Bear Blog

Isabelle Collection 2008 arrives, and the new little......

2008-01-09T14:06:00.000Z

...Characters are just wonderful.

Zac Ltd.Ed. 300

This 2008 collection is showing signs of selling out already, the UK allocation of Chocolate Muffin and Liquorice is already Sold Out.

Amelia Ltd.Ed. 200

To order these and view the other superb bears in the 2008 Isabelle Collection, please click on the header above.

January Sale now on-line...

2008-01-06T12:24:00.000Z

...with many bargains to be had.

Sale items to include pieces from Steiff, R John Wright, Maggie Made, Deans, Robin Rive and much much more.

Other pieces being added daily, so do check back or call 01531 635 290 for further details.

Please click on the header to go straight to the Sale page.

Happy New Year, and to start us off is Steiff with the 2008 Club Bear....

2008-01-03T10:43:00.000Z

.....this wonderful piece is only available through Club Stores.

Steiff Club Annual Edition 2008

Ean 420955
golden blond, jointed, surface washable, 30 cm
Club Edition 2008

So why not order yours today, by either clicking on the header above or calling the store on 01531 635 290.

Merry Christmas from Graeme and Steff.....

2007-12-22T11:18:00.000Z

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Graeme and Steff send Seasons Greetings to all our collectors old and new.

We look forward to seeing you all in 2008.

Christmas Posting and Opening Times.....

2007-12-12T12:28:00.000Z

.....We will be open everyday till Christmas.

Monday - Saturday.......... 10am - 5pm

Sunday............................ 10am - 4pm

Christmas Eve.................. 10am - 4pm

Then we will be closed till :-

Wednesday 2nd January.... When we will reopen with our normal hours of 10am - 5pm.

For those of you who can not make it to the store, we will be posting as normal.

We will post using :-

First Class Recorded Delivery

and last minute parcels on Saturday 22nd December ( while post office is open only ) using :-

Special Delivery.

This service can be used at any time, there will be an extra charge, so do call the shop, if you require this service and place your order.

So what can you order, well click on the header above and this will direct you to the Index page.

Cinderella, will go to the ball.. R John Wright is going to...

2007-12-10T17:57:00.000Z

be at The Walt Disney Doll and Teddy bear Weekend 2008.

And he will be presenting:--

Cinderella

Susan and John Wright are happy to announce the impending arrival of "Cinderella" - the exclusive edition for this coming year's Disney Doll & Teddy Bear Weekend.
Based on the immortal Disney feature length animated film Cinderella, this piece will join previous R. John Wright Disney classics such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Geppetto & Pinocchio, and Mickey & Minnie Mouse.

Cinderella will be constructed entirely of the finest all-wool felt. Cinderella's incredibly tiny turned fingers and slender female torso mark a unique challenge in the art of felt dollmaking.

Fully jointed with delicately hand painted features, Cinderella will measure approximately 16" tall. Her hand-knotted mohair wig will be carefully styled in the elegant upswept design and anchored by an organza headband.

Cinderella will be dressed in the most beautiful rendition of her ball gown ever made.
Tailored of layers of fine silk organza, her dress will feature genuine crystals to create a magical and enchanting effect. Beneath her gown Cinderella will wear dainty period undergarments of organdy and batiste.
A special detailed accessory will be Cinderella's custom-made slippers which will be designed exactly like the ones in the film and made out of real glass! No detail will be overlooked in bringing Cinderella to life as never before.

Like previous award-winning RJW dolls of classic Disney characters, the R. John Wright rendition of Cinderella is destined to become the Definitive Version. Do not miss out on acquiring this important and exquisite piece for your collection.

Cinderella will be produced one time only in a very limited edition of 250 pieces worldwide.

Cinderella will be available to order very soon, so keep an eye on the web site fo further information.

To see other great pieces by this amazing artist, please click on the header above, which will take you to the index page and then you can search the many headings available.

Steiff Christmas gift idea, all wrapped up in a.......

2007-12-06T10:41:00.000Z

......Suitcase.

Here is a great Christmas gift idea from Steiff. In stock and ready to post.

Teddy bear "Doctor" FYNN in suitcase Ean 111808

Princess Teddy with suitcase Ean 672811

Pirate in suitcase Ean 672828

Lotte Teddy Bear in Suitcase Steiff Ean 111464

FYNN Teddy bear in suitcase EAN: 111471

Teddy bear Baby Fynn in suitcase Ean 111846

These would make great presents for the Holiday times, to order, please click on the header above.

Our Exclusive Apple Panda from Riffenberg Bear Co. arrives and....

2007-11-29T14:04:00.000Z

...he is amazing. The craftsmanship of Jane Monroe, can be seen to its full glory.

Apple Panda
Limited Edition 10

He is 14" tall and made from Hand Dyed Mohair

Apple Panda comes with a Hand Made Primitive Calico Apple, made by Jane's daughter of Primross Designs.

Please click on the header above to place your order. ( If you wish to see a close up of any of the pictures sometimes if you click on them, you see larger version. )

Deliveries from Steiff and Artists arriving.......

2007-11-28T13:02:00.000Z

.......daily.

Selection of wonderful pieces that have arrived recently:-

Fairyland Bears > Lime - One Of A Kind Creation

Steiff - The Little Drummer Boy - Musical Ean 037368

Granville Bears - Aubeary and his car.

Steiff - Lladro Ornament Bear Ean 038419

and something a little different in the Disneyana section, an amazing picture by a highly collected artist - Nelson de La Nuez, He has a grand following of collectors with such names as John Travolta and Rosie O'Donnell.

Nelson De La Nuez > Mickey Mouse - Original Monotype Painting

To view these and many other wonderful pieces, please click on the header above. ( If you wish to see a close up of any of the pictures sometimes if you click on them, you see larger version. )

SURPRISE !!!!!...Steiff Santa in the Box, pops up to wish...

2007-11-23T09:46:00.001Z

...you a Merry Christmas.

So just draw back the catch and up pops Santa Ted.

Alpaca Santa in the Box Ean 038419
Limited edition of 1,500 pieces worldwide.

Have fun with Santa Ted in the Box, by clicking on the header above and ordering yours today.

A Glimpse into the Future with Steiff 2008.......

2007-11-21T09:44:00.000Z

......Spring / Summer Collection.

For the worldwide editions we will see an edition to the Margarete's Country Garden Series.

Sigi The Hedgehog Ean 037092 - 20cm with music box
Limited to 2008 pieces

and to help the celebrations of Easter, we will see a Chick Ornament.

Kuken chicken ornament EAN 038433
Limited edition 2008 pieces

Across the Pond in the U.S we will see another Springtime favourite:-

Mr Hopkins - Steiff USA Exclusive Ean 681288
Limited Edition 2008 pieces and stands 7 inches.

Mr. Hopkins, based on a 1930s pattern and is a very friendly blue bunny with a jointed head. He sports a handcrafted wicker basket on his back with two felt carrots hopping by just in time to welcome Easter!

and for the Summer a very sweet bear holding a butterfly.

Ava, The Butterfly Bear Ean 681127

Limited Edition of 1500 pieces.Ava is a 5 ways jointed bear and stands 13 inches tall.

She is made of beautiful slightly curly genuine pale mohair with a precious pink organza bow tied softly at her neck. Her butterfly companion is handcrafted of felt with intricate airbrushed details.

To order these and other great Steiff items please click on the header above and search through the large selection of headings in the Index. Happy Collecting!!!!!

If you are ordering an ARRIVING SOON piece a deposit will be taken at the time of ordering and the remainder when the item is sent out to you, or you can pay using our Lay A Way system. If paying on Lay A Way, please let us know on the ordering page, in the special requests box.

Daddy Appleton, our 10th Bear from Dean's in.......

2007-11-20T10:43:00.000Z

......the 10 years of selling their bears.

As our Ten year celebrations come to an end, we saved the biggest for last.

Daddy Appleton is an amazing 20 inches tall and is one big cuddle.

( click on the picture to enlarge )

Limited to only 12 pieces, he is selling fast.

So do not delay order your today, by clicking on the header above. This will take you to the Daddy Appleton page and from here you can order him or call 01531 635 290.

Steiff USA - Teddy Kapitan Ean 667954 available on a.....

2007-11-17T10:54:00.000Z

....first come first served basis.

We have just heard of a few pieces of the Kapitan Bear from the USA have become available.

This bear is a 22 inch, five-way jointed classic teddy made from grey mohair designed to appear sun-bleached. He is handsomely attired in a navy blue uniform jacket complete with nautically themed buttons and trim. He has a very unique appearance with unusually shaved muzzle and stitched brown nose that has a wonderfully dimensional look.

He was a 2005 North American Exclusive from Steiff.

Only a few remaining, so order as soon as possible, please click on the header above to order.

Steiff - Bobsleigh Set Ean 672484 speeds in to the shop...

2007-11-13T14:12:00.000Z

.....just in time for the winter Games.

Go Team Steiff Go !!!!!!!!!!!!!

This superbly crafted Bobsleigh set with two little bears, wearing Steiff team jumpers and snow goggles is part of the Autumn Winter Limited Edition Collection.

To view this piece and other great Autumn / Winter editions, please click on the header above.

R John Wright - Shop Exclusive - Appley Dapply Arrives.....

2007-11-08T10:43:00.000Z

....and she is a most beautiful mouse you may have ever seen.

Measuring a diminutive 3" tall, Appley Dapply™ from R. John Wright is made of the finest mohair plush and is jointed at the neck and shoulders. She features realistic coloring, hand embroidered features, black glass eyes, inset whiskers, resin hands and feet, and a leather tail.

Based exactly on the Beatrix Potter illustrations, Appley Dapply™ comes wearing a dainty cotton apron with a pocket and hand embroidered border design. She wears incredibly tiny blue leather slippers on her feet and comes holding a custom-woven basket and hand painted plate with four pies!

Appley Dapply is selling very fast, so do not delay order today, by clicking on the header above.

Steiff Rocking Horse with little Bear arrives......

2007-10-30T11:46:00.000Z

......and with it comes wonderful thoughts of Victorian children playing in the Nursery, around a large Christmas Tree and fabulous bears dolls and other toys all about the room.

The smell of Mince Pies and Buttermilk, with the warmth of a crackling fire. Christmas Day was a magical time in the Nursery.

Mohair Teddy bear with rocking horse
Ean 037337
Teddy bear, jointed, surface washable, 8 cm
Rocking Horse, surface washable, 16 cm
Limited edition of 1,500 pieces worldwide

To order this piece please click on the header above.

R John Wright announces a wonderful new creation for.....

2007-10-23T10:36:00.000+01:00

.......the summer of 2008 !!!

We are pleased to announce a very special upcoming collection of Goldilocks & the Three Bears! from R John Wright.

One of the all-time favorite childhood stories, it tells the tale of a little girl renowned for her golden locks.

While on an errand for her Mother one day, Goldilocks strayed far into the woods and discovered a well-appointed cottage with no one home. Out of curiosity, she entered and spied three bowls of porridge set out on the table. She tasted each and finding the smallest bowl's contents just right, she quickly gulped it down. She then tried out the three chairs and settled on the smallest breaking the seat through! Feeling sleepy, she ventured upstairs where she sampled the three beds. The smallest was so comfortable, she soon fell fast asleep. The occupants of the cottage, a family of three bears named Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear, returned to discover that someone had been in their home. Baby Bear was most distressed to find his porridge eaten, his chair broken, and after searching upstairs, a small girl asleep in his bed! Awakening with a start, Goldilocks bounded out of the cottage and ran safely home.

Goldilocks & the Three Bears from R. John Wright was specially commissioned by Puffin Publishers in the U.K. for an exciting new photo storybook by award-winning author Lauren Child.
The doll and bears were carefully designed to be posed inside a fully-furnished custom-made cottage. The photographs were taken in a real woodland setting by acclaimed photographer, Polly Borland.

"Goldilocks" by Lauren Child is expected to reach bookstores in November, 2008.

R. John Wright's Goldilock's doll is constructed of the finest all wool felt. She measures 12 1/4" tall and is fully jointed for playful posing.

Goldilocks premiere's a completely new face mold with delicately hand painted features. Her golden curls are made of fine imported mohair and her sculptural, childlike hands are sewn with individual fingers.

Goldilocks is dressed in a cotton summer dress with a hand smocked bodice and dainty Swiss lace trim. She wears custom made stockings, fine cotton undergarments, and hand cobbled red leather shoes. On one arm is a handwoven basket filled with daisies - realistically constructed out of felt.

Goldilocks will be produced in a limited edition of just 500 pieces worldwide. Each will come enclosed in a deluxe RJW presentation box with the accompanying signed and numbered certificate of authenticity and the forms for owner registration.
As part of the Goldilocks & the Three Bears Collection, matching numbers will be available to the bears in the series below #250.

The Three Bears will make their debut on this Web site soon!

Call or email your interest, for this wonderful collection.
01531 635 290 or shop@applepiehouse.com

To see other great pieces, please click on the header above, this will take you to the shop index page, where you can search the R John Wright pages.

The Wonderful Winter Warmer Event 10th / 11th November.....

2007-10-19T11:30:00.000+01:00

....is a pre-Christmas mince pie weekend get together for collectors.

The store will be open from 10 am on both days and there will be seasonal refreshments and treats for all.

In addition to the festivities, there will be shop exclusives from the Riffenberg Bear Company – the very cute Apple Panda in a limited edition of just 10 pieces,

along with a surprise edition from Deans ??????????

and, of course, the Autumn/Christmas collection from Steiff.

However, the highlight of the day will be Beatrix Potter’s Appley Dapply, a limited edition mouse created exclusively for Apple Pie House by the very talented R. John Wright.

Steff and I look forward to seeing you all at the open day Winter Warmer event.

For details of shop exclusives please call the store on 01531 635290.

Or click on the header above to browse the web site.

Artist Background - Marjan Jorritsma of Tonni Bears......

2007-10-10T14:18:00.000+01:00

Here is some background information on this wonderful bear artist.

Marjan lives in Holland with her husband Reinder.

As long as Marjan can remember she has been doing something with her hands. It all started at the age of 5 with knitting a scarf for each of her dolls.

Later life would see Marjan doing all sorts of different things, until in 1990 she opened a doll shop, but soon realized that this was not her main passion, this was teddy Bears so Marjan joined a teddy bear making class, and her addiction began.

After her first bear Marjan found that she just couldn’t stop.

Now a few words from Marjan.......

"The bears take me everywhere all over the world and I get the chance to meet all kinds of wonderful people who are mostly just like me ‘crazy about bears’.

It was not difficult for me when I needed a trade name for my bears. It was the perfect thing to have my brother TONNI very close around me again. Because after he passed away in 1987, I missed him so much and giving my bears his name it felt like he is always around me again, and I know for one that he would be very proud.

I get a lot of help from my husband Reinder, he does a lot of drawing, helps with the stuffing from the arms and legs. It is a shame that you can’t meet him on every show I go to, he has his fulltime job, but his soul is around the bears.

As you probable all know I make everything by myself including the clothes but sometimes my mom will come over to my place to help me.

My bears have not changed a lot over the years because they never lost their “old look” which is also due of the fact that Reinder and I love old and antique things. We are always on the search for “old things” for our own display but mostly for the bears.

Bearly hugs,
Marjan Jorritsma"

To see these and other bears by this great artist, please click on the header above.

Steiff Kinder have arrived, and they are......

2007-10-09T08:57:00.000+01:00

absolutely Fabulous.

Sophie and Lukas
Limited Edition 500
Height 17 inches tall.

Collectors of STEIFF and R. JOHN WRIGHT have been given a special treat this year with the production of an important series of dolls designed in conjunction with both companies:

THE STEIFF KINDER.

As many collectors know, the products of the legendary Steiff company provided the earliest inspiration for R. John Wright creations. Now, 25 years after the first R. John Wright children dolls appeared, the story has come full circle with an exciting new collection of Steiff children dolls combining the best of the old and the new!

The Premiere Series will consist of the four children dolls shown above.
Measuring approximately 17" tall, fully jointed and made entirely of felt, the dolls feature molded faces sculpted by R. John Wright to evoke the early child dolls produced by the Margarete Steiff Toy Factory in the early 1900's. With hand painted features, inset glass eyes, and mohair wigs, the dolls are dressed in detailed clothing and accessories made of the finest materials in designs reflective of their German heritage .

The Steiff Kinder will be produced by R. John Wright Dolls in a numbered limited edition of 500 pieces each.
The first two dolls in the series, "Lukas" and "Sophie", will be released this summer.
The second two dolls, "Mathias" and "Katharina", are scheduled for release later in the year.

As a guarantee of authenticity, each will feature the trademark Steiff button in ear as well as the customary brass 'RJW' button.

The Steiff Kinder will come beautifully boxed with accompanying signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.

Matched number sets will be offered subject to availability.

To order these dolls please click on the header above.

Halloween Treats can be SCRATCHED up and BOILED up in the cauldron they call....

2007-10-04T10:47:00.000+01:00

...Apple Pie House. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha !!!!!!!!!!

IT'S HALLOWEEN

It's Halloween! It's Halloween!
The moon is full and bright
And we shall see what can't be seen
On any other night.

Skeletons and ghosts and ghouls,
Grinning goblins fighting duels,
Werewolves rising from their tombs,
Witches on their magic brooms.

In masks and gowns
we haunt the street
And knock on doors
for trick or treat.

Tonight we are
the king and queen,
For oh tonight
it's Halloween!

So why not click on the header above and have a GRAVE time looking at all the FRIGHTFUL delights available for this Halloween.

Appley Dapply is preparing to make the finest pies, she has...

2007-09-28T10:04:00.000+01:00

....ever made.

The first batch were good, but she is now going for the ultimate selection, so because of this, and of course we wouldn't want to rush a perfectionist, Appley Dapply has asked for a little more time in the kitchen.

So the pies will be ready and Appley Dappley will present them a little later than expected, so please bare with us while we await the amazing baking skills of Appley Dapply.

Even though Appley Dapply is not ready with her pies, she has been selling very well, so do not miss out on this very limited little mouse, for more information, please click on the header above.

Steiff Teddy Baby Blue bounces in with a chuckle and...

2007-09-17T12:17:00.000+01:00

a beautiful big smile.

Teddy Baby Blue Ean 037085 Ltd Ed. 1500

To order your, please click on the header above.

CupCake by R John Wright is coming soon!!!! We are....

2007-09-14T11:01:00.000+01:00

....pleased to announce that we have contacted the shop in Taiwan, who is having this bear made as a store Exclusive, and they have allowed us to sell Cupcake for them in the UK.

We are awaiting delivery of these bears as soon as they arrive, we will post Cupcake on the website .

Until then for all enquiries please call us on 01531 635 290 or email shop@applepiehouse.com.

To see other great bears by R John Wright, please click on the header above or go to the Index page and choose one of the many catagories for R John Wright.

Cider Apple Bears arrive from Dean's and.......

2007-09-13T09:43:00.000+01:00

..... other great creations from the new Autumn / Winter 2007 catalogue.

CIDER APPLE BEARS
Dean's launched a brand new range of mini bears by the name of Cider Apple Bears, inspired by our home county of Herefordshire's most famous export, cider!

These bears each measure apporximately 7" (17cm) and each come with an exclusive Dean's Cider Apple pendant.

They will each be limited to just 100 pieces.

Joining this great collection of mini bears are such delights as

Little Marcle Ltd.25 height 15 inches ( If you are quick we have number one of the edition. )

Percy Panda Ltd.20 Height 14 inches

To view these and other wonderful pieces by Dean's, please click on the header above.