Teddy Bears, toys, and gifts

The teddy bear is a uniquely American gift that is over 100 years old. The name teddy bear harkens back to president Theodore Roosevelt, who was a nature enthusiast. In November of 1902 Theodore, or Teddy as he was nicknamed, was invited to go hunting by Andrew H. Longino; who was the governor of Mississippi.

The hunt began, and there were several other hunters involved. By the end of the first week, the other hunters had all made a kill. Not wanting the president to leave the hunt as the only unsuccessful hunter, his entourage snuck off on the last night with the dogs to find the president an animal to shoot.

The dogs found a black bear, and chased it until it was exhausted. Members of the entourage then clubbed the bear and brought it near the camp, tying the bear to a tree. The next day, they led Teddy to the tree with the bear and told him to shoot it. Roosevelt refused, deeming such a kill unsportsmanlike. He did however order that the bear be put out of its misery, which ends up amounting to the same thing as shooting it.

In any event, the Washington Post got wind of Roosevelt’s exploits and published a political cartoon depicting the president refusing to shoot a lassoed bear. As the cartoon was redrawn by the author and imitators, the bear went from being an adult black bear, to a small, cute bear cub.

A toy shop owner named Morris Michton saw the political cartoons and had an idea. He made small stuffed bears to put in the window of his shop. He sent a bear to Roosevelt and requested permission to call them “Teddy’s Bears”. Roosevelt was delighted with the toy, and agreed to allow the name.

In the next two years, the bears became something of a craze in America. In addition to the original bears from Michton, a manufacturer in Germany began importing bears to the United States. Following the widespread success of those two manufacturers; many other manufacturers began churning out bears to feed the popular demand. In fact, in 1906 Roosevelt even used the teddy bear as a mascot in his bid for re-election.

And the rest, as they say, is history. Over a century later teddy bears are firmly entrenched in American culture as the ideal for a stuffed animal toy. Today specialty shops will let you build your own bear, choosing everything from the stuffing and color, to the outfit and accessories your bear will wear. You can even order designer bears as gifts for special occasions. These custom built and designer bears are more oriented to adult bear collectors. However you can still find children’s bears in any toy shop.

Teddy bears have even elbowed their way in between the trifecta of romantic gifts, now in addition to jewelry, flowers, and chocolate you can get your sweetheart a bear. In fact, Valentine’s Day has become a major sales occasion for specialized bears. Other popular bear giving holidays include Mother’s Day, Worker Appreciation Week, and Christmas (of course).

Teddy bears and baby dolls are of the most loved and cherished by small children. Many adults never forget...and some even still have, their first bear or doll.

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