Beautiful 20\" Vintage Antique Mohair Teddy Bear Knickerbocker Merrythought 1940s For Sale

Merrythought Valentine Teddy Bear- Big Large Vintage Antique English Mohair Teddy Bear - 30s 1930s This large, cuddly circa-1930s/40s English mohair teddy has big round ears that are unusual and give him lots of character and charm. He came to me wearing an old heart-shaped locket necklace that is included with the sale. I\'ve named him Valentine because of the heart necklace, and because he looks like such a sweetheart. My current best guess is that this bear was made by the Knickerbocker toy company. The bear\'s clipped mohair muzzle, big round ears, nose stitching and eye placement all look consistent with a Knickerbocker teddy bear from around the 1940s/post-WWII (based on information I found in Pauline Cockrill\'s Teddy Bear Encyclopedia). The big \"mouse ears\" also look similar to the ears on Merrythought\'s famous \"Cheeky Bear\" design, and the previous collector\'s information tag said that he was made in England, so it\'s an open question. (Somebody wrote in to tell me that Knickerbocker\'s teddy bears didn\'t have claw stitching, so I\'m truly at loose ends here.)This bear\'s fur is a lovely pale flax blond color. Some of my photos make the fur look more golden than it really is, but the true color is a soft light blond without strong yellow tones. His orange/amber glass eyes give him a handsome, self-assured look. His face has lots of character, with a black yarn stitched nose and mouth. He has stitched claws on all four of his feet. I\'ve dressed him in an old hand-knit red wool baby sweater / dress (circa 1950s) and fluffy bloomer-style underpants. This is an adorable old mohair teddy that would give the Steiff bears a run for their money in quality and cuteness. Valentine the Bear has mohair plush fur, cinnamon brown wool felt paw pads, and wood stuffing. He is very nice and clean for his age, with a lovely fresh sheen to his fur. His arms, legs and head all have articulated joints. He does not seem to have any manufacturers\' labels.In one of these listing photos, you can see a preview photo of two other vintage bears that will also be available for sale, once I\'ve found time to list them (see my other listings). If you purchase multiple items, I am happy to combine shipping to save you money.I\'ve given a detailed condition report below, so please give it a careful read. Valentine the teddy bear is a real old treasure. He would make a wonderful and unusual Valentine present. Please contact me before offerding/buying if you have less than 10 response, or negative response.
{{Dimensions}}This good-sized bear measures approximately 20 inches tall from the top of his head to the sole of his foot (a little more if you\'re measuring from the top of his ears). He weighs 806 grams.
{{Condition}} This teddy bear is in very good for its age, commensurate with what my photos show. The felt paw pads are in fair to decent condition, with some surface wear and several patch repairs and holes - see photos for reference. As I mentioned above, the mohair fur is very nice and clean. It has a soft texture and there is not too much thinning or shedding. The bear does have a bare patch on his face near the right eye - it measures approximately 6 cm/2 inches by 2 cm/1 inch. He also has a thinning patch on his rump (approximately 2 x 2 inches / 6 x 6 cm). The fabric beneath the fur is in good strong shape.
The face and claw stitching is good and stable.The red knit dress/sweater is old and has some holes in it, but it\'s clean and cute.{{Shipping}}I live in Canada, and will be shipping via Canada Post. I apologize for their high rates! I will refund any overcharge on shipping over $1 -- I\'m not out to make money on shipping fees. I am happy to combine shipping on multiple items whenever possible.US BUYERS: I will send this item by Canada Post Expedited mail, which includes insurance and tracking, and costs $24. The delivery estimate is 6 business days. Please let me know if you would like to upgrade to a rush service.CANADIAN BUYERS: Expedited parcel post within Canada will be a flat rate of $24. This price includes insurance and tracking. I will often be able to combine shipping on multiple purchases within Canada for only a few dollars more.EUROPE & AUSTRALIA: Please contact me for a shipping quote to your country. I have had great international customers, but unfortunately, overseas shipping is very costly, especially with larger packages and ones that require tracking/insurance. It will cost about $102 tothis bear send overseas by XPresspost International, which includes tracking, full insurance against nondelivery, and a guaranteed delivery time (varies by country, but approximately 4 to 6 business days). In some cases, if you are willing to assume the risk, I may consider using Tracked Packet mail. This service costs $64 and has tracking, but the insurance ONLY covers up to $100 Canadian dollars of the item\'s value. Any additional value could not be reimbursed if the package went missing.

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