One of a child’s most beloved items is his or her teddy bear. In many ways, it’s a child’s first friend, right? He or she talks to it like it’s a person, takes it everywhere, and even tries to feed it or give it a sip of some drink– hopefully water, so it’s easier for mom or dad to clean up.
When a child gets older, they tend to put their teddy bear away in storage and not play with it… but it still holds sentimental value. Every now and then they take it out of a box or closet and admire it– giving it a hug and maybe even talking to it.
After a lot of loving, a teddy bear, like its owner, grows older and its condition, again– like its owner, begins to deteriorate. Time ravages beautiful things. That said, if you have an antique teddy bear who has seen better days, should you consider paying someone to restore it? Most definitely!
There’s something uniquely special about “your bear.” There’s only one! Other people could give you other bears, but they’ll never replace your bear. So just like you’d take care of a pet or a child over many years, you should take care of your beloved teddy bear.
What are some things that happen to older teddy bears? Maybe their mohair dries out. Maybe holes develop where stuffing leaks out. Perhaps, for whatever reason, your bear has developed a strange odor. In some cases, insects might try and make their home inside a bear! Yikes.
When you have an antique teddy bear who could use some TLC, why not have it restored? Doing so adds years to the life of the bear, and if you should ever part with it, you’ll know the child who gets it will appreciate that it’s in decent shape rather than falling apart.
Holes, rips, stuffing leaks and more can be fixed on older teddy bears. At Gigi’s Dolls in Chicago, we’re able to do sewing/repairs, surface cleaning and more– we can even replace missing eyes, noses and stuffing. Please call us with your questions and/or concerns: 773-594-1540.
