love of
bears, collecting
teddy bears (arctophily)
Alpaca:
a silky wool fabric made from the fleece of the alpaca, a domesticated South
American hoofed mammal with a long, soft, silky fleece; related to the llama. Alpaca
(Vicugna pacos) is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It
resembles a small llama in appearance.
Angora
goat: An
Angora goat is a domesticated goat bred for its extremely long, silky hair,
which can be sheared twice annually and spun into
mohair. The original
Angora goats come from Angora, a region of Turkey, although today they can be
found in many regions of the world, and some breeders have crossed the breed
with other goats to encourage more hardy characteristics and to create colored
Angora goats, with fur in a variety of shades including brown, gray, and black
in addition to the classic white.
Antique:
generally speaking, an object of considerable age valued for its aesthetic or
historical significance; in the antiques trade, objects more than 100 years
old.
Appraisal:
an expert estimation of the value, quality and other characteristics of
something.
Arctophile:
a person who collects bears; from the Greek arktos, meaning bear.
Artist
Bear: a bear from an original pattern designed and made by hand in a
limited edition or as a one-of-a-kind.
Auction:
a publicly held sale at which property or goods are sold to the highest bidder;
see also: Christie’s and Sotheby’s.
Auction
Value: estimated price for a piece to sell at auction (either at an
auction house or through an online auction such as eBay); generally less than
insurance value and less than retail, but more than wholesale; contingent upon
the quality of the auction.
Bear
Museum, The: world’s first teddy bear museum in Petersfield,
Hampshire, England, founded by Judy Sparrow in the early 1980s.
Bearabilia:
bear-related items, typically non-plush (e.g., plates, ornaments and figurines).
Bearaphernalia:
see bearabilia.
Berryman,
Clifford: Political cartoonist who, inspired by President Theodore
Roosevelt’s refusal to shoot a bear while on a hunt in Mississippi, drew the
political cartoon captioned “Drawing the Line in Mississippi” that appeared in
the Nov. 16, 1902, edition of The Washington Post; according to legend, the
cartoon inspired Morris and Rose Michtom to create a toy bear in the United
States and name it “Teddy’s Bear”.
Boot-Button
Eyes: see shoe-button eyes.
Boston,
Wendy: developed and patented the first lock-in safety eyes for
bears in 1948; created the first un-jointed, machine-washable teddy bear in
1954.
Bruin:
a bear.
Bull,
Peter: actor who, in the 1960s, introduced his philosophy of “bear
awareness” and helped to spur an excitement for bear collecting; he went on to
write the book Bear With Me, launching
his career as an ambassador for the teddy bear.
Center
Seam: refers to the seam down
the center of some bears’ faces; to use material economically Steiff cut six
teddy bear heads from one length of mohair, and a seventh head was then cut in
two pieces and sewn together forming a seam down the center of the bear’s face;
artists and bear makers still employ this technique at times.
Certificate
Of Authenticity (COA):
a document that accompanies a piece denoting the name of the manufacturer,
artist, date, size of the edition, etc.
Christie’s: first auction house to
host a sale, in 1993, entirely devoted to teddy bears.
Collector’s
Price: generally
similar to the fair market value, but higher for items that are rare or harder
to acquire.
Cotter
Pin: a two-pronged metal pin used to fasten the disc joints that
allow a teddy bear to move its arms, legs and head.
Cub: the young of a bear.
Darn
(to darn something):
to mend a hole in woven/knitted fabric by interweaving yarn with a needle.
Designer:
a person who makes or designs patterns.
Disc-Jointed:
bear’s head and limbs are attached with discs and pins; Steiff’s first
disc-jointed bears appeared in 1905 and a similar method is still used by many
bear makers today.
Distressed:
refers to material made or processed to appear faded or played with, giving it
a vintage and worn appearance.
Double
Jointed: generally refers to the joints in some teddy bears’ necks
when two joints are used for extra pose ability.
Dry
Rot: a decay of bear’s fur or stuffing, resulting in its becoming
brittle and crumbling to a dry powder, caused by various fungi.
Electric-Eye
Bear: lightbulbs were placed in this American-made bear’s eye
sockets, and a battery pack in the body lights the eyes when the stomach is
pressed; produced in the early 1900s embroidered nose: nose is stitched with
thread or floss; the vertical and horizontal stitching and color of the thread
can sometimes help to determine the bear’s maker.
Ephemera:
objects in the collecting world that were originally considered to be ephemeral
by nature, i.e., not made to last, such as postcards or sheet music.
Excelsior:
fine wood shavings or wood-wool used to stuff early teddy bears; has a tendency
to break down and soften with time so it is not used as often in modern bears,
with the exception of some replicas and artist-made bruins. See wool-wool.
Fair
Market Value: price currently being paid for the same item in equal
condition.
Faux
Fur: plush fabric made of artificial fibers; also known as synthetic
fur.
Felt:
nonwoven typically woolen fabric frequently used for a teddy bear’s paw and
foot pads.
Fiberfill:
synthetic fibers, such as polyester, used as a filling.
Foot
Pad: covering on the sole of a bear’s foot, often made from felt or
suede; see also: paw pad.
Foxing: foxing is a term
describing the age-related spots and browning seen on vintage paper documents
such as books, postage stamps, certificates, and so forth. The name may derive
from the fox-like reddish-brown color of the stains, or the rust chemical
ferric oxide which may be involved. Paper so affected is said to be
"foxed."
Golden
Teddy Award: recognizes the best teddy bears and soft-sculpture
animals created by artists and manufacturers; a panel of distinguished judges
in the field narrows the entries to six or fewer creations in each category;
winners are selected by Teddy Bear Review readers through a ballot voting
process.
Golliwogg:
from Florence Upton’s tales about a mischievous black doll and his Dutch wooden
cohorts; often referred to as Golly; first pairing of Teddy and Golly was in
the book The Teddy Bearoplane by May Byron (Acme Tone and Engraving Co.,
England) in the early 1900s.
Golly:
see Golliwogg.
Good
Bears of the World: nonprofit organization founded in England in
1969 by James T. Ownby “to bring teddy bears to those who need and want them”.
Growler:
a “voice box” fitted in a bear’s tummy or side that is activated by tipping the
bear back and forth to create a growling sound.
Gusset:
the wedge-shaped piece of fabric between the two head pieces on most bears.
Gutta-Percha
nose: Some
other early bears had noses made of a natural wax type substance called
Gutta-Percha. This was obviously quite fragile and came off relatively easy
over the years no doubt swallowed by some children. Few examples of a
Gutta-Percha nose exist today in tact with the exception of a few early Steiff
bears. (See PB28).
Hangtag:
a thin card tag attached to a bear or hung around its neck to identify the
manufacturer; see also: swing tag.
Heirloom:
family possession handed down from generation to generation.
Hug:
a collection of teddy bears.
Hump:
a fleshy protuberance on the back of an animal, most often seen on early bears.
Ideal
Novelty & Toy Co.:
first U.S. bear manufacturing company, founded by Morris and Rose Michtom in
1903; see also: Michtom, Morris and Rose.
Inset
Muzzle: nose and snout made from a separate, often different, piece
of fabric from the rest of the head and face.
Insurance
Value: generally twice the current market value, sometimes referred
to as replacement value.
Jointed:
generally discs are inserted at each of the bear’s arms and legs and at the
neck allowing movement.
Kapok:
a lightweight, hygenic and soft stuffing material mainly used in the 1920s and
1930s, sometimes used in combination with excelsior.
Limited
Edition: offered in a restricted number.
Materials:
in the antiques and collectibles business, refers to what an object is made
from, such as mohair, felt or excelsior.
Michtom,
Morris and Rose: inspired by Clifford Berryman’s cartoon, created
“Teddy’s Bear” in 1902; founded the Ideal Novelty & Toy Co. in 1903; see
also: Berryman, Clifford and Ideal Novelty & Toy Co.
Micro-Mini:
opinions vary as to what should be considered a “micro-mini” bear, but
typically a bear under 2 inches tall is regarded as such.
MIB:
Mint In Box, a collector's abbreviation for an item in
mint condition.
Miniature
Bear: opinions vary as to what should be considered a “miniature”
bear, but typically a bear under 5 inches tall is regarded as such.
Mohair: a silky
textile produced from the hair of the
angora goat. It
is most often spun into a thread that can be woven, knitted, or crocheted
depending upon the application. Mohair is durable, warm, insulating, and light.
It also has moisture wicking properties that carry moisture away from the skin
of the wearer. The hair of the Angora goat has been used to produce textiles
for centuries, and the term mohair entered English usage from the
Arabic mukhayyar,
referring to a type of woven head cloth.
Mottled:
to mark with spots or blotches of different color or shades of color as if
stained
In describing a teddy bear, “he
was mottled brown.”
Muzzle:
snout.
Nap:
soft or fuzzy surface of fabric, such as mohair; changing the direction the nap
lies when making a bear changes the bear’s appearance.
Needle
Felting: the process of poking into natural fibers with relatively
long needles that have small barbs on them; “dry” felting technique is used to
create soft-sculpture bears and other animals and is often incorporated into
designs to add detail on paw pads and faces.
NIB:
New In Box.
One
Of A Kind: a unique design of which no others have been created
(OOAK).
Ownby,
James: credited as the founder of Good Bears of the World.
Paw
Pad: covering
at the end of a bear’s arm, often made from felt or suede; see also: foot pad.
PB55:
name of the first jointed bear created by Richard Steiff in 1902; the “55”
signifies the product size (55 cm), the “P” stands for plush and the “B” for
beweglich, German for “jointed”; Steiff introduced a replica in 2002.
Pile: the surface of a
fabric with cut or looped upright yarns, or one of the strands in such a
surface; mohair comes in a variety of “pile” lengths.
Plush:
sometimes used to refer generally to non-mohair manufactured bears; fabric of
silk, rayon, cotton or other material with a thick, deep pile.
Poly-fil:
brand name of a popular polyester stuffing used in bears; see also: fiberfill.
Port,
Beverly: known as the “Mother of Teddy Bear Artistry,” she coined
the term “teddy bear artist” and her designs would become the bridge between
bears manufactured only as toys for children and the modern age of
soft-sculpture bears created as originals for collectors; in 1976, she became
the first journalist to devote an entire column to teddy bears; the stories
were written with the help of her little companion bear, Theodore B. Bear.
Provenance:
(1) the history of ownership of a bear, including who owned it, when, where and
for how long—all of which, if known and verified, often adds significant value
to an antique or collectible; the records or documents authenticating such an
object or the history of its ownership; a photograph of a bear with a previous
owner is an example. (2) Provenance — the known history of a bear, which may
include original photos from the turn of the century with the bear and owner —
can increase value by up to 50 percent. The documentation and story of an item
is a valuable asset.
Recycled
Fur: real animal hide that is repurposed from a coat, blanket or
other item and made into a new item such as a teddy bear.
Repair:
to bring to a good or sound condition after decay or damage; see also: restore.
Replacement
Value: see insurance value.
Replica:
a copy of an original, openly advertised as being a copy; in the 1980s
manufacturers, such as Steiff, began making copies of their antique teddy
bears; replicas are often made in limited editions.
Reproduction: see replica.
Resale
Value: price to sell an item; usually slightly lower than fair market
value since it is a “quicker” sale term.
Restore:
to bring back to a former or original condition; see also: repair.
Rexine:
the trade name for a leather cloth made by covering a woven cloth with
cellulose nitrate; often used on bears’ paw pads and foot pads in the mid-1900s.
Rod
Bear: a bear with metal joints that run through the body; style of
jointing was introduced by Steiff and used only in their very early bears.
Roosevelt,
Theodore: the teddy bear’s namesake, 26th president of the United
States; see also: Berryman, Clifford and Michtom, Morris and Rose.
Sculpted
Nose: noses formed from polymer clay sometimes seen on artist bears.
Sealing
Wax: sometimes used to make molded noses for teddy bears.
Secondary
Market: collectibles sold by private collectors or specialty
“secondary market” retailers, not the original retailers.
Shoe-Button
Eyes: black shoe buttons were typically used as eyes for the
earliest teddy bears.
Soft
Sculpture: refers to three-dimensional art such as teddy bears and
other animals created with fabric or fibers.
Sotheby’s:
London auction house that, in 1982, held the first collectibles sale to include
teddy bears.
Squeaker:
a voice box, often fitted in a teddy bear’s tummy, that emits a sound when
pressed.
Steiff,
Margarete: began Margarete Steiff GmbH in Germany in 1880; the
company is credited for creating the first jointed mohair teddy bear.
Steiff,
Richard: nephew of Margarete Steiff, he is credited for designing
the first jointed mohair teddy bear in 1902 in Giengen, Germany.
Stick
Bear: an inexpensive bear, with thin limbs, made in the United
States, mainly during the 1930s.
String
Jointed: bear’s limbs and/or head are attached with string or thread
rather than discs; the first Steiff teddy bear was jointed with this method.
Sub:
stuffing made from cotton waste and used during World War II when other
materials, such as kapok, were not available.
Swing
Tag: a thin card tag attached to a bear or hung around its neck to
identify the manufacturer; see also: hangtag.
Tableau:
(plural: tableaux) a picturesque grouping of objects. See vignette.
Tea-Dyed:
material is soaked in tea to give it an old or vintage look.
Ted:
short for teddy bear.
Theodore
Society: organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of
the teddy bear.
Ultra
suede: a brand of washable, synthetic suede-like material frequently
used for the paw pads and foot pads on artist bears.
Upholstery
Velvet: a woven fabric with a very short pile, often used to make
miniature bears or for paw pads and foot pads.
Ursa:
Latin for bear.
Ursine:
of or pertaining to a bear or bears.
Vignette:
see tableau.
Vintage:
characterized by excellence, maturity and enduring appeal; classic.
Webbed
Claws: four or five large stitches that form the paw claws and are
linked with a strand of thread to produce a webbed effect.
Wobble
Joint: a very loose joint in a bear’s neck that causes the head to
bob.
Wood-Wool:
see excelsior.
Wool
Batting: wool fiber in batts or sheets that is used in needle
felting; see: wool roving.
Wool
Roving: wool that has been twisted, attenuated and freed of foreign
matter in the stage before its conversion into yarn; used for needle felting,
it is more refined than wool batting. See wool batting.
Yes/No
Bear: first introduced by the German bear company Schuco in 1921,
the bear has a mechanism in it causing it to nod its head “yes” when the tail
is moved up and down and shake its head “no” when the tail is moved side to
side.
