Love Those OLD Boyds Bears

It might seem odd to talk about VINTAGE Boyds bears, but the Boyds Collection started in 1979, and many of their early plush bears are now about 35 years old!  While the bears currently being made are attractive and lovable, there is nothing like the charm of the early Boyds Bears.  If you are new to Boyds, or don't know much about the older bears, this may help pique your interest!

The very first Boyds were not actually made for Boyds; they were purchased from a Chinese Factory and Boyds put their own ribbon and hang tag on these wool bears and hares. Although similar to commonly found naked craft bears, these bears were high quality wool plush and were made in tan, brown and rust.  The brown and rust bears are difficult to find.  These bears are only identified as Boyds products when they have the original Boyds striped ribbon and storybook hang tag.  There are not many of them around, and the scarcity of these bears and hares makes them fun to hunt.  The wool hares were called "Teddy Hares" because they have bodies more like teddy bears, and came in a lop ear form and also with ears standing upright.
 

Many of the earliest made for Boyds are the jointed bean bag critters that Gae Sharp designed with Gary Lowenthal.  They were actually an innovation in the bear world when they debuted in the mid 1980's, as they were both bean filled AND jointed, something that had not previously been done in manufactured bears.  The bears, hares, cats, and dogs were not the most sophisticated looking creatures and rapidly underwent some modifications in their style and type of plush used.  These modifications meant many of the earliest critters were made in very small quantities, and finding them in good condition is always exciting!  It's also great fun to collect the different variations that often exist with many of the Boyds made for a number of years, like Ernest the cat.  Ernest can be found in FIVE different variations, all truly distinctive!  Amelia hare is another favorite that can be found in a variety of styles, showing her evolution in design.  The thrill is often in the hunt, and the hunting can be all consuming when you are trying to find that one rare piece for your collection.

The coolest designs Boyds did are all found in the earlier Boyds Bears - the Toyland Hares, the Bubbas, the Himalayan Dancing Bears, the Squeekies, the Woolies...the Woolies are very similar in design to old Steiff miniatures and include the only wool FROG!   The early archive style bears also went through some color changes and style modifications so you can find bears like Churchill in 3 different versions!  Many of the first cats and bunnies look like they ran into brick walls, with very flat faces and no profile at all.  Over the years the shape of the faces changed dramatically, especially when viewed from the side.  These are usually called "old face" and "new face".  Simply changing the placement of the eyes, as was done on many old bunnies and lambs, completely changes the look.  Again, collecting the variations is both a challenge, and fun!

Many bear collectors like the excellence of many artist bear creations, perfect in every stitch.  Others like the well worn looks of antique much loved bears.  Boyds collectors, particularly those who love the early Boyds, enjoy the almost folk art look to the somewhat primitive and often lopsided faces on the older guys.  The differences in hand made bears give each one a distinctive personality, and the faces on the early Boyds have loads of it.

The white tush tags are one of the first clues to an early Boyds.  The white tags were used through 1993 and then changed to the blue tags with either gold or silver printing, or red for the Bears in the Attic Series.  The earliest white tags have several critter names and dates on them - the most recent date is the year of production for the tagged Boyds.  The white 1990 tags were used from 1990 through 1993.  One way a collector can focus their Boyds collection is by looking for only older white tag Boyds!
 

The early dressed bears were made in small quantities and frequently varied somewhat in appearance.  They are so difficult to find in good condition and with all of the accessories!  The early dogs were made with slightly open mouths and red felt tongues - some retailers disliked them so much they cut off the tongues and sewed the mouths shut!  So if you have an early dog with a closed mouth, check carefully for stitching!
 

Older Boyds may show signs of their age - normal wear and tear is to be expected and should not be construed as damage.  Typically the paw pads will show some "pilling" or fuzz, elastic in clothing wears out, but dramatic fading from sun exposure should make you think twice when purchasing a clothed bear.  If you aren't handy with a needle and thread, a rubber band will help hold up those droopy pants! Exposure to cigarette smoke is a real issue and can permanently tint the plush and clothing, not to mention leave a hard to remove odor.  When purchasing older Boyds, try to find out if there has been exposure to smoke.  Some surface cleaning is easily done with plush Boyds but mohair is another topic - avoid dirty mohair bears.  Dust is fine and can be removed - dirt and stains are not welcome!
 

Boyds sold a lot of sweaters, glasses, and other accessories over the years.  The bean filled bears in particular can be dressed up in a sweater and spectacles for a designer look, and are so well suited for quirky poses and vignettes.  Create your own one of a kind bear with bear wear - change is fun!
 

When Boyds got to be really popular, they began making them in much larger quantities.  This is why Boyds from the mid to late 1990's are usually found easily through eBay.  It is not really a challenge to collect bears when you can pick from a number of available options - the fun, the challenge, is collecting items that are not easily found.  And yes, sometimes that means paying a higher price - but in the long run, your money is better spent on items that were made in much smaller numbers.  If you are a new Boyds collector, take some time to look at the early Boyds Bears - they have a charm all their own and will win your heart once you take the time to meet a few.

The Boyds Bears pictured in this post ARE NOT available for SALE at Keillor's Teddy Bear Shoppe and are used to just illustrate the article.