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Recap of the 2007 Doll & Teddy Bear Expo
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington
, D.C.
Story and photos by Beth Phillips
The only regret I have about attending the 2007 Doll & Teddy Bear Expo is that I couldn’t be in at least three places at the same time! This year’s event was an action-packed, fun-filled festival for collectors of all ages. The staff of the sprawling and elegant Marriott Wardman Park Hotel is so well-trained they barely blinked at the sight of people carrying fabulous furry bears and baby dolls so real you would swear they were breathing.
If you have never attended one of these shows, start making plans now! (Next year’s event will be held Aug. 8–10 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in
Washington, D.C.
Visit dollandteddyexpo.com for more information.) The weekend kicked off for bear collectors with a Thursday afternoon workshop on needle felting, put on by Rosemary Morse, to help beginners learn this fascinating craft and more advanced felters to sharpen their skills. On Friday morning, another needle-felting class was offered by Stevi T. of Creations by Stevi T.
Bev White of Happy Tymes Collectibles spent Friday morning showing participants how to make a beautiful dressed and painted clothespin princess doll, in keeping with the Expo’s theme of “Happily Ever After.”
Saturday morning, the showroom was full of eager collectors. Visitors were initially greeted by the wonderful display set up by The Toy Shoppe. Truly one of the top teddy bear and doll retailers in the nation, its display of Steiff, R. John Wright and fabulous designer dolls set the mood for what lay beyond. John Lamb, detective turned author, known for featuring teddy bears in his novels, was on hand Saturday to sign books at The Toy Shoppe’s booth.
Ken Yenke, well-known authority on antique toys and bears, enthralled an attentive group of arctophiles with his “Four Keys to Collecting” seminar. Yenke and his lovely wife Brenda brought a remarkable collection of antique and vintage teddies, books and bear-related memorabilia. Yenke stayed long after the seminar was over to answer questions and evaluate older bears brought for him to identify and appraise. The best story of the day came from Joe Hughes. He and his partner, Allen Hsu, brought in an appealing antique bear that Hughes had literally found in the trash. Yenke identified the bear as an American-made mohair bear, possibly by the American Stuffed Toy Co., from 1908, and valued the bear between $2,000 and $2,500.
Terrie Stong, president of Good Bears of the World (GBW), ably presided over an auction Saturday afternoon to raise money to keep putting bears in the hands of those who need them. Stong showed me a couple of bears made by a very special prison inmate. He likely will spend the rest of his life in jail and spends all the money he gets on supplies to make bears that he donates to GBW.
The best part of the Doll & Teddy Bear Expo is visiting with the artists and finding out what new exciting things they are doing. At the show, Bev White unveiled her latest artwork. She has spent the past six months working on a fabric and plush re-creation of Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss.” This is one of a series of famous artworks she has created with bears for the
Korean
Teddy
Bear
Museum
. Impossible to appreciate from photos, this masterpiece is an astounding interpretation of a classic. White is an extraordinary artist and her attention to detail shows in every fiber of this creation.
Irene Heckel’s originals always draw a crowd—her needle felting is extraordinary!
Teddy
Kingdom
and Bear Studio’s Isabelle Collection proudly displayed their Golden Teddy nominees. Judy Mathis of Judy’s Raggedy Country showed off her new butterfly bears, with wings that look like they are spun from sugar. The many dolls, bears and other critters were a feast for the eyes, in every color of the rainbow, for every budget, for young and old alike.
Joe Kools, the relatively new president of Jones Publishing (TBR’s parent company), was on hand all weekend, meeting and greeting artists and collectors. This was Kools’ first big doll and bear show, and he said he was so impressed by the incredibly warm welcome he received. His enthusiasm was obvious, and it was clear he felt energized by his entry into the “hands on” part of the industry.
Of course, it is the collectors who keep these events thriving, and I had the distinct pleasure of meeting two very special bear lovers. Walter and Martha Sheppard started their collection of teddy bears with a childhood bear from the 1920s. “Walter” the bear traveled with them everywhere. Married in 1970, they began to pick up bears here and there, and then Martha began to make bears, turning old fur coats into keepsake bears. She taught herself bear making from books she found at the library and became so proficient that she then taught others how to make bears. Walter has had a long career in broadcasting, from a 1947 high school radio station to
West Germany
while in the army, and he still is on the air today. Walter and Martha have attended every Doll & Teddy Bear Expo over the years and were particularly fond of
Canterbury
bears. In recent years, they have fallen in love with White’s Happy Tymes bears. Folks like the Sheppards embody the very best in bear collectors.
As I was leaving the showroom for the last time on Sunday afternoon, a collector riding up a parallel escalator looked at me with a wry grin and said, “Same time next year?” You bet! —
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