WEE DARLIN BEARS: SOME OF MY FAVOURITE COLLECTABLE BEARS

I used to be a Freelance Writer for Teddy Bear Club International, which is no longer in print, having amalgamated with another bear collecting magazine. At one time I even made and sold artist bears myself under the name of Tir na nOg Bears, which were fully jointed mohair teddies with glass bootbutton eyes. These were dressed in costumes depicting characters from Irish mythology and which came with a parchment scroll telling their tale. I have not made a bear in at least 7 years, but still take a big interest in Collectable Bears and Bear Fairs.

WEE DARLIN BEARS are designed and made by Wendy Nellins who was widely known in the English Bear Collecting and Bear Fair scene when I wrote for Teddy Bear Club International. In those days she made lived in Manchester and made a range of adorable traditional jointed bears called Crabapple Bears. In those days she advertised in Huggletts and her bears were larger than those she now concentrates on producing. Some were made in an old fashioned Steiff inspired style with growler mechanisms in them. Others were of a more modern design with cute hats and necklaces. Wendy has always preferred to design unique one-off bruins rather than buying standard bear patterns and creating a series of cuddlies which all look the same.

Wendy's bears were sold by retailers such as Dollies Beargere in the Trafford Centre in Manchester and at the Bluewater Centre in Kent and she was one of the regular exhibitors at bear fairs such as the one at Cresta Court Hotel in Altrincham, Cheshire, where I first photographed her bears for inclusion in the magazine.

Wendy now specialises in one-of-a-kind bears which are all her own unique designs. No two are ever the same and all are made in the finest of mohair. She has great imagination and it never ceases to amaze me how she comes up with so many different looking little characters, all of whom have "personalities" of their own and whose names really suit them. She has a beautiful website, which I found her adorable and quirky creations on, and that is where most of her sales are generated. She tells me they find homes in America and United Kingdom mainly and that she has some regular collectors. She has had enquiries from af far away as China, where many British bear artists are now travelling to for Fairs and Exhibitions. There is a high level of interest in them in China right now for some reason.

Wendy's cute little bruins all measure around 6-8 inches, have fully moving joints, their faces are hand sculpted and some have coloured shading on them for greater emphasis and to enhance their individuality. She is well up on the latest techniques and puts them to use well and with artistry.

The advantage to collecting little bears is that you can have many more of them, the postage costs less, and groups of them arranged on shelves or in cabinets really compliment each other.

When many bear artists are now turning to making plush bears which are inspired by Anime it is good to see a designer like Wendy who is in a class of her own, still using top class materials and creating her own look in bears rather than copying other ideas. This is very refreshing to see and I look forward to adding some of her new creations to my growing collection. She confirmed that she is currently working on some "Smiling Bears" which I am waiting with anticipation to see.