WHAT MAKES YOUR BEARS UNIQUE

THE ETHICAL SIDE OF BEAR MAKING

 

Artist Originals: To a teddy bear artist, each bear, like a painting or piece of sculpture, is a unique piece of art. The artist has creates the piece from beginning to end, using their own design to make an original piece. No one else has the right to create a bear using someone elseπs pattern design and claim the finished bear to be an original. There have been varying opinions as to whether an artist may have someone else do the actual sewing (using the artist's pattern) and either completely finish the bear or have the artist do the finishing detail.

 

Interpretations and Technicalities: There are probably as many interpretations of what is ethically acceptable as there are artists. Keeping this in mind, anything in this article is my opinion of what the general standards are and there are probably quite a few different opinions.

 

Patterns for Sale: When an artist sells his/her patterns so the general public can duplicate the design, the finished product is intended to be for private use only. This means that you can make the bear, but you may not sell it for profit. If you label the bear, you may state that it was constructed or sewn by you (for example "Made with love by Grandma" would be OK), but it is proper to state the name of the original designer. Proper labeling would help avoid a sticky situation in which a well meaning family member, who received "your" bear as a gift, shows off to friends and inadvertently markets the bear as yours.

 

One of a Kind: This is a term I have heard many different interpretations of. The purest interpretation would be a bear created from an original unique design, where the pattern (if there even is one) is no longer used after the creation of that single bear. Yet others would say that if you use the same pattern but change the fabric, clothing, facial expression etc. that your bear is still unique and one-of-a-kind. Still others would argue that any artist bear will be unique and a one-of-a-kind since they are artist made and no two will be exactly alike. If you truly want to market your bears as one-of-a-kind, I would strongly suggest sticking to the purest interpretation. Collectors want to be sure that their bear was truly the only one created.

 

Limited or Open Edition: Duplicating one specific design in the same fabric, clothing, facial expression etc. would be an Edition. Usually an edition is numbered. Numbering pieces in an edition gives the collector an idea of how close to the original (#1) their purchase is. The lower the number, the better the value of the piece. A limited edition will state exactly how many pieces the artist will create. Each piece will have its own number and also state the limit (For example 5 of 25). An open edition will not be limited to a specific number and will therefore only state itπs own number if any.

 

Series: A series is a group which is created around a similar theme. It may be all different designs, linked by some common factor such as clothing, facial expression or design feature etc. A series may consist of the same design duplicated exactly in every way except the color or style of the fabric or a common accessory. Some examples of common series would be "Wizard of Oz Series" consisting of Dorothy, Tin Man, Lion, Scarecrow, Toto, The Wicked Witch, Glenda, Munchkins etc. or "Colors of the Rainbow Series" consisting of the same bear done in each of the colors of the rainbow or "Signs of the Zodiac Series" or "Four Season Bears" etc.

 

Trademark Features: Features that make your bears recognizable to people as your own. A certain shape body type or head, facial expression or nose embroidery, easily recognizable tag or label, original jointing style, style of dress or accessories. Most of the well known artists make bears that are easily recognizable as their own. Steve Schutt has an easily recognizable classic style shape to his bears and when in doubt, look for the airplane rivet with his initials on it on the back of each bear's head; Jo Greeno has a very distinctive face and style of dressing her bears, Judy Stutzman's bears are always dressed and named to be recognizable as hers. Dennis Shaw has a truly unique style and is known for the original double joint. I could go on and on.

Signatures: An indispensable finishing touch to any artist bear is the artist's signature. A painting would not be complete without a signature; an artist bear should be no different. There are so many ways to "sign" your bear. Paper tags, beads, buttons (Steiff® button in the ear), Shrinky Dink® plastic can all be attached to your bear for signature and other pertinent information. Many artists use a permanent marker to actually sign the paw or foot pad. I use both a wooden bead stitched on the back hip of the bear where I write my name and the date I finished the bear and 2 paper tags. One tag is the Schulte® tag that tells everyone the bear is made from the finest German mohair. (Call or email me if you need these tags. They are provided free of charge with any mohair purchase. If you did not receive them with your order, just let us know and we will send you what you need.) The other tag has my logo and name and my contact information (ex. phone number, website, email address).

 

In general, even if bear making is just a hobby, it is important to know the rules. Artists work very hard to make their bears unique and truly theirs and many beginning bear makers inadvertently will overstep lines that they honestly don't know exist. Unfortunately, this can make seasoned artists reluctant to share their techniques and designs. So, my words of wisdom this month is to respect the rules of the industry and in turn we can all benefit and learn from the experience of the pioneers with their blessing.