Help me replace my wife's stuffed bear toy!

March 25, 2017 2:18 AM

So my wife has had a toy since she was very young. As you can see, it's almost dead (my finger is included for proportions). I don't think I can find where it was made to get a replacement (see thread here), but does anyone know how I would go about getting someone to make a replica of it (there's admittedly not much left to go on, of course!)? Cheaper is better, and I'm UK based. I've looked on etsy but can't seem to find someone who will do it. Any help appreciated.
posted by NathanAlder to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (11 answers total)

Best answer: The most difficult part would be reconstructing the nose part which seems to be missing. Do you have any photos of it in a better state? Or could your wife draw what it used to look like?The design seems fairly simple and not too hard to replicate, but it would be hard to create an exact replica of course. I'd be happy to give it a try. Send me a message if you're interested.
posted by brambory at 2:47 AM on March 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: It looks to me as if it was hand made to begin with - the fabric and size appear very much like a child's sock. I don't know if that makes it much easier to recreate, but if that's true you could at least stop searching for a vintage replica.

https://www.daniellesplace.com/html/SockCraftsforKids.html
posted by Kriesa at 2:55 AM on March 25, 2017 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I'm guessing you don't mean replace as in 'get rid of the old one', it might help if you told us the purpose of replicating it? (I.e. Would an artists rendering of what it looked like serve the same nostalgic purpose? Or is she now allergic? Etc) Any object that well-loved is going to be irreplaceable of course, some might say its wabi-sabi makes it even beautiful as is.
posted by iiniisfree at 3:00 AM on March 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Wabi-Sabi has a good point - are you sure she wants to replicate it? It might make the original feel less special.
posted by Kriesa at 3:05 AM on March 25, 2017

Best answer: Again I don't mean to dismiss or sidetrack your actual question (how to replace) , but a sweet gift that might capture her feelings about the toy might be an inscribed book or card with a heartfelt quote from the velveteen rabbit.
posted by iiniisfree at 3:08 AM on March 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I agree that it looks handmade. Are you trying to commemorate the toy, or do you need a replica? An artwork capturing what it used to look like could be difficult to create accurately (without an earlier photograph of the toy) given the condition of disrepair. However... if you've got photos of Wife as a child, a drawing could be constructed in which the toy is held up to the child's cheek or heart for a cuddle, with the now-disintegrated part of the toy obscured by the rounded cheek, or an article of clothing.
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 3:57 AM on March 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Instead of replacing it, you could speak to some restorers who specialise in this sort of thing? If you google "teddy bear hospital" you will find a few -- here's one. I haven't used one (yet) but it looks like a lovely thing to do for someone.
posted by ukdanae at 9:48 AM on March 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I have one of these! In my case, replacing it wouldn't work because it morphed into what it now is very early in my life--so I don't remember what it looked like when it was new. Even if somehow someone got me an exact replica, I wouldn't know it was the same toy. Your wife's still manages to be cute despite its slight flaws. Perhaps instead of trying to find a replacement, you could get it a little outfit to wear? Some nice flowered slacks for spring and a kicky top that would obscure its little evisceration problem, and maybe a jaunty eye patch? If that went over well, you could get it new clothes for each major holiday.
posted by Don Pepino at 11:56 AM on March 25, 2017 [4 favorites]

Best answer: maybe you can replicate it or repair it via a place like this:

http://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/local/2017/02/12/doctors-repair-stuffed-animals-teddy-bear-hospital/97826322/
posted by zdravo at 5:45 PM on March 25, 2017

Response by poster: Wow, thanks for all your great ideas - I never would have thought of any of them!

I'll have to ponder what to do - one of the things she likes about the bear is its tactile nature. That is, she used to rub the silk-loop product label/tail together to help her sleep... In fact, she still finds it very hard to sleep without it (even though she's 29 and embarrassed of the fact).

So I can't exactly take it away and send it off for repairs without her noticing, unfortunately, and yet I feel like none of the other suggestions will quite solve the issue. A new toy will not have the sentimental value; some form of art commemorating the bear will not have the tactile value; wabi-sabi is great but the bear won't last much longer... The idea of clothing the bear (perhaps with a replacement tail) might be the best option...

I think my best bet is to send her this thread for us to discuss what she would like, and hopefully she'll appreciate the thought and effort that I (and you guys) have put into this idea!

Thanks again everyone.
posted by NathanAlder at 5:07 AM on March 26, 2017 [2 favorites]

Best answer: You say that a new toy won't have the same sentimental value, and that is true, but it will have a new sentimental value as you arranged a replacement for her. Whether you buy it, or have something made, she will attach a new lovely memory to it.
posted by Youremyworld at 4:40 PM on March 26, 2017 [1 favorite]