Early 20th Century Antique Teddy Bear
18 November 2019
Description

Early 20th century teddy bear, it belonged to my grandmother Doris who was born in 1906 New England. The bear is pre-1920s, with no known manufacturer. The bear seems to be made with a light brown mohair, which is patchy in places. The paw pads seem to be a thick felt material. The stuffing is a wood material. The stitching on the paws and nose are a hand stitched thread now almost reddish in appearance. The eyes are black buttonish. Originally the bear was wearing some kind of clothing. I do not know what type of clothing or outfit it had, but what's left of silk stockings are still sewn on to the legs. Measurements: Total height: aprox 13-14 inches, body depth aprox 4 inches, body width approx 3 inches body height (from hump to bottom): approx 6.5-7 inches, arm lenth: approx 5.5 inch, leg length approx 5.5 inches, head width (at widest): 3.5-4 in, head depth: 4.5-5 inches, ears are spaced 2.5 inch apart and approx 2 inch long each nose approx 1.5 inch long, foot paw pad approx 2 in long, hand paw pad approx 1.5 inch long. The bear is jointed at the head, arms and legs with what appears to be discs and metal clips (discs inside fabric). The bear's arms narrow quite a bit from the top of the arm to the tip of the paws. The nose is quite narrow as well. I could not find any manufacturer markings or clips.

Provenance

This bear belonged to my grandmother as a child. She was born in 1906 New England. It has only been owned by her and myself, when I was gifted it from her estate when she passed in the late 1989.

Acquired from
Inherited
For sale
Maybe
Answered within about 1 hour
By Sabrina Vinther
Nov 18, 20:44 UTC
Fair Market Value
$75 - $125 USD
Insurance Value $0 USD
What does this mean?

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

It is a cute teddybear. Such antique bears and toys are being offered at auction on a regular basis.
One thing is for sure this bear has had a lovely life and has been told many secrets. It has been cuddles and brought along to many outings with its owner. It has the very worn and much-loved expression and is also visible on the fur that has been worn off and on the pads that have been renewed to some extent. The same goes for the holes where the stuffing is falling out.

Teddybear wise it is an early teddybear. The early ones have long arms and the hump on the back and pointed noses.
In good condition your bear would have been a collectors item however due to the condition it does not have a very high appraisal as the condition of items is very important when selling old toys.

The estimate provided is for a well-advertised specialised online old toys auction, where I believe the teddy has the best chance of realising its fullest potential. However, there is no measurement for the sentimental value you might attach to the lovely teddybear. Retail "asking prices" can be higher and vary.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions. I’m happy to help.
Thank you
a

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