Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Lovely work. The costume is breathtaking and lush. Reminds me of James Christensen's artwork ("Voyage of the Basset").

Darling! I love pandas!

Well, like I said: every Monday for 14 years. I don't mind; it's creative and it's social. And it's lasted through marriages, divorces, children, job changes, and moves. I don't know of another group of guys their age who are as committed to each other.

And, you know, the rest of the house is mine. 

Mindy

By the way, here are some pix of my husband's D&D room.

The door from my realm to his.

The sign above the door.

View from the door. The Dungeon Master sits at the back, behind the screen. The table is 8 feet long and 4 feet wide. The top comes off so they can store stuff inside.

View from the DM's chair.

I found this miniature knight at a garage sale.

I made the "tapestry" for Scott from one of his quest maps, some iron-on adhesive, fabric backing, and lots of fringe.

One of the guys showed up with the sheep head, so they installed it above the door.

My husband and son used to play SIMS, Judi. They set up a family like ours and had fun with it. Unfortunately, the "MomMom" character burned down the house and died, which totally freaked out my son, so they abandoned it. Apparently he doesn't identify quite as closely with sword-swinging hobbits, so he doesn't mind if those die!

Mindy

I love the idea of using Teddy Talk as a poop discussion avoidance device!

Not only do we remember the days of D&D with dice, it happens in my house every Monday. My husband and his friends have been getting together once a week for about 14 years. Now Scott (my DH) runs a game for my son, Jack, and his friends. When we built our house, we built a room for D&D. I'll try to use my digital camera to take a picture for you.

I don't have anything against video games, either; I'd be divorced if I did, as my husband has an XBox, XBox 360, and Game Cube. I even bought myself my own Gameboy--it's pink! However, the recent addiction in my household is driving me nuts. Today is the first day of a new regime, though -- children will play outside during daylight hours, and husbands will discuss something other than gaming techniques at the dinner table!

Personally, I spent the weekend gardening. Lit the first fire of the season in my chiminea. Bought a bike in protest of high gas prices--I'll ride it to the post office to pick up my mail. Went to a local baseball game on Friday, went to a 40th b'day party on Saturday, and enjoyed dinner outside with friends Sunday. What video game is as cool as all that?!

Mindy

My son and his friend have been playing D&D online since they got home from school. Same game, two different computers, both within 20 feet of me. Rogues, swords, spells, levels, experience ... It's been nonstop for hours each day, for the past two weeks. My husband plays, too.  :doh:  Thank heaven I can click onto Teddy Talk for some sane discussion of normal stuff like shows, swaps, mo's, fabric, glass eyes, the dinner menu, and cats giving birth! Thanks, guys!!

Mindy (wearing my "real person" hat today, not the "Mindy Magazine" chapeau!)

Collectors! Take a few minutes this weekend to pull out your March/April 2006 issue and design a bear for mini maven Deb Canham. All you have to do is decorate our printed bear template with a custom costume. (If you don't want to tear the page out of the magazine, you can photocopy it.) Deb will be choosing up to five winning designs to actually make! (She'll be using her bears and your costume ideas; winners will get credit for the ideas.)

Entries have to be postmarked by Monday, May 1, so do your design this weekend and post it Monday.

I look forward to seeing your design!

Mindy

To me, the woman seemed to be bemoaning the prevalence of the internet versus other means of sales. We've done research that shows that about half of teddy bear collectors buy online. Which is great -- but means that if you're only online, you're only reaching half your prospective audience. This woman is evidently part of the other half.

I think the internet is great -- it's made it possible for me to talk to and "meet" people all over the world. I can find more information, faster, than I could find in a full day at a library, and I am more efficient because I don't have to leave my desk. Heck, without the internet, I would have been unemployed when my job moved out of state several years ago. I learn, laugh, work, shop, meet people, keep up with friends and family, share -- all from a chair in my basement.

However, I, too, bemoan the fall-off in other forms of promotion and interaction. I like going to shops and shows and seeing bears in person, meeting their creators, and talking to other interested people. I'm a tactile person, so I won't buy a bear unless I've touched it first. For me, that's part of the experience. If artists stay home, though, or don't sell to shops, those venues will get a bad reputation and collectors won't attend, which makes it worse for the shows and shops, which will close. Then, I won't buy anything.

Plus, frankly, I often find the internet overwhelming. There are simply too many options, and I have to do it all myself. It used to be, when I wanted to book a flight to a bear show, I called the travel agent and she offered a few flights that fit my schedule. Now, I have bookmarked at least six Web sites to search to find the cheapest flight with the best price. I have "dings" set to alert me when prices fall. I have e-mail newsletters coming to tell me about other travel options and destinations. I've got a pop-up to remind me to start all searches at U Promise so I get credit for the purchase. And all I want is a plane ticket to San Jose. There are lots of times I have chosen to do nothing rather than deal with making a choice from the internet. And I'm sure I'm not the only one.

The thing about shows, shops, catalogs, and even magazines is that they filter the information. They pick out "some" and give it to me in digestible bites. I don't have to consider all of the options for a plane ticket or blue jeans or books or dishes or teddy bears -- I can choose from among the prescreened selection. I choose who does the screening to find those I agree with and trust, and if they don't serve my needs, I can find more shows/shops/magazines to consult, or leap into the fray and search for myself. But I don't have to be an expert on everything, and I don't have to spend all of my time considering all possible options -- and that is hugely valuable to me. I know there are many people who like to do it all themselves and be totally responsible for all of the details of every decision, but for me, that is inefficient at best and paralyzing at worst.

So when other people say they prefer to shop from a bear catalog or store or show or magazine, I believe that it's not because they're old, or old-fashioned, or too cheap to buy a computer, or a Luddite. I think they want the experience of seeing the bears and their people in person, and the freedom to enjoy the experience in small doses, without the stress of having to navigate 11.4 million Web sites (at last Google) to find what they want.

Cheers,
Mindy

Here are the final few pictures. Again, my apologies for the delay. And now, I'm going to Disneyland!
Mindy

Jill Kenny from Vermont

Donna Bjerke, wrapping a bear to go

Ben Savino of The Toy Store Collector's Gallery

Donna Manthey decorated her table with real pansies. She likes gardens and tea and has incorporated those themes in her bears.

Donna's dancing bears with a travel kit were inspired by the TV shows of dancing

Sue Van Nattan with "Runner," which was made from an antique table runner. Sue has been spending time at an antique mall and is making bears to match the wonderful antiques she's finding.

The ladies behind the magic: Connie and Amber of ABC.

The Saturday breakfast had White Sox centerpieces, in celebration of Chicago's recent World Series win. The bears were generously donated by Cooperstown Bears.

Dale Junker of Intercal has been to, or had a representative at, every ABC show for 20 years! (Dale's on the right in the ponytail.)

Sandra Null

Peng Peng Klayman, current queen of sock monkeys. Peng Peng says, "There are things in the works that I can't confirm or deny." Isn't that enticing?

Monty and Joe Sours are celebrating their 25th anniversary in bearmaking this year with "Kelly," an edition of 25, which resembles their logo bear and wears a silver logo pendant.

Dian Pete

Marie Michaels

Kathy Glenn and Elizabeth Carollo of Imagination Institute

Lin Chamberlain with her needlefelted wallhanging, which took 79 hours to complete! Lin does art shows and paints, which evolved into wallhangings. "They're a lot of fun," she said. "Plus, for collectors who are out of space, these take don't take up any room."

Lin's needlefelted bird, "I have issues. What's it to ya?"

Speaking of wallhangings, Pam Overmeier did one, too. Hers is altered art and made to hold a bear.

Pam wearing a bear carrier she designed for her daughter. She's holding "Abercrombie" who comes with an altered art display box.

Pam's bunny wearing altered art ears.

Judy Eppolito

Tyler Crain, who currently holds the "Youngest Bear Artist" title, has branched out from bears and is doing some fun animals. It's hard to see, but he's holding a dragon.

Pat Berkowitch

Karen Lyons and her new "ocecat." Bright blob in the foreground is a dressed kitten.

Margaret Mount Zimmerman is making paperdolls.

Martha Burch at the show

Martha accepting the Theodore Society Ambassador Award from Brandon of Teddy Bear Review

Cindy McGuire

Terrie Stong of GBW and Linda Fulmer

Barbara Burke with collectors

Serieta Harrell

Betty Franks with "Annie Bear"

Joanne O'Hanlon with "Carson," made of vintage fur. Joanne requested that her library subscribe to TBF so people in her town could learn about bears.

Thanks for your patience while I escaped the aliens and walked uphill, five miles, in the snow, to a computer, to upload pictures to you. (AKA, I'm on vacation in California with my family and it's taken a few days to get to the computer.)

Schaumburg was a blast. I really liked the new format: dessert reception and show preview on Friday, show on Saturday. Kellie and I ran around frantically trying to talk to everyone, snap pictures, and hand out magazines. It was fun. The show had fewer exhibitors than in past years, but Amber and Connie said the same number of collectors came through the door--so I imagine the exhibitors present did fairly well. The collectors seemed to be carting bags out by the armload, which is always a good sign for everyone!

So, on the theory that a picture is worth 1,000 words, here is a novel's worth of images for you.

Here are a couple of scenes from our adventure in downtown Chicago.
First, the Chicago Stock Exchange, which actually stretches across the highway:

We spent several hours at the Art Institute, a world-class museum. Here's the famous Seurat painting:

Finally, Kellie and I thought it was cool that police officers zip around downtown on Segways:

Back at the hotel, Art Rogers taught a class how to make a bear necklace on Friday:

Here's JeoBEARdy, with my three vict... um, players, Barb, Donna, and Peggy:

A scene from the dessert reception Friday night:

Thursday, April 6: Planes, Trains, and U-Turns
I got up before dawn so a friend could drive me to the train, which I took to the plane, which brought me to Chicago. Kellie Love, who got in from Boston about an hour before me, picked me up in our rental car, and we were off on our Chicagoland adventure.
    Our first stop was the Weber Grill Restaurant, where all of the food is cooked on, you guessed it, Weber grills. Remembering our extreme lack of vegetables at Toy Fair, we ate salad (with grilled chicken) for lunch—and lots of coffee, because we had gotten up rather early.
    We then drove over to Fairytales, a teddy bear store in the nearby suburb of Lombard. It’s a cute shop with floor-to-ceiling display cases of bears and some great Steiff Studio animals. We had a hard time finding it, as we missed one street on the way and were required to make a few U-turns, but it was worth the search.
    Next, we headed downtown to look around. (I’ve been to the Chicago suburbs a couple dozen times, and only made it into the city once or twice.) With Kellie driving and me navigating, we made it downtown with only a few U-turns. (I thought it was cool that we got to drive under the Chicago Stock Exchange on the way.) We walked a few blocks of Michigan Avenue, admired the lake, noticed that the Sears Tower doesn’t look as tall from close-up, spent a few hours goggling art at the Art Institute, and grabbed a bite to eat. We finally decided to call it a day about 7 and, with the obligatory U-turns, navigated our way out to Schaumburg and the Marriott.

Friday, April 7: Shades of Green
Pea Green: After our daily dose of veggies (salad and the Marriott’s terrific chicken quesadilla), we went to set up “Teddy JeoBEARdy.” The game was inspired by one my husband runs at an annual convention he attends. He uses a PowerPoint template downloaded from the Internet, and a friend built a buzzer system for him. I adapted it to teddy bears and will be running it at several shows this year.
    It went really well. Three brave souls, Barb, Donna, and Peggy, played the inaugural game. Everyone seemed to get a kick out of the “daily double” and the theme song, and they answered quite a few questions. (Categories included “The Real Thing,” about real bears, “Born in the USA,” and “Cele’bear’ties.”) We’re going to run it again tomorrow when more collectors will be here.
    The only down side was, everything on the screen was green instead of blue. We checked the computer, the cables, and all of the projector settings, and finally decided it would play the same in green as blue. Oh well.

Green lettuce: After JeoBEARdy, we indulged ourselves by going to the nearby Woodfield Mall. It’s one of the biggest in the country, and another of those places I’ve only been once. They had a whole store of Lindt chocolate! We also spent a happy half-hour in Sephora smearing ourselves with all kinds of make-up and testing perfume, then added fruit-scented body butter at The Body Shop. When we walked into a restaurant for dinner, the hostess said, “Wow, someone smells great!” I think she was being polite.
    Dinner, however, was great. We ate at PF Chang’s, a gourmet Chinese place. Kellie introduced me to their chicken lettuce wraps—addictive! Kellie’s fortune cookie told her to wear shamrock green for luck.

Green mohair: Back at the hotel, we gussied ourselves up for the dessert reception and show preview. ABC is trying a new format for this show: dessert reception and preview for three hours Friday, banquet breakfast and show Saturday. The reception and preview seemed to be well attended, I noticed sales taking place, and people seemed to be speaking positively of the change, so perhaps it will stick. Regardless, it’s good to experiment with new ideas!
(To indulge your vicarious sweet tooth, the desserts included tiramisou, cheesecake, chocolate cake, fruit, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and cookies. I especially love the Marriott’s peanut butter cookies.)
    On the show floor, Kellie went left and I went right. In my aisles, I visited with...
Pete and Judy Eppolito, who drove in from New York, Pete with mohair and Judy with her wonderful animals.
Tyler Craine has designed some new animals, including a green dragon, a penguin, and a giraffe.
Margaret Mount Zimmerman is introducing teddy paper dolls because she wanted to have something for kids. They’re cute characters and nicely done. She’s going to develop some characters for boys, too—she and Kelly visited the Field Museum and we got to talking about the coming Tut exhibit there, which made her think maybe boys would like Egyptian teddies. Fun!
Karen Lyons has a new “ocecat,” which is a gray spotted cat, and she’s also dressed a couple of kittens. She’s mentioned that she will have more new designs coming this summer, maybe for IDEX Vegas.
Mark and Susan McKay reported finding a new, faster way to drive down from Toronto—only to get stuck in Chicago traffic for two hours. I hope to reciprocate their visit by attending their show in Ottawa or Toronto this fall. And, of course, we’ll be exhibiting at their new show near Baltimore in November. (Put it on your calendars!)
Ben and Beth Savino of The Toy Store Collector’s Gallery are going Internet-only this year, having recently closed their store. I forgot to ask about Festival of Steiff for this year, but will double-check on that tomorrow.
I was especially pleased to see Rosalie Frischmann, whom I haven’t run into at a show for more than a year. Her work was recently on the cover of Review, and her darling dogs will be in my July issue.
Let’s see, I also chatted with Martha Burch, Pat Berkowitz, Donna Nielsen, and Cindy McGuire. The artist formerly known as Michaelyn Page is exhibiting, but wasn’t at her table when I walked by—haven’t seen her in a long time. Amy Thornton and Barbara Burke are both excited about my upcoming article about embellished bears, in which they will be featured (May issue, coming any day). I’m sure I’m leaving out some people...and that was really only two aisles’ worth...more tomorrow!

Tomorrow morning is the Theodore Society breakfast, then the show from 10-4. I’m hoping to pop some pictures up for you then, but between seeing the show and running another round of JeoBEARdy, it might be Sunday before you see images.

Cheers!
Mindy

A flood is welcome. I don't have the pages to print everything, but I would rather have too much than not enough. Seeing what all of you are making helps me make connections, stay on top of the market, create ideas for upcoming features, etc. Let the flood begin!

Mindy

Some follow-up...

Nancy Tillberg introduced me to her new bear auction site, bid4bears.com. Nancy is both a bear and computer expert, so her site is organized and easy to use--plus, lots of pictures! Have a look for both buying and selling. Isn't it cool that people are starting new businesses to help all of us improve ours?

Someone asked about submitting editorial to magazines. My address is in every issue of TBF (I'm the one in Lancaster PA). You are always welcome to send me photos of your bears, news of store appearances, reports on shows that you've attended, announcements of awards you've won, etc. (I always joke that arctophiles collect bears, and editors collect pictures of bears.) I would love to individually invite each of you to participate in editorial, but there are thousands of you and only one of me, so I have to rely on you to accept my blanket invitation: Please, send pictures! Send them via e-mail or snail mail. If digital, send high res. Make sure they're "professional quality," which means sharply focused, no shadows, plain backgrounds. (If you're not having success taking picture, outsource: Walmart has cheap photo packages.)  Include captions (piece name, size, materials, edition, story/inspiration), contact info, and a brief personal biography. And, keep sending them. I have a magazine to fill six times per year, plus Web renovations and an e-mail newsletter coming soon. I might not be able to use one set of photos, but the next set might be perfect for me.

Someone else mentioned group advertising. While this is not my department, I do know that you are welcome to create a co-op ad. For example, eight of you could get together and split a page for $200-$300 each. While you could pay the same amount for a 1/8 Artist Studio ad, the advantage of creating a one-page co-op ad is that you would get front-of-book placement. If anyone is interested in organizing such a project, contact Kellie Love at klove@madavor.com or 617-536-0100 x116.

(To be completely fair, I'm sure Review and the international magazines welcome editorial as I do, and would happily create a co-op ad for you as well.)

One final word in favor of shows:  In the next issue, which you should have in about 10 days, I feature six people because I saw their bears at the Schaumburg show last October. While I noticed several of the designs myself, I had help with others. One person grabbed my arm and said, "I have something I want to share." Another was demonstrating her technique at her booth. A third was displaying her bears on a raised table, so they stood out from the pack and caught my eye as I walked by. I would not have seen them on the internet, and might not have noticed them in the crowded show if the artists hadn't done something a little different to catch my attention (and that of collectors, of course). Even if you don't sell at a show, they can help you make connections that make a difference to your business.

All right, I'm off my soapbox. Time to finish my "JeoBEARdy" presentation for next week and get started on the July issue of TBF.

Warm wishes and spring flowers to all of you!

Mindy

Here's the thing about selling bears: There is a ton of competition out there. You can't rely on just having really nice bears--they'll get lost in the sea of really nice bears available in the world. You have to get them in front of collectors in a variety of places so they have a chance to find you.

To start with, think outside the Internet. There are a billion listings on eBay, and a zillion Web sites. Go where the bear people are, and where there's less competition.  There are two U.S. magazines and lots of international publications eager to sell you ads and publish your photos in editorial (and editorial is free). There are dozens of shows with tables available and ads already purchased to promote the event. Retailers are always seeking great new artists--send them a portfolio and ask if they'd like to carry your bears. Enter your bears in competitions every chance you get. You might not win, but if you do, the publicity is well worth the entry price. Donate to auctions. You never know when or where a collector will see a bear and go looking for more of the same.

Yes, these ideas involve spending money--but you need to invest in your business for it to succeed. If you buy an ad for $250, you only need to sell a bear or two to cover the cost, and it might refer lots more people to your Web site. If you can find a show within driving distance, again, you only need to sell a bear or two to cover the cost. The promotion from both helps make your name more visible the next time you have a free blurb in editorial or someone sees your name listed on eBay or another auction site.

Speaking of which, you can't abandon the internet entirely. But you can't rely just on eBay, either. You're on the right track belonging to Teddy Talk. Do you have your bears listed in the marketplace here? There's a new auction site devoted to bears, theteddypatch.com. Give that a try. Do you update your Web site weekly? Is it attractively designed and easy to navigate, are the photos good, and does it list your name and contact information clearly?

Then there are your sales tactics. When you auction bears, do you list different bears for sale each time? Are your photos good? Are you pricing your bears appropriately? Are your designs original, your materials high quality, and your workmanship impeccable? Are you doing the best work you're capable of, and does it compare favorably with other bears on the market?

There's no easy answer. Just as there are plenty of great garage bands who will never get a recording contract and gorgeous people who will never be models, there are wonderful bear artists who will never sell a thing. However, you can stack the deck in your favor by going after the sales aggressively and in a variety of places.

Good luck!

Mindy Kinsey

I'll be at TBAI in August. I've seen it grow from a tiny thing at the country club to a full-blown Event. It seems strange that one of the country's major shows should be in Binghamton--when I went to college in the area, we joked about being "centrally isolated" because we were 4 hours from everything--but it grew by sheer force of will of the late great Millie Gage and the artists who believed in the cause of the zoo, endangered species, and having a really great show that was affordable and fun.

The Thursday night party started in 2002, when John Port and Denis Shaw hosted it to celebrate the teddy bear's 100th anniversary. It was such fun that it's kept going. This year, Cindy Malchoff is planning a wine and gourmet food gala (I've been sending lists of my favorite Fingerlakes wineries).

There will be things to do on Friday during the day--usually something at the hotel and something out in the world--then the artist gallery show and reception Friday night. That's the part where we all munch hors d'oeuvres and drink beverages and view the gallery and vote on our favorites and see how fast all the gallery pieces can sell out. Something like 80% of them sold in an hour last year. The theme this year is sleuths and detectives--though Cindy has a much more clever way of putting it.

After the gallery will be dinner, which is always great and usually has a terrific dessert. The People's Choice Winners are announced, and there's usually a big collaboration piece auctioned. There are lots of door prizes (I'm donating some, and I've got pretty good stuff lying around the office).

On Saturday, there's the show. It is medium-sized, in numbers of exhibitors and attendees alike. The thing is, the people who hike themselves to Binghamton for a show are serious about bears, and they buy. The collectors tend to come back year after year because they like to hang out with the artists at the various events, and they know that the artists will bring their best work and even save good pieces for this show. But at the same time, it's a laid-back, friendly atmosphere. Collectors are comparing purchases in the aisles and chatting over bears in the foyer.

After the show, everyone packs up and goes out to the zoo for a cookout dinner. I'm hoping they have speidies again this year (a chicken kabab unique to the Binghamton area and really yummy). We get to wander around the zoo and visit the animals and see what our money has accomplished.

Long story short, it's a fun show and well worth the trip to Binghamton for collectors and artists alike. TBF is providing souvenirs for the gala on Thursday night, and I would very much like to have to increase my original order, so I hope lots of people will sign up to go. I know it's conflicting with Expo, which is also a nice show, but I think we'll have more fun in Binghamton.

Cheers,
Mindy

PS: Sorry all my posts seem to be long, drawn-out epistles. What can I say, I'm a writer!

The view from the other end of the phone...

I love calling people with good news, especially related to the TOBYs. I get that first gasp, the first reaction, the outpouring of emotion that is so honest and so heartfelt. Those moments mean so much to me. Not only do I get to share the best kind of good news, but the news, and by extension the magazine and me with it, are meaningful to someone...to you. It feels good to be reminded of that.

At the same time, in making some people happy, I know that I am disappointing others. I know that there are people who have tried so hard, who have done wonderful, beautiful, original work, who will be disappointed. Who will wonder why theirs wasn't good enough this year. Who might question their talent. And, as happy as I am for the people I call, my heart breaks a little for those I don't.

And it makes me downright snuffly to read all of the wonderful, encouraging messages that all of you are posting for both the people who have won and those who didn't.

This will seem silly, but it reminds me of a citizenship award that my junior high used to give--probably still does. Every month, we had an all-school assembly. Around 30 kids would be called up on stage as nominees, and a few would win the award. I was nominated several times, and stood up there while other kids' names were called. I was happy for my friends when they won, but it was hard to put on a brave face when I didn't--and even harder when I wasn't nominated and had to wonder why. I've won and lost a lot of things since I was 12, but the experience of that award has stayed with me.

So, thank you. Thank you for participating, for standing up and trying, regardless of the outcome. Thank you for sharing your delight when you win, and your disappointment when you don't. Thank you for supporting your friends and being happy for people you might not even know. Thank you for trying again, in the awards or with a new design or by sending pictures or going to a show or calling a retailer. You honor all of us--fellow artists, collectors, magazines, retailers, suppliers, and all the rest--with your effort.

Hugs!
Mindy

Last, here are a few more NYC atmosphere shots, just for fun:

- Empire State building
- Dinner with Alex & Janet Wilson, Mark & Susan McKay, Kellie Love, Mindy, Steven & Shane (Bear Guys)
- At dinner with Steiff, we had "bananas in a box" for dessert. Kellie had to crush the caramelized sugar box to get at the bananas. (Only in NYC would I take a picture of my food!)
- Life-sized Lego Batman. (And you thought building bears was time consuming...)
- The Etch-a-Sketch guy. He does amazing artwork on the toys, then fixes them so it's permanent.

And, that's all folks! I hope you enjoyed your virtual tour of Toy Fair as much as I enjoyed presenting it. Thank you so much for the opportunity!

Cheers,
Mindy

And, finally, Steiff. As always, great new designs, lovely replicas. What can I say—it's Steiff!

- New animals include: chocolate lab, tiny terrier, panda, duck, pug
- New bears: Horace, Beethoven, and Gabriele (a 2006 TOBY IC Winner)
- The new Steiff Muffy we heard about at NABCO.
- I really liked the Color Splash set. Rebekah Kaufmann told me they let the designers do what they wanted, and this was the result.
- This polar bear is a 1910 replica. It growls when its head swings side to side—it has a neck activated voice mechanism.
- The 1928 Petsy replica has adjustable eyes. You can roll them around to change the expression.
- Wear your Steiff with one of the new backpacks or purses. They come in pink and blue (I think the denim looks more grown-up). [That's Kellie modeling the pack.]
- Wobbly Pooh.
- Thought the really long skinny dog was funny
- Bears with colorful noses—an artistic touch.

Though Gund is no longer doing their collectible lines—more's the pity—they still have great designs and great fabric. (I always see a new plush fabric when I visit them.)

- The new fabric this year was on "Dillon." It's wavy almost in stripes. And, of course, very soft.
- "Snuffles" is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with a light pink bear. It's very unusual for a company to keep one bear design in the line for so long. The only other one I can name for sure is NABCO's "Muffy" (though there certainly could be others).
- A new jointed bear…something a bit more formal and traditional than the floppy guys Gund has been focusing on for about five years. Maybe if it's really popular, Gund will reconsider their collectible line. (We can dream…)
- Here's "Goober" with his TOBY Industry's Choice Award.
- The 2006 Yulebeary…you saw him here first!

A quick swing by the Princess Soft Toys booth. This small company is in Minnesota. This year they're introducing a turquoise blue Scottish terrier named "McTurq." The name and tartan are based on a real Scottish clan, with the colors changed to suit Princess's purposes. There's a whole family of turquoise terriers. A cute alternative for kids who don't want to do the pink poodle thing.

The Bearington Collection was showing its usual lovely assortment of dressed bears and bunnies, with a few cats and dogs thrown in for good measure. Betty and Jamie base some of their designs on childhood memories—theirs and the staff's—and even design some of the fabrics. The word "dainty" always comes to mind when I view their work.

- The ladybugs are a cute new line. These bugs have been popping up all over. (They always remind me of the time my sister-in-law and I stayed at a bed and breakfast that was infested with ladybugs. I got rid of as many as I could, then went to bed—I mean, they're ladybugs. But my SIL couldn't sleep 'cause she hates crawlies. Even benign ones like ladybugs.)
- Periwinkle is a popular color for spring.
- "Fanny Hampton" and "Piggy Sue" would inspire anyone to collect pigs!
- The show exclusive is "Deck the Halls," a Christmas music box that plays the song by the same name. Only retailers who attend a show (like Toy Fair or the gift shows) can order this piece, so it's a limited edition.
- "Patrice and Puff" with little "Princess"

Other things to look for from Bearington: "sentiments" bears with messages like "get well" or "thank you." Chenille angel bunny sachets. Bears dressed in vintage-style fabrics.

I'm so sorry I didn't get to post yesterday. There are no words for how tired I was. All I can say is, it's good to be home.

To start: pictures from Hansa and Folkmanis, since I didn't snap those on Monday. For Folkmanis, we have the new puppets, a harbor seal and a peacock. I know most of us don't collect puppets, but these are really gorgeous examples of design and workmanship, so I thought you'd enjoy them regardless.

With Hansa, I just wish you could all walk through their booth. It's hard to appreciate how large and detailed and wonderful the work is just from pictures.

- Cub-sized black bear
- The biggest panda is life-sized, the rest smaller
- Fabulous small bear (maybe 2' tall).
- Small rhino stands about 3' tall.
- The giraffes absolutely towered over us. The tallest one is 18'!

I have so much to say and show you from today, but I'm going to have to wait until tomorrow to do it justice.  I've got the promised pictures from Hansa and Folkmanis. I've got pix from Bearington and Gund. (Gund's well-known Snuffles bear is turning 25 this year--and I've got pix of the 2006 Yulebeary.) Magic 8 Ball style, I'll tell you there's good news coming from Steiff, plus a very cool event planned for fall--but those aren't mine to share, so I won't steal their thunder (just whet your appetite a little). Unfortunately, Kellie and I didn't make it to FAO for the Steiff event, as we ended up spending two hours in the booth looking at new products and making plans to wow all of you. Then we went to dinner at an asian fusion restaurant, where we ate fried spinach (tastes like potato chips) and asian caesar salad, among other things. Dessert was "Bananas in a Box"--I took pictures.

So, I'll write on the train tomorrow morning and post when I get home. Sorry to make you wait! And thanks to everyone for your kind comments and enthusiastic support of this project. You have made it really fun for me--thank you, thank you!

Cheers,
Mindy