Kaycee Bears - An Uncertain Future

Happy New Year!

We were extremely pleased to get the opportunity to carry Kaycee Bears in 2014.  These amazing creations are handmade in the UK by founder, Kelsey Cunningham. (And the company is just wonderful to work with).

But we were saddened to hear that Kelsey will most probably be losing sight in one of her eyes.

This might have a profound effect on upcoming 2015 Kaycee Bear introductions.

We will keep you updated as soon as we hear of any updates from Kelsey.  We so hope that Kelsey can recuperate from her condition.

What is Mohair Anyway?

Higher-end collectible teddy bears and friends are primarily made of mohair, but what is it exactly?

• Mohair is shorn from the coats of Angora goats.  These goats were not introduced to the US until 1849.
• The US is one of the two largest producing nations in the world which total two million pounds.
• Most Angora goats are raised in Southwest Texas because of its perfect climate and terrain.
• Mohair is considered an all-season fashion fiber.
• Mohair fabric is:  wrinkle resistant, has a high affinity to absorb dyes, is moisture resistant, and extremely flame retardant.
• Mohair can be hand washed and brushed.
• Angora goats are shorn twice a year and the animals are not harmed when being shorn.

So, the next time you are admiring your mohair teddy bear, please appreciate what an Angora goat has contributed to making your collectible bear amazing!

Quote of the Day - "To unpathed waters, undreamed shores." - 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

Some Things You Did Not Know About Hildegard Gunzel

Came across this online article taken from a blog by Dear Little Dollies regarding Hildegard Gunzel.  Some interesting facts were found about Hildegard that we were not aware of.

• Hildegard was born in Tauberbishoffsheim, Germany
• She was born in 1945 (right after the end of World War II)
• Attended to German School for Fashion Design in Munchen
• After graduation, she worked as a designer in the fashion and jewelry industry
• In the 1970's she began making dolls as a hobby
• Her first medium used for dolls was Cernit
• Hildegard attended her first "International Toy Fair" in NYC in 1986 and her dolls were an instant sellout
• Her dolls always have wigs made from human hair 

Quote of the Day - "Success is the good fortune that comes from aspiration, desperation, perspiration, and inspiration." - Evan Esar

Have you experienced the magic of Department 56 Villages?

2014 marks the first year that Beacon's Glow Collectibles is "officially" carrying Department 56 Villages and accessories.

We were leery about taking the plunge to carry this line of collectibles as it is quite an investment from a retailer's point of view.  There are so many different Village Collections (to include Halloween) that it requires this company to publish a catalog that is 119 pages!  (And the catalog, for the most part, contains only villages and accessories that come from the current year).

Got our first official taste at how really versatile and amazing Dept 56 is when the owner of Beacon's Glow decided to put together a Halloween vignette using Department 56 Snow Village Halloween pieces.  We thought that the finished product turned out quite well, don't you?

Included in this vignette were:

Another Prince Croaks 4036600

Autumn Moss 4037201 (not even one bag)

Boneyard Luminaries 4038898 (these LED lights actually change colors!)

Purple Twinkle Bright Tree 56.53272 (an old D56 favorite)

Toads and Frogs Witchcraft Haunt 4036591 (New for 2014)

Scary Pumpkin Lit Tree 4038913

So very cool to display for your Halloween decorating!

Quote of the Day - "Storms make oaks take roots." - Proverb

NEW Lower Prices on Many Collectible Brands

In addition to our already very competitive prices, we have lowered the price on many of the brands that we carry.

To help save our customers more money while shopping for a collectible either for themselves of as a gift, the following brands have been reduced in price even more.

• Department 56
• Jim Shore
• Snowbabies by Department 56

Please also note that we will be reducing the overall pricing on Boyd's Bears as well in the near future.  We expect that this will occur after we are able to take a physical inventory of both prior and new inventory coming in.  (As most of you might already know, Boyd's by Enesco is closing their doors at the end of 2014).

Thanks for your continued support!  After almost being in business for 11 years, it is you, our customer, who is the most important!

Quote of the Day - "If you wish success in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counselor, caution your elder brother, and hope your guardian genius." - Joseph Addison

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