Wonderful 2019 Charlie Bears!

Charlie Bears No doubt about it - this is going to be a great Friday! Just received word that the following Charlie Bears will be included in our next shipment. What a list!
Will Scarlett
Tooth Fairy
Ophelia
Petal
L’Amour
Mirabelle
Moondrops
Locket
Pocket
Charlie Bears Book, 2nd Edition
Goliath
Toadstool
Lanson
Muffin
Bakewell
Dandy
Skipper
Shrimpy
Cara
Splodge
Isnee

Quote of the Day - "A bedroom without a teddy is like a face without a smile." - Unknown

2019 Charlie Bear Collection Launch!

We are very pleased to announce that Charlie Bears will be debuting their 2019 Charlie Bears Collection a bit earlier than in year's past.

Instead of mid-late February the office Charlie Bear Launch date is Friday, January 18th!

Beacon's Glow Collectibles is so excited as we expect this year's collection to be fantastic.  (Still wondering how year after year, Charlie (Charlotte Morris) and her team of talented designers (Isabelle Lee, Alison Mills and Heather Lyell) always come up with a collection that gets better and better.

As is always the case, we will be carrying the 2019 Charlie Bear catalogs and give these out free of charge to collectors who would like one.  We have ordered plenty of these and hope that they will be arriving in Q1 of this year.

Additionally, Charlie Bears will be following their anticipated quarterly deliveries as they have done in the past (Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4).  We were extremely impressed how well this new delivery worked and in the timely manner that Charlie Bears shipped product to US stockists.

Please stay tuned for additional information! We will be posting the online 2019 catalog as well as quarterly schedule on our Charlie Bears webpage as soon as we are able.

Quote of the Day - "Good, better, best.  Never let it rest.  'Til your good is better and your better is best." - St. Jerome

Ever Wonder Exactly Why It Takes So Long to Get A Charlie Bear?

I came across a very interesting online article the other day that perfectly explains why Charlie Bears are a bit slow to arrive at US retailers.  Incidentally, reasonable delivery times has unfortunately always been an issue with Charlie Bears as can be seen in this article.  But as I always like to say when it comes to magnificent Charlie Bears "Good things come to those who wait!"

This was taken from The Telegraph entitled "Look no further for the bear necessities", and was written by Anna White. Many thanks, Anna, for this inciteful article.

 "Husband and wife couple William and Charlotte Morris won over the collectables market with their handmade teddy bear, but its popularity almost proved their downfall as a surge in demand led to a year-long backlog of orders.

The Yorkshire pair spotted a niche for good quality, yet affordable collectors’ toys, secured a Small Firms Loan Guarantee from the Government to start Charlie Bears in 2005. “There was a significant gap in the market,” said Mr Morris, 39. “There were low quality products at the bottom end of the price range that people simply didn’t fall in love with or very expensive collectables.”

The Morris’s, who met when William walked into Charlotte’s teddy bear shop in Leeds looking for a present for his mother, relocated to Cornwall and after much searching found a manufacturer in Thailand that was willing to take on this new category.

“We had a few false starts,” said Mr Morris. “There just wasn’t a manufacturer out there capable of producing quality for the right price. All the attention to detail adds to the cost but if you approach suppliers in China you’ll get the opposite - low price, mass production.”

The small plant in Thailand already made high end Mohair Bears, supplying Walmart and other major brands. The pair approached the Korean owner with the idea to use a cheaper material called plush to handmade a detailed prototype. 

 The English couple designed 12 characters and placed a minimum order of 600 of each without any commitment of forward sales. “If it all went wrong all we had was 2,000 teddy bears to keep us warm,” said Mr Morris, who had sold their home, car and speed boat to launch the business.

Charlie Bears’ meteoric rise to fame began at the Birmingham Spring Fair, where they took £20,000 worth of orders from small independent retailers in one day. “For giftware start-ups it is the place to be,” he said. By the end of their first year they generating revenues of £138,000.

And it wasn’t long before the shopping channel QVC signed them up. “QVC fell for the love story behind the brand and our first show was a complete sellout,” Mr Morris said.

The strategy was to build a following of the next generation of collectors. The full series of Charlie Bears, retailing for around £400, was already commanding prices of around £3,000 on secondary marketplaces such as eBay.

While the consumer squeeze gripped the retail industry, Charlie Bears doubled its turnover from £1.1m in 2008 to £2.1m in 2009. “The recession was our biggest turning point,” said Mr Morris. “The bad news story meant people were more savvy with their money and we had created a product that looked more expensive than it was. With mortgage rates going down people were affording themselves the odd treat.”

The intensity of demand was starting to build, but the Morris’s still ran the entire business themselves, from cleaning the “bear-house” to presenting on QVC. They were so focused on dealing with orders that they did not foresee the looming production crisis.

A combination of problems hit the company simultaneously. After every QVC show Charlie Bears’ 120 stockists would be inundated with enquiries and suddenly at trade shows they were shunning the advances of QVC in Germany and the like.

Training up skilled workers to manufacture the bear could take up to two years and the Thai factory did not have the capacity to grow with the company. As a result customer waiting times slid from 30 weeks to 62.

“Our warehouse became a transit shed and we were so busy trying to get the product out of the door that we were not trying to solve the longer term problem,” he said. “And then the complaints came.”

So the pair turned to Growth Accelerator - a UK based service which provides small and medium sized businesses with a coach to help create a long term business plan. With experience of setting up manufacturing operations in Mexico and Puerto Rica, Paul Duffy identified the need for a team of staff, a senior management team that was properly incentivised, and led them in an urgent search to find more manufacturers. “Adding more offshore suppliers was never going to have an immediate impact so we also sat down to help the current manufacturer continue to work with Charlie Bears,” said Mr Duffy.

The solution to their long term supplier issue lay in the villages of Sri Lanka, where they found four production partners and initiated training programmes from the outset, using young female hairdressers and art students to shave the bears’ faces and complete the intricate face work.

“In many cases these girls [from the ages of 18 to mid-20s] were the first female family member to work outside the home or village,” said Mr Morris. “We also worked with Government to put a facility in Kandy to provide employment for people living in the outlying villages.”

The Charlie Bears team communicated with customers throughout its turnaround, “we used social media imploring people to bear with us - excuse the pun” said Mr Morris.

The business is now generating revenues of £8.5m with 500 stockists, it supplies 37 different countries and has its beady eye on Japan and the Middle East with their appetite for western heritage brands.

“We have never sold out to volume,” said Mr Morris, “We could have turned to the likes of China to mass produce teddy bears and get us out of a hole but we stuck by our original brand values of quality over volume, and it’s paying off.” "

Quote of the Day -  "Dreams and dedication are a powerful combination." - William Longwood

Charlie Bears Brenda Teddy Bear

I was thrilled to find out that Charlie Bears had included a bear named Brenda in their 2017 Collection. Brenda is 14 inches tall and is made from Plumo (a combination of both plush and mohair).  Her snout and ears are both mohair.  She comes from a worldwide limited edition of 3000 pieces.

I know that this teddy was named after Will's (Charlie's husband) grandmother but is still very special to me because I have the same name.

After an arduous wait of nearly 7 months, our first Charlie Bear shipment of the year arrived and what a shipment it was!  So many amazing plush and mohair Charlie Bears were included as well as several Minimos that we were waiting for from 2016.  (Many have already sold out and we can certainly understand why!)

I am so looking forward to what our next shipment holds!

Quote of the Day - "Be a blessing to someone today." - Proverbs

2017 Charlie Bear Collection

We are very excited to announce that the 2017 Charlie Bear Collection will officially be debuted on Friday, February 3rd.

Just have to say that this year's collection is amazing!  We are so privileged to have the opportunity to get a sneak peek since we are a Charlie Bear US retailer.

Please stay tuned!

Quote of the Day - "Success is no accident.  It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing." - Pele

Clemens Bears Introduces their 2017 Teddy Bear Collection

Clemens Bears is definitely the first of several teddy bear companies to introduce their 2017 line.  There are many fine teddybears and critters is this collection and we cannot wait to place our first order of 2017 with them.

There are some adorable Ren Bears as well as some bears and critters from the very talented Anna Dazumal.  In addition, all of the guest teddy bear artists for Clemens Bears are introducing new pieces this year.

Please stay tuned for their appearance on the Beacon's Glow Collectibles website soon.  (And of course please do not hesitate to email us at info@beaconsglow.com if you would like for us to reserve any from this amazing collection.

Quote of the Day - "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." - Anonymous

Join Us This Weekend for the 2nd Annual Charlie Bears Birthday Party!

And it is that time again - Charlie Bears turns 11 in 2016!  They have decided to celebrate each year and create a special mystery birthday box which contains a mini version of one of the most popular Charlie Bears ever produced.  Mum's the word as we do not want to spill the beans on who the mystery bear is this year.  (But was have to admit that many of you have already guessed from a process of elimination who this adorable bear is).

Anyway, Beacon's Glow Collectibles will have some super Deals of the Day this weekend (Charlie Bears of course).  And we will be including a gift with each purchase.  And also, don't forget to use the coupon code charlie upon checkout to receive an additional 10% off of any purchase.  (A perfect way to help you in starting your holiday shopping!)

Happy Birthday, Charlie Bears!

Clemens Bears from Germany Are Here!

We are very pleased to announce that we recently received in our first shipment of Clemens Bears.  These bears and little critters are handmade in Germany and are of a very high quality.

Please take a peek at Clemens Bears Press Release to learn about more about this amazing 68 year old company.

And if you see a bear that you are interested in and he is out of stock, please do not worry as we have more bears on backorder that should be arriving in the next month or so.

Quote of the Day - "He knows the water best who has waded through it." - Danish Proverb

2016 Charlie Bears Now In Stock

It has been a busy year so far for the Charlie Bears Bearhouse.  Besides trying to catch up with the remaining 2015 teddy bears, they are now starting to ship teddies and such from their 2016 collection.

We are expecting in the following items towards the end of this week:

Name		Code
Anais		SJ5369
Anniversary Kylie		SJ5472
Anniversary Poem		SJ5506
Anniversary Tutti Frutti		SJ5468
Anniversary Vincent		SJ5465
Banner		CBPOSBAN
Charlie Year Bear 2016		CB161682
Desmond		CB165118
Diddy		MM645321A
Flossy		MM645316B
Flummadiddle		SJ5368
Footprints		SJ5357
Gadget		SJ5355
Hoglet		MM645308
Jane		CB161634
Marshmallow		CB161616
Mr Wright		SJ5343
Napoleon		SJ5358
Ode		SJ5362
Orange Pippin		SJ5335A
Pepper Pot		CB161698
Pitter Patter		MM645310
Plumduff		SJ5347
Quibble		SJ5372
Reech		CB161638
Sheba		CB161627
Susan		CB161621
Wisdom		CB161531O

As you can see, some are highly anticipated bears from 2015, and there are also some very popular bears from 2016.  

Can't wait to see Footprints in person!  Please stay tuned. . . 

Quote of the Day - "Love doesn't make the world go round.  Love is what makes the ride worthwhile." - Franklin Jones

More Charlie Bears on Their Way!

Happy New Year!  Just got word from the Charlie Bear Bearhouse that another shipment of Charlie Bears is on their way.  Some are brand new bears from the 2016 Anniversary Collection and some are returning favorites.  These favorites were requested by customers so we were glad that we could order them once again.

The list includes:

Bodie	SJ5354
Dakota	CB151539
Dangle	CBK655527B
Dingle	CBK655527A
Flurry	MM645316A
Grumpy	CB151540
Hunky Dory	SJ5385
Kerfuffel	SJ5353
Mabel	CB151536
Quibble	SJ5372
Rosemary & Thyme	SJ5335B/03
Russet	SJ5344
Snax	SJ5387A
Tango	CB151527
Tibbles	SJ5359
Tippeetoes	CB159044S
Treetop	SJ5380
Trumpette	SJ5381
Whiffy	SJ5386

Introducing Katie Country Bears

We are pleased to get the opportunity to offer handmade teddy bears and animals from the very talented UK bear artist, Kay Holroyd. Incidentally she has been creating these tiny teddies since 2007.

These adorable Katie Country Bears are usually tiny 5 inch bears but once in a while Kay will produce a larger 7 inch bear.  Each teddy is made from either mohair, alpaca or Tissavel fur.

Many of Kay's bears wear a cute bobble hat that has been hand-knit from Kay's friend who lives in Spain.

We have received in one shipment of these bears (consisting of 8 different bears and one elephant) and all have been sold with the exception of 1!  So pleased to hear that Kay is shipping us a small number of bears now and then a larger order will be soon to follow.

Trust us in that they are even cuter in person! Please stay tuned for our next shipment!

Quote of the Day - "We know what we are, but know not what we may be." - William Shakespeare

All About Your Alpaca Teddy Bear

Collectible teddy bears are usually made from either mohair, plush or alpaca.  Alpaca bears are amazingly soft and cuddly and it is usually made clear that they are made from alpaca fleece.

So what exactly is alpaca?

• Alpaca wool is shorn from an Alpaca (which is a long-haired domesticated South American mammal related to the llama).
• Alpaca can be light or heavy in weight, depending on how it is spun (very similar to how wool is spun).
• Alpaca is warmer and softer than sheep's wool.
• The Alpaca animal is a docile creature well-suited for a family pet.
• Alpacas come in 22 natural colors, with more than 300 shades from a true black through brown-black, browns, fawns, white, silver-grey and rose-grey.
• White is the predominant color.
• Alpacas are raised in San Angelo, Texas, which has the perfect climate for these animals.
• San Angelo, Texas, is the largest producer of alpaca in the US.

A teddy bear made from alpaca really stands out because of its incredible softness.  In fact, once an alpaca teddy is picked up, it is hard to put him down because he is so very cuddly.

Quote of the Day - "The purpose of life is the expansion of happiness.  Happiness is the goal of every other goal." - Deepak Chopra

Huge Disappointment in Boyd's by Enesco

This morning we received an email from Enesco (current distributor of Boyd's Bears) informing us that more than 75% of our backorders were being cancelled.  We were shocked and extremely disappointed, once again, in how unprofessional Enesco has handled this situation.

As hopefully most of you know, Boyd's Bears is closing their doors at the end of 2014.

There are currently 18 items that we have on backorder (and that are supposed to be delivered in the next several weeks).

This news has greatly disappointed several loyal Boyd's collectors and we can certainly see why.  We had no idea that this cancellation was going to take place and it was handled poorly.

But, on a more positive note, many of our loyal Boyd's customers over the years are switching to either Bearington Bears or Steiff Bears.

We are sorry to say that once our stock of Boyd's is sold, they can never be reordered again.

Quote of the Day - "Character is like a tree and reputation is like its shadow.  The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." - Abraham Lincoln

How to Identify your Teddy Bear

Steiff "Button in Ear" Tags

Not sure whether or not you might have a Steiff Bear?  (Steiff Bears, in my opinion, are currently one of the few collectibles that either holds or increases in value).  Auction sites sell older Steiff teddy bears for values in great excess from their original prices.

To identify whether or not you might have a Steiff, take a look at the following 3 things:

1.  Chest Tag
2.  Button In Ear
3.  Ear Tag

A bit about each of the previously mentioned items:

1.  Chest Tags - Steiff chest tags are made of paper and are always circular in shape.  Unfortunately, this is the first item on a Steiff item that is lost or misplaced.  The chest tags on both these teddy bears and animals have changed often over the years.

2.  Button in Ear - this is considered the most famous of the Steiff animal identifiers, and they have also changed dramatically over the years.  (Your teddy bear or animal might have a visible hole in his right ear which could signify that he is in fact, a Steiff).  Steiff occasionally uses an old-fashioned button in ear on one of their replica pieces.

Taken from an excellent article on hubpages.com here is their listing of various button types over the years.

Years in Use	Description	Button Size
1904/1905	Silver toned button with elephant	6mm
1904/1905	Blank button	6mm
1908 - 1927	Nickel and Iron button with word Steiff on it	4mm
1925 - 1934/35	Iron and nickel plated button with word Steiff	8mm
1933/34 - 1943	Brass button with word Steiff	6mm
1948 - 1950	Grey-blue Lacquered Blank Button	7mm
1948 - 1950	Blank Nickel Button	5mm
1950 - 1952	Button with word Steiff	6mm
1952/53	Nickel Button with Steiff in Script	5mm
1960 - 1972	Nickel Button with Steiff in Script	5mm
1967 - 1977	Nickel Button in Form of Hollow Rivet with word Steiff in Script
1969 - 1977	Nickel Button with Small Steiff Lettering, inset instead of raised	5mm
1977 - 1982	Brass Button with Steiff in Script, Recessed Letters	8mm
1982 - 1999	Brass Button with Steiff in Script, Slightly Rounded	8mm
2000 - Present	Same as above but with more modern rivet fixture on the back	9mm
2004	Replica Pieces have a special gold-plated button with original elephant design

3.  Ear Tag - This is the actual tag attached to the button in ear which distinguishes each and every Steiff teddy bear or animal.  An EAN (European Article Number) is contained on each tag.  This numbering system has been used exclusively by Steiff since 1905.  Incidentally, limited edition tags (North American Exclusives, Worldwide Limited Editions, and Replicas) include the edition number the the total size of the limited edition itself.

Quote of the Day - "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." - Napoleon Hill

5 Things You Did Not Know About Charlie Bears

Soo Lee Panda by Charlie Bears

We love learning more about the history of Charlie Bears and interesting facts.  Here is hoping that you will find these 5 tidbits of interest:

1.  Tickly Toes on a Charlie Bear refer to their foot paws when the stitching reveals their pronounced toes as well as a padded foot pad.

2.  Once a Charlie Bear is retired, he (or she) never comes out of retirement.

3.  Each Charlie Bear is handmade and therefore, has his or her individual character.  In other words, no two are alike.  (That is why we here at Beacon's Glow Collectibles have absolutely no problem with emailing collectors photos of bears).

4.  Currently the back-order for these collectable bears is 30 weeks.  (This is greatly improved as at one time it was a 62 week back-order!)

5.  Most Charlie Bears are purposely made with floppy jointing in their head, arms, and legs.  This is to done to give each bear more personality as well as the ability to pose them.

Quote of the Day - "Knowledge of what is possible is the beginning of happiness." - George Santayana

Charlie Bears on QVC UK This Week

Just finished watching the first of four Charlie Bear shows on QVC UK.  We were hoping to see Charlie (Charlotte Morris) join her husband, Will, but unfortunately it never happened.  Keeping our fingers crossed that she will make an appearance on one of their upcoming shows.  We just love watching Will but Charlie brings an additional perspective to the creation of these incredible collectible teddy bears. Do they make a terrific couple or what?

William made many comments that we feel are worth sharing to further embrace the Charlie Bears brand:

1. 2015 will mark Charlie Bears tenth anniversary.
2. For those of you who are not familiar with the term "Plumo", this is a Charlie Bears-specific phrase when referring to a teddy bear who has mohair on both his ears and face, and the rest of him is plush material.
3. It was fun to learn some Christmas meal favorites from the UK which are definitely different than those traditional fixings here in the US (i.e., parsnip, mince pie, and brussel sprouts).
4. The Charlie Bears "Best Friends Club" now boasts more than 4000 members worldwide.
5. Charlie Bears tends to stay away from creating Christmas themed bears as they feel that these wonderful teddybears should be out on display all year.
6. All Charlie Bear Bearhouse bears (which are non-jointed bears and animals) are made of plush and are named after famous castles and landmarks. (Drogo (pictured above) was a Bearhouse animal presented on the show).
7. Mohair bears are intended for the discerning collector 14 years old and above, and are considered adult collectibles.
8. Mrs. Lovely was named after Will's sister.  (She actually works for Charlie Bears in sales and marketing in Europe).
9. The term 'tickly toes' refers to a bear paw pad that has stitching for the toes that is quite obvious.
10. Many times Charlie Bears get their names from Charlie Bear collectors. (On this show, Rowena was presented and she was named after a collector).  An adorable bear by the way!
11. Charlie Bears never come out of retirement.  Once they are retired, that is it.  (On occasion, Will did mention that they will bring back a smaller version but this is not commonplace).

Absolutely loved the Brussel bear that was presented during this show.  His face was just amazing!

Please watch the QVC schedule to see when Charlie Bears will once again present on QVC UK.  (In Texas, there is a 6 hour difference from the UK.  So for example if the show is on 2-3 pm UK time, it would be 8 am CST).

Quote of the Day - "Everyone has a fair turn to be as great as he pleases." - Jeremy Collier

A Blast From the Past - How Things Have Changed!

Chloe - Dolls by Pauline

Was in the process of cleaning out some extraneous computer files, and came across a News Release way back from November 2004.  At that time, Beacon's Glow Collectibles carried 12 unique lines of collectible dolls and teddy bears with 800 different products.

So, do any of these lines from the past ring a bell?

• Jan McLean Dolls
• Ginny Dolls by Vogue
• Precious Moments Dolls
• Linda Rick Dolls
• Susan Wakeen Dolls (very popular at that time)
• Doll by Pauline (our best selling line back in 2004)
• Annette Funicello Bears
• Ganz Cottage Collectibles
• Lang Primitive Candles

There is a story to be told as to why we stopped carrying each of these lines.  Many of these manufacturers are non-existent at this time unfortunately.  (We did read the other day that Lang is bringing back their candles which is good news). They discontinued carrying candles many years ago. But the main reason that we stopped carrying them was that it was difficult to successfully ship candles in the summer months.  They melted before they left Texas.

Anyway, we hope that you still have some of these wonderful dolls or teddy bears from the past in your collections.

Currently we carry 19 different lines and have more than 3000 different items to offer consumers.  Times sure have changed in 10 years!

Quote of the Day - "Be kind whenever possible.  It is always possible." - Dalai Lama

Your Mohair Teddy Bear - So What Exactly is Mohair?

An Adorable Pair of Charlie Bear Mohair Kitty Cats

A lot of people do not realize that the mohair that their teddy bear is made from comes from the fleece of the Angora mohair goat.  Angora goats are shorn in the same way that sheep are shorn for their wool.

So where did Angora goats originate from?  Angora goats took their name from the ancient Turkish city of Ankara, which was very close to where they originated. The Turks thought so highly of these special goats that none left the country until the sixteenth century. The first exports landed in Spain and France, but Angoras didn't reach American shores until 1849. The most valuable characteristic of the Angora, as compared to other goats is the value of the mohair that is clipped. The average goat in the U.S. shears approximately 5.3 pounds of mohair per shearing and are usually sheared twice a year – once in the spring and once again in the early fall.

The United States has developed into one of the two largest producing nations of mohair in the world with an annual production in excess of 2.4 million pounds. This was all due to the initial importation of a small flock of seven does and two bucks in 1849.  The other two principal sources of mohair are South Africa and Turkey. Texas, with a herd of 220,000 goats is the primary mohair region of the United States. The main region is on Edwards Plateau in Southwest Texas, where the mild dry climate and hilly, brushy terrain are particularly well suited for raising Angora goats due to their dry mountain origin.  (The town that is well-known for their mohair production is San Angelo, Texas).  In fact, if you would like to read more, the "Mohair Council of America" located in San Angelo has additional information to read.It is a well-known fact that Angora goats produce the best mohair in hot areas with low rainfall, which explains why Texas is well-suited for raising Angora goats. 

Mohair fleece has always been the superior fabric for making teddy bears. There are many reasons for this:  1) mohair has an incredible luster to it, and dyed mohair resists fading caused by time and the elements and is very hard wearing; 2) mohair is almost non-flammable; 3) mohair is considered the most durable animal fiber; 4) the natural fibers from mohair have the ability to absorb and release atmospheric moisture; 5) mohair is characteristically resistant to soiling; and 6) mohair possesses great tensile strength.  Diameter to diameter it is stronger than steel!

All in all, collectible teddy bears made from mohair tend to cost more than bears made from plush and they also tend to hold their value as well.  

Quote of the Day - "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." - Robert Frost

A Bit About Tatty Teddy from the UK

Had heard about Tatty Teddy from the UK quite some time ago as a very sweet UK customer of ours does Tatty Teddy cross-stitch kits.  So I decided to research the background behind this cute little character from England.

Created initially in 1987 by English cartoonist and illustrator Michael Payne, these adorable little teddy bears with the classic blue noses went into production by the Carte Blanche Greetings Ltd Company.  (These Tatty Teddy bears are also known to some as Me to You Bears).

Mr. Payne recently left  his position as Tatty Teddy illustrator at Carte Blanche Greetings.  He is know drawn by a team of three very talented artists:  Steve Mort-Hill, Ceri Lewis, and Tom Barnfield.

In 2001 the US company, Douglas Company, received the rights and license to sell the brand in the US and Canada.

Currently the Tatty Teddy line includes plush toys, figurines, cards, coffee mugs, wedding accessories, and cross stitch kits as mentioned previously.

Tatty Teddys have quite a worldwide following and there exists annual Tatty Teddy national collectors events.  On occasion there have been produced several special and limited edition bears which in turn enhances the collectible nature of these teddybears.

In 2008, Carte Blanche Greetings introduced an additional line called "My Blue Nose Friends" which consisted of other animals created in the same style of Tatty Teddy.  Their plush is a different color than the traditional grey of Tatty Teddy but each one has the dark eyes in close proximity to each other, and the classic light blue nose.

It is very understandable why these adorable little teddy bears are popular in the UK.  So now whenever you see a little grey bear with blue nose you can identify him as a "Tatty Teddy" who originated in England!

Quote of the Day - "The palest ink is better than the best memory." - Chinese Proverb

Happy Halloween!

We hope that you have a fun and safe Halloween!

Out there on the Facebook Charlie Bears page, we have been admiring little knitted winter hats for Charlie Bears Minimos.

Our version is attached on one of our OOAK Minky Bears. . . little Bubbles is all bundled up for Halloween.