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Back Road BearsAs an artist participating in a teddy bear show..... would you want retailers there selling manufactured bears?
As a collector attending a teddy bear show..... would you want retailers there selling manufactured bears?
Feel free to elaborate! 
Or just give me a Yes or No.
It's not a trick question. I'm interested in your opinions!
Thank you from your 'trying to be all she can be' show promoter!
Daphne
As an artist participating I don't think I would want manufactured bears there. They are usually lower priced so it is hard for some to comprehend why an artist would ask higher prices. That being said, I've only displayed at 2 shows and they were just craft shows, not bears shows only. These were the comments I heard, obviously not from serious collectors I guess.
Newcastle, OntarioDaphne, almost every show I participated in accepted retailers. Only the Artists Invitational in New York excluded them. It's hard to say which is best. As an artist, it would be nice to only have artist bears, but I also collect R. John Wright items, and I always looked forward to seeing them at the shows, as they were not available to us where we lived. So, as a collector as well, I would have been disappointed not to find them at the shows. Customers from the more rural areas might be coming to see what new collectibles are available, and just fall in love with an artist bear along the way. Just my thoughts.
Hugs,
Brenda
Fuzzbutt BearsNot all manufactured bears are created equal, I can certainly see the "high end" manufactured bears at a bear show -- like Gunds (now discontinued) signature line or Dean's Artist Showcase. You'll notice the price point on those doesn't vary that much from the artist bears -- at least in part because the materials are the same. If I went to a show (as an artist or a collector) and saw a display of Dakin and Boyds I'd be disappointed. A bear show shouldn't be a reorganization of the same stuff you find at Hallmark card shops and "Toys R Us".
I've been to a few non-bear art shows too (as artist and visitor) and there are usually some displays of relatively mass-produced stuff -- oversized pictures of wild animals (often three or four photos superimposed) or wooden signs with semi-whimsical sayings. The neon-light artwork. It's cheesy but passable, whether mass produced or just poorly produced. An art show with a booth selling poster reproductions of "Persistance of Time" and "Waterlilies" (college campus style) would be too much. Crying clowns, googly eyes glued on kitchen utensils and velvet Elvises likewise.
So I my point is that it's the value of the work itself that matters, not where it came from. An artist passing off cheap synthetics and shoddy stitching isn't any more show-worthy than a mass produced bear with the same characteristics.
-- Erika
Fuzzbutt Bears
PS. Whatever happened to Boyds? They had some innovative stuff a few years ago but now it all seems like the impersonal-bear-in-a-cute-sweater crap.
Posts: 3,540As an artist, I wouldn't be too keen to have the manufactured bears. although not all manufactured bears are created equal..... I wouldn't mind something like the R John Wright bears...but to be honest, I thought he was still doing the 'artist bears' and not something manufactured?
Its hard enough to educate new bear collectors without the distraction of a cheap, mass produced, 'has no soul' bear on the next table. If you can do it, I'd pass on the retail manufactured bears...
Back Road BearsI'm am really appreciating your responses.
Erika - Boyds was sold and though I don't recall who has taken it over, I have noticed the quality has gone down hill and a lot of their plush line has lost it's 'Aww' factor.
Kiprie BearsHi Daphne & all !
I've participated in 1 bear show only, so I haven't much to talk about...but 
The show did accept retailers too, but they separated the Artists and retailers on different floor, which was nice because visitors could choose to see
both floor or just one floor ( Artist bears or Manufactured bears.)
As a collector, I think I will be happy if
I can see both at once. 
My favor is R JohnWright, Steiff, Merrythought.
(I don't own them yet do.... :P)
Hugs/Marie
I can see artists wanting to only have artists there and not manufactured bears. But maybe having some manufactured bears there might draw some people in that might not normally be interested in artist bears. It maybe would draw a wider audience? I'm not sure but just throwing out the idea. As a collector, I think it would be nice to have manufactured bears there too because you'd have more of a selection.
I don't think there should be the cheap manufactured bears there though. Hope this helps.
Patsy Lake BearsAs an artist I don't like the idea of manufactured bears at shows, unless they are the upper end of the market Stieff, Herman, Merrythought and such like...... I have done show with cheap manufactured bears for sale and it really grates when you see people walking around with the cheap bears that you just couldn't compete with.....
oooooohh. Tough question. I've been to shows as both an artist and as a collector. This is going to sound biased, I'm afraid. I really don't appreciate seeing manufactured pieces regardless of their maker....even the high end pieces at bear shows. Bottom line, to me, they are.......manufactured. If you're after those pieces you know where you can find them....in a retail shop/toy store.
This is just MY opinion. If we want to elevate the bear artist market we have to BE like the artist market/gallery. Although, sitting here thinking longer about this makes me think I'm acting too big for my britches in that line of thought. Art galleries sell prints as well as originals. So..........nevermind. It's the third time today......go ahead and hand me the idiot stick! Wait, wait....as I hand back the idiot stick.....prints to a gallery would be like limited editions to a bear artist.....right?
Have I totally made a mess of this issue? Okay. You can hand the idiot stick back to me now. 
Warmest idiot hugs, :hug:
Aleta
I don't think it really matters too much...because the folks who go to buy a Steiff may well be lured to look at the artist bears...maybe it would work the other way round..but on the whole I'd say that people who go to fairs look at everything...and in my mind excluding some exhibitors won't make the punters buy from the exhibitors that are there. They'll only buy if they like the work on display, whatever the alternatives are.
I notice that the majority of folks make a bee-line to the fabric and supplies stands anyway....including me!!
The more the merrier!!!
Having been at craft shows where "Beany Babies" were, keep the manufactured bears out! Like someone said, if they want a manufactured bear, they know where to find them.
I am speaking as a collector here... remembering when I first started collecting...
When I went to my first ABC Show in Schaumburg.. I was a new teddy collector and could not afford artist bears although I did fall in love 
. Having manufactured bears at the show however allowed me to not go home emptyhanded. I very soon became an artist bear collector as I stopped spending $ elsewhere LOL!
I think it is important to remember the beginning teddy bear collectors and to encourage them. Many of them will not "jump into" artist bear collecting but may start with collecting manufactured bears and work their way up. I think to keep the hobby of collecting teddy bears alive and well, we must do all we can to encourage NEW COLLECTORS into the hobby 
I don't have a lot of experience with shows but I can see both sides quite clearly. In terms of desirability and quality and attention to detail and uniqueness -- in terms of what I look for, as a collector -- my first inclination is to say, ARTIST BEARS ONLY!
But I think Chrissie and Laura make excellent points... that people probably wouldn't begin a bear-collecting hobby with a $345 bear, so the manufactured bears might be a big draw and have a lot of appeal for that reason. And also, that people don't like to go home from any kind of big show or exhibit or event empty-handed, and if what the heart REALLY desires is out of range of the ol' pocketbook, then it's nice to have a little something at a much lower price point to create that positive association between shows and teddies and artists, too! Something to strive, or save, for, perhaps? No matter what, we want to INVITE people to the hobby... not drive them away. I think Chrissie and Laura make the point that manufactured bears, even really mass-produced-looking ones at very low price points, make the hobby accessible to EVERYONE.
When I have gone to shows I've rushed right by some of the beanie type tables. But there is HUGE appeal in the higher-end manufactured pieces; people have mentioned R. John Wright, and Deb Canham's tiny ones are really terribly cute and highly detailed as well. Both of those manufacturers aren't exactly giving their bits away, either... so in terms of discrediting artists by undercutting pricing in ways the collectors don't understand, that issue disappears.
Anyway, this is a great discussion, and I'm enjoying expanding and informing my own thinking on this as I read the varied viewpoints everyone presents. Thanks for your sharing, and Daphne, thanks for bringing this up.
Posts: 3,177I think the really wonderful top quality manufactured bears have a place in Bear Fairs, such as Steiff and R.John Wright and a few others, but a lot of the others are just 'Tat' and are more suitable for Toy Fairs really
Just my opinion Daphne. I know that if i had paid an entrance fee to a bear fair and found lots of manufactured bears i would feel let down.
Penny :hug:
I certainly got into bears because of manufactured bears....going to a shop to check out the Deans bears with my neice...then to a fair...then from that looking at artists bears...to thinking 'Maybe I could make one of those'
For that I thank the manufacturers!!!
I agree that there is a lot of tat at the fairs...but there's a lot of tat on the high street too...maybe the contrast of quality and design helps the artists stand out.
Mm, yes, Penny and Jenny make more excellent points. If I, personally, paid or travelled to get to a show and it was mostly or largely manufactured bears, I'd be very disappointed and probably wouldn't return to that show. I think 1/3 manufactured-featuring tables AT MOST would be something to aim for. What does everyone else think re: this percentage?
I stood at a fair where there used to be mainly artist...quality work..at the then excellent fair. Then the venue changed to incorporate dolls,because of a fire at the venue ( I have no problem standing next to doll makers either, to be honest) but for some reason many bear makers dropped out and left the doll people and the 'pre-loved' bear traders..the supplies people the manufactured bear folks.
I then stopped going...not because of manufactured bears ...or dolls...but because for it to be a good fair you need an eclectic mix..and to have a bit of a broad spectrum.I didn't think that standing with 5 other artists amid so many 'others' was going to be good for business. Not every bear collector (though I think this should be made law) collects artist bears..or is even interested in artist bears.
In the interests of promoting all aspects of the industry it's prudent for promoters to have a mix of quality goods alongside others that offer less expensive products, but its when the show loses it's focus that things go wrong.
Newcastle, OntarioYep, I agree with everyone that there has to be a happy medium in the shows. I think Shelli's "1/3" manufactured of even 1/4 would be great. It would have something there for everyone. The first bears I bought were manufactured Gunds, Boyds and small Steiff pieces - couldn't afford anything else. But boy, it didn't take me long to discover artist bears and I jumped on the bandwagon pretty quick, both making and collecting them. I think there are a lot of people out there that don't know bear artists exist these days, and drawing them into a show by offering manufactured pieces is a little like a spider making a web. Once the customers are in the show and discover all the beautiful artist bears, it's too late for them - we've caught them! LOL!! Daphne, the only thing I do know for sure is that no matter what you do, someone will be unhappy about something, so I think you have to go with what you think is fair, and stick to it. By the way, where is your show going to be?
Hugs,
Brenda
