Vintage 1982 Steiff Margaret Woodbury Strong 12” “Lance Bearish” Teddy Bear NPW

Description: Of all the animals that might have ended up as the world’s favorite plush toy, the bear does not seem to have been the best candidate, given its propensity to attack humans. And it likely wouldn’t have become so popular if it weren’t for its namesake, President Teddy Roosevelt. Back in 1902, Roosevelt was on a bear hunting trip in Mississippi with a group of other hunters. When he was unsuccessful in finding a bear to shoot, his assistants rounded up a bear and tied him to a tree for the president to shoot. Deeming this as entirely unsportsmanlike, Roosevelt turned down the opportunity to shoot the unfortunate creature. The story of the incident quickly circulated among the country’s newspapers, the Washington Post featuring a political cartoon that satirized the incident. After seeing the cartoon, Morris Michtom, a Brooklyn candy shop owner and maker of stuffed animals, got the idea to create a stuffed toy bear dedicated to the president who was too ethical to shoot a helpless bear. He named it “Teddy’s Bear,” and the rest, as they say, is history. Michtom got permission to use the president’s name and began mass producing the toy bears. They were so popular that Michtom soon had enough capital to found his Ideal Toy Company, known for such winners as the Betsy Wetsy and Shirley Temple dolls, Robert the Robot, games like Kerplunk and Mousetrap and the iconic Rubik’s Cube. I began collecting teddy bears in 1984, acquiring them from toy shops, doll shows and Ebay, some gifted to me by friends and family. If they were not already named, I assigned them a moniker. And though they were not lucky enough to be companions to a child, they were certainly well-loved and well cared for. Marriage and a move to a new home put most of the bears in storage in various closets. It’s time to find them a “new situation.” All of them were purchased new and never played with and I kept the hang tags for most of them. They have never been exposed to smoke or direct sunlight, and none have any “injuries.” They are as fresh and dust-free as can be for bears coming up on their fortieth birthday. BEAR NAME: Lance BearishMANUFACTURER: Steiff (Made in West Germany)AQUISITION YEAR: 1984HEIGHT; WEIGHT: 12” (standing), 8” (sitting); 1 lb.FEATURES: fully jointed, felt paw padsCOLOR; FABRIC: honey; 50/50 mohair/cotton COMMENTS: This is a repro of the 1904 prototype bear currently on display at the Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum in Rochester, New York. He is dressed in a Detroit Tigers baseball jersey and helmet and was named after 1980s catcher Lance Parrish. This is Steiff at its best. Though not the softest bears around, they were made to delight a child for years of carrying around and some rough play.

Price: 75 USD

Location: Culver, Indiana

End Time: 2024-08-27T18:28:01.000Z

Shipping Cost: 17 USD