1 comments about 2nd Muffy Identification & Price Guide (Muffy Vanderbear Identification & Price Guide).

1. This is an excellent source for Muffy bear collectors of all ages. The pictures and tips provide excellent resources to determine edition, completion, and price status. Ann offers a modest price guide in the back of the book that sets reasonable expectations for today's value of the bears. I would like to have seen documentation of all of the accessories. Most bears have pictures, but there are a few that do not--and many of the accessories and club pieces are not pictured or priced. Overall, a great source of information. Well-written!

1 comments about Have Yourself a Beary Little Christmas (The Boyds Collected Ltd).

1. We have this book in our Christmas collection for our coffee table. Children and adults alike enjoy it. It is quite secular except for the bears dressed as angels but compliments our other books that address the real meaning of Christmas. It is a light read and fun to look at.

2 comments about Teddy Bears and Steiff Animals: First Series.

1. This is a nicely organized book chock-full of great pictures. It begins with a brief history of the teddy bear, conservation tips, and guidelines on what to look for when investing in a bear. It moves on to discuss Steiff dolls and animals with guidelines for evaluating Steiff dolls/animals for purchase or sale. The book covers miniature bears, Teddy Bears before 1940, Teddy Bears from 1940-1980, contemporary Teddy Bears (as of 1984), artist bears, Teddy Bear related items, Steiff Dolls, Steiff Animals before 1940, and Steiff Animals from 1940-1984.

   Hundreds of items are photographed and described in detail with notations on what adds value and/or is rare. Even though the first edition came out eighteen years ago, it still remains a classic reference/guide and it is updated every few years.




2. Firstly are you a Steiff or TeddyBear in general collector. If the answer is Steiff this book will have no use to you. The first seven pages are informative but after that it is packed full of colour pictures obtained from peoples personal collectons. It is more like a photo album of bears, although saying this, the pictures are of excellent quality. If you want to check the value of a bear pictured you have to look up the page number at the back of the book and find the relevant item. I have 15 Steiff Bears and not one of them were listed, I have looked through this book 3-4 times and all in all I am dissapointed in it. I will place it in the book cabinet and probably never look at it again.

No comments about THE TEDDY BEAR COMPANION, VOLUME I.

1 comments about Classic Teddy Bear Designs-Heirlooms to Make & Dress.

1. This would have to be the best value for money, beginners book on bear making that has been published in the last 10 or more years. The author has written this for the home sewer and doesn't assume that there is a teddy bear supplies shop just up the road where you can buy those expensive specialty items like joint sets, mohair fur, etc. Everything you need can be found at home in the sewing cupboard, at the local sewing shop or general store; eg: like buttons for joints, teddy jumpers/sweaters out of socks.

   There are numerous bear patterns of various sizes; eg: dad, mum & baby; both jointed and unjointed, along with clothes patterns for just about all of them! Estelle also explains how to customise the clothes patterns for different bears and garments; eg making a shirt into a coat. I still use this book if I want to dress bears from other patterns. For example I compare the bear that I'm making with Estelles bear pattern pieces; ie leg to leg for trousers, body to body for dresses or jump suits, etc; and when I find one that is similar I use the clothes pattern that fits Estelle's bear as a base clothes pattern for the bear I am making.

   The bear patterns themselves are excellent for beginners as all the bears a quite chubby (makes for great cuddling!), so are easier to sew, to turn inside out and to stuff - no narrow nooks and crannies to make for difficult stuffing. Some of the head patterns don't have a full head insert ie down to the nose, again making for easy sewing and more chance of a "nice muzzle/nose" for a beginner.

   Virtually all the bears in the book are made from something other than mohair, either synthetic fur, felt, coat fabric, etc, so you get a pretty good idea of what your bear will ACTUALLY look like. Mohair is gorgeous, but is often deceptive as it is usually a woven fabric, which doesn't stretch, so if you use synthetic fur, felt or coat fabric, for example, you end up with a very different bear to the mohair one you are hoping to reproduce.

   (I have a 1980ish edition of this book around which this review is written. PLEASE NOTE: there may be changes to the later edition SO the comments in the following paragraph may not be correct for this more recent edition.) Full colour books are the norm these days, so it is disappointing there aren't MORE of the gorgeous colour photos - although there are still plenty of black and white ones. There is quite alot of text, (including the usual "teddy bear" history), which comes under logical headings so it is generally easy to find info on subject. All the patterns are on pages of the book - great - no misplaced pattern inserts.

   This is a value for money book - lots of bear patterns with clothes patterns and how to do's. You won't make a Stieff reproduction, but you will get lots of practise with the numerous options this book offers.

3 comments about Bing Bears and Other Toys.

1. For the advanced collector, there has been a shortage of information on Bing Bears in regards to identification, charm and market value until Ken Yenke wrote and complied wonderful photos of Bing Bears in this comprehensive book. As always, I am impressed and learn more than I had hoped when selecting one of Ken's books to add to my Teddy Bear Book reference library. A wonderful book for all who seek more knowledge about our loved...Teddy Bears.



2. This book is much more than a report of a company's products. It is an honest and direct account of what happened to a creative and productive enterprise under Hitler's oppression, and after that it is a beautiful description of the many fantastic items the company developed. Ken Yenke has made a fine contribution to the history of the German toy industry by describing the happenings that led to the demise of the Bing company. The pictures are terrific, and the dialogue is strong and exciting. You'll want to read every word and study every picture. I strongly recommend this book to all toy collectors.



3. We, collectors have waited a long time for someone to write a comprehensive book on the wonderful world of Bing Bears & Toys. Ken Yenke has developed a book designed to educated the reader on the history of Bing, as well as, give remarkable early sketches and photos of Bings that most collectors never get an opportunity to actually see. I was quite impressed with the energy and apparent love that Ken Yenke has demonstrated throughout the book. The descriptions are concise yet informative; and the price guidelines help the novice collector and the advanced collector gauge their buying and selling scales. I looked forward to reading this book from the earliest whispers of its development and have not been disappointed in any way. I hope Ken Yenke continues to write books that are educational to collectors and also beautiful to the eye.

1 comments about Teddy Bears Postcard Book.

1. This is simply a classic. All postcards pictures/images/paintings must have been selectively collected from the yesteryears books' illustrations and possibly from good ole children books.
   Reminds me of times where things were still pure unlike now.Purchase this
   if you like postcards with images of nostalgic teddy bears and you'll be back to the years where children can still roamed freely and even the adults can think happy thoughts. *sigh*
   A definitive and a true classic postcard book for postcard and teddy bears' lovers!

1 comments about The Big Bear Book.

1. "The Big Bear Book" is indeed one big book! But, don't let the size fool you. The text in this book is minimal compared to the size of the book. It reviews the history of teddy bears and gives a paragraph description of many of the main manufacturers. It also includes a chapter with information teddy bear events, museums, and shops. Famous teddy bears and notable teddy bear people are also mentioned.
   
   What I love most about this book are the full color photos that fill almost every page of this book. Sidebars identify the bears shown, and suggest a value for the bear. Some bears are shown simply, without scene or setting, but many are shown with props, or even in the out of doors! Most of the bears are traditional, historic or famous bears (such as Alfonzo, and Winnie the Pooh) and many of those are Steiff. There are some artist bears included in this book, but they also resemble their traditional bookmates.
   
   This is a great coffee table book for teddy bear lovers. I have a bookshelf full of teddy bear books, and this one is a book I reach for again and again when I want to enjoy wonderful photographs of the bears of my dreams.

No comments about In Praise of Teddy Bears.

4 comments about Boyds Plush Animals 2001 Collector's Value Guide (Collector's Value Guides).

1. Wonderful paperback for Boyd Plush collectors. This book has great pictures, and identification details of all Boyd Plush. Best info for insurance purposes with original prices as well as current values. Super tool to update a database of your collection. Love it!



2. This is a wonderful guide for Boyd Plush collectors. This book has pictures of all plush. Also gives original prices as well as current values. There is a place to record the value of your collection for each of the pages towards the back of the guide.
   Highly recommend!



3. This book contains full color pictures of all Boyds plush animals up until Spring of '99. Yet, the book also informs the reader of up and coming new releases and retirements. Of the 221 pages in the book, 46 pages give information about the Boyd's company and info on all the plush animals. 146 pages contain the full color pics of all the Boyds plush animals and each one's information such as height, color, year issued, year retired and current value. There are 4 pages to list your collection of Boyds animals and write in their market value. 14 pages list info about furniture and accessories for your Boyd's plush. Finally, there is an 11 page index for looking up all the Boyds mentioned in the book. With an alphebetical listing of all the names of the animals, and separate catagories such as Bears, Cats, and Hares, it takes just minutes to find exactly what plush you are looking for. This book also gives info on bearstones, folkstones ect., limited edition and exclusive pieces and the F.o.B club. This book definitely deserves its 5 star rating.



4. This book is much better than last year's in that fewer bears have been omitted and the "long losts" of Boyds have turned up in its pages with some beautiful photographs. I do miss the photos of the Boyds in scenes with accessories (T.H.B. Style) side by side. But these photos are great! CVG prices are realistic and in some cases even low - unlike some other value guides - these are the real prices people are paying this Spring 99 for many of the pieces I see bought and sold. The book has one serious SHORTCOMING - not found in the 99 partner book for resins (The Bearstone Collection...and Desk Animals, also by Checkerbee). The alphabetical index is great -- the organization is fine -- BUT there is no numerical index on this guide so that users can use the "Bearfinder Index" by name and by number - only by name. As Boyds have Boyds numbers assigned to them and sometimes arrive to owners as mystery bears - known only by number, this book makes you work hard in such cases to determine who your little prize is - even if he is mint in the manufacturer's bag with a Boyds Style # written on it. But - don't be deterred - If you are a serious collector, you will use it daily! And, you'll see lots of nice little furry faces while you hunt! It will make you smile.