Started collection

[elize]

I started my Teddy Bear collection when I met my husband seven years ago. He had "The Professor" form "The Michaud collection" and a miniature bear.

[lapousmor]

I started mine while in England when I visited Witney Teddy bear shop (Oxfordshire) in november 2003...

My first collector bear was a Cheeky bear.
My second bear was a Cheeky bear.
My third bear was a cheeky bear.
And so on!!!!

Many bears later, I added some artist bears.

Beary hugs,
Sophie.

[lapousmor]

I almost forgot...

I also have other critters :
- a platypus
- a kangaroo
- a rabbit

Beary hugs,
Sophie.

PS: I do have a cat too, but she is a real one (currently sleeping on the floor near me). :p

[oldbearsandfriends]

Well, I started around 1994 when I met a woman who made wonderful old style teddies, I was already working in a toy shop and had started collecting toys but this was the time I started collecting teddies, I loved their look, soo after that I found a real old ted in a junk shop and fell head over heals in love, so began my passion!! here a few pics of part of my collection.

[LadyEva]

Great collection!!!

[oldbearsandfriends]

great collection!!!
thank you ;-)

[kitty]

Wow, nice collection! :) I started mine about 6 years back when my Mom gifted me a very adorable Teddy Bear she bought from Muscat, S of Oman. My collection is not too huge, I have only 22 teddy bears. :) But I have lots of other stuffed animals and about 30 dolls. But right now I am focussing only on teddy bears.

[bobbybaer]

:cute:oh yeaaaaaaaah - I do know that as I didn't fix any special pretention in the beginning and collected all I fell in love with!
So many cute and adorable bears and critters - they didn't have to be special - just look sweet..........never mind what kind of animal!
Very soon the place got so reduced that I had to choose which one have to hide in boxes :help:.......
Only - it was the time I started myself to sew bears - what didn't really help to have more place but I was as happy I've never been before to make my own critters.
Afterwards, when I dropped into the teddy bear scene I had personal contact to many adorable bear makers and started to collect bears and animals from those artist I loved most..........even if it seems more expensive, now my favorit bears do all have a special story that reminds me the person who created it.
Fortunately we use to "swap" and so the bear family grows....
One never can have to many bears but only too little space for them:dance2:

[kitty]

So very true! When hubby first learned I collect teddy bears and that my entire room is full of teddy bears, other soft toys and dolls which I planned to move to our home at some point, he had a look which said "well, you could have just collected stamps or something!" But he really does adore teddy bears a lot and so I can always coax him to let me have just one more! He is not a huge fan of dolls though. :( But that is okay, since he doesn't mind me collecting them!

Right now I have reached a point where I simply have to focus, due to space and money constraints. I think teddy bears are the most adorable friends, and so I decided to focus on them. Plus, hubby loves to come hunting for them too. (Okay, not 'loves' exactly, just agrees!)

You are very talented. I saw the pics of your puppies and kitty and fell in love with them. I love your bears too. :cute: Have you always been interested in crafts? I am very clumsy in that area so I have never been able to make anything that even remotely resembles a bear. :)

Love,
Kitty.

[angelkitten]

nice collection..i started collecting when i was 10 y.
i had a bad flood a few yrs ago and wrecked my whole collection:(...im :ashamed: i didn't protect them better at that time.
anyways i have just recently started a new collection...no antique/collector bears yet...but im in the hunt 4..lol

[LadyEva]

I use to have a large collection of bears and other stuffed animals and some dolls. We had all our stuff in storage and someone broke in and took every thing, and I mean every thing out. They were never caught. That was about 15 years ago and so I had to start all over. I have a bunch of bears and dolls now "happy6: In fact, I have run out of room for them all to be displayed so some are in boxes. Making bears for so many years, I have favorites that I have never put up for sale and never will.

Of course, now with me buying and reworking dolls, I have over 100 of those now.....and I keep buying :rolleye2: They are all for sale except one or two which I will keep.

Collecting is fun and both my hubby and I like the hunt for that special doll. He never was into the bear hunting.

[lovenshire]

Good luck to you in your hunt Angelkitten. The hunt is so much fun!

[elize]

Eva whenever I go into a shop I also look at dolls now.

[LadyEva]

Elize, I think Lenora started me in looking for dolls and now we both had everyone looking at dolls.

In the last couple of weeks, I have picked up a Shirly Temple doll and a Saucy Walker doll that both need clothing plus have got two Amazing Ally dolls. Once I get them dressed I will have to post some pictures.

[elize]

nice collection..i started collecting when i was 10 y.
i had a bad flood a few yrs ago and wrecked my whole collection:(...im :ashamed: i didn't protect them better at that time.
anyways i have just recently started a new collection...no antique/collector bears yet...but im in the hunt 4..lol

That must be awful to loose a collection that way:cry::cry::cry: