Teddy Bear Stuffed Animals

What child has not had one or two teddy bear stuffed animals at a small time in their lives? You would be hard pressed to find any that have not been part of this 'club' since they were first bent by Margarete Steiff in 1902. Since that time, teddy bear stuffed animals are to this day, still wanted, highly sought after plush animals that have endeared themselves to all that have laid eyes on them. They grant an unbreakable link with childhood and are filled with loads of character and charm. Teddy bear stuffed animals make fantastic companions and you can be sure that each and every one of them has their own distinct personalities.

Given their enormous popularity, it's hard to imagine that teddy bear stuffed animals were ever at risk of disappearing. The period from 1965 to 1979, but, was a disastrous one for teddy-bear manufacturers - dozens of traditional toy makers went out of business. For a number of reasons, even with the flexibility of only a handful of some of the best manufactures, the future of the teddy bear started to look precarious. Firstly, companies had expanded during the baby boom to meet the demands of a growing population but the birth rate was falling, thus this they had to retract - not simple when you're invested in new buildings, equipment and people. Secondly, toys had been bought by parents or grandparents, but by 1965, the customer base had changed - children were apt patrons in their own right and they weren't buying plush bears. As a replacement for, they were looking for new and exciting-looking toys which were being advertised on money-making television.

Thirdly, by 1965, very few companies were long-lasting to focus exclusively on just plush bears, or even plush toys in general. Many of them, also bent puzzles, games, toy cars, and dolls.

A fourth reason for the pressure the teddy-bear diligence faced, was the appearance of multinational toy companies. With the huge success of Hasbro's G.I. Joe soldier doll, many multinational companies were born. Soon, toy manufacturers were incisive desperately for the next G.I. Joe and as a result, tended to overlook traditional toys like the plush bear.

Finally, when it became less and less attractive for skilled workforces to produce long lasting toys, cheap labor started making 'toys of the moment' which were marketed and sold internationally. In addition, due to rising demand on Western companies for cheap imports from Asia, many U.S. and European manufactures went manufacture overseas in order to match foreign competitors' prices. As a result, many producers of soft toys became casualties of these developments.

Fortunately, the companies that did survive the distressing time in the teddy bear's description, were makers of traditional teddy bear stuffed animals with a premium product that people were still set to pay more for. And, as a result, the sale of teddy bear stuffed animals once again took their rightful place in the toy world.

Author: Angeline Hope
Condition Source: EzineArticles.com
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