Thank you for visiting Teddy Bear Fairs, as you browse the pages of this site you will find a host of information from the Teddy Bear Library written by a well known Teddy Bear expert, visit our fairs page where we list fairs and events up and down the country, and finally if you are unable to travel to one of the many fairs we have listed  then go to our links page where you can enter specialist sites for that special Teddy Bear, but before you do just take a moment to read our story of the month.

If you are looking for a little gem for your collection then consider un-jointed bears as they can be very appealing. For some reason they never seem to fetch the price of the jointed equivalent. As far back as the early 1900’s un-jointed bears were being produced. One of the first in the UK was probably a Dean’s Rag Book printed sheet of cotton that you cut out and sewed together to make your own bear. Many manufacturers produced unjointed bears probably as it kept the cost down so they were cheap to produce and cheaper for the retailer to sell. In the 1930’s Merrythought produced their famous ‘Dutch Bear’ with his trousers that looked like they had been filled with air. This little chap was made in plush and mohair and one of these today could be purchased for £150 upwards depending on condition. One of Deans first mohair un-jointed bears came in several colours including gold, pink and blue with felt paw pads in 11” and 14” sizes and for an early coloured mohair bear can be a very reasonable buy. If you prefer a more true to life bear then most manufacturers produced life like bears on all fours that were un-jointed, some were on wheels and my favourite ones of this style are those made by Steiff in the early part of the 20^th Century which were made for children to ride on. During the war years supplies of mohair were short and many bears from these periods were made with only hands, face and feet made of mohair or plush and the rest of the bear was dressed or made of cotton to save the mohair fabric. During the latter part of the 1950’s and into the 1960’s  un-jointed teddies became more and more popular as new machine washable fabrics and fillings made the Teddy Bear more practical, affordable and therefore more accessible for children. Even to this day un-jointed bears are being produced in high numbers for children’s enjoyment all over the world.

So where do you look for your early un-jointed bears? Teddy Bear Fairs, Teddy Bear Websites, Flea Markets, Antique fairs/shops, Jumble Sales and Car Boot Sales are worth scouring to see if you can find a gem. I would look for those made of mohair and look for glass eyes rather than plastic ones as these are signs of an older bear. Keep your eyes peeled for a label or some mark that will help identify his origin.

For further information or to see a selection of vintage bears contact

Andy or Mel at Bourton Bears 01452 760186 or www.bourtonbears.com