| Do You Know The History Of The Teddy Bear? |
| Written by LeeReid | |
| Tuesday, 26 January 2010 | |
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We all had a most favorite stuffed animal when we were young, and as adults, this fondness of our stuffed toys has prompted us to become collectors of them, especially those made by Steiff.
We all had a most favorite stuffed animal when we were young, and as adults, this fondness of our stuffed toys has prompted us to become collectors of them, especially those made by Steiff. Stuffed animals that are in great condition are sought after by collectors at auctions and fairs. The legend of Steiff stuffed animals started sometime in 1880 in Germany, in the town of Giengen an der Brenz. Margarete Steiff, a wheelchair bound seamstress, made toy animals from her own designs as a hobby. She created mostly cats, pigs, elephants and dogs. The world famous stuffed animals of Steiff that we know of today began with the idea of adding jointed limbs to a toy bear by Richard Steiff, Margarete's nephew. This bear rapidly became popular in the US and around the world, as it won first place at the World Exhibition in St. Louis in 1904. It became known as a teddy bear, as in honor of President Teddy Roosevelt. Steiff is well known for its superior quality stuffed animals, and they are still produced today in the town of Giengen. Giengen is a mecca for admirers of the products as there is an Adventure Museum as well as the factory. The museum tells the history of the products and a gift shop sells bears, replicas of past animal products, historic catalogues and porcelain. The Steiff Classic range is the line that is most sought after by collectors, featuring a wide variety of animals that are all hand made. Several of the designs are said to date back to the early 1900's. There is also a special creation that features a Valentine Heart, making it a very romantic present for a loved one. Steiff creations include a wide range of popular characters such as Peter Rabbit, Mrs. Tiggy Winkle hedgehog and characters from Beatrix Potter. One of my favorites is the Paddington Bear design, that is all dressed up in his traditional blue hat and red duffel coat. Steiff Baby animals are designed with babies and toddlers in mind. Crafted from high quality, durable materials, the collection includes kittens, puppies and lambs. The Cosy Animal line has machine washable animals and there are also children's clothes, keyrings, bags and gift sets. Another great collection is the Steiff Limited Edition selection that showcases a pink and grey replica of the world famous 1908 teddy bear. This selection also includes a Pierrot Bear, a Moon Bear and a fantastic Grizzly Bear. Another one of my favorites in this range is the famous character from story books, the Rubert Bear. However, the teddy bear will continue to be the toy that is most associated with the Steiff Company. From the Webmaster: "Having the opportunity to share my hobbies and interests with so many people around the world gives me great satisfaction. As a bonus, I blog and produce websites about topics that interest me and receive ad revenue from the websites and Blogs." You can live like this too. Get your domain name and set up a blog on your favorite place or topic. No come-ons. No "Get-Rich-Quick" promises. The results are worth the time and effort needed to build a REAL business.You can start your first or your fiftieth Blog or website to build long- term, ever-growing profits that can take you where you want to go. For less than $10 dollars a year for a domain name and $3.95 a month for basic blog hosting you can start to earn from your hobby or interest. To begin, Click here to sign up for a domain name and Blog hosting . Or, Click here to learn more about starting a blog or website for profit. |