camperdown9
Thursday, 22nd July 2010, 11:00 AM
Hi
When I was 10 years old I wanted a care bear, my parents refused to buy me one they said that I was way to old, and big boys don't have bears. I think this was a big mistake as the addiction to bears started there and then.
Once I started to work I bought the odd bear, however it was not until 1996 that I bought my first Steiff. I had known a little about Steiff, but until then they had always been a bit beyond my budget.
I had started a new job that was paying a lot more than I had been paid in the past. So I thought first pay packet I will buy a Steiff bear. I had been to Hamley's in Regent Street, London to have a look. The limited editions in the glass case were great but I didn't have that sort of money. I picked a chocolate brown classic 1920 teddybar 25. I think it was around £80-£90 ($120-135) and to me at the time a lot of money. The most I had ever spent in the past on a bear was £25. I knew that was the bear that I would buy but I had to wait a couple of weeks. I got paid on the Friday but unfortunately I had to work on the Saturday so it was not until the Sunday that I got to go and buy the bear. Feeling a bit nervous I went to Harmleys, Regent Street store only to find that it was shut due to stock taking. I then went to their Covent Garden store. They had a much smaller range but the bear I wanted was there in a glass case. I paid and to my horror the sale assistant forced the bear into a bag that was way to small and handed it to me. I didn't really feel that I had bought a quality item. About 6 months latter I bought the same type of bear but in cream in Harrods. Much nicer experience. That was it for a few years.
Then in 1998 a friend gave me a Hamleys Charlotte Steiff bear. This was their limited edition for the year. My collection sort of grew from then. I bought a couple of old bears but mainly I bought modern limited editions. Bears made for stores, event bears or just regular limited editions. I bought some on ebay and some from dealers.
Yes I made mistakes a 75cm Zotty got sold on very quickly:).
I bought Steiff Walt Disney World Bear convention Mickey and Minnie both with the pottery face masks, a Donald duck that was not sure if it was a bear or a duck and a Pooh bear. All of which I sold on and now wish I hadn't.:(
For about 7 years I bought Steiff bears and loved collected, then I stopped, I don't know why. Other than a small yellow tagged bear made in China and bought in the Steiff store in Munich I didn't buy another Steiff bear until this year. I still bought bears but not collectable ones.
Then a few weeks ago we went to buy a gift for a christening. We picked a Steiff Yellow tag soft "Happy Bear". Something about this bear spoke to me and the child nearly never got it. In the end I bought myself one, because I have not been collecting I did know that Steiff have moved production of their soft bear range back to Germany from China. I then started to look at the Autumn 2010 limited editions.
I want Bastian & Sam. Also like Charly & James and am not sure what I think of Jumble! Got to watch that budget!
I guess you could say that my little collection of 40 odd Steiff bears is going to grow again.
Anyway thats my bear history!
Alex
When I was 10 years old I wanted a care bear, my parents refused to buy me one they said that I was way to old, and big boys don't have bears. I think this was a big mistake as the addiction to bears started there and then.
Once I started to work I bought the odd bear, however it was not until 1996 that I bought my first Steiff. I had known a little about Steiff, but until then they had always been a bit beyond my budget.
I had started a new job that was paying a lot more than I had been paid in the past. So I thought first pay packet I will buy a Steiff bear. I had been to Hamley's in Regent Street, London to have a look. The limited editions in the glass case were great but I didn't have that sort of money. I picked a chocolate brown classic 1920 teddybar 25. I think it was around £80-£90 ($120-135) and to me at the time a lot of money. The most I had ever spent in the past on a bear was £25. I knew that was the bear that I would buy but I had to wait a couple of weeks. I got paid on the Friday but unfortunately I had to work on the Saturday so it was not until the Sunday that I got to go and buy the bear. Feeling a bit nervous I went to Harmleys, Regent Street store only to find that it was shut due to stock taking. I then went to their Covent Garden store. They had a much smaller range but the bear I wanted was there in a glass case. I paid and to my horror the sale assistant forced the bear into a bag that was way to small and handed it to me. I didn't really feel that I had bought a quality item. About 6 months latter I bought the same type of bear but in cream in Harrods. Much nicer experience. That was it for a few years.
Then in 1998 a friend gave me a Hamleys Charlotte Steiff bear. This was their limited edition for the year. My collection sort of grew from then. I bought a couple of old bears but mainly I bought modern limited editions. Bears made for stores, event bears or just regular limited editions. I bought some on ebay and some from dealers.
Yes I made mistakes a 75cm Zotty got sold on very quickly:).
I bought Steiff Walt Disney World Bear convention Mickey and Minnie both with the pottery face masks, a Donald duck that was not sure if it was a bear or a duck and a Pooh bear. All of which I sold on and now wish I hadn't.:(
For about 7 years I bought Steiff bears and loved collected, then I stopped, I don't know why. Other than a small yellow tagged bear made in China and bought in the Steiff store in Munich I didn't buy another Steiff bear until this year. I still bought bears but not collectable ones.
Then a few weeks ago we went to buy a gift for a christening. We picked a Steiff Yellow tag soft "Happy Bear". Something about this bear spoke to me and the child nearly never got it. In the end I bought myself one, because I have not been collecting I did know that Steiff have moved production of their soft bear range back to Germany from China. I then started to look at the Autumn 2010 limited editions.
I want Bastian & Sam. Also like Charly & James and am not sure what I think of Jumble! Got to watch that budget!
I guess you could say that my little collection of 40 odd Steiff bears is going to grow again.
Anyway thats my bear history!
Alex