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farmgirl68
True Blue Farmgirl
369 Posts
Katie
Bangor
Pennsylvania
USA
369 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 17 2017 : 05:35:52 AM
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Hi y'all! I did my beginner level of Collect It! on my first Boyd's Bear - Eli Q. Spangler. Here is what I found...
Boyd’s Bears
Where was Eli Q. Spangler produced?
Eli Q. is part of the “High Fashion Society”. He wears a sweater with an Americana heart stitched on the front and has a star stitched on his right paw. He is also a part of “The Head Bean Collection™. This means he is hand stitched and fully jointed (arms and legs move.)
I don’t remember how much I paid for it (I know it was more than I should have been spending at the time on a stuffed animal), but today’s MSRP is $36.99. He was introduced in 2005, which is about the time I got him.
What is unique about the Boyd’s Bear production process?
Boyd’s stuffed bears began production in 1979 as part of a small antique store in Boyd’s Maryland (for which they are named) by Gary M. Lowenthal and his wife, Justina Unger. There first produced bear was fully jointed and named “Matthew” after their newborn son. I sadly learned that from the start, all the bears were imported from China. The company moved to Hanover, near Gettysburg, PA in 1987. In 1993 they introduced resin bears and then increased their product line to include many different items. They also branched out to include other “friends” of the bears. The couple sold the company to Enesco in 2008. Enesco decided, unfortunately, that Boyd’s Bears should be “put into hibernation” (in other words production was stopped) in 2014.
Do you know how the notion of “teddy bears” got its start?
They are named after Teddy Roosevelt. In 1902, he refused to kill a captured bear. Word spread and Morris Michtom, a Brooklyn, NY shop owner along with his wife created stuffed bears based off of political cartoons that had been spreading. Michtom obtained permission from Roosevelt to call his creation “Teddy Bears.” Of course, people young and old, flocked to buy them. The teddy bear was even used when Roosevelt ran for re-election, as his mascot!
How likely is there to be another item just like Eli Q. Spangler?
I could not find any information on how many of these bears were produced; however, even though he is a “retired” bear, I had no problem finding listings for him on line on many different sites. This is probably due to the fact that they were mass-produced in China.
Does Eli Q. Spangler have a personal connection to me?
I don’t necessarily have a personal connection to Eli. I just know that I fell in love with his face. Boyd’s Bears’ noses are so endearing, you can identify them right away. It is hard not to fall in love with every bear produced. Because I bought him so long ago, I don’t remember what made me choose him over all the others. Perhaps it was the time of year or a holiday.
Are there any clubs or online chatrooms for folks that share a passion for Boyd’s Bears?
Official club: There had been an official fan club is called the "Loyal Order of Friends of Boyds!", which was established in 1996. There was a membership fee which included membership perks, an online newsletter, and admission to a members-only website. Enesco determined 2014 would be the final year for the club.
Aside from this “official” club there are tons of others. Here are just a few. Keep in mind these are not officially affiliated with Boyd’s Bears:
bearsnbuddies.com
bearmuseum.com
boydsweb.com
Katie #7422
Friends are the flowers that bloom in life's garden. |
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