U is for Ursine Urethane

Following on from this morning's stripy bumble-bear, we have not so much a box-ticker as a 'deck-clearer' with one of the Blog's occasional looks at what bear-related stuff has come in over the last year or so, and 'teddy' rather that realistic - it wouldn't do to get ones bears muddled-up!

This pair was going to be in a post called 'Cats and Bears', well; the post would probably have been called something else, but the folder was C&B as they all came together in a 50p-each type charity shop purchase. But then it turned out the cats were more interesting, so these two vinyl lumps were cast aside, while I sought something to make a 'T is for Two . . . ' post!

The sculpting is slightly different on them but the overall style is so similar they have to be from the same source and - presumably - that will be one of these hideously expensive, seemingly endless series of designer-tat sets you see in high-street jewellers - the most honest things ever said about them having been uttered by Gerald Ratner!

Also they were probably the smaller lower priced, entry-level pieces in a range with larger examples and great lumps of PU 'family groups', mothers with cubs and the like? Yet vey affordable years later in a charity shop! Not 100% sure they're not supposed to be an attempt at realistic bears, but the foot-pads earned them a place in the 'teddies' box.

This catalogue shot was the other half of the T-is-for-two post, and shows a few common-enough London tourist keepsakes, probably carried by other 'names' but wholesaled through the recently folded MGL.

Similar to the soft PVC household cavalry and similar policeman we've seen here at Small Scale World in the past, but poured resin, and the key-ring artwork seems to be mocked-up Photoshop type stuff, but I'm sure they were made and distributed, and; by more than just Marshall's!

Another charity shop purchase and we were on a roll - for a bear post!

These two were a further charity shop purchase a few weeks after the previous lot, slightly bigger and from another series of over-priced baubles. Different artists/designers I suspect, but the same brand?

The one on the right came in the other day, and is shot here to size-up against the other pair.

I think he's a Clinton's Cards thing?* I'm pretty sure I've seen stationary and greeting-cards with these patchwork/patched-up bears, slowly easing-out the execrable Love Is... stuff over the last decade or so, even Snoopy-licensed stuff isn't as common as it was!

*Google says - Me to You bears . . . there's hundreds of 'em!

Finally - I can't remember where this one came from, the shots were taken on the 19th May, so it could have been in the PW Show Plunder (Peter, Brian, Trevor or purchase), several large mixed lots I got from charity shops around that time, or even Jim's box? If it was you - thanks!

It's similar to the little blow-moulded novelty bears we've also seen here before, usually flocked, but this one is a solid-moulded, polyethylene lump and I don't know if it should be flocked. It is - equally - similar to the 'baby shower' bear we saw here too, so may be something like that, in which case the flock is ruled-out by the Pink & Blue rule!