Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I'll get Donna on this....she can usually find something for you!

You guys are on to something here.  Different categories.  More of them.  How do you pick between an elephant and a cat?  or a puppy?  Some of you talented people do so many really cool 'critters' that aren't bears that it's amazing!!    :clap:  :dance:

I know a lot of artists who have given up competing.  Mainly because they feel the same people seem to win all the time.  As was said above, it gets expensive after a while and they get discouraged.  I've never even tried to compete so I'm not just bringing up sour grapes here.  I'm merely passing on what I know some other people have said to me.  After several wins, these artists should be put into another category, and I like the Master idea....  Ok...now don't anyone shoot the messenger. :redface:

My husband has his knee replaced in August.  And let me tell you....he is so much better you cannot believe it!  He's in construction so he's on his feet a bunch!  He waited for years to do this surgery, and his knee was in pieces.  You will both be pleased when the rehab is over!  One note....be sure he keeps moving it.  ALL the time whether or not it hurts.  He will have a lot more range of motion when he does that.  I had to listen to a lot of whining....  a LOT of whining....  I'm not a sympathetic nurse...I'm more like Nurse Ratchett!

One more opinion couldn't hurt I guess...  In this economy, we are all lucky that anyone has any money they are willing to part with for buying something they really don't need, but just want.  I don't mind giving a small discount if I've had the item for a couple of months.  However if it's new, I wouldn't be as willing to give any type of discount.  I just simply say, that I can't give a discount yet, it wouldn't be fair to my customers who consistently buy my things and are willing to pay the full price.  I do like your idea of shipping for a discounted amount or covering it altogether, especially for repeat collectors.

I do like what Jenn said, because I don't mind layaways as I too am a collector and have to do it sometimes if I want to buy something.

I wonder if there are magazines that I could subscribe to from Australia.  There was one I looked at in the UK but they wouldn't let out of country people subscribe.  Or at least that was my understanding.  Anyone got any ideas on the ones that we can get here in the U.S.?  I get both the U.S. Magazines already...  I'd be interested.  I get one in paper from the UK but it is really expensive!!!

HI Cyndee!  I see your website is under construction...so's mine!  I'll be happy to get my husbands computer on line so I can get one that I don't have to share again!!!

I get them both too.  If we don't support these magazines we will lose them for sure.  Not everyone gets on the computer looking for bears and shows.  In fact many of my customers tell me they don't even do email, that is why I have to mail out flyers.  They usually know about the shows from the magazines though.  I have been harping on people to sign up for them for ages.  I am shocked at the number of bear artists who don't get the magazines at all.  How are they supposed to keep going if the same people who make a living or hobby of selling bears don't get them!!! :doh:

I have to say I know how hard it is to work with real fur.  I learned from Kathy, (Myers) who was kind enough to give me the ins and outs of how to work with it.  Not like mohair at all, in fact I still have my first bear who actually looks like she has ear muffs on instead of ears!  :doh:   I've been doing this for 17 years, real fur for about 16.  Like I said, I learned from Kathy.  We are lucky in this industry to have people like Kathy, so willing to help people, especially new bear makers.  We are lucky to have the "old timers" that paved the way for us all, without them we wouldn't be doing what we love to do. 

Of course, we know it's easy to be inspired by another bear maker.  Just as we hope we inspire others.  But then there is the side that we've been discussing here.  I've had one pattern stolen from me at a show before.  I looked everywhere and it was just gone.  I happened to stop by a friends home who happened to be customers too, only to find them with a bear and my pattern sitting on their coffee table as they worked on it.   The same thing has happened to a friend of mine, and the people actually were selling bears from her pattern at shows I was attending.  So, it can always be worse I guess. 

We aren't the first people to make bears and other critters and hopefully we won't be the last.  We just have to keep up the good work, have fun, and support the shows and magazines when we can.  This venue also helps us support each other and I hope we continue to do that. 

I know I'm wordy...you should have to talk to me on the phone!!! :redface:   Bear hugs, Susie

Daphne...you are always coming up with new and wonderful ideas!  Thanks again!   :dance:

Wow!  What an adorable mouse...the personality in that little girl is just amazing.  Wonderful work, you should be very proud.  Bear hugs, Susie

That is ONE ADORABLE MOOSE!!

Harry is adorable!  Beautiful job!   :dance:

Maybe I'm doing something wrong but I don't see a picture...

Have you checked ebay?

Like I've always said....there is nothing SEXIER than a man cooking and baking!!!!

I like them very much!  It's nice to see a rainbow of colors on bears, and yours are absolutely beautiful.  Makes me smile and we all can use that!  Bear hugs, Susie

When I have extras, I leave them places....dentist, doctor...you never know where the next new collector will come from.  I have had people come to shows that told me they found out about the "teddy bear world" from seeing a magazine.  A lot of people don't know they exist.  So, whatever you can't sell, just leave it for someone else to find...could be a treasure for them.

I just remembered, it may also attract them to subscribe to the magazine too...we need to keep those magazines in business!!

I'm with Bobbie.  I can't drink wine...always smells like rotted fruit, but of course isn't that sort of what it is???

My Aunt Marge had a printing business.  When I decided I was going to start a real business making bears, she decided to surprise me and made business cards for me.  A LOT of business cards, so she actually named my business Susie's Bears.  It isn't what I would have picked.  But hey, I have a thousand business cards printed with all my information so what was I to do?  Good luck with picking something much more memorable!!

 
Oh I LOVE this picture!  Thanks for sharing Daphne!!  Susie

John will be doing a book signing in November down in the San Diego are if anyone who lives there would like to meet him.  I think the info may be on his website, if not I'll find it and post it.  The third book is great...I had to put it away so I'd get something else done!  Bear hugs everyone!!!

Ok...I finished the second one last night.  Couldn't put the darn thing down.  I handed my husband the first one and he wasn't reading for more than a few minutes before he started laughing.  We met John in January and visited with him for a bit and we really enjoyed his sense of humor.  Luckily he spins that into his books but trust me, these are really good murder mysteries...  I like Janet Evanovich with her sense of humor so John's books are a good read like the Evanovich books are.  I let him know there is a thread started on this site about him, figured he would get a kick out of reading what his fans have to say.  I hope he keeps writing this line of stories....it's fun reading about people in our business that we know!  Bear hugs, Susie

HEY!  I'm just wondering who else out there has read any of John Lambs books?  I just finally had time to read the first one and I read it in one day.  OK...so I didn't get another thing done but it was fabulous!  I've already started the second one which is already starting out to be better than the first one.  If you haven't read them, get them and do it!  This is one talented writer!!

Oh my gosh!  ADORABLE!! :clap:  :dance:

The movie is on ABC Family Channel, not regular ABC.  It's on at 5:00pm PST and also at 8:00 from what I can tell!!

Christmas in Wonderland, written by Wanda Shope (it should show up as Wanda Birdsong Shope) is on ABC Family channel today!  Here it is on at 5:00 and at 8:00 I believe.  PST in California.  Hope everyone gets a chance to check it out.  I'm hoping she's happy with what they've done with it.  She probably didn't get any input on what they leave in or out...  Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Susie and Dale