If buying old or vintage teddies it truly is essential to know the distinguishing qualities that help to date them. Whether for the enjoyment of recognizing when teddy was produced or for making well informed investment judgements, researching teddy adds to the experience of collecting.

There are several features that help to pinpoint the age of a antique teddy:

MAKER.

Generally, bears can be traced to their developer purely by style or look. Quite a few manufacturers have special features in the bears that will make them readily identifiable. A label may be the most conclusive means of revealing who made Teddy though.

The maker helps to ascertain the value; quite a few are deemed premium and highly desired, such as Steiff, Chiltern, Joy Toys or Ideal.

FUR OR FABRIC

Mohair was used at first. Quite delicate and silky, it is actually a textile weaved from angora goat wool. Artificial silk plush was first put to use from the 1920s, in many different tones, with nylon plush invented in 1938. Sheepskin was preferred in the 1930s and 40s. Mohair or mohair/synthetic plush went on to remain most preferred until such time as the 1950s when acrylic plush was more chosen. Man made plushes were further developed in the 60s, with the machine washable teddy offered for little ones!

Felt was implemented for the pads on the earliest teddy bears. Eventually, after WW1, natural cotton was favorite. Rexine was implemented by a number of English and Aussie companies, which was a coated oil cloth. By the 1960s, synthetic fabrics were increasingly chosen.

Understanding the market is important. Sites such as ebay offer online help and information. Research is vital if investment dollars are to be best utilised. Areas to familiarize yourself with include: knowing the most important teddy bear companies, their history, their bears, and the prices expected for some of their teddies. If buying at auction, through a shop, or online, make notes of the distinguishing features of any potential purchases, then research online, and therefore you will be in a position to make an informed decision before parting with any money.

Some considerations include:

-rarity-this could increase the value of a teddy.

-how sought-after a teddy is-this can depend on the company, the teddy’s ‘look’, or it’s age.

-Price-bargains still DO exist!

-aesthetics v investment-if you are not specifically looking to achieve a greater return on investment over time, but merely to purchase a new addition to your ‘hug’ then prior research is not as important.

-limited editions-not all ‘limited’ production runs will result in an increase in the value of teddy, over the purchase price.

-fakes-the more you know, the less likely you will be to buying a fake, whether it is deliberately fraudulent, or inadvertent.