Teddies 2008 – a major event for teddy collectors

This Bebbin Bear will be there

IT’S getting to that time of year when across the UK, bear collectors’ hearts start to beat a little bit faster as they eagerly anticipate Teddies 2008, the second Hugglets event of the year.

The Hugglets organisation has been staging teddy bear festivals since 1989 and currently holds two each year, the Winter BearFest in February and the Teddies Festival on September 14.

The experience it has gained in this specialist field over the years has helped it to understand exactly what it takes to stage a successful show: outstanding exhibitors representing the best the bear world has to offer, an easily accessible location with good facilities, and excellent promotion of the event to ensure visitors pour through the doors.

These elements combine to make Hugglets shows vibrant, exciting occasions that are equally enjoyable for exhibitors and collectors.

The venue for Teddies 2008 (and also for the Winter BearFest) is Kensington Town Hall, which has spacious halls, good refreshment facilities and an underground car park that costs just £4 for all-day parking on a Sunday.

This makes driving to the show an affordable option, particularly as there is no congestion charge at the weekend.

However, for those who prefer public transport, the venue is a very short walk from Kensington High Street tube station, and plenty of buses stop there as well (check routes at www.londonbusroutes.net).

While this accessibility has certainly played a part in enticing bear collectors to visit the Hugglets Festivals, it is the quality and variety of the exhibitors that keeps them coming back for more.

For any arctophile worthy of the name, the lure of over 170 stands displaying beautifully crafted artist bears, fascinating vintage teds and soft toys, new limited editions from leading manufacturers and much more besides is virtually impossible to resist.

Before any Hugglets show opens, a queue of enthusiastic collectors grows outside the Town Hall, gradually building until it snakes its way across the Town Hall forecourt and down into Hornton Street – sometimes, as was the case most recently – reaching down virtually as far as Kensington High Street.

This happens not because bear collectors enjoy queuing but because they want to reach their favourite exhibitor before anyone else has a chance to nab any of the treasures on offer.

For old bear addicts, getting in early is important as there is the prospect of finding a rare or sought after item, while for fans of a particular artist, it is vital to be among the first to get to their stand as it has been known for the hottest artists to sell their entire stock within the first hour.

* The article above is taken from the September 2008 of Collect It! Magazine which also features a preview of many of the exhibitors attending Teddies 2008. To order a copy of the magazine online, click here.