I have an original Teddy Roosevelt bear circa 1903. Made by Morris Michtom in Brooklyn, New York.

[robercsech]

How do I find a value, price for him. When this old bear of mine has never been sold before in modern times? In my years of research, he is the only one in the world!

[robercsech]

All my life I have been buying and selling antiques and collectibles for a quick profit. As a hobby. Well not this time. I am a retired California Correctional Officer. And believe me, I do know the meaning of telling the truth. For the first ten years of owning this bear. My researched focused on its face. Then in the year 2000 I began looking for bears with matching body parts. Witch took me to the Smithsonian bear. He compares very good to the body style. Not the face. Both the Smithsonia bear and my old bear was manufactured by the same maker! To this day I am trying to prove myself wrong but I can"t. On day a few years ago I took my bear to this Doll and Teddy bear show at the fair grounds. Walking around to the Teddy bear artist tables to show off my great find. When this lady introduced herself as having many years as a vintage teddy bear restorer. She took a good look at my my old bear and said, "he is an Ideal bear alright, " you have the million dollar bear. I then quickly told her my bear belongs in the Smithsonian Institute! She responded by saying., " they''ll just want you to donate him. I then moved on. Just recently I contacted both the MET museum and The childrens museum in New York and yes they do want me to donate my bear to them! And yes everybody is entittled to their opinion. Some people believe and some people don't. I do understand. After all this original teddy bear was lost in time! No one in today's living world has a clue what this bear should look like! Again, I have put the pieces together like no one has ever done before. Even the experts just don't know what this bear should look like. And some experts don't even believe that Morris Michtom Hand made teddy bears above his novelty shop by night and sold them by day. This teddy bear story is a legend. I know for a fact that New York had its way of documenting important times in their history. And many pieces of this true story are out there and no one has taken the time to put them together. Until now!

[bethy56]

This is the Smithsonian bear.  I see no resemblance whatsoever.  By the way, in your blog you were critical of Ken Yenke for not responding to you?  He was in an unsuccessful fight with leukemia.  He just passed away very recently.  So I hope you will be more charitable in your opinion  - 

[robercsech]

     I am so sorry to hear about Ken Yenke. The world will miss him. He was at the highest level in today's teddy bear world. Several times he was sent pictures of my old bear but never a reply!  About this picture of the Smithsonian bear. One needs to have a good eye! I can see many characteristics that match my bear.  American bears have these large heads. See the distance between the eyes. See the distance between the ears. The ears being lower on the head. The head is tilted. All experts know for a fact that early Idal bears have this big metal joint in the neck. Through the years of age this caused the stuffing below the joint to smash or settle. Causing the head to tilt. You can see that the Smithsonia bear has a neck. This bear has spent a life in a museum. Not played with much. When my bear had a normal life of being played with, there for my bears neck is fully settled, smashed down. When I pull his head up, there is about one inch of loose material. See the S/B belly and waist they are the same. Except my old bear does not have this streight seem up his belly as in production line. See the S/B legs. Early Ideal bears are know for their turkey leg look, like a drum stick. See the thin anckles leading to the short feet angled down ward to the bears toes. These are early Ideal bears characteristics. See the S/B rounded bottom of his feet. This bear was not designed to stand upright. My thoughts are that this S/B was a very early production bear when the Michtom's founded The Ideal Novelty and Toy Company in 1907. By then ideal bear no longer stood upright. Lots of changes, The Michtom's were very good at creating many styles of bears. My old bear is the same height as the S/B when I pull his head up. Do you notice the Smithsonian bears longer paws. Well my thoughts are  as the Michtom's began their new company in 1907. They were told they would face fierce compitition with Steiff. So the Michtom's made their bears with this longer paws, to give the longer arm look. To look similar to the Steiff bear. Even in one of their early adverizement they say why by the import bear when their bears look alike. In antiques we pay attention to the smallest detailes!   And buy the way, this nice lady who said my bear was an Ideal bear alright," "he is the million dollar bear," Her name is Celia Baham. She is a very well respected person in Today's teddy bear artist world. She is the nomber one doctor for Bears and Buds magazine. She knows her antique teddy bears!  

[bethy56]

Honestly - if you had found such an amazing bear - I would be happy for you.  The teddy bear world would be happy for you.  Ken Yenke would have been happy for you.  But your bear is not what you think it is, and it is apparent that you are going to believe what you believe even if 50 respected authorities on bears told you the same thing.  I don't know you, don't care one way or another about you as a person - but I know a little about bears and wrote for Teddy Bear Review for several years.  I have a reference library of about 75 books on teddy bears.  I have read extensively about them, and I have a very early Ideal bear myself along with several other antique bears. Frodo is extremel well versed on antique bears and offered the same observation as have several others you have contacted.  The Smithsonian bear has a documented provenance directly from the Michtoms - from their website - 

The story of Roosevelt's unsuccessful bear hunt sparked the imagination of Morris Michtom, who asked his wife Rose to create a toy plush bear to commemorate the event. According to family lore, Michtom said he received personal approval from Roosevelt himself when he asked to use the President's nickname "Teddy" for the bear. The popularity of the bear led to the highly successful Ideal Novelty and Toy Company in New York, founded by Michtom around 1903. Benjamin Michton, son of Ideal's founder, gave the bear to Roosevelt's grandson Kermit, his wife and their children, in late 1963. The toy was in the family's possession for just one month before curator Herb Collins accepted it for the museum in January, 1964. The bear dates to 1903 and is in perfect condition.

[pelainec2]

    Hello, Here it is April 4th, 2016 . I have tried to post my old bear sitting next to a picture of the famous Smithsonian bear. Side by side, so you out there can see how similar the two bear are. If you have good eyes to see the simlarities as I do. Then You'll see to. Start from the bears head down, See the shape of their two top heads. See the distance of the bears ears.. See the bears eyes, the distance, The Michtom's were good at what they did. My bear was shaped with a full muzzel. The famouse Smithsonian bear was shaped with now so full of a muzzel. That's why the faces , width of their heads change. See the bear shoulders. shape of the two bears arms. paws curved upward.  see the belly's The tubby look. Now see the bears drumstick leg look. from their thin ankles  upwards. this is a trait of early Michtom bears. I found my old bear on the cover of this 1906 book Tittled The teddy bears. published in 1906 in New York. This rare book was featured in Playthings magazine in 1907 saying, These are genuine Teddy Bears of the Plush Kind for all ages. See for yorself.   Now a few yearsw ago , I took my old bear to the fair grounds . At this Doll and teddy bear  fair.  As I walked my old bear around to teddy bear artist tables. The lady introduced herself as Celia Baham , She said she had many years a Vintage teddy bear restorer. She took a good look at my old bear and said. He is an Ideal bear alright,, !!   You have the million dollar bear. I told here my old bear belongs in the Smithsonian. She then said all they will want you to do is to donate him.  She then told me she would be listening on the news to hear about the discovery of my bear.  Later that week I looked up her name and read about how Celia baham is so well liked amoung teddy bear artist today. Why she is the no one doctor of Bears and Buds magazine on the web. She knows what she is talking about!!   No one will never know how many of these original teddy bears the Michtom's made because the Michtom's never obtained patents or copyrights to the early teddy bears. the Michtom's created this first style Teddy to stand upright and to have this full open mouth that smiled . Including dimples to enhance the bears smile. Did you know that President Theodore Roosevelt was the first President in the White House that smiled. !!!!,   I have the world's finest example of America's original teddy bear.  See the closing seem up the famouse Smithsonion bear, up his belly. As done in production line teddy bears. Now look at my old bear. His closing seem up his belly is done by puckers. Not a streight seem up his beey. a zig zag seem done in such a way to hide the seem. Done by knoledgeable seemstress as the Michtom's were. As in Hand Made. 

[pelainec2]

   Yes in 1907, just right down the steet from Morris Michtom, the Ideal Toy and Novelty co. Columbia teddy bear company manufactured one style teddy bear. they tried to get on the band wagon of Morris Michtom's first style teddy bear. With its open mouth and manufacture a bear that would make the rich. Yes a golden bear with a open mouth. Sense Morris Michto mno longer made bears with a full open mouth. They wanted to get rich and popular like Morris Michtom did with his first teddy bear/ with his full open mouth. But one thing ruined that idea. The Columbia teddy bear company made their bears with teeth. and whe n the children of the time saw this new Columbia teddy bear with teeth. Thay wanted nothing to do with it. So the Columbia teddy bear co. short lived one year and they were out of business. Other teddy bear companies poped up. To get on the Morris Michtom's band wagon. Why this continues to the day. At least the columbia teddy bear company got one thing right. They made their teddy bears of golden mohair. Just like Morris Michtom bears were in the beginning. 

[pelainec2]

  The Famous Smithsonian bear has no triangular head. Morris Michtom did make many style teddy bears. In books the earliest known Morris Michtom bears had these little felt tongues peeping out of its mouth. and throught the history of Ideal Toy and Novelty Co. The Michtom's had bears with a smile and a little red felt tongue peeping out of its mouth. This was there way of reminding the world of their original Teddy roosevelt bear. With its red tongue and a smile. The early years , like the 1906 google eyed bears were a line of downgraded Teddy Roosevelt bear. As time went on the Michtom's needed to produce more volume of bears. As the demand grew. By 1905 teddy bears no longer stood upright. I have this contact on the computer of this lady who I say has the only Morris Michtom 1904 teddy bear in the world. And I can proove it. Soon I will contact her to get her permission to post her ber on my pages. the world will be amazed!!  es the MIchtom's were very creative. They had the ability to do so. Throughout the history of The Ideal Novelty and Toy Co. the Michtom's hade so much creativity and innovation. As they had from the very beginning. Please keep in mind. The MIchtom's produced a very small amount of teddy bears in their early years. Compared to the famous German manufactures. Who always produced in the millions of production bears. This is the main factor why early Morris Michtom bears survived in very low amounts. One or two, here and there. There a known to be fifty plus Rod bears from 1904 to survive. Early Ideal or Morris Michtom bears are so very rare. 

[pelainec2]

This book , the parade of the teddy bears was published to honor Morris Michtom's 1904 BIG teddy bears. This very rare 1904 Mictom bear has been discovered . The owner Sallie Morrison of Michigan is very proud of her very rare Michtom bear. It is the only one of its kind on this computer. These early bears of the Michtom's just didn't survive. So few of them were made. This bear belongs in the Smthsonian Institute. he stand forty-two inches tall. He is in all original condition. The people of New York were so proud of Michtom's creation of the teddy bear. That the local manufacturers created many objects to honor this wonderful time in there history. Toys books music, and other teddy bear novelties. 

[pelainec2]

In 2014 I submitted a photo of my unique bear to this Smithsonian photo contest for 2014.  And they posted my bears photo on this Icon, Smithsonian Photo contest site.  And there my bears photo has been ever sense.  Please Google up,    Icon, Smithsonian Photo Contest.    Then hit next page  or  Hit Most Viewed.   See my bears photo.  I'm sure the Smithsonian are experts in research. They know my old bear is for real.  And some day I will donate him to the Smithsonian. 

[pelainec2]

Here we are in April of 2018. And my old bear is still featured on Icon, Smithsonian Photo Contest.  Please Google up and now hit Most Viewed.  See my old bear. 

[pelainec2]

Oh, six years ago I took mt bear to this Vallejo, ca. Doll and teddy bear at the fair grounds. As I stopped at the teddy bear tables. A nice lady by the name of Celia Baham, wanted to take a good look at my bear. So she did and then said. He's an Ideal bear alright, " You have the million dollar bear. She has been restoring old teddy bears for many years. She know's what I have. From Robert Csech

[rosieposeybears]

Ouch! Trolling is not nice! We are here to talk openly and informatively and to share knowledge. Just because someone disagrees doesn't make them your enemy.

[futurespast1113]

I've been watching this post for years waiting for an update on it. I think I found another bear like the OP's that was sold on Etsy. I saw this bear and immediately remembered this old thread. The bear has flat fabric carded feet like the OP's also. Could it be a Gottfried Kraeber Co. "Gokra"  teddy bear? The open mouth with felt tongue looks a lot like OP's bear:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/619236186/antique-teddy-bear?show_sold_out_detail=1