My First Auction Bears

I have never purchased bears from an auction before, but thought I would try my hand when a collection of well worn bears were listed at a local one.
Most lots went well above my 'absentee' bids.  I couldn't attend in person as I was 100 miles away looking after my Grandsons.  However I managed to get 2 lots and this great hug of bears came home with me. :)

Pedigree mohair, Unkown plush, Lefray mohair

Lefray plush, Deans mohair, Chad Valley mohair

 The first to have a makeover was this little Pedigree bear.  He is not in bad condition, and just needed a good clean and brush.  He is available in my Etsy shop.



Next came this big English plush bear with a deep growl who I named Big Boy.

He was listed on Etsy and sold within 24 hours to a customer of mine who lives in Japan.  As we speak, he is winging his way overseas, as he was posted yesterday.  He caused a bit of amusement in the Post Office as every time his parcel was tipped over he complained in his deep growly voice.

The next to be mended and cleaned up was the Lefray plush bear.

His arm needed a new joint and while I was at it I took a look at his non working squeaker.  He can now make a little squeak with a poke in the tummy (not surprising, it would make me squeak if someone did that to me!).  He is listed in my Etsy shop.

I have started mending the paws of the Chad Valley bear, but his hand paws will need patches.

The 1930's Deans bear I looked at late one night and got so engrossed in sorting out his problems that it was past midnight before I got to bed!  He needs a new head joint, and new hand paws.  He only had one ear so I have found suitable mohair in my offcuts and dyed it as close as I can to the original.  The original two pieces of ear will form the fronts of his 2 new ears, with the dyed pieces at the back.  I think he will be a handsome bear when he is finished.

Finally, the Lefray mohair bear, who needs his arm joints mending.

So, between restoring these. and making up a stock of little Pud Bears, I will be busy for a few weeks. :)  If you would like to know when these bears and the new artist bears go on sale, go to my FB page and 'like' it to get updates on the bears' progress.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pud-Bears-and-Pollys-Vintage-Bears/174222365967942

My Etsy shops are  www.etsy.com/shop/PollysVintageBears and www.etsy.com/shop/pollyspinsandneedles

 

Cotton Plush can be as Beautiful as Mohair - Just Look at This Toy Dog.

I have usually avoided getting bears and animals made from cotton as I preferred the mohair.
Just lately I have had a couple of cotton plush ones that have made me change my mind.
Firstly there was this Sooty type bear -


Poor Sooty had lost his head



He brushed up really well and looked so cute.
Sooty is now SOLD

Sooty looked a proper charmer when I had mended and cleaned him up, and found a new home in a couple of days.
Then there is this dog, which I was originally told was a cat.



He looks totally different now, and is definitely a dog of some sort.  He would have originally had glass eyes and a hard nose as the holes were there.  I used 'artistic licence' for his mouth.  I managed to get his ears to turn over slightly at the tip which gives him more of a terrier look.  A Cairn Terrier possibly?  He is available in my Etsy shop.
After how these two have turned out, I will be on the lookout for more of these cotton plush toys.

My New Finds - Roddy Doll and Berg Bear

It is very rare that I find any toys in an antique shop that I like enough to buy.  They are either not really old enough or much too expensive for what they are.
We went for a ride out yesterday to Bungay in Suffolk near where we used to live.  It is a lovely little town with a Buttercross in it's centre, a thriving market café, and enough little shops to keep me occupied browsing (and occasionally buying). 
We called into the café for a roast lamb dinner which was very good as usual and looked around a large antique emporium.  I was very impressed at how well kept and organised it was, and much to my surprise, found a Roddy doll and Berg miniature bear that I just couldn't leave behind.
I sat them on the table when I got home against a strange dog that I received last week.
The doll and dog looked as if they belonged together, so I took photos.

The little group of friends
 



The dog is a mystery, I have no idea of his maker.  He has a long tongue that hangs out of his mouth and a tail that curls over his back.
The pretty Roddy doll is 11 inches with her original dress.  Her hair is a bit thin at the back as many of these type of old doll wigs are.  I may try making her a cape and hat to go with her lacy dress.
The miniature bear is white mohair and has glass eyes and still has his tiny metal heart shaped tag with Berg on the back.
Look out for them in a few days when they will be listed in my Etsy shop - www.etsy.com/shop/PollysVintage Bears

Hermann Bears With a New Lease of Life

I have a group of Hermann bears in my Etsy shop at the moment. Three of them are from around the 1950's.
The first one though is a more modern example that I would not have recognised as a Hermann bear, but I am told on good authorisation that he is.  He is definitely a German bear.
This cute chap is really cuddly with a good covering of mohair. 

 



SOLD

 The next is this cheerful open mouthed bear with his black dog.  He is not jointed, but sits quite happily if leaning on something.
I had to remove his head (sorry if you are squeamish, I hated doing it) and stitch it back on again as it was in danger of falling off.
He has a squeaker that works when it feels like it!


This grumpy looking growling Hermann bear stands very straight (with a bit of help from me) and looks very proud of his little bell.  He is a serious soul, but very cuddly with his beautiful long pile mohair.  I had to do some extensive repairs to his paws, practically having to replace the left one as can be seen if you look carefully at the photo.  He is probably my favourite of this group of Hermanns.  As with other damaged paws I tried to leave as much of the original fabric in place and just slip the new underneath and stitch in place with tiny invisible (I hope) stitches.

This is the last of the German bears to date.  I am not sure if this one is actually a Hermann bear, but he is definitely from that area of Germany, as there are many similarities in his design.  He is not mohair, but a soft plush which has cleaned and brushed up very well.

All of the above bears are available for sale in my Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/PollysVintageBears

along with many other bears and vintage toys.

Chiltern Bear 'Darnit'

Darnit, with his strange button eyes.

I have not blogged for quite a while, but I just had to show off this cute Chiltern bear that I have christened Darnit.  He has quite extensive darning to his eye sockets, hence his name.
Here are his before and after photos.


What a difference a nice pair of glass eyes makes.
Darnit is now SOLD

He came to me with odd sized white button eyes, one stitched on with green wool and the other with white wool.  A delicate operation and he now looks much happier with his amber glass eyes.

He is very worn with just tufts of mohair and is quite saggy.  His paw pads are all intact though and he has his original nose and mouth.  I restitched his back seam as it was not very neat and put a few stitches in one of his ears.

He is now available in my Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/PollysVintageBears

Chiltern Bear Little Jimmy Before and After 'Plastic' Surgery

I had a pretty little 14" Chiltern bear to mend before he could be put for sale.
His nose had a hole in it about the size of a 50p piece.

 



I found a piece of mohair of a similar colour and trimmed it back so it looked a bit worn.  It was then pinned into place ready for sewing.



Patch sewn into place

Pinned ready for sewing

 

 


Little Jimmy is now SOLD

 

See my other bears at  www.etsy.com/shop/pollysvintagebears 





My 'To Do' Box of Bears

I didn't realise I was building up a box full of restoration projects until I removed them from the corner of the store area and put them all together in a box.

The Teddy Hospital 'Waiting Room'

They are now huddled together in their cosy box waiting to see who is first to be mended/cleaned ready for a new home.  They've probably got the right idea, it is freezing here on the East Coast of England.  The cold, biting wind blowing off the sea doesn't seem to want to go away and it has felt so cold it hurts your eyes to walk into it (the wind).
Let me introduce you to the residents of the box :-

Minibrix Bear

This handsome chap is a Minibrix bear.  I have never come across one before and I would say he is pretty rare. He has a label tucked under his (very damaged) arm that says 'Minibrix Hygenic Toys' Apparently the firm usually made toy bricks (like Lego, but rubber), but made a few other toys between 1959-1961, then the factory caught fire and they ceased production.
I thought he was a Lefray bear until I saw his label. Has anyone else come across one of these bears?

Leather nosed bear SOLD and grey Chiltern cat

The grey cat is a Chiltern.  These were made in at least two sizes, this being the larger one.  He needs a good clean and brushing, but his fur is quite thick and his felt ears are all intact.  They sometimes look as if the cat has been in a fight with the local alley cats!  He (or she) also has the original pink ribbon.
The chubby bear is one that my husband found at a boot fair.  I have no idea at the moment who made him but he is a cute little chap with a kind face. He could be a one off home made bear, anytime from the 1950's  to 1980's - one to research I think.

The red duo came in job lot boxes. The rabbit is really cute with his big red ears and little felt coat.  There are no makers labels on him so, again no idea who made him.  There is quite a bit of delicate stitching still to do on his red felt.  I did make a start and then got waylaid with another project.

The pretty little red and white bear has a label, and is made by 'Acme Hygenic Toys'.  He is very lightweight and just requires a few stitches to his seams.  He has the most beautiful red eyes.


The scruffy looking Chiltern cartoon bear with the dirty face needs a good clean and brush.
His companion is a small Chiltern from c1940's.  He has his facial features intact, but needs 'surgery' on a large hole at the side of his nose (see close up). 

This is another bear purchased by my husband.  He needs a matching pair of eyes.  Again, I think he could be a one off home made bear.

And of course, not forgetting the large Chiltern Hugmee bear that I have named George.  He needs major surgery on one of his foot pads and eyes.  Also a good clean to his mohair.


I think I have got a busy time ahead, sorting out this little lot.  There are also a couple of dog nightdress cases to tidy up and two miniature baby dolls to dress. 

More Dolls House and Miniature Dolls

Between restoring the old bears and dogs I have been dressing and photographing the little dolls house dolls that I came across in my searches for bears.
The ones that I have posted on Etsy have proved to be very popular and some have already sold.
I have just 3 babies left to dress - the 6" Schildkrot one in a grass skirt called Mambi  I am knitting a little lemon outfit for him so that there is a choice of clothing.


Mambi, a Turtle marked doll SOLD

Tiny Rubber Doll SOLD

Then there is the little bisque baby made by Hertwig in the Thuringia area of Germany 1940's-1950's.   Her elastic had perished, and broke when I tried to tighten it.  Not having strung a doll before I went to the internet to get instructions.  Here are her before and after pictures.  It took a few attempts and some wasted elastic to get it right.  As you can see she has a bit of damage to the surface of the bisque. 
The next job is to dress her.  I cut nappy shapes out of soft white material for all of the tiny baby dolls.  She is the last one apart from a little rubber doll that already has her nappy on.  These dolls are just 3"/8cm tall.

Poor little baby all broken



That's a bit better SOLD



Then there are the dolls house dolls I have available now -2 girls and a boy, in their original clothes.  These dolls are 4"/10cm tall.  The one in the hat has no markings, but the other two have a Fleur de Lys mark on their backs, which means they were made by a Japanese company. 

 

The other 3" baby doll I have is dressed in knitted clothes.  This is not proving as popular as the cotton and lace outfits I have put the previous ones in so I may make her a new dress and bonnet.

Awake

Asleep

I didn't notice until I put her away in my cabinet that her eyes, as well as open and closing, actually look from side to side.  I have not seen a doll that does this before, let alone one this size!

She can look from side to side if you tip her SOLD

These dolls will be available from my Etsy shop shortly www.etsy.com/shop/pollysvintagebears




Susie Patch

I was keen to tidy up the little Terrier dog named Susie. 
She came to me looking quite unhappy, with ears that just didn't look right and a perky tail that wasn't perky anymore.

I picked her up and took a good look at her to see what needed doing.  A few stitches in her tail, and move around the woodwool stuffing so that she stands better. What could I do with those ears?  They were either too big or too small I decided, so must be replacements.
I noticed that she used to be a beautiful cinammon colour as it could still be seen between her legs and on her tummy. 
Then I realised that there were darker patches just below her ears, and it dawned on me "they were her original ears, they just need stitching in place correctly".

Is this a 'hang dog' expression?

Standing proud SOLD

I set to work, carefully stitching up a seam that had come undone and fixing her wonky tail.  I managed, with a bit of pushing and pulling on the woodwool to straighten her legs out and then, with a few stitches in her ears, she was done.

What a proud girl she looks now.

The final touch was a little bead bracelet from my bits and pieces drawer.  It made a perfect collar for her. 
I left her white patch in place, as she has grown quite accustomed to it over the years.
My original name for her was Patch, until her previous owner told me that she used to be known as Susie.  Still liking the name Patch I gave it to her as a surname, so now she is known as Susie Patch.
Here she is with her new best friend, my old Chiltern bear, Hubert.  Don't they look good together?

Susie Patch and Chiltern Hubert waiting for a new home
They are both now SOLD

 They are both available in my online shops www.pollysvintagebears.weebly.com and www.etsy.com/shop/pollysvintagebears

Vintage Dolls

German Dancing Doll

I have been restoring and making Teddy Bears over the years and have never had a great deal of interest in dolls.
Even as a child I preferred my soft toys - a bear called Cuddly, a hand knitted Golly called Kakey (no idea where I got his name from) and a leather Camel that came from a School Fair Bric a Brac Stall.  Then there was my big sister's toys - Jock, a faded blue dog with no ears, another terrier type dog with no name and a little bear that I now know is a Merrythought Baby Bingie.
Of these toys I still have my Cuddly and my sister still has her Bingie (despite my attempts to steal him as I have always wanted him).  She did mention selling him :o recently so I may just give him a home if it comes to that.
I have no idea what became of the Camel, or the dogs, but was told that the Golly got the moths and was thrown away :(

Pair of National Dress Dolls
(any clue to the Country welcome)

Anyway, back to the dolls - I have purchased one or two over the last few months and find myself drawn more to the 1950's ones (as I am with bears), I suppose because that is the era when I was a child.


Eskimo and Dutch Girl

These dolls are available in my Etsy shop - www.etsy.com/shop/pollysvintagebears

I have recently aquired a box of miniature German dolls ranging from 3" to 6".  I am very excited to start sorting these out and cannot decide whether to dress them or to leave them in the buff.
I'm not sure if I could find knitting patterns for a baby doll as small as 3".  The 6" ones would be no problem though.
I love miniature things.  One of my ambitions is to own a large dolls house.  It must be great fun to furnish one as there are so many lovely miniature items that can be bought for them.  I have even seen a set of false teeth in a tumbler in dolls house size!  These items used to fascinate me when I used to do a lot of Bear Fairs in the 1990's.  The fairs were often Dolls, Teddies and Doll's House Miniatures all rolled into one.







The only miniatures I have in my Etsy shop at the moment are these flocked bears.  There are 5 different sets available.  They would be small enough to go in the Nursery of a doll's house.