Teddy Bear - Do You Know Who It Was Named After?


by Daniel Wright - Date: 2008-11-09 - Word Count: 429 Share This!

When one thinks about stuffed animals and plush toys today one almost always thinks of the iconic teddy bear. However, the teddy bear is actually a fairly recent arrival. The first of them came in 1902 when a store owner in Brooklyn, New York saw a political cartoon called 'Drawing the Line in Mississippi'. This cartoon showed then president Theodore Roosevelt, who was also known as 'Teddy', refusing to shoot a cornered bear during an actual hunting trip. Roosevelt stated that it would not be very sportsmanlike of him to do so.
The bear had appeared in a past series of cartoons as cute, cuddly and small. The store owner, Morris Michtom, used this image to inspire the creation of stuffed bears marketed as toys for children. The store was already equipped to produce the toys as his wife had been produced stuffed bears for some time so Morris was able to begin producing stuffed bears in the image of the President immediately.
Michtom sent President Roosevelt a sample bear, along with a request for permission to use the President's nickname as part of the toy's name. President Roosevelt agreed, and the toy bear began its journey into the public consciousness. These stuffed bears proved very popular from the beginning. Mr. Michtom posted a 'Teddy's Bear' sign in his store window, and the name 'Teddy Bear' soon became synonymous with these stuffed animals.
Soon many other stores began selling the toy bear. Media and documents of the time reference these stuffed animals. Books, newspapers, and music of the time talk about teddy bears through out the United States and Europe. Teddy bears soon became popular collector's items. Collector's of toys, vintage dolls, and antique dolls often also have plush bears among their collection.
There are some toy bears that have quite a bit of value. An example of this is a toy bear made partly from gold, which was produced by the original maker in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the toy and it is selling for $84,000. The company that first marketed the teddy bear, which is the Ideal Novelty and Toy Co., is Michtom's company and is still in business today.
The hobby of toy bear collecting should not cost you thousands of dollars. There are many ways to find reasonably priced and sometimes great bargains for vintage bears at garage sales, flea markets, online auctions and special collector's venues. In addition to its status as a collectible vintage bear, this toy that bears the name of a popular president, will make a warm and cuddly companion for a young child.

Related Tags: kid, teddy bear, antique dolls, vintage dollsantiques

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