Teddy Bear Ephemera

Almost as soon as the Teddy Bear was born in 1902, Teddy Bear Ephemera was produced and started to flood the market, and was made in practically every kind of medium you can think of.  Even before the birth of the Teddy, bears have always been popular.

Teddy Bear items are now almost as collectible as Teddy Bears themselves.  Teddy Bears have been made in china and porcelain and they have been carved from wood, they have even been made in silver and gold and thousands of books have been written about them.

For decades Teddy Bear jewellery has been most popular and enjoyed by women of all ages and all classes.  Recently, however, Teddy Bear Jewellery has seen quite a revival due to certain celebrities such as Cheryl Cole being seen and photographed wearing teddy bear items of jewellery.  It seems too, the more unusual the better for celebrities such as Lady GaGa who has also been spotted wearing teddy jewellery.

Silver and Metal -  Teddy Bears made from silver have certainly been used to decorate a vast variety of objects, including baby rattles and teething rings and even condiment sets.  Many of these items were produced in Birmingham, England and because of British hallmarking, it is quite easy to date such items.  Many modern items have been made too, especially over the past twenty years or so, so you must ensure you do not mistake these items for antique silverware.

China -  Lots of china has been produced featuring the Teddy Bear and lots of these china items are small and made especially for children, such as Teddy Bear Tea Sets and as such, you will therefore find it almost impossible to find such items in perfect condition, but if you do, then these items certainly are very desirable for collectors.  Most china items were made in either England or Germany.  Again, there are modern replicas of such china made so, once again, caution should be used when buying an item, as it may not be antique.  Unfortunately, most old china of this nature had no special markings whatsoever.

Paintings -  There have been some truly remarkable paintings done of Teddy Bears and also Teddy Bears with Children.  These paintings will always have a lasting appeal and always sell very well at auction. 

Leigh Beavis West, is a popular watercolour artist and pictures of her classical portraits of Teddy Bears have been reproduced on such items as stationery, greetings cards and other gift items.  Ray Campbell, another popular artist has also done some wonderful oil paintings of Teddy Bears.

Books -  There have been just so many books written about Teddy Bears, including the most famous Rupert Bear, Paddington Bear and Winnie the Pooh, that this subject is just too big to discuss in an article of this nature.

Games and Puzzles -  Games and puzzles of Teddy Bears have been produced over a very long period of time.  Old examples of puzzles, especially when in good condition are much sought after by collectors but always check when buying a puzzles that all pieces are included.  There is nothing more disappointing than making up a puzzles only to find a piece is missing.  Most reputable dealers will have the puzzles ‘made-up' so as to ensure that it is complete.  There are numerous Teddy Bear games for sale, for both and new, together with some exciting Teddy Bear card games.

There really is too numerous items to write about here and there are always new ones to discover.  Teddy Bear Ephemera makes an interesting display when displayed on it's own, but it also looks wonderful when displayed with a hug of Teddy Bears.  Teddy bears look so attractive when displayed with interesting items and props and sometimes such items can even support an old bear who finds it hard to sit up on his own or a miniature teddy bear.  Also, many Teddy Bears enjoy wearing items of teddy jewellery, particularly if they wear interesting old clothes.

The list of such items is endless but it is always worth hunting for unusual objects which also, does not have to break the bank.