When one thinks about stuffed animals and plush toys today one almost always thinks of the iconic teddy bear. However, the teddy bear is actually a fairly recent arrival. The first of them came in 1902 when a store owner in Brooklyn, New York saw a political cartoon called 'Drawing the Line in Mississippi'. This cartoon showed then president Theodore Roosevelt, who was also known as 'Teddy', refusing to shoot a cornered bear during an actual hunting trip. Roosevelt stated that it would not be very sportsmanlike of him to do so.
The bear had appeared in a past series of cartoons as cute, cuddly and small. The store owner, Morris Michtom, used this image to inspire the creation of stuffed bears marketed as toys for children. The store was already equipped to produce the toys as his wife had been produced stuffed bears for some time so Morris was able to begin producing stuffed bears in the image of the President immediately.
Michtom sent President Roosevelt a sample bear, along with a request for permission to use the President's nickname as part of the toy's name. President Roosevelt agreed, and the toy bear began its journey into the public consciousness. These stuffed bears proved very popular from the beginning. Mr. Michtom posted a 'Teddy's Bear' sign in his store window, and the name 'Teddy Bear' soon became synonymous with these stuffed animals.
Soon many other stores began selling the toy bear. Media and documents of the time reference these stuffed animals. Books, newspapers, and music of the time talk about teddy bears through out the United States and Europe. Teddy bears soon became popular collector's items. Collector's of toys, vintage dolls, and antique dolls often also have plush bears among their collection.
There are some toy bears that have quite a bit of value. An example of this is a toy bear made partly from gold, which was produced by the original maker in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the toy and it is selling for $84,000. The company that first marketed the teddy bear, which is the Ideal Novelty and Toy Co., is Michtom's company and is still in business today.
The hobby of toy bear collecting should not cost you thousands of dollars. There are many ways to find reasonably priced and sometimes great bargains for vintage bears at garage sales, flea markets, online auctions and special collector's venues. In addition to its status as a collectible vintage bear, this toy that bears the name of a popular president, will make a warm and cuddly companion for a young child.
By: Daniel Wright
Monday, November 10, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Rc Planes Trains And Automobiles
While RC trains, RC cars, RC airplanes, and RC boats are all incredibly popular hobbyist pastimes, truly the most incredible of all RC options are RC helicopters. When it comes to the RC helicopter there is no surpassing the thrill of flying the device, and while other RC toys and hobbyist devices have there own benefits, the RC helicopter is truly a distinct and original pastime. Simply assembling an RC helicopter is a challenge, that once achieved, delivers to the RC helicopter hobbyist a serious and intense sense of accomplishment!
RC airplanes, electric boats, and RC cars, like the RC helicopters presently sold usually require assembly. There are some items which come fresh out of the box and are ready for use, but the hobbyist misses out on the fun to be had putting the item together him or her self. There is just something very special about sitting down and taking the time to assemble an RC toy that makes the entire pastime more enjoyable.
When comparing RC trains, RC cars, RC boats, and RC airplanes to the RC helicopter, the helicopter wins hands down! Take RC trains for example, which are great fun if you want to watch a train go around and around on a single track over an over again. For RC helicopter enthusiasts, this action can be somewhat monotonous, and the RC helicopter, once mastered, can be flown out in the open air! There is no routine flight when it comes to the RC helicopter. In terms of RC boats, which are ideal for people within close proximity to fairly large bodies of water, but what about the RC hobbyist hopefuls that has no water access nearby? Again, RC helicopters, not requiring water, can be operated out in an open field or a wide open space outdoors.
When RC helicopters are compared to RC cars and RC planes, many hobbyists prefer the unique challenges that RC helicopters deliver. Challenges are encountered in every phase, including the assembling phase as well as the flight testing phases. When such challenges are conquered, the sense of accomplishment that the RC helicopter operator gets is unparalleled.
There are in fact, RC helicopter modelling clubs that RC helicopter operators and hopefuls can join to learn everything there is to know about how to fly RC toys properly. Being part of a club gives the RC helicopter owner a chance to share his or her experiences with others as well as to learn the art of flying and control from qualified mentors. In addition to clubs, there are actually professional RC helicopter instructors that will help an RC helicopter user to learn how to make the helicopter hover, how to control the remote control sticks, how to get the helicopter to take off and land successfully without crashing, and how to master the basic steps of helicopter flying.
Later on down the road, as one progresses and advances in his or her flying practices, the helicopter operator will advance and improve his or her flying techniques. It is possible to become skilled enough to do special in flight tricks like figure eights, proper climbing and descending, semi stall turns, large circles, vertical top hats, nose in hovers, as well as nose-in take offs and landings. While every RC toy has its own set of tricks to master and the performance of tricks is certainly fun, it is clear that RC helicopters pose a significant challenge to its operators. This challenge is what makes the practice of RC helicopter operation so attractive and appealing to the avid RC hobbyist
By: William Williams
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Get information and compare pricing on all the latest RC toys at ElectricBoats.com
RC airplanes, electric boats, and RC cars, like the RC helicopters presently sold usually require assembly. There are some items which come fresh out of the box and are ready for use, but the hobbyist misses out on the fun to be had putting the item together him or her self. There is just something very special about sitting down and taking the time to assemble an RC toy that makes the entire pastime more enjoyable.
When comparing RC trains, RC cars, RC boats, and RC airplanes to the RC helicopter, the helicopter wins hands down! Take RC trains for example, which are great fun if you want to watch a train go around and around on a single track over an over again. For RC helicopter enthusiasts, this action can be somewhat monotonous, and the RC helicopter, once mastered, can be flown out in the open air! There is no routine flight when it comes to the RC helicopter. In terms of RC boats, which are ideal for people within close proximity to fairly large bodies of water, but what about the RC hobbyist hopefuls that has no water access nearby? Again, RC helicopters, not requiring water, can be operated out in an open field or a wide open space outdoors.
When RC helicopters are compared to RC cars and RC planes, many hobbyists prefer the unique challenges that RC helicopters deliver. Challenges are encountered in every phase, including the assembling phase as well as the flight testing phases. When such challenges are conquered, the sense of accomplishment that the RC helicopter operator gets is unparalleled.
There are in fact, RC helicopter modelling clubs that RC helicopter operators and hopefuls can join to learn everything there is to know about how to fly RC toys properly. Being part of a club gives the RC helicopter owner a chance to share his or her experiences with others as well as to learn the art of flying and control from qualified mentors. In addition to clubs, there are actually professional RC helicopter instructors that will help an RC helicopter user to learn how to make the helicopter hover, how to control the remote control sticks, how to get the helicopter to take off and land successfully without crashing, and how to master the basic steps of helicopter flying.
Later on down the road, as one progresses and advances in his or her flying practices, the helicopter operator will advance and improve his or her flying techniques. It is possible to become skilled enough to do special in flight tricks like figure eights, proper climbing and descending, semi stall turns, large circles, vertical top hats, nose in hovers, as well as nose-in take offs and landings. While every RC toy has its own set of tricks to master and the performance of tricks is certainly fun, it is clear that RC helicopters pose a significant challenge to its operators. This challenge is what makes the practice of RC helicopter operation so attractive and appealing to the avid RC hobbyist
By: William Williams
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Get information and compare pricing on all the latest RC toys at ElectricBoats.com
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