Won't you help me with my Teddy Bear

July 24, 2007 1:17 PM

Calling all aunts, uncles and parents: Need recommendations on teddy bears that can handle a LOT of love from a child and can be passed on later to the next generation

Thanks to the green I found someone to repair the husband's childhood bear, which will be given to one child to love, however that leaves child 2 and potentially 3 nothing to love and give their children. So recommendations on finding a bear that can be loved a lot; be repairable and made of very good materials that can endure. If you have other "lovies" to suggest that would be fine as long as they fit the criteria. Thanks all.

posted by jadepearl to Shopping (18 answers total)

I have a Steiff bear that belonged to my Grandmother in Germany, then was passed on to my mother, and she passed it on to me. It looks very well loved, but it still looks like a bear.
posted by banannafish at 1:22 PM on July 24, 2007

Seconding Steiff. They are peerless in the teddy world.
posted by goml at 1:28 PM on July 24, 2007

Thirding Steiff.
posted by ericb at 1:39 PM on July 24, 2007

I have a Steiff Paddington Bear but he is stiff and his fur is scratchy, and always has been. He's still around though.

My favorite bear ever from childhood is my mushy, smushy Gund bear, I think the type is called Snuffles (a chubby looking polar bear). He's still in great shape after being smothered and snuggled during a somewhat emotional childhood and nights of being scared of the dark.
posted by tastybrains at 2:04 PM on July 24, 2007

I was going to say Snuffles, the Gund bear as well! Mine was white, and is now pretty gray, but he did travel the world with me so that's to be expected. He's been through many washes and is still as huggable as ever. They're ultra-soft and, shhh, don't tell anyone, but they make a really good under-the-neck pillow as an adult. ;)
posted by wuzandfuzz at 2:18 PM on July 24, 2007

Ooh, ooh. I forgot about GUND! Good call!
I always liked Ty plushies too, but I don't think they are made for the long haul.
Steiff = longest lasting
Gund = softest
Ty = cutest
posted by goml at 2:39 PM on July 24, 2007 [1 favorite]

Great options, also you might think about Vermont Teddy Bear - lots of customization options, pretty well made, and a lifetime 'health care' plan. As cheesy as it sounds on their website, there really is a Bear Hospital at the factory (which you can visit and tour), with little ladies sitting there stitching up bears that have suffered severe injuries.
posted by pupdog at 2:59 PM on July 24, 2007

I spent some time looking for The Very Best Fox I Could Find, and that turned out to be this one. They do bears, too, but particularly if you want to think about a critter other than a classic bear they're worth a look.
posted by Wolfdog at 3:06 PM on July 24, 2007 [2 favorites]

Another for Steiff; one's about to go to its 3rd generation here (without looking it).
posted by kmennie at 5:43 PM on July 24, 2007

Any GUND bear, definitely. I'm 26, and still have a GUND bear I had since birth.
posted by Zosia Blue at 5:50 PM on July 24, 2007

I recommend GUND as well. I have a teddy bear that's over 20 years old, plus a virtual zoo of other GUND stuffed animals that have survived the friendliness of several cats.
posted by fuse theorem at 6:23 PM on July 24, 2007

I have a 21 year old Gund bear. I have Steiffs in great condition too, but they were so expensive that we didn't play with them much.
posted by melissam at 6:41 PM on July 24, 2007

I have my old teddy bear saved for my baby daughter. My dad made it when I was very young. There are probably patterns out there if someone wants to make one.
posted by Margalo Epps at 7:07 PM on July 24, 2007

Another vote for the Gund Snuffles bears. I still get them for special occasions from my husband, but my favorite one is the oldest (and it clearly looks like it's been loved a lot).
posted by snafu at 7:34 PM on July 24, 2007

Whatever teddy bear you get, get two of them --- identical. That way they can be swapped off when one winds up in the mud and needs a good washing. I've no idea why you think a teddy bear should be passed on to "a next generation." Every kid needs his or her own, to love from brand new 'til tattered and torn and unstuffed and, at last, abandoned. (Whereupon it gets put in a box in the basement or the attic to be found by the kid when he or she's in college and treasured all over again.) And, by the way, it needn't be a teddy bear.
posted by realjanetkagan at 10:42 PM on July 24, 2007 [1 favorite]

I had a Steiff as a child and it is in pristine condition, both because I took care of my toys, and because it is the least cuddly stuffed animal I've ever seen. I did like to look at it though.
posted by BrotherCaine at 12:27 AM on July 25, 2007

you cannot go wrong with Steiff.
posted by Wilder at 4:08 AM on July 25, 2007

Wolfdog - Just wanted to say thanks for that link. I'm always on the lookout for quality stuffed moose.
posted by tastybrains at 7:22 AM on July 25, 2007