Merrythought was one of Britain's longest running British-made teddy bear firms with a dedicated international following for their quality, highly collectable bears whose lifesize models used to dominate stores such as Harrods and Hamleys. This book, with its quality colour illustrations and use of original sales material will appeal to teddy bear collectors as well as dedicated Merrythought fans and is full of tips on collecting the popular toys. Written by leading teddy bear expert, Kathy Martin, editor of Teddy Bear Scene and a regular on programmes such as QVC as well as a consultant to firms producing collectable bears, this is a must for collectors, dealers and those who loved their own Merrythought teddy bears when young. After a short-term closure, Merrythought was revived and will delight future generations. Its closure made headlines news, showing the enduring popularity of the quality bears. AUTHOR: Kathy Martin is the former editor of Teddy Bear Scene and Features Editor of Collect It!, the best-selling collectables magazine in the UK. She has appeared as a teddy bear expert on a number of TV shows, including QVC and is much in demand for her expertise not just by collectors but in an advisory role to firms producing collectable teddy bears. Kathy lives in Wokingham, Berks and Collect It! Is based in Bourne, Lincs. SELLING POINTS: * How to spot a genuine Merrythought, foreword by renowned teddy bear collector and former teddy museum owner, Giles Brandreth * Detailed history of Merrythought bears and its designers, includes original material and interviews * What to check ? repairs, fakes, labels changed so the bears seem older than they are * What to buy e.g. rarest bears, colours and labels * Teddy bear timeline * Original sales material reproduced ? most of it never seen by collectors * Section on other toys by the famous British maker * Directory of museums, teddy bear hospitals and specialist dealers and publications ILLUSTRATIONS 150 colour photos *
