Hi Sally,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

These are sweet bears, which I'm sure have great sentimental value to you, having kept them for 75 years or more. The market for teddy bears has changed a bit as the usual collecting base has died off and there are fewer young collectors in the category to take their place but I'll give you a good sense of who made these and what such bears are selling for on the secondary market (auction).

After two world wars and disrupted by serious economic problems, many of the world's primary teddy-bear manufacturers ceased to exist following World War II. By 1960, new safety rules were put into place that restricted the design and manufacture of teddy bears and largely, they are considered to be lacking in character and appeal.

Fortunately, your bears were made before that. Both of these bears are similar to two British bear-making companies - Merrythought and Chad Valley - in the shaping of their ears and muzzles. Today, bears in sizes comparable to yours made by either company that have such wear and losses (the eye of the smaller is lacking, the paw pads of the larger are worn and may also be lacking, etc) rarely sell above $100 in the case of the smaller bear and $150 in the case of the larger. They might bring more money if the condition is better but those repairs are usually costly and likely not worth it.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, these are:

Two vintage cream mohair jointed teddy bear
made in post-war Britain, attributed to Merrythought or Chad Valley, circa 1948-1950
both with glass eyes, yarn mouth, leather paw pads to the larger one, stitched claws, center seams and jointed bodies.
12 and 16 inches tall
CONDITION: Both bears with years of loving wear and commensurate losses.
PROVENANCE: Original owner
Smaller bear: $50-100*
Larger bear: $100-150
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia