The Old Bear Company

For Reference Only :)

This adorable little chap isn't offered for sale right now, but we wanted to share his information because we have never before seen a pinky peach soldier bear! Farnell made a range of pink bears with webbed claw stitching around 1912, such as the one recently listed on our website, and Steevans Manufacturing Company made WW1 bears in a similar colour, but we never had one in this size of just 3.5". The name "soldier bear" tended to stick many moons ago when we wrote articles about these tiny tots referring to them as such. Many bears were, indeed, given as love tokens to servicemen, and some were made in the patriotic colours of red, white and blue; but they were not only produced to give to soldiers going to war. Originally, we believe they were created as general, novelty good luck charms for both adults and children. The range included other animals such as dogs and cats. Their eyes were often placed high on the head to enable them to see out of a top pocket! My Great Grandfather owned a toy shop at this time and my Grandmother actually remembered these bears being sold in the shop and seeing the troops in the town's marketplace when she was a very young girl. She recalled them being displayed in boxes inside the shop! It is a shame so much history is lost, but my Grandmother's memories were always clear about them! Additional pics

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