By Thomas Sellers Jr.
A gift almost every child will receive before the age of 10 is a teddy bear.
Today, September 9, is National Teddy Bear Day. Believe it or not, there are dozens and dozens of iconic versions of the toy that have been on the market the past 120 years.
The teddy bear is special all over the world but in the United States it holds a sacred place in our folklore. The teddy bear is named after former U.S. President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. Back on November 14, 1902, Roosevelt went bear hunting near Onward, Miss. Mississippi’s Gov. Andrew H. Longino invited the President to an unsuccessful hunting venture. Roosevelt hadn’t located a single bear during the outing.
Roosevelt’s assistant Holt Collier tracked down a black bear and cornered the animal at a willow tree. Presenting Roosevelt with an easy kill, the President refused to do it saying it was unsportsmanlike. The news of the gesture spread as fast as it could through the newspapers of the day.
With a new view of the animal, Americans began a love affair with teddy bears in the early 1900s when German designer Richard Steiff designed the world’s first toy bear with jointed arms and legs. The teddy bear debuted at the Leipzig Toy Fair in 1903, the bear initially attracted little attention, but its fortunes were saved when an American buyer snapped up the entire lot of 100 bears and ordered another 3,000 just before the exhibition finished.
Fast forward to 2021 and The Best Sellers’ List is about to rank the best teddy bears of all time. Here are a couple of honorable mentions: Ty Boris Bear and Coca-Cola Sweater Bear Plush.
10. Winnie the Pooh
I am freshly 40 years old and my female peers love them some Winnie the Pooh. A symbol of weakness and boredom, Pooh has served as a logo and theme for many women since the 1990s. They see Pooh as adorable and delightful. He is friendly to Christopher Robin and the crew. Any man my age has encountered or purchased a large plush version of Pooh. A. A. Milne’s iconic creation is a great way to get out of trouble or make that special lady smile “just because.” That is why Pooh grabs a spot on my countdown.
9. Care Bears
Also turning 40 this year are the Care Bears. Starting off as a painting by Elena Kucharik in 1981, the bears went from greeting cards to the market as plush toys by 1983.
The Care Bears became a part of the 1980s fabric through TV and the toy stores. I even owned one alongside my sister Shay. There are a few top sellers like Tenderheart Bear, Friend Bear and Funshine Bear. But Harmony Care Bear is the LeBron James of the Care Bear collection. This plush stands 12 inches tall and is designed to be soft and cuddly and an ideal “take with you” companion for any child. And I think the purple might be another huge reason Harmony Bear tops the list among Care Bears.
8. Vermont Teddy Bear
Another “get-out-of-the-dog-house” bear comes from up North. The Vermont Teddy Bear Company is one of the largest producers of teddy bears. And with women’s love of cuddly new friends, it is the largest seller of teddy bears by mail order and Internet. What makes a Vermont Teddy Bear so special beside the priciness is the handcrafted detail. The company produces almost 500,000 teddy bears each year. Their bears are machine washable and simply hung to dry. You can play dress up with these bears with a removable velvet bow tie. There’s also free bear care at the Vermont Teddy Hospital.
7. Disney The Muppets Fozzie Plush Bear
Rodney Dangerfield of bears gets some respect from me on this countdown. Fozzie Bear from the Muppets makes a great gift for young and old. Fozzie Bear is a Muppet character best known for his ineffective stand-up comedy skills. His trademark polka dot necktie is another easy way to identify him.
Fozzie is approaching 50 years on the scene. He debuted in 1976 and gave a boost to the other characters like Kermit and Ms. Piggy.
The Plush of Fozzie takes up some room. He comes with a hat and necktie and a big smile.
6. Steiff Classic 1920 Teddy Bear
The OG of teddy bears has to be represented on the list. One of the most prized bears to own is the 1920 Steiff Classic. This collectible is a classic jointed Steiff Teddy, and is made of finest Mohair in Germany. From the bear has the famous “button in the ear” Steiff trademark tag to show you it’s authentic.
5. Paddington Bear Toy w/ Suitcase
One iconic bear with a signature look you can spot easily and identify through words is Paddington. Paddington bear is a fictional character in children’s literature making his debut back on October 13, 1958. Michael Bond’s creation came to life through the illustration of Peggy Fortnum and other artist. The teddy bear version of Paddington is fantastic down to the detail. He comes from darkest Peru with a marmalade sandwich under his hat. Honey brown plush Paddington Bear is dressed in the famous floppy hat and blue duffle coat along with a paperboard suitcase.
4. Toy Story’s Lots-O’ Huggin Bear
Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear won my heart over by being a great villain in Toy Story 3. Behind that smile was all kinds of evil. He was a great antagonist in the 2010 Disney•Pixar animated film. He’s the only pink bear I would like to own. I am still mad at Woody and the other toys from stopping Lots-O. He needed a hug by the end of the movie and I wanted to give Lots-O a big squeeze.
3. Snuggle Fabric Softner Bear By Lever Brothers
Since 1983 Snuggle has been one of the top brands in fabric softeners. And a huge part of the success has been the mascot of Snuggle the Bear. The most adorable bear on this list is iconic for being one of the best brand mascots ever. And Snuggle is also a desirable toy. That innocent voice just grabbed your attention like you would a fresh load out of the dryer caressed by the softener sheets. Snuggle’s actual toy was made in 1997 inspired by Lever Brothers washing products and is super soft and cuddly. Snuggle the toy is only 10 inches but that is ideal size to remind you of those iconic commercials.
2. Teddy Ruxpin
The only teddy bear I begged by mom and dad to buy me was Teddy Ruxpin. Teddy Ruxpin was so cool because he could talk. Back in the 1980s, our technology was limited. So that cassette tape in the back of the toy was revolutionary. Teddy Ruxpin was an animatronic children’s toy in the form of a talking ‘Illiop’, a creature which looks like a bear. The toy’s mouth and eyes move while he reenacts stories played on an audio tape cassette deck built into its back. All that would be kind of spooky now but as a child I desired that goofy toy telling me bedtime stories. Instead I had to settle for my dad reading to me. He was big, brown and hairy too.
1. My Teddy Bear
The Christmas of 1986 was one of the best of my lifetime. I got so many cool toys like Transformers and G.I. Joe. Stuck in the corner was something gift-wrapped looking odd. It wasn’t in a box or package. It was just a blob of paper. My mom kind of tosses in the mountain of presents as a throwaway item. So I picked it up and poked a little hole in the wrapping. I saw an eye looking back at me.
Instead of being scared, it was the most adorable little eye. It was as if I heard a voice saying, ‘Let me out, please. I’m going to be your friend for life.’
After ripping the paper away from the toy, there was my friend for life, Teddy. Wearing just a yellow shirt with the red lettering “Teddy,” I embraced him.
Every Christmas since, going on 35 years, I share a moment with Teddy and reminisce on how it all began. Teddy is the best Christmas gift I have ever received. My mom told me, Teddy came from the Salvation Army and a toy giveaway. She went Downtown with her cousin to help her get some assistance. They gave her the bear and said it should make some kid happy. I’m thankful my mom looked close to home because when I am the saddest, I still run to my Teddy.
THOMAS SELLERS JR. is the editor of The Millington Star and both the sports editor and a weekly personal columnist for West 10 Media/Magic Valley Publishing. Contact him by phone at (901) 433-9138, by fax to (901) 529-7687 and by email to [email protected].
