Protect What You Cherish: A Teddy Bear Collection Of 1200 - And Counting

We all have fond memories of our first teddy bears, but few can ever think to rival Kirsty Johnstone’s collection. A self-proclaimed arctophile, childhood visits with her mother to artist fairs, where artisans would display and sell their handmade teddies, has led to five decades of new additions. Her collection spans from antique bears from across the world and teddies dating back to WWI and WWII that Kirsty researches thoroughly, to true nostalgia with Paddington bears from her own youth. Kirsty took us behind the scenes to share her cherished collection.

When did you begin collecting?

I first started with soft toys forty or fifty years ago when I was young. I used to go to artist fairs for teddy bears with mum: there used to be far more in person ones than there are now, and it was something we did together. 

My antique collection really started in the year 2000. The first old bear that I bought is circa 1906. He was a Steiff, and that name is normally what people think of when it comes to collectable bears. 

My collection has progressed since then. In total, including artist bears and my soft toy bears, I have about twelve hundred, give or take.

What's in your collection?

When it comes to teddy bears, I've got very old Steiffs through to fairly modern bears. I've got the typical British companies like Chiltern, Chad Valley, Merrythought, and Omega, all of which are interesting to have. 

I've also got lots of teddy bear ephemera, which actually takes up less room. I have lots of silver items, advertising, memorabilia. I've got lots of Black Forest items and china and lots of bears with stories. I have some very odd bears in my collection too. There's one that, when you’d put on a gramophone in the old days, it would keep the record still.

I've got a couple of homemade bears. There’s one that I bought thinking it was British and homemade, but I’ve read new research into Scandinavian bear factories, and it's very, very similar to those, so we'll never know. Ask the bear!

What unusual stories have you discovered when researching your collection?

A lot of my bears have got stories attached to them. I've got a Steiff bear that was used by a lady in Liverpool in World War II when she used to entertain the troops. If they had 13 at dinner, so that it didn't bring them bad luck, they would put the bear in a chair, to make 14. He's actually got a bald patch because everyone used to touch him for luck.

Have you got a favourite bear?

I think my favourite bears are my childhood ones. They would be the bears that I saved in the event of a fire or an emergency. Some of the Paddington bears in the collection are from my childhood, and I've got a lot of the original memorabilia!

Have they all got different personalities?

Oh, definitely, yes. Some are so pretty, and there are some with very weird expressions! They speak to you.

How do you look after them all?

You have to check them regularly, dusting, making sure there are no moths and noting when I buy them if there are any bald areas, which, of course, there often are. 

What drives you to collect?

My bears bring me such happiness; they make me smile. And they have history - with each new bear I research its story.

I enjoy meeting other collections, enjoy the auctions and the Facebook groups. It's lovely to share the stories, put photos up and make friends. I've got to know auctioneers and dealers through it, and although I enjoy collecting and doing the research, it's friendship as well. 

Is there a large community of bear collectors?

Very large, and all over the world. Although actually, hotter countries aren’t great for collecting bears because of the humidity! 

Will your collection ever be complete?

At the moment, I'm still collecting, but I do appreciate that if I had to downsize, I couldn't take everything with me. Personally, I don't want to let it go because it brings me happiness. It's nothing monetary. If they did have to go or I became ill or something similar, the bears would all be auctioned and the money given to a bear charity.