The Old Bear Company

History - The Old Bear Co

The Old Bear Company Marilyn and Fiona Miller set up The Old Bear Company 32 years ago - an extension to a hobby the twins have shared for as long as they can remember. Fiona talks about how it all began. Marilyn and I have adored soft toys all our lives, ever since we shared a pram together! It goes without saying that the joy we derive from collecting and dealing in antique teddy bears definitely stems back to our childhood when we were never out of toy shops. We have countless memories of our early years and we accumulated a vast array of cute and cuddly animals, many of which remain with us to this day. On annual visits to Blackpool, our dear Grandpa didn't even have time to unpack before we would whisk him off to the Pier in search of a new cuddly companion! Apart from bears - frogs, penguins, monkeys, even snakes and crocodiles joined our gang! To this day we still laugh about the names we chose for our toys. Marilyn's very first teddy was known as "Bibibi-Sister". Where we thought up such weird and wonderful titles we still do not know, but mum tells us we spoke our own language when we were small, and no one else could understand us! Bibibi had been handed down from our older brother Martyn, who felt he had outgrown most of his softer companions and was more into his action men and other "masculine" toys! (No one ever told him that a teddy bear was first thought of as a boy's playmate!) This loveable bruin still wears the old dress and brooch which Marilyn presented her with well over five decades ago. Made of nylon plush with foam stuffing and screw-locking plastic safety eyes, and with the omission of cardboard joints, Wendy Boston bears could actually be immersed in water. Unlike wood-wool which became soggy, or kapok which stained fabrics, the foam in this innovative new design was quick drying and hygienic. This was very lucky for Bibibi, who was constantly being mislaid out in the large garden behind our house. Following a rainstorm one night, our father retrieved the hapless bruin from one of the apple trees! Marilyn had completely forgotten where she had left her, but the beloved bear soon dried out and was non-the worse for wear. My first teddy was a little blue fellow that I totally adored. One day I left him in the cinema and, despite all attempts to get him back, he was never found. Although I received a pink bear as a replacement a few weeks later, I never felt quite the same love as I had for that tiny blue boy. When Marilyn first started to collect older bruins in the 1980s, I promptly followed suit and set about scouring antique markets and auctions for something special. We soon found ourselves enraptured in a childhood passion like never before. Naturally, old bruins do not come cheaply and, in order to keep collecting them, we found we would part with a few now and again to subsidise our hobby. Tastes can alter too and interest in a certain maker we may have at one time can easily digress into a different type altogether. I discovered that my true fervour lay in the early Steiff creations and so began to learn more and more about this prestigious manufacturer. Marilyn developed a love for the very worn characters and enjoyed dressing them to the nines! Soon we were buying other elderly bruins with the specific intention of finding them new homes, a venture which proved very successful. The Old Bear Company was born! In the early days, catalogues stapled together with original photographs were sent out to customers both in the UK and abroad. It was a time-consuming task, but one which paid off as a regular client base was built. We also attended numerous bear fairs around the country and enjoyed meeting our customers and putting a face to a name. We branched out into the world of the Internet in February 1998. At that time, the UK had yet to truly embrace the World Wide Web, although it was already a huge part of everyday life in America. It was following a trip to the Steiff Festival in Toledo, Ohio back in 1997 that we first realised just how valuable and enjoyable it could be. Our delightful hosts were Ben and Beth Savino who owned the long-established Toy Store in Toledo. Their son, Mike, was very keen and knowledgeable about the Internet and began explaining the basics to us. I must admit it seemed quite confusing at the time but when we got home we looked into it more and more and began checking out on-line auctions and other sites. As our confidence in this new technology began to grow, we considered selling on-line ourselves and soon established The Old Bear Company website, the first of its kind, devoted exclusively to old teddy bears and soft toys. Our site has changed little over the years as we prefer to keep it simple and easy to use, but we did have to add a couple more pages to it as we found that demand was very high and we began seeking out more and more elderly bruins to offer for sale. We later created our "Exquisite Treasures" page which offers a good range of teddy memorabilia ranging from postcards to silver items, as well as unusual little novelties which can be displayed with a bear. We specialise in early Steiff, as well as bruins by other German, American and English manufacturers. Some of the characters offered for sale are very well-loved and worn whilst others are in fine condition, so there is always something to suit all tastes and pockets. We still enjoy adding to our own collections too and our passion is reflected through our web photographs. We use various props to bring the bears to life and have great fun with the displays. We update constantly, so there is always something new to see. We have met countless new friends from around the globe thanks to the Internet and our business has certainly expanded over the years. It is now over 32 years since our beloved hobby turned into a full-time business. When Marilyn and I get together, we love to reminisce about the "good old days" and think about how it all began. We share so many happy memories together, but above all we consider ourselves fortunate to be involved in a job we so adore. When we "go to work" each day, it is more like sliding back in time and reliving our youth. There is something of a child in all of us, and teddy bears will certainly keep everyone young at heart forever.

Note: US Dollar prices are approximate. The purchase price will depend on the exchange rate at the time of the transaction.

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