Christie's Century of Teddy Bears
Christie's Century of Teddy Bears

Author: Leyla Maniera

Publisher: Pavilion

Published: 2003-10-24

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 9781862055957

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Bringing together the expertise of the world's greatest auction house and the knowledge of one of the world's leading teddy bear specialists, 'Christie's Century of Teddy Bears' celebrates the one hundredth birthday of the bear, tracing its ascent from humble nursery companion to highly sought after collectors' item. Featuring the histories of the most important bear manufacturers from around the world, including Steiff, Ideal, Chad Valley, Bing, Schuco and Merrythought, this book also relates the endearing stories of individual bears. These include Teddy Girl, who achieved a world record breaking price at auction as a result of her alluring looks and experiences during both world wars, and Donald Campbell's Mr Whoppit who accompanied him in the Bluebird on his last fateful attempt at the world speed record. Special illustrated features examine the teddy at war, literary, media and novelty bears, and there is a comprehensive section of tips for collectors. Superbly illustrated with images from the Christie's archives and private collections, 'Christie's Century of Teddy Bears' is an authoritative history and guide, and essential gift for anyone who has ever loved a teddy bear.

Farnell Teddy Bears
Farnell Teddy Bears

Author: Kathy Martin

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2010-01-01

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 1844680665

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The family firm of J K Farnell & Co Ltd occupies a position of unparalleled importance in British soft toy history, firstly because it was the very first British toy company to manufacture teddy bears, and also because it created the actual bear that inspired A A Milne to write the Winnie the Pooh stories. Yet impressive as those facts undoubtedly are, they comprise just a small fraction of the fascinating Farnell story. Founded in the Nineteenth century, for decades J.K. Farnell & Co Ltd was the most respected and influential soft toy manufacturer in Britain. Thanks to the superior quality of its products, the company experienced enormous commercial success at national and international level - even in Germany, home to its biggest rival, there was great demand for Farnell products. Surviving economic depression, devastating fire, the ravages of World War II and other traumatic events, the company kept going until fundamental changes in the British toy market forced its closure in 1970. Since then, the Farnell name has been forgotten by all but a dedicated band of teddy bear enthusiasts and the true story of this pioneering British firm has fallen into obscurity. Now, thanks to Kathy Martin's intensive research, the facts about J K Farnell & Co Ltd and its fabulous teddy bears are revealed in this informative and entertaining book.

Merrythought Teddy Bears
Merrythought Teddy Bears

Author: Kathy Martin

Publisher: Grub Street Publishers

Published: 2009-10-19

Total Pages: 269

ISBN-13: 1783469994

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A deep dive into the history of the much-loved plush bear brand from one of the world’s foremost teddy bear experts. Merrythought was one of Britain’s longest running British-made teddy bear firms with a dedicated international following for their quality, highly collectable bears whose life-size models used to dominate stores such as Harrods and Hamleys. This book—with its quality color illustrations and use of original sales material—will appeal to teddy bear collectors as well as dedicated Merrythought fans and is full of tips on collecting the popular toys. Written by leading teddy bear expert, Kathy Martin, editor of Teddy Bear Scene and a regular on programs such as QVC as well as a consultant to firms producing collectable bears, this is a must for collectors, dealers, and those who loved their own Merrythought teddy bears when young. After a short-term closure, Merrythought was revived and will delight future generations. Its closure made headlines news, showing the enduring popularity of the quality bears. “This must-read book will appeal to Merrythought and teddy bear collectors and dealers, those who loved their childhood teddies and indeed anyone interested in the history of the great British toy company.” —Collectors Club of Great Britain

The Great Beanie Baby Bubble
The Great Beanie Baby Bubble

Author: Zac Bissonnette

Publisher: Portfolio

Published: 2016-03-15

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 1591848008

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"There has never been a craze like Beanie Babies. The $5 beanbag animals with names like Seaweed the Otter and Gigi the Poodle drove a large swath of America into a greed-fueled frenzy as they chased the rarest Beanie Babies, whose values escalated weekly in the late 1990s. Just as strange as the mass hysteria was the man behind it. Sometimes called the "Steve Jobs of plush" by his employees, he obsessed over every detail of every animal his company ever released. He had no marketing budget and no connections, but he had something more valuable - an intuitive grasp of human psychology that would make him the richest man in the history of toys. The Great Beanie Baby Bubble is a classic American story of people winning and losing vast fortunes chasing what one dealer remembers as "the most spectacular dream ever sold.""--Back cover.

Timeless Toys
Timeless Toys

Author: Tim Walsh

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Published: 2005-10

Total Pages: 328

ISBN-13: 0740755714

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The book Why Didn't I Think of That! includes the passage "If a toy has magic, when people see it they say, 'Oooh! What is that?' . . . It appeals to the kid in everybody." That same kind of magic captures "the kid in everybody" when they pick up Timeless Toys: Classic Toys and the Playmakers Who Created Them. Timeless Toys represents one of the finest documentaries and displays of modern toys ever written. Author Tim Walsh, a successful toy inventor himself, reveals a world of commerce, toys, and wonder that is equally fun, fascinating, and nostalgic. Readers of every age and background will find it impossible to pick up this book, turn a few pages, and not become spellbound by its insightful stories and the personal memories that the text and 420 brilliantly colored photographs bring forth. Slinky, Lego, Tonka trucks, Monopoly, Big Wheel, Frisbee, Hula Hoop, Super Ball, Scrabble, Barbie, Radio Flyer Wagons: All of these and many, many more are featured in this fascinating tome, along with the toys' histories, insider profiles, and rare interviews with toy industry icons. It's simply magic!

The Velveteen Rabbit at 100
The Velveteen Rabbit at 100

Author: Lisa Rowe Fraustino

Publisher: Univ. Press of Mississippi

Published: 2023-05-18

Total Pages: 177

ISBN-13: 149684601X

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Contributions by Kelly Blewett, Claudia Camicia, Alisa Clapp-Itnyre, Lisa Rowe Fraustino, Elisabeth Graves, Karlie Herndon, KaaVonia Hinton, Holly Blackford Humes, Melanie Hurley, Kara K. Keeling, Maleeha Malik, Claudia Mills, Elena Paruolo, Scott T. Pollard, Jiwon Rim, Paige Sammartino, Adrianna Zabrzewska, and Wenduo Zhang First published in 1922 to immediate popularity, The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams has never been out of print. The story has been adapted for film, television, and theater across a range of mediums including animation, claymation, live action, musical, and dance. Frequently, the story inspires a sentimental, nostalgic response—as well as a corresponding dismissive response from critics. It is surprising that, despite its longevity and popularity, The Velveteen Rabbit has inspired a relatively thin dossier of serious literary scholarship, a gap that this volume seeks to correct. While each essay can stand alone, the chapters in "The Velveteen Rabbit" at 100 flow in a coherent sequence from beginning to end, showing connections between readings from a wide array of critical approaches. Philosophical and cultural studies lead us to consider the meaning of love and reality in ways both timeless and temporal. The Velveteen Rabbit is an Anthropocene Rabbit. He is also disabled. Here a traditional exegetical reading sits alongside queering the text. Collectively, these essays more than double the amount of serious scholarship on The Velveteen Rabbit. Combining hindsight with evolving sensibilities about representation, the contributors offer thirteen ways of looking at this Rabbit that Margery Williams gave us—ways that we can also use to look at other classic storybooks.