ing lifelike. Bing employed nearly 10,000 toy makers in 1910, making it the largest in the world, by far. Of Jewish-German heritage, Bing eventually was forced into bankruptcy in 1932, but the company left a legacy of some of the finest bears and toys ever made. The quality and detail make Bings among the highest-selling items at auction. The 18-inch cinnamon teddy bear shown (above) is in excellent condition and commands $4,000 and up on the market today. Bing marked its bears in several ways. Those interested in collecting Bing should read the book “Bing Bears and Toys,” which highlights all the criteria for identifying a genuine Bing. Remember, the newest original Bing is from 1932 or earlier.
|This 20-inch mint version of the Uncle Remus teddy bear is extremely rare and valued at $5,000 or more.|
Joel Chandler Harris wrote the Uncle Remus stories, which some may remember from the Walt Disney movie version. The Uncle Remus teddy bear was made in America in 1906-1907. A special sewing procedure was used for the Uncle Remus bears’ eyes that made them hold their looks and not loosen or fall out.
Uncle Remus featured early dressed bears, who wore boots, as well. I have a photo from 1906 that shows a New York toy show selling rows and rows of teddy bears like this one, marked “UNCLE REMUS.” This 20-inch mint version is extremely rare, and valued at $5,000 or more.
|This original 20-inch American Ideal teddy bear was made in 1907.|
Ideal Novelty And Toy Company was one of the very early teddy bear and toy companies in America. Thanks again to research by my friend, Charles Moose, I can say without reserve that Ideal was not the maker of the first teddy bear, and it probably was not even the first American maker. Morris Michtom played a great role in the American toy industry and was a beloved benefactor to many less fortunate.
Playthings magazine reviewed Michtom’s life in 1938, when he died. In 1906, Michtom started making bears in a small shop, along with two partners. One year later, he moved to a larger factory facility that measured 50 feet by 50 feet! This was against the urging of his friends, who said he could not compete against the long-established German factories. Pictured at left is a 20-inch, 1906-07 Ideal teddy bear with pointed felt footpads and triangular head, which are features of Ideal’s early production. Though more scarce than Steiff, Ideal bears usually bring 25 to 30 percent of comparable Steiff models. This Ideal is a mint, rare long-haired 20-inch version, valued at $3,000 to $5,000.
|This Schuco original Bellhop/Messenger Yes-No teddy bear is from 1920. This was purchased from Skinner Inc.|
Schuco is one of the premier early German teddy bear and toy producers. As a teenager, Heinrich Mueller served an apprenticeship at the Bing Company, then started his own company in 1912. In my humble opinion, the Schuco Yes-No is the single greatest bear toy ever made. Introduced in 1920, it is the first “talking bear” — Schuco also made cats and dogs and birds — although it is nonverbal. Yes-No bears have tails that allow users to rotate the bear’s head to say yes or no. In an age of storytellers, parents and librarians loved to use Schuco’s Yes-No bears to tell stories.
The Bellhop/Messenger bear, with shoe-button eyes, and a beautiful felt uniform, was a gigantic hit. Over the years, I have seen a typical 12- to 16-inch version command more than $5,000 at auction. The mint version pictured at right is valued in that area. Glass eyes were used from 1923 onward.
|This magnificent 16-inch Teal Blue English Farnell teddy bear is from the Roaring ’20s.|
Rare … appealing … and mint! In the roaring ’20s, lively colors were used by teddy bear makers: red, orange, blue and combinations. Farnell made a limited number of turquoise, or teal, teddy bears, as did several other companies. Farnell, however was the “Steiff” of England, and the company also sold its honey-colored bear from Harrods, which Christopher Robin called Winnie the Pooh.
Shown here is an original 1920s turquoise 16-inch Farnell teddy bear that was gi