Caring for Antique Teddy Bears and Stuffed Animals : eBay Guides

If you are like me, collecting Antique Teddy Bears and Animals has been a very rewarding experience. Not only do you get the pleasure of now owning one of them, but just knowing that these Antique pieces have such rich history from era's long ago. From the well loved toy of a child who found true friendship and love in their piece, to the child who occasionally slept with it for comfort, or the little girl who loved throwing Tea Party's with all her favorite stuffed toys, each piece tells a story. It is now our responsibility to care for and preserve these collectibles for generations to come!

There are obviously many ways one of these treasured stuffed toys can become "Well Loved," as so many of us refer to them, when finding them in a deteriorating condition. Looking on the surface (their exterior), its easy to see the mohair loss, the paw pad condition and any rips and tears to their fabric, but since most of us are not restorers, one never really knows what is going on inside of these stuffed toys. Some have been packed away for years in Attics or Basements, or in a paper box, a cedar chest or just left out in the elements where dust, moisture and insects can really do harm to their overall state. In reading a recent *Review* on Caring for your pieces, I read a reviewer stating "How to Care" for insects in a Teddy Bear or Animal, and this is what I want to hopefully address within this review. I am sure all of us who buy these stuffed toys, wants to help continue caring for them for the next generation. Insects are one of those scary aspects that come along with collecting stuffed toys. No one wants to buy a “New” piece and add it to his or her collection with Insects (Moths). So, before adding them with older pieces, we need to take care of it before hand. I guess what horrified me in the other “Reviewer’s” review, was the statement that bears should be put in a ~Freezer for 72 Hours~. PLEASE, PLEASE, DO NOT DO THIS! Putting anything in a FREEZER WILL put Dampness and or Moisture to these pieces, especailly where you CANNOT see it and over time, casue major damage! I cannot stress this enough! It goes against EVERYTHING we are supposed to do when caring and restoring a piece...........It's a very simple process... when you freeze something (a bear) and then go to defrost it, obviously the bear will be moist as that's what happens when you defrost anything.. it gets wet and everyone knows the most dangerous thing you can do to an old bear is get it wet, so why would anyone want to freeze a bear when you have to defrost it eventually... , RIGHT?!!!!........ ,

It is one of the worst things we can do to a stuffed toy, especially because we cannot see most of the real damage it causes! Case in point, the STUFFING……..

When moisture gets trapped inside, the stuffing can start breaking down over time, bleeding through and darken the mohair fabric or the worst possible scenario, DRY ROT! This usually doesn’t happen right away, but will over time. Even for the short time of freezing for (72) hours, it will be harmful to the piece! My suggestion, and what I was told from almost every Restorer I’ve asked………

Put your piece in a plastic bag (that you can seal for 5 to 7 days time) with either Moth Balls, a bunch of Bay Leaves or my favorite, Lavender and seal this up for about 5 to 7 days or longer if needed, making sure no air can escape. This will kill any and all Insects from the inside out. It’s also very important to use one of the above-preferred scents when storing your items, this will help keep future unwanted insects from hurting your Treasured pieces. Remember, not only are we preserving these pieces for our enjoyment, but hopefully for Generations to come!