Archive for the 'Custom' Category
Toy collecting is no joke-at least not to toy enthusiasts. For many collecting toys is more than a fun hobby, it’s an investment. A lot of older toys are hard to find, especially in good condition. Collectors prefer toys that are in good condition and many are willing to pay top dollar for them. Toys that are still in their original packaging are also of high value. Often toys are handed down from generation to generation. In some cases the recipient of the toy admires it so much they start their own collection.
Toys saved from childhood can result in big pays offs later. One woman who saved her original 1959 Barbie Doll fetched $26,000 for it at auction. Many Barbies will sell for hundreds and thousands of dollars. In recent years avid collectors have began to amass Happy Meal toys. Some will spend up to $5 or $10 on certain Happy Meal toys and toys from the 70s and 80s will sell for far more. Although collector’s edition toys are where the big money is, I still have an affinity for toys with a personal touch, like custom teddy bears.
A stuffed animal is a toy animal stuffed with straw, beans, cotton or other similar materials. Some stuffed animals are very old - home made cloth dolls stuffed with straw go back to at least the 1830s, perhaps much older. Stuffed animals are also known as plush toys and soft toys or cuddly toys. The most well known type of stuffed toy is undoubtedly the teddy bear, and there are even many custom teddy bear variations.
Stuffed animals, in the past, were used for random stuffing of the evacuated skins of hunted animals. The phrase is still sometimes used to refer to examples of taxidermy. However, with modern technology it is now possible to produce them with synthetic materials. For this reason, plush toy or plushie or soft toy may be more appropriate names for modern synthetic stuffed animals.
It seems like everything today is mass-produced from the same mold, and it is difficult to find products that exhibit originality or reflect your personality. When my sister had her first child last spring, I didn’t want to get my new nephew some run-of-the-mill, generic toy from a department store. I decided to look online to see if I could find something more personal.
After some scouring on the internet, I came across a site that offered custom teddy bears. This seemed to be the perfect combination of a traditional gift that still maintained a sense of individuality. I choose a distinct outfit for my nephew and had the bear created in the same attire, which created several memorable photo ops.
For many years I had a strong aversion to zoos. Every time I went to see a new exhibit, I would feel sorry for the animals stuck in cages. Luckily, the zoo in my town is known for being progressive. Each animal’s natural habitat is recreated with a startling degree of accuracy. As such, I began taking my 3-year-old son to check out the wildlife. He grew especially fond of the Daisy the black bear.
Trips to the zoo can be expensive and time-consuming, so I formulated a plan that would appease my son when he wanted to “go see Daisy.” I looked online for custom teddy bears and came upon a black bear that bore a remarkable resemblance to Daisy. My son loved the gift, but he still pesters me about going to the zoo to see the penguins.
For many women, there’s one article of clothing that just sits in the closet without ever getting worn again, and that’s her wedding dress. It’s impossible to throw it out because of sentimental reasons, but there’s also no possible event that you would ever wear it again. (Unless, of course, you thought to purchase a designer dress that could double as formalwear at some black tie event!) This means many women continually push it out of the way for years and years until they eventually throw it out with the Sunday trash.
But there are some things you can do with the wedding dress other than ignoring it for twenty-five years. For one, you can hold onto it and pass it on to your daughter when she gets married. While some people pass rings or other tokens on as wedding day heirlooms, a dress can be a meaningful addition to your child’s wedding. Or, you can always have a memory bear made from the dress. These bears are custom made, and they incorporate the fabric from important items such as a wedding dress. This way, your dress is out of the closet, but it will always be close to you.
Whether you’re an adult purchasing for yourself or just a child looking for a soft and cuddly sleeping companion, designing your own teddy bear is quite an enjoyable activity. Nowadays there are many places you can purchase a custom teddy bear online. With a custom teddy bear, you’re able to express your personality. You choose the eyes, the fabric, and any accessories the bear will wear. They make great gifts for little ones and also great additions to teddy bear collections.
Imagine sleeping with your own snuggly teddy bear created just how you want it! Once you have your own custom teddy bear you’ll never want to sleep next to a plain old bear again! There are numerous places online you can build a teddy bear to your individual specifications. You don’t even have to go through the hassle of sewing it yourself!