Teddy bears appear on all kinds of products, from wallpaper to slippers. You can decorate your whole house with bears, wear teddy bear slippers and sleep in teddy bear sheets. You can buy chocolate teddies, cereals promoted with teddy bears and bears have even appeared on some laundry products! But this isn't just a modern craze. Teddy-decorated china appeared almost as early as the first bears themselves. Early examples are highly prized by collectors since the fragile nature of their materials means that few have survived in good condition, and complete sets are very rare. Some modern makers of limited-edition bears also offer bear-sized accessories for their special bears. And of course, we're all familiar with images of Pooh Bear and Paddington being used across a whole range of items.
Various other materials have been formed into bear shapes over the last century or so. Early 20th century wooden carvings of bears - often called Black Forest Bears - after the region of Southern Germany where they were made, are very popular with collectors. Some were intended purely for use as ornaments, but others were made into useful objects, ranging in size from pincushions to coat stands.
Silver teddy bears were once used to adorn christening gifts such as teething rings or rattles, and bears also appear on silver spoons and egg cups, also popular christening presents. Early examples again are particularly sought after, and the hallmarking system means that they can be accurately dated.
Postcards featuring bears have also been around almost as long as the teddy himself, and an enormous number have been published. These could once be obtained extremely cheaply, but prices have soared in recent years. Luckily for bear-lovers everywhere, larger numbers of new cards continue to appear at collectable prices, most recently from DevonBear Designs, who offer a whole set of bear-ish images. We also offer bears on e-cards if you want to send other bear-lovers some great English bear images, absolutely free!
Old adverts and packaging - ephemera - are also very collectable, and even modern items can be grouped together very effectively to create a talking point. Think about Rupert Bear and Sooty, Paddington and Pooh to name just a few. Other collectable items with a bear theme include decorated toffee or biscuit tins and the metal buckets that many will remember from seaside holidays of days gone by.
Whenever bears appear on items, you can be sure that someone somewhere will have started a collection. But for real bear-lovers, the only problem is deciding where to begin - and also when to stop!
Helen Dickson is the owner of DevonBear Designs. She designs and makes a small range of really practical - and pretty - textile items and stationery all inspired by the wonderful coast and countryside of South Devon, England. Helen is a talented watercolour artist and all DevonBear Designs products feature one of her images. Visit her site at http://www.devonbeardesigns.com
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