Introduction . . .

I am now honored to reach out to the collectors and owners
of unidentified bears, stuffed animals and vintage toys.

Ken did this for years and was an expert appraiser. I was his understudy or apprentice and together we viewed and enjoyed each and every request that came our way.

Appraising bears online will be a fun adventure for all of us. We will share our discoveries here on this web page.

Meeting new faces, in teddy bear form, and sharing the knowledge I have gathered, will be a joy. Together we can discover that everything old can be newly appreciated!

Beary best,
Brenda Yenke 

How much is your beloved bear worth?

Cursor down to discover the appraisal procedure.

Hello Brenda,

My siblings and I found this teddy bear amongst my mother’s belongings. It had been very carefully stored for a long time.
I have many pictures of her as a child holding a teddy bear, but not this particular one. It’s possible it belonged to my grandmother who was born in 1901 Or, it may have been something my mother recognized as having some value and purchased it later. She was an avid antique collector. It is about 15 inches tall with yarn nose and claws and very little foot definition. Unfortunately the original eyes have been lost.
Tom

Hi Tom.
I am glad you and your siblings have taken your time in sorting through your mom’s precious cargo. The fact she took such good care of these collectibles, is repeated in your desire to identify and realize what you have found. My sympathies to all of you. Your lovely pink/mauve teddy is made of mohair and stuffed with excelsior. She (because she sports a marvelous colored mohair), dates to the 1920s and is most probably a German teddy. The “roaring twenties” saw a boom in everything, including extravagant jewelry, fashion and special toned teddy bears. The tummy is round, with a simply sewn horizontal cord nose and inverted Y extension mouth, arms that are quiet a bit shorter than the legs, and being five way jointed (head/arms/legs) were traits of the Petz Co. at this time. We can see a replacement covering over the felt, to make sure the excelsior did not leak through. Three claws were simple, and very common for several firms. The glass eyes would have been an amber color with a black pupil, and are often missing since they were merely inserted into the head on wire shanks. Way before child safety laws! The arms rest a bit lower than some, making a definite shoulder area. He has a slight foot definition, and the upward tilt of the hands almost say, please pick me up! The ears may need to be sewn into place, to keep them attached. Very early examples had ears toward the side of the head, while yours are a bit higher. The long silky mohair has faded to an off white and missing in some areas, but the true intention is still evident with the mohair backing. He was hand closed in the front. Value for your pink beauty is $350.00. Pictures of your mom would have added to this provenance, but you all can rest assured each photo with other toys would carry a value of up to $50.00, depending on subject matter. Enjoy!
Brenda

Hi Herb,
Your large teddy is in very good condition with rexine pads, and dates to the 1950s. The large somewhat square muzzle on the face is a very familiar trait of the Verna Toy Co. The company was located in Victoria, Australia and started as a doll factory in 1941, with Eve Barnett. They changed ownership in 1948, with Arthur Eaton as head, and added teddy bears in their inventory. The fabric tag would have said “Verna”, Made in Australia, by an embroidered label. Later examples simply had printed labels. They used high quality mohair for their bears. The plastic orange/amber eyes have black pupils, are set wide apart, while the nose is sewn in a vertical stitch cord. The mouth and nose extension was sewn in a single cord. He is very chubby, and probably stuffed with excelsior. Five way jointed, he has the ability to be posed. They ceased operating in the mid 1980s. Value for your Aussie friend would be $250.00.
Brenda

Bear as purchased

After being cleaned

Hello Brenda,
I recently found this bear at an antique shop.I know the brand, Chad valley, label with red text on his foot and a “Hygienic Toys” button in his right ear. He has almost no mohair left and i can see the filling on some paws. He also has a flat box in his chest but it doesn't work. He is 48 cm (19inch) long from ear to toe. I didn't pay him much, I fell for his old charm. My children think he is creepy with his big eyes. I am very interested in learning more about him like how old is he, did he have a name, are the eyes and cord around his neck original and maybe he has a small value?
I look forward to your comments.
Greetings,
Debbie from Belgium

Hi Brenda,

This bear is 13" tall,
Kapok body, solid head, arms and legs. Sheepskin and lambs wool. 5-way jointed however head can not be turned. Eyes are metal.
Original stitched nose and mouth. Rexine pads. I have read that lambs wool was used during the war years when mohair was in short supply and would appreciate any information and your thoughts on this little bear please.

Dawn

Hi Dawn,
Very sweet little lambs wool teddy was made in Australia, possibly by Joy Toys in the 1950s. During and after WWII, this covering was readily available. Your 13” teddy is jointed in the limbs, but has a stationery head. The original eyes would have been amber glass. He has shoe button eyes as replacements for now. The head is excelsior, while the limbs and body are kapok. Joy Toys was stationed in Melbourne and formed by Gerald Kirby and his wife in the late 1920s-1966. They were taken over by British Lines Brothers. Your teddy’s ears are simply an extension of the face area, with a seam—separating the head to the ears. The pads are original and in excellent condition. So many of these teddies also had a foam stuffing, which made them disintegrate in hot environments. Yours is safe! Value for your “natural” teddy would be $75.00.
Brenda

Dawn

Dear Brenda,
I would appreciate any information on in regards to maker. He is believed to be circa 1930's. A lovely fat bellied bear. 17" in height.
5 way jointed. Body and head are straw stuffed. Limbs stuffed with kapok. Original stitched nose and mouth. Glass eyes/ Paw pads were originally rexene however have now been restored with vintage chocolate velvet material.

Dawn

Hi Dawn,
Lovely English bear, with the typical Chiltern appeal in the Hugmee series. This began in 1923-1960s, and was their most popular style of teddy. Yours is mohair with the top of the ear clipping the head seam
and nicely cupped. The vertical cord nose is somewhat shield shaped, with a slight smile indicated in the mouth. He dates to the 1940s, with the original rexine pads covered in a brown material. The closing seam is in the back of the round tummy. Eyes are original, amber glass- and the muzzle is slightly shaved. The body and head are excelsior, while the limbs are kapok and light weight. Leon Rees inherited Chiltern Toy Works in 1920 from his father-in-law, Josef Eisenmann. H. G. Stone and Co. was then formed as he partnered with Harry Stone-a former Farnell employee. They introduced their own teddy bears to the English world, as Master Teddies. This particular bear remains very rare, with porcelain style googly eyes. Your Hugmee is in excellent condition, and at 17” would be valued at $500.00.
Brenda

Hi Anne,
Your sweet somewhat large teddy is American, and possibly from Ideal, dating to around 1913. The twill nose was a time saving techinique, making the head seam fulfill two objectives: connecting the facial seams and incorporating the nose at the same time. They were very busy trying to keep up with the demand for teddy bears, so each effort was skillful yet speedy. In fact, the overstitched seams was another of the time saving techniques. I think the original glass eyes should have been amber, as you mentioned. These are older eyes, but the yellow was not a common American trait. They are sewn in the Ideal fashion, inside the head seam. The pointed wool felt foot pads and finished mouth extension along with the discernible front hump, front closure on the chest, are all Ideal characteristics of the early years. He has the football shaped body, noticeable in the back view. The mohair is a lovely golden color, most common, with large cupped ears. The teddies from 1907 had ears sewn on the side of the head, and these gradually crept up toward the top of the head in later years. Restorers have a huge responsibility to keep bear repair in the historically accurate mode. In OH, Cherie Graham at ragtymore2@netzero.net or 330-464-9099 has been the go to lady for my good friends in MI. She loves doing the work, but may take awhile with her busy schedule and taking care of family members. The teddy bear market is still bearish...oh how TR would delight with this term! It all relates to supply and demand, which the internet made possible..good and not so good! Today the teddy would be valued at $600.00.
Brenda

Hi Bev,
Congratulations on a fine discerning eye for spotting an antique teddy bear! He is a great example of the early American Co.- Ideal Novelty and Toy. At 19”, he is a large bear, with the classic designs and short bristle mohair. The head is the most important part of any Bruin, and your example sports the triangular design, shoe button eyes, and twill cotton nose. Those made in the 1905-06 era had ears toward the side of the head, while yours has the ears set a bit higher. The leather pads are covering the original felt pads and excelsior stuffing. The football shaped body holds the lower set arms, making his shoulders very visible. Early examples had very long arms, yours are a bit shorter. This dates him to 1915, before WWI. Ideal formed a factory and advertised in Playthings Magazine in 1907. They have many tributes to being the first American Co. to make bears, and
it is thought that they could have made earlier examples, not manufactured, but handsewn by Mrs. Michtom herself. They owned a stationery shop in Brooklyn NY, and legend has it that the MS. Bear Hunt and border dispute, along with Clifford Berryman’s drawing of Teddy’s bear appeared in cartoon form in the Washington Post- 1902. Value today for your teddy would be $700.00.
Brenda

Hi Brenda,

Teddy bear feel hard with disc in legs arm and neck.
Has a button on bally u push button and it squishy.
Funny noise. About 30 35 cm tall with glass eyes. Very hard stuffed, not soft.
Billy

Hi Billy,
Your cotton plush fur teddy has an English appeal! With the large head, glass eyes, large flat ears his chubby limbs can point to carnival bears won at the Faires of yesterday. That long cord on his back was probably how he was displayed in a booth..hanging to grant attention and still be safe! They enticed customers to play games, or use skills to win prizes of varying degrees. Most popular in the 1940-50s, this dates to that era. The shield nose seems to be a piece of felt sewn into place, with 3 claws on his paws, and fabric pads. Sometime these examples were characterized as Eastern European products. The stuffing is excelsior, and he is quite solid. He has a characteristic appeal, with the larger than normal head, almost childlike. These were quality bears, mass produced to meet demand, and invite gamers to have fun with winning! The squeaker you feel in his tummy is probably nonworking..air seeps into the mechanism, and the seal is broken that keeps it air tight and working. He did speak at one time! Value for your smaller bear with large appeal is $ 125.00. Brenda

Hi Cortlynn,
How sweet your mom was thinking of you in this special gifting of the Panda! He is in great condition as a vintage piece, dating to the late 1950s. With the tags, we know the manufacurer is Knickerbocker, a NY based toy maker who started making teddy bears in the 1920s. They were quality toys, with the earlier bears made of mohair and later examples made of acrylic or cotton plush. Your example is acrylic and has the appeal of a doll, as well as a bear! Animals of Distinction, as marked on the tag, reveals their vast array of designs and products. They were also advertised as washable- surface cleaning. The eyes are plastic locked in safety eyes, and the nose is a fur Pom Pom, not a cord sewn nose. In the late 1960s, they were granted the license to produce Smokey Bear. He sports pants too, made of cotton, while your Panda’s overalls are made of a cotton knit stripe. That makes him appeal as a doll and a bear, with the costume dressing. The red/white stripes were popular in the late 60s, with the Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, made by Knickerbocker. Value for your dressed panda, at 14”, would be $75.00 as a vintage toy!
Brenda

Bear after restoration

Hi Brenda,
This old bear was purchased from the Barnardos Charity Shop. 16" tall, 5-way jointed and good coverage of soft Mohair. He was once a vibrant Golden yellow bear and he still retains a lovely however faded now. Tightly packed with wood shavings. Glass eyes. Although crunchy to touch he seems quite hollow with an inoperable voice box inside that rattles about.
Nose and mouth stitching.His paw pads have age related wear which I think add to his character and age related appeal. Sold as an old English Chiltern.
Dawn

Hi Brenda,

This bear was described as a Chad Valley Cub bear. He's in original state and in need of some TLC. A disintegration of right paw pad and left pad very thin. He's a solid bear
13" tall. Entirely filled with wood shavings. Inoperative voice box inside. Colouring is brown with a pinkish hue.
Eyes are glass
Dawn

Hi Dawn,
This teddy sure has different eyes, those we call humanized, mostly borrowed from the doll world. Steiff used this type eye on a few of their dogs..the white background helps define those with black fur. I am thinking it dates to 1955-59, with this eye and the very short tan mohair, which resembles wool. The large smile was also a later attribute, with the early bears somewhat stoic in facial expression. This reminds me of American Greetings who used some of our bears 20 yrs. ago in calendars and cards. The early ones had an electronic smile granted to their faces...it just made customers feel better! Funny, cause this Ted has a natural happiness! His chubbiness has the appeal of a Pooh type bear, but I think he was an imported bear, possibly from a firm that also made dolls. The fact he is jointed, sets him apart from the unjointed bears from this period. He also appears to be a stander. Usually these eyes were on wire shanks with loops for sewing into place, but it seams these may have broken off. The felt pads are acrylic. We could say this was an early “artist” bear, but I do think it was manufactured in Europe. One of a kind, as I have never seen another..value would be $150.00.
Brenda

Hi Brenda,
I was wondering if you knew how old this bear was, who made him and how old he may be? He is 12" tall and fully jointed. He has what appears to be very supple leather or worn buckskin paw pads. I think he may be stuffed with straw or something that makes a crunching sound.

Thanks for the information.

Deanne,

Hi Deanne,
There was an ad placed in the Butler Bros. Catalog from 1906-08. It does mention chamois pads; an unusual material! The ad appears in the Schoomaker book,
“A Collectors History of the Teddy Bear”, originally printed in 1981. They did not mention a 12” size as available though, and the eyes were indicated as glass. The smallest bear was advertised as 14”. Butler Bros. was a wholesale business, in fact at one point in time, they bought an entire line of Ideal toys. My thinking is-with the detailed workmanship, this is a German bear and perhaps from the Herta Girz and Co. located in Nuremberg. Her husband, Alexander was the manager of Schuco, and her uncle, Heinrich Muller founded Schuco. She designed some of the figures for this firm. Although I do not have a close up of her work, she was most talented! Will enclose a photo with a twin of your teddy resting in her arms. It probably dates to 1950, after they formed their children’s clothing business in 1948. The horizontal nose, deep set button eyes, cupped ares, long arms and slight hump in the back were traits of quality design. Why the leather pads when almost every other firm used wool felt? Maybe, this is a sign from the Schuco toys..where they used various fabrics and fur. Back in the early days, mohair was also referred to as bearskin cloth! The three long claws were right in keeping with many German firms of this era. The wear is unusual, perhaps he had a hair cut from one adventurous owner, as we see the fur is still rooted, yet very short in spots. Value for this doll sized teddy would be $400.00, with the charm and fashion of the doll masters.

Enjoy! Brenda

Hi Don,
You have a great communicative teddy bear-who speaks yes and no! He is a Schuco, originally called Schreyer & Co. from Nuremberg, Germany. They were founded in 1912, by Heinrich Muller, and Heinrich Schreyer who had experience with the Gebr. Bing Co. Nuremberg was known as the Toy Capital of the world. They developed the clock work mechanism, and had many patents on bear and animals mechanicals. Schreyer left in 1919, then Adolf Kahn became a partner. Your particular large bear dates to the 1950s, with the down turned paws. He is five way jointed in addition to the metal tail that moves his head to an agreeing yes, or the gesture of no. Schuco bears like this have an ability to speak, in a non verbal fashion. He is a stander too, with the cardboard inserts in the feet. You can pose this bear and have the head movements captured by simply moving the tail lever. Pushing it inward makes the yes, while a side to side motion says no. They made this style bear from the 20s, with straight paws. The finest mohair and wool was used, as well as expertly stitched cord noses and mouth extensions. You mohair has some wear, with the tail loosing it’s covering as well. The eyes are glass, he is stuffed with excelsior, and is heavy with this metal encasing. Originally, he had a plastic tag sewn into the chest, with the name Schuco Tricky. As he stands, the value would be $1,500.00.
Brenda

Hi Ms Yenke,
This Petz bear, around 5” head to toe and belonged to my father-in-law who died in 1999. I remember him telling me that he played with this bear but it might have belonged one of his parents? He was born in 1907 so I know it’s pretty old.
I’m wondering about his history.

Thanks in advance.
Greg

Hi Greg,
Great that you have a noted heirloom from the family! The Petz milk glass button was their trademark, with the logo being developed in 1947. It features the name PETZ, in caps within an oblong circle and half circles on both top and bottom, highlighted by V’s. It was painted red on the indented markings, while the hot milk glass left the firing. Anton Kiesewetter originally founded the company in 1859, servicing as a locksmith. In 1921, teddy bears and plush were marketed. Their factory was in Neustadt, near Coburg. His daughter, Charlotte, was born in 1921, and eventually worked at the company as a business manager. His son, Gerhard, born in 1925, became the technical administrator. His wife Ernestine also worked in the business. They exhibited at the first Toy Fair in Nuremberg, in 1949. Your peanut shaped little teddy with wire joints appears to be mohair- with the woven backing, and a center facial seam with sewn ears. He has glass eyes, and a nicely finished sewn nose. The ID button was made in two sizes- 12 & 16 mm. He dates to the early 1950s, and seems to be a part of their circus Petz presentation. It was probably made for the premier Toy Fair. Value today would be $125.00 with your provenance (pictures of owner or other documentation). The company closed in 1967. Ernstine, his widow, also worked as a partner at the factory.

Brenda

Hi Hartlea,
Teddy is large at 25”, with a fur of silk plush, hand stitched cord nose and glass eyes. His ears are rather flat, not cupped and sewn into place. The wool felt pads have a bit
of wear. He is German from the Max Hermann company. Max was the youngest son of Johann and Rosalie, part of the Hermann clan. They were all involved in the toy industry. He is solidly stuffed with excelsior stuffing and has a slight hump on the back with a hand closed back seam. The three claws are characteristic of the Hermann bears, The inset muzzle is also a trait of these teddies. He dates to the 1920s with the straight arm stature, and is a superb statesman. The left joint has a slight wear spot, mostly due to the heaviness of the long arms. Simple closing stitches could mend this area for future protection, using the same color thread as the fur. Value would be $300.00.
Great bruin!
Brenda

Hi Paulette,
You sweet teddy is an English teddy, and your descriptions were so accurate! How great that you found him in his native land. He dates to the 1940s and comes from the Chiltern Toy Co. They were at one time referred to as the H.G. Stone & Co. with Leon Rees as owner and a former worker from Farnell, known as Harry Stone. Rees inherited Chiltern in 1920 from his late father-in-law. The most popular series they produced was the Hugmee teddies, in 1924, and your example is this model. The trait of sewing the ear into the head seam was quite useful for production, leaving hand sewing to the nose, mouth and claws. The earliest examples had one outer stitch upward on each side of the nose..later examples such as yours had an even shield nose. The rexine pads have been recovered, and thank goodness they kept them historically correct with originals beneath. So glad you are handy with the needle craft! Years ago, they made polished chintz, but doubt it is around anymore. They produced this bear until the 1960s. The name says it all-Hugmee is huggable! The eyes are replaced, but original were red glass and similar although sewn into place on wire shanks. He has wear, especially to his head which is the most important part of any teddy, but still adorns that sweet face. At 14” tall the value would be $150.00.
Brenda

Hi Brenda

This bear is about 24-30" long, jointed arms and legs, he is missing his eyes, but looks to be worth something of value.

My guess he is from the  1940's but could be 1900's or older. The bear was from an estate that I inherited.

Shelby

Hello Brenda,

I have had these bears since the 1960's. My sister made the Goldilocks doll for me. They have been well loved but are intact except for Papa Bear's right eye. Papa bear is 24 inches, Mama is 11 inches and Baby is 6 inches. Papa's left eye is a bit loose. Thanks for the info.

Patty

Hi Patty,
Your childhood three bear set with a hand sewn Goldilocks is very sweet. I am so glad you have enjoyed them and kept them in good condition! The Papa bear comes from an American manufacturer, the Rushton Toy Co. They were formed in 1917, and located in Atlanta GA, Mary Rushton was the founder and they operated until 1983. Your Ruston bear has a separate muzzle, with a hand shaped nose made of fabric, red felt tongue, fur that is acrylic and unjointed limbs, making him very huggable. The stuffing is cotton. During the 1950-60 era, they had many rubber faced animals, along with the acrylic and silk plush fur— but they also made the usual fur teddies like yours. The eyes have a metal base, with a plastic iris and black pupil. Value for 24” Papa would be $65.00.

The Mama bear has the original tag reading The Commonwealth Toy & Novelty Co. of Brooklyn NY. This was a very large company, founded in 1934. They are best known for the rare Feed Me Bear. It was made in 1937 as mohair teddy used in advertising for the National Biscuit Co. Your Commonwealth teddy is acrylic, unjointed, stuffed with rubber and cotton, has felt eyes and mouth with a wool Pom Pom nose. Value would be $25.00.

Little baby acrylic teddy has wool Pom Pom’s for eyes and nose, and contrasting felt ears. He seems to be an unidentified American teddy. Unjointed, they all share this attribute! His value is $10.00.

Any pictures of you and your entourage of teddies, would be provenance and add value. Brenda