-mail.
Can't find the magazine?
One of the most common comments I hear is that collectors can't find the magazine in bookstores.
We are approved to be on the shelves at Barnes & Noble, Borders, JoAnn Fabrics, and Hastings. If you can't find us at those stores, ask the store manager to stock the magazine.
A variety of local teddy bear and doll stores also carries Teddy Bear and Friends. Feel free to e-mail me with your city and state to ask the name of a store nearby.
I regret to say that we don't have any international newsstand contracts at the moment.
That said, ahem, subscribing is the cheapest and most reliable way to get the magazine. Visit our Web site, http://www.teddybearandfriends.com/, to subscribe. Selected back issues are also available; e-mail customer service to inquire about specific issues.
We are approved to be on the shelves at Barnes & Noble, Borders, JoAnn Fabrics, and Hastings. If you can't find us at those stores, ask the store manager to stock the magazine.
A variety of local teddy bear and doll stores also carries Teddy Bear and Friends. Feel free to e-mail me with your city and state to ask the name of a store nearby.
I regret to say that we don't have any international newsstand contracts at the moment.
That said, ahem, subscribing is the cheapest and most reliable way to get the magazine. Visit our Web site, http://www.teddybearandfriends.com/, to subscribe. Selected back issues are also available; e-mail customer service to inquire about specific issues.
Grassroots Marketing Methods
Easy, inexpensive grassroots marketing methods for sharing your teddy bears.
By John P. Port
(Originally published in Teddy Bear and Friends magazine, May/June 2007 )
Some of the greatest experiences in my years of collecting and creating teddy bears have stemmed from sharing that collection with others. It is still amazing and exciting to see the expressions and hear the comments of people experiencing the world of teddy bears for the first time. I think we forget how very small our teddy bear world is and how many people have no idea what artist bears are or that antique teddies are collectible. I love promoting the teddy bear and the great feeling it instills in the individual. There are so many different venues in which to share this incredible art form with the “outside world.”
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the teddy bear world was really in its infancy. I remember taking teddy bears to the local library, where my mom [Beverly Matteson Port] talked about them and left them on display for a month or so in one of the display cabinets. Sometimes there was a sign promoting a local doll and teddy bear show taped to the glass.
Libraries are still a wonderful way to expose the general public to the fantastic teddy bear experience. A couple of years ago, Denis [Shaw] and I contacted our local library and asked if they would like a display of teddy bears for a month or so. They were thrilled. We gathered a group of antique and artist bears, paper ephemera, and, of course, well-known teddies, like Smokey, Pooh, and Muffy. I made informational signs about the different pieces and added a couple of historical facts about Teddy’s history and his connection with President Theodore Roosevelt. I also included a poster for the local San Jose teddy bear show in July. This display started a domino effect. The local newspaper contacted us to do an article. That article caught the attention of one of the largest calendar companies, which asked us for photos to do two calendars. Another company contacted us and used some of our collection for a different calendar. In the meantime, we were asked by several other libraries if we would do teddy bear displays for them, and we gave several “Teddy Bear Talks” for children and adults. The interest was unbelievable. Every year since, we have been doing displays and giving seminars.
In addition to libraries, consider sharing your creations or collections with local schools, clubs, historical societies, and service organizations; examples include quilt and sewing clubs, Boy and Girl Scout groups, Rotary and Lions clubs, your children's or grandchildren's schools, nursing homes and retirement communities, and the YM- and YWCA. Many of them need programs and will be eager to have you speak and share your bears.
Displays and talks are just one way to spread the word about our wonderful teddy bears. Every year since 1985, Denis has donated a teddy bear to a charity raffle benefiting the local volunteer fire department. Several people in the community have been bitten by the “collecting bug” and have contacted Denis to buy his creations. They are always amazed when he tells them about the wide world of teddy bear collecting, and several have amassed beautiful collections.
Try to find new places to share your bears. Artists, approach local art galleries to do an exhibit, join the local and state art guilds, and participate in local art and craft shows. Offer to teach a class at the local craft or fabric store. Collectors, leave your extra magazines at the dentist or doctor's office after your visit. Ask your local bookstore to carry teddy bear magazines and books, and offer to do a talk about bears at the store.
Any time you share your collection or creations, send a short press release about the event to your local newspaper. Address it to the features editor and include the date, time, and location of the event, a brief description, and a photo of one of your bears. Newspapers are usually looking for upbeat local news and might send someone to attend your presentation or interview you. Artists, send press releases when you receive awards and are featured in magazines, too. Plus, include with your display, talk, donation, or press release a copy of a bear magazine or typed list of shows, magazines, Web sites, local stores, and clubs where the buyer can find more information — you could help hook someone else
It is so rewarding and fulfilling to share what you love with the world.
By John P. Port
(Originally published in Teddy Bear and Friends magazine, May/June 2007 )
Some of the greatest experiences in my years of collecting and creating teddy bears have stemmed from sharing that collection with others. It is still amazing and exciting to see the expressions and hear the comments of people experiencing the world of teddy bears for the first time. I think we forget how very small our teddy bear world is and how many people have no idea what artist bears are or that antique teddies are collectible. I love promoting the teddy bear and the great feeling it instills in the individual. There are so many different venues in which to share this incredible art form with the “outside world.”
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the teddy bear world was really in its infancy. I remember taking teddy bears to the local library, where my mom [Beverly Matteson Port] talked about them and left them on display for a month or so in one of the display cabinets. Sometimes there was a sign promoting a local doll and teddy bear show taped to the glass.
Libraries are still a wonderful way to expose the general public to the fantastic teddy bear experience. A couple of years ago, Denis [Shaw] and I contacted our local library and asked if they would like a display of teddy bears for a month or so. They were thrilled. We gathered a group of antique and artist bears, paper ephemera, and, of course, well-known teddies, like Smokey, Pooh, and Muffy. I made informational signs about the different pieces and added a couple of historical facts about Teddy’s history and his connection with President Theodore Roosevelt. I also included a poster for the local San Jose teddy bear show in July. This display started a domino effect. The local newspaper contacted us to do an article. That article caught the attention of one of the largest calendar companies, which asked us for photos to do two calendars. Another company contacted us and used some of our collection for a different calendar. In the meantime, we were asked by several other libraries if we would do teddy bear displays for them, and we gave several “Teddy Bear Talks” for children and adults. The interest was unbelievable. Every year since, we have been doing displays and giving seminars.
In addition to libraries, consider sharing your creations or collections with local schools, clubs, historical societies, and service organizations; examples include quilt and sewing clubs, Boy and Girl Scout groups, Rotary and Lions clubs, your children's or grandchildren's schools, nursing homes and retirement communities, and the YM- and YWCA. Many of them need programs and will be eager to have you speak and share your bears.
Displays and talks are just one way to spread the word about our wonderful teddy bears. Every year since 1985, Denis has donated a teddy bear to a charity raffle benefiting the local volunteer fire department. Several people in the community have been bitten by the “collecting bug” and have contacted Denis to buy his creations. They are always amazed when he tells them about the wide world of teddy bear collecting, and several have amassed beautiful collections.
Try to find new places to share your bears. Artists, approach local art galleries to do an exhibit, join the local and state art guilds, and participate in local art and craft shows. Offer to teach a class at the local craft or fabric store. Collectors, leave your extra magazines at the dentist or doctor's office after your visit. Ask your local bookstore to carry teddy bear magazines and books, and offer to do a talk about bears at the store.
Any time you share your collection or creations, send a short press release about the event to your local newspaper. Address it to the features editor and include the date, time, and location of the event, a brief description, and a photo of one of your bears. Newspapers are usually looking for upbeat local news and might send someone to attend your presentation or interview you. Artists, send press releases when you receive awards and are featured in magazines, too. Plus, include with your display, talk, donation, or press release a copy of a bear magazine or typed list of shows, magazines, Web sites, local stores, and clubs where the buyer can find more information — you could help hook someone else
It is so rewarding and fulfilling to share what you love with the world.
Psst... Pass the Word!
How to share our hobby with your community.
(originally published in Teddy Bear and Friends magazine, March/April 2008)
"Take something you love, tell people about it, bring together people who share your love, and help make it better. Ultimately, you'll have more of whatever you love for yourself and for the world." - Julius Schwartz, DC Comics pioneer, 1915-2004
For most people, to know teddy bears is to love them — but the community of people passionate about artistic soft sculpture has been slowly shrinking over the past decade. Even as children are flocking to Build-A-Bear and Webkinz, we adult teddy bear collectors are finding ourselves with fewer friends who share our fascination with this art form. But again, to know teddy bears is to love them — we just need to introduce more people to our kind of teddy bears.
In the beginning
The bear community did not spring Athena-like from the doll world, fully grown and ready to conquer the world with hugs. It was instead a grassroots movement that gathered strength over the decade of the 1970s as collectors followed the actor Peter Bull's lead and admitted their lasting affection for their childhood companions, and artists not only discovered the self-expression possible in teddy bears but banded together a few at a time to share techniques, sources, and sheer excitement in their art. There was no structure to the bear world, just individuals combing craft, antique, and doll shows looking for antique teddies, handmade treasures, and like-minded friends. People helped each other build their collections and their contacts while sharing their enthusiasm for teddy bears with anyone who would listen — and that was their key to success.
Thanks to magazines, the Internet, and affordable airfare, teddy bears are more available and their enthusiasts are more in touch than ever before. The appearance of our community has changed, but it's still a strong and vibrant source of information and friendship. However, in addition to sharing eBay links, blogs, and the like, we all need to act as ambassadors for the bear world and try to share it with our communities. We need to go back to our grassroots.
Good examples
In fact, the effort is already underway. John Paul Port grew up in the bear world and has campaigned tirelessly to publicize teddy art. "Some of the greatest experiences in my years of collecting and creating teddy bears have stemmed from sharing that collection with others," he says. John often shares his collection via exhibits at local libraries and talks at schools and service organizations. He donates items to charity raffles and sends postcards to collectors and press releases to newspapers whenever he participates in a show. He reports that several people in his small community "have amassed beautiful collections" and he sees many more at local bear shows.
Last fall the teddy bear artist Janet Anderson created a display for the library in her hometown of Evergreen, Colorado. She included teddy bears, historical documents, both collectors' and children's books, and lots of photographs in her display. Janet made a special effort to connect the exhibit to the community by sharing a local hotel's claim to have made the first teddy bear as well as using bears to depict well-known local amusements. She noted those connections in the press release she sent to the local newspaper. "It was a success in that the library got many wonderful comments on the display and it was written up in the local paper so many people went to see it," reports Janet. "They want me to do another in the future."
Fellow artist Bev White has also promoted the connections between her community and her bear work. For many years a member of a mall-based craft co-operative called The Creative Hand, Bev taught classes, ran an art competition for local high school students, organized artist signings, and even sold the work of other doll and bear artists. More recently, she taught a class at The John Campbell Folk School near Brasstown, North Carolina. "It is a special kind of place that blends history, art, and natural beauty while offering a broad array of handicraft classes for anyone who wishes to explore their creative spirit." She notes that other artists, including Steve Schutt, Celia Baham, and Rita Casey have also taught there. One of her students, Billie Abbot, "has gone on to utilize her new-found skills in her community with what she calls 'a new blessing in my life.' She has begun making 'Memory Teddy Bears' for Hospice and she is now on her sixteenth bear."
Bev also reaches out to potential collectors with her Teddies To Go bear-making kits. "I originally created the collection as a teaching and educational effort," she says. "I felt that it might introduce a whole new generation to the world of teddy bears by providing a cute, cuddly, complete, easy-to-make kit for making your own bear." She has found that providing teddy bears has enabled her to meet "so many truly wonderful and generous people outside the teddy bear collectibles world."
Go get 'em
Now it's your turn. Think about the places in your community where you could share teddy bears. For example, you could approach the library, service groups like Rotary and Lions Clubs, the YM- and YWCA, Girl and Cub Scouts, schools, nursing homes, retirement communities, historical societies and sites, and sewing or quilting clubs. Simply call and ask to speak to the activities or program director and explain that you are a teddy bear collector and would like to share your collection and information about the art. Offer to do a display or short program. Chances are, they'll accept immediately or at the very least give you instructions for submitting your proposal in writing.
Once you have a venue, you need to think about the actual presentation. Whether you're doing a static display or an in-person presentation, you'll need many of the same samples and props. First, of course, gather your bears. Ideally, you should include an old bear, some manufactured bears, and some artist-made bears. Pick bears that you can talk about — bears with interesting "find" stories, or by artists you especially like, or that are meaningful to you. If you don't own bears in one of the categories, use photos. If you're doing a display, type tags that identify the bear's name, maker, materials, and year of creation, and tell any story associated with it. For a talk, of course, you'll incorporate that information in your presentation.
To illustrate the history of the teddy bear, it's helpful to have an enlarged copy of Clifford Berryman's famous "Drawing the Line" cartoon. It's fairly easy to find in teddy bear books and Web sites. Be prepared to type or tell the story of President Roosevelt's trip to Mississippi, Berryman's role in creating the myth of the bear, and the Michtoms' creation of the American bear named "Teddy." For the German side, a picture of an old Steiff bear and one of Margarete Steiff will help explain how that family invented the bear in 1902.
Speaking of books, include an assortment: collector books like Peter Bull's classic Teddy Bear Book, Patricia Schoonmaker's Collector's History of the Teddy Bear, or any of Linda Mullins' or Dee Hockenberry's histories; a "making" or artist book; and classic children's fair like Pooh and Paddington. You can also take teddy bear magazines from around the world.
If your focus is the history of teddy bears, it can be fun to include samples of bears by well-known American companies like Gund, Knickerbocker, and Boyds, as well as examples from around the world, such as Punkinhead from Canada, Dean's and Merrythought bears from England, and Hermann bears from Germany. There are, of course, many more to choose from, and international artists add to the variety. In each case, give a brief history of the company and explain how their bears are unique.
Mentioning the places that antique bears have been sold, like Christie's and Sotheby's, and the prices they have achieved often helps your audience understand that your display or discussion focuses on antiques and art work, not toys. That's especially important when you transition to discussing or displaying modern artist bears, which tend to have a craft-show reputation but art-exhibit prices and can be confusing and intimidating to the uninitiated.
Gather samples of mohair, glass eyes, pearl cotton, Ultrasuede, excelsior, wool felt, and other bear-making supplies. (Artists might be willing to give you scraps of their fabrics when you explain your mission.) Describing the origins and intrinsic value of the materials can go a long way toward explaining the prices and value of modern manufactured and artist-made teddy bear art. You'll complete the picture by speaking or writing with enthusiasm about the variety and uniqueness of the designs, the handcrafting, and the "look" created by each bear maker or artist.
For a display, type captions that clearly and succinctly identify each object. Consider matting the captions on colorful paper and adding stands to the back, or arranging several together on a poster. Proof and spell check the captions! For a talk, write a few lines about each object, keeping in mind the timeline of your story and a trying to maintain a logical flow of information. Remember to consider the age of your audience — adults, for example, might appreciate learning the impact of the World Wars on the teddy bear trade, whereas children need a simplified version of the story (i.e., tell them that the teddy bear is more than 100 years old, not that it was invented in 1902). You don't need to write a script — it's more natural to talk from an outline using your own words each time — but you certainly can read your presentation word-for-word if that makes you more comfortable.
Practice setting up your display or presenting your talk. Make sure it fits into the space — display case or time — allotted. For a display, give it height and depth to make it more interesting, but be sure everything can be seen and understood from a limited vantage point. Ask your friends and family to be your audience so you can rehearse a talk until you're comfortable or answer questions about the display. Consider adding a few handouts, such as old magazines, a list of helpful Web sites, local bear shows, and nearby shops, and business cards if appropriate.
At the same time that you're gathering your props and outlining your talk or display, remember to promote your event if it will be held in a public place. Invite your friends and neighbors (in writing) and send a press release to the local newspaper, to the attention of the features editor. It can be simple: the basic "who, what, where, why, how to contact" formula will work, especially if you include a photo of you with a teddy bear. If appropriate, send an announcement to local schools as well.
When installing a display, remember to take supplies like tape, fishing line, scissors, T-pins, and museum wax to help you get everything into place. Colorful boxes from the craft or discount store can be good props. Be prepared to answer questions and hand out cards even as you're setting up.
If you're giving a talk, dress nicely, arrive early, and take a few deep breaths. Try not to "give a speech" — instead, envision your audience as friends and let your natural enthusiasm for your topic shine through. Don’t worry if you stumble, just pick up your place and keep going. They're expecting entertainment and information, not perfection. Take a camera and ask someone to take a few photos of you. Pass around the items you feel comfortable sharing and invite your audience to step up afterward to view those you'd prefer they not touch. Relax and enjoy it — you'll be great!
Share your success
When it's all over, remember to send a thank-you note to your host organization. If your local newspaper doesn't contact you before your talk or visit during the event, be sure to send a follow-up press release and photo describing your success, especially if you're leaving a display up for a period of time. You should also send a note and photo to us at Teddy Bear and Friends so we can share your success with other readers and perhaps inspire them to try their own grassroots teddy bear talk!
(originally published in Teddy Bear and Friends magazine, March/April 2008)
"Take something you love, tell people about it, bring together people who share your love, and help make it better. Ultimately, you'll have more of whatever you love for yourself and for the world." - Julius Schwartz, DC Comics pioneer, 1915-2004
For most people, to know teddy bears is to love them — but the community of people passionate about artistic soft sculpture has been slowly shrinking over the past decade. Even as children are flocking to Build-A-Bear and Webkinz, we adult teddy bear collectors are finding ourselves with fewer friends who share our fascination with this art form. But again, to know teddy bears is to love them — we just need to introduce more people to our kind of teddy bears.
In the beginning
The bear community did not spring Athena-like from the doll world, fully grown and ready to conquer the world with hugs. It was instead a grassroots movement that gathered strength over the decade of the 1970s as collectors followed the actor Peter Bull's lead and admitted their lasting affection for their childhood companions, and artists not only discovered the self-expression possible in teddy bears but banded together a few at a time to share techniques, sources, and sheer excitement in their art. There was no structure to the bear world, just individuals combing craft, antique, and doll shows looking for antique teddies, handmade treasures, and like-minded friends. People helped each other build their collections and their contacts while sharing their enthusiasm for teddy bears with anyone who would listen — and that was their key to success.
Thanks to magazines, the Internet, and affordable airfare, teddy bears are more available and their enthusiasts are more in touch than ever before. The appearance of our community has changed, but it's still a strong and vibrant source of information and friendship. However, in addition to sharing eBay links, blogs, and the like, we all need to act as ambassadors for the bear world and try to share it with our communities. We need to go back to our grassroots.
Good examples
In fact, the effort is already underway. John Paul Port grew up in the bear world and has campaigned tirelessly to publicize teddy art. "Some of the greatest experiences in my years of collecting and creating teddy bears have stemmed from sharing that collection with others," he says. John often shares his collection via exhibits at local libraries and talks at schools and service organizations. He donates items to charity raffles and sends postcards to collectors and press releases to newspapers whenever he participates in a show. He reports that several people in his small community "have amassed beautiful collections" and he sees many more at local bear shows.
Last fall the teddy bear artist Janet Anderson created a display for the library in her hometown of Evergreen, Colorado. She included teddy bears, historical documents, both collectors' and children's books, and lots of photographs in her display. Janet made a special effort to connect the exhibit to the community by sharing a local hotel's claim to have made the first teddy bear as well as using bears to depict well-known local amusements. She noted those connections in the press release she sent to the local newspaper. "It was a success in that the library got many wonderful comments on the display and it was written up in the local paper so many people went to see it," reports Janet. "They want me to do another in the future."
Fellow artist Bev White has also promoted the connections between her community and her bear work. For many years a member of a mall-based craft co-operative called The Creative Hand, Bev taught classes, ran an art competition for local high school students, organized artist signings, and even sold the work of other doll and bear artists. More recently, she taught a class at The John Campbell Folk School near Brasstown, North Carolina. "It is a special kind of place that blends history, art, and natural beauty while offering a broad array of handicraft classes for anyone who wishes to explore their creative spirit." She notes that other artists, including Steve Schutt, Celia Baham, and Rita Casey have also taught there. One of her students, Billie Abbot, "has gone on to utilize her new-found skills in her community with what she calls 'a new blessing in my life.' She has begun making 'Memory Teddy Bears' for Hospice and she is now on her sixteenth bear."
Bev also reaches out to potential collectors with her Teddies To Go bear-making kits. "I originally created the collection as a teaching and educational effort," she says. "I felt that it might introduce a whole new generation to the world of teddy bears by providing a cute, cuddly, complete, easy-to-make kit for making your own bear." She has found that providing teddy bears has enabled her to meet "so many truly wonderful and generous people outside the teddy bear collectibles world."
Go get 'em
Now it's your turn. Think about the places in your community where you could share teddy bears. For example, you could approach the library, service groups like Rotary and Lions Clubs, the YM- and YWCA, Girl and Cub Scouts, schools, nursing homes, retirement communities, historical societies and sites, and sewing or quilting clubs. Simply call and ask to speak to the activities or program director and explain that you are a teddy bear collector and would like to share your collection and information about the art. Offer to do a display or short program. Chances are, they'll accept immediately or at the very least give you instructions for submitting your proposal in writing.
Once you have a venue, you need to think about the actual presentation. Whether you're doing a static display or an in-person presentation, you'll need many of the same samples and props. First, of course, gather your bears. Ideally, you should include an old bear, some manufactured bears, and some artist-made bears. Pick bears that you can talk about — bears with interesting "find" stories, or by artists you especially like, or that are meaningful to you. If you don't own bears in one of the categories, use photos. If you're doing a display, type tags that identify the bear's name, maker, materials, and year of creation, and tell any story associated with it. For a talk, of course, you'll incorporate that information in your presentation.
To illustrate the history of the teddy bear, it's helpful to have an enlarged copy of Clifford Berryman's famous "Drawing the Line" cartoon. It's fairly easy to find in teddy bear books and Web sites. Be prepared to type or tell the story of President Roosevelt's trip to Mississippi, Berryman's role in creating the myth of the bear, and the Michtoms' creation of the American bear named "Teddy." For the German side, a picture of an old Steiff bear and one of Margarete Steiff will help explain how that family invented the bear in 1902.
Speaking of books, include an assortment: collector books like Peter Bull's classic Teddy Bear Book, Patricia Schoonmaker's Collector's History of the Teddy Bear, or any of Linda Mullins' or Dee Hockenberry's histories; a "making" or artist book; and classic children's fair like Pooh and Paddington. You can also take teddy bear magazines from around the world.
If your focus is the history of teddy bears, it can be fun to include samples of bears by well-known American companies like Gund, Knickerbocker, and Boyds, as well as examples from around the world, such as Punkinhead from Canada, Dean's and Merrythought bears from England, and Hermann bears from Germany. There are, of course, many more to choose from, and international artists add to the variety. In each case, give a brief history of the company and explain how their bears are unique.
Mentioning the places that antique bears have been sold, like Christie's and Sotheby's, and the prices they have achieved often helps your audience understand that your display or discussion focuses on antiques and art work, not toys. That's especially important when you transition to discussing or displaying modern artist bears, which tend to have a craft-show reputation but art-exhibit prices and can be confusing and intimidating to the uninitiated.
Gather samples of mohair, glass eyes, pearl cotton, Ultrasuede, excelsior, wool felt, and other bear-making supplies. (Artists might be willing to give you scraps of their fabrics when you explain your mission.) Describing the origins and intrinsic value of the materials can go a long way toward explaining the prices and value of modern manufactured and artist-made teddy bear art. You'll complete the picture by speaking or writing with enthusiasm about the variety and uniqueness of the designs, the handcrafting, and the "look" created by each bear maker or artist.
For a display, type captions that clearly and succinctly identify each object. Consider matting the captions on colorful paper and adding stands to the back, or arranging several together on a poster. Proof and spell check the captions! For a talk, write a few lines about each object, keeping in mind the timeline of your story and a trying to maintain a logical flow of information. Remember to consider the age of your audience — adults, for example, might appreciate learning the impact of the World Wars on the teddy bear trade, whereas children need a simplified version of the story (i.e., tell them that the teddy bear is more than 100 years old, not that it was invented in 1902). You don't need to write a script — it's more natural to talk from an outline using your own words each time — but you certainly can read your presentation word-for-word if that makes you more comfortable.
Practice setting up your display or presenting your talk. Make sure it fits into the space — display case or time — allotted. For a display, give it height and depth to make it more interesting, but be sure everything can be seen and understood from a limited vantage point. Ask your friends and family to be your audience so you can rehearse a talk until you're comfortable or answer questions about the display. Consider adding a few handouts, such as old magazines, a list of helpful Web sites, local bear shows, and nearby shops, and business cards if appropriate.
At the same time that you're gathering your props and outlining your talk or display, remember to promote your event if it will be held in a public place. Invite your friends and neighbors (in writing) and send a press release to the local newspaper, to the attention of the features editor. It can be simple: the basic "who, what, where, why, how to contact" formula will work, especially if you include a photo of you with a teddy bear. If appropriate, send an announcement to local schools as well.
When installing a display, remember to take supplies like tape, fishing line, scissors, T-pins, and museum wax to help you get everything into place. Colorful boxes from the craft or discount store can be good props. Be prepared to answer questions and hand out cards even as you're setting up.
If you're giving a talk, dress nicely, arrive early, and take a few deep breaths. Try not to "give a speech" — instead, envision your audience as friends and let your natural enthusiasm for your topic shine through. Don’t worry if you stumble, just pick up your place and keep going. They're expecting entertainment and information, not perfection. Take a camera and ask someone to take a few photos of you. Pass around the items you feel comfortable sharing and invite your audience to step up afterward to view those you'd prefer they not touch. Relax and enjoy it — you'll be great!
Share your success
When it's all over, remember to send a thank-you note to your host organization. If your local newspaper doesn't contact you before your talk or visit during the event, be sure to send a follow-up press release and photo describing your success, especially if you're leaving a display up for a period of time. You should also send a note and photo to us at Teddy Bear and Friends so we can share your success with other readers and perhaps inspire them to try their own grassroots teddy bear talk!
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