Stuffed Animal Bears

Teddy bears are something that becomes an integral part of every individual's childhood. You must remember those golden days of innocence when teddy was your best buddy and you told him every little secret. Yes, we grow up with these little things that make us people, and the teddy bear is one of them. Even grown ups feel this attachment to these cute bears because there is something very innocent and magnetic about them. Teddy bears are extraordinary toys that have redefined the concept of toys altogether. Not only do they have great emotional value, but they also have a material value. Many old teddy bears have been rendered collectors' objects. The stuffed animal bear is something to cherish all your life.

The story behind the advent of the teddy bear in the United States of America is a very interesting one. President Roosevelt had once gone to Mississippi for some official work. He was there to find a solution to the border problems between Mississippi and Louisiana . The officials there wanted to provide apt entertainment to the President and thus took him for bear hunting. At last the caught a bear and requested the President to do the honors by shooting the bear. The President must have felt bad for the bear and set him free. A famous cartoon by Clifford Berryman followed this act. The strip, titled "Drawing the Line in Mississippi " showed the President setting the animal free. This cartoon came out in the November 16 edition of Washington Post in 1902. This stirred the imagination of Rose and Morris Mitcham and they went on to create a stuffed bear in order to honor the President. They were the ones to give their bear the name "Teddy's Bear". The rest, as they say, is history. The Mitchams' Teddy bear was a roaring success and this propelled them to start the first ever teddy bear factory in the US . Their company was named Ideal Novelty and Toy Company. They were the first ever manufacturers of the stuffed animal bear in the United States .

Around the same time, an art student was working on a toy stuffed bear. The student was Richard Steiff. His designs were so popular that one particular buyer ordered as many as three thousand pieces of his stuffed animal bear and gave him a great offer to come to the US and settle down. Steiff accepted this great offer and revolutionized toy making in the world.

Those were the golden days of the teddy bear. However, with the advent of state of the art toys, the popularity of the teddy bear somewhat waned away. The teddy bear madness was revived by the famous British actor Peter Bull. In the year 1969, Bull spoke out for the teddy bear and proclaimed his attachment to these wonderful toys. He added that teddy bears have a great emotional effect in adults' lives. Many teddy bears have become legends. Collectors have paid enormous amounts in order to add a prized teddy bear to their collection. In fact, collectors have bought stuffed animal bears worth $411 million just in the year 1999. The stuffed animal bear is a part of everyone's growing up. Thanks to the recent resurrection of the teddy's popularity, this endearing stuffed animal bear promises to enchant kids and adults alike for many more generations to come.