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AIBU

Teddy bears.

(105 Posts)
kircubbin2000 Mon 09-May-22 14:29:48

Am I wrong in thinking this is odd and eccentric? I have noticed on a photo site I look at , a lot of people who collect teddy bears,as Prince Andrew does, and who seem to include them in everything they do.They take photos of them on holiday, out for meals, doing the shopping, cooking dinner,taking the bus etc. Sometimes 2 or 3 bears accompany them everywhere,have names and are generally treated as real.

Ilovecheese Mon 09-May-22 14:41:48

Do you mean grown adults? or are these the school teddies that children take home in the holidays, then take pictures to take into school?

kircubbin2000 Mon 09-May-22 14:47:35

No, these are grown adults. Perhaps they live alone and the teddies are make believe kids.

kircubbin2000 Mon 09-May-22 14:49:14

I've just googled and there is a thing called plushophelia!
It's a wet day here so I'm down a rabbit hole!

Jaffacake2 Mon 09-May-22 15:13:22

As long as nobody gets hurt what does it matter if adults have teddy bears ?

Vintagejazz Mon 09-May-22 15:16:16

It does sound a bit odd.

Assuming it's childless people who live alone is a bit insulting to that demographic though.

Chewbacca Mon 09-May-22 15:29:10

Gyles Brandreth is an arctophile, the formal term for a person who collects, or is very fond of teddy bears, and he recently donated 1,000 of his bears to a museum in Yorkshire. I suppose GB could be considered odd and eccentric but it doesn't appear to have done him any harm and certainly isn't harming anyone else. Each to their own.......

Jaffacake2 Mon 09-May-22 15:31:04

I like teddy bears. I didn't have one as a child and now have 5. Am I odd ?

Zoejory Mon 09-May-22 15:32:06

I think it's lovely. Reminds me a bit of Teddy Edwards and his Travels.

This has been going on for a while. There was a child who lost his bear on a plane and the crew kept taking photos of teddy and what he was getting up to until he managed to get back to his small owner.

Then we had gnome napping. Gnome got stolen from gardens then he was photographed having a great time around the world until he was put back in owner's garden. With a tan.

I googled and there are many groups for this, I like it.

A Japanese travel company actually offered tours for teddy bears!

www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2892357/Japanese-company-offers-holidays-TEDDY-BEARS-complete-tours-Europe-souvenir-pictures-sent-owners.html

Maggiemaybe Mon 09-May-22 15:32:07

I confess that my much-loved childhood teddy, Edward, lives on a chair in the spare room (just the one of him though). Poor soul never goes anywhere - he's lost his voice box and a lot of his straw stuffing, is pretty much threadbare and looks a bit sorry for himself, particularly since DGS6 yanked out one of his glass eyes a few months ago and had to be stopped from eating it, narrowly avoiding a dash to A & E. Inspired by The Repair Shop, I've thought about having him restored to his former glory but decided he wouldn't be "him" then (after I'd found out how much it would cost grin).

I do say good morning to him and pat him on the head whenever I'm passing. smile

HowVeryDareYou Mon 09-May-22 15:43:26

I know a woman of 38 who does that. Her bear went on honeymoon with them, goes on every holiday (and she's made clothes for it) She's also got a doll that she's got things for - a pram, crib, etc. This lady is married with sons aged 10 and 6. I wonder if she'd have liked a daughter.

Dickens Mon 09-May-22 15:49:26

s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/6e/54/69/6e5469ebe5756751461b1781031182b3--big-teddy-brideshead-revisited.jpg

... Remember BRIDESHEAD REVISITED... Lord Sebastian Flyte?

LOL

MissAdventure Mon 09-May-22 15:51:40

Oh, the thought of prince Andrew with a teddy bear.
Bleurgh!

Joane123 Mon 09-May-22 15:53:37

I love teddy bears. I had a sort out when we moved and most went to the charity shop. I have two left that sit on the bedding box.

Casdon Mon 09-May-22 15:54:07

I don’t think it’s any more odd to collect teddy bears than it is to collect china, or stamps, or whatever. People collect all sorts of weird things, don’t they? The only one that freaks me out is those dolls that look like real babies.

Juliet27 Mon 09-May-22 15:55:27

I accidentally knocked my very old Teddy out of the cupboard the other day. I said sorry and gave him a kiss before I put him back. Am I odd?

Vintagejazz Mon 09-May-22 16:03:07

Casdon

I don’t think it’s any more odd to collect teddy bears than it is to collect china, or stamps, or whatever. People collect all sorts of weird things, don’t they? The only one that freaks me out is those dolls that look like real babies.

I agree that adults collecting Teddy bears isn't odd. But bringing them out and about with you is surely unusual behaviour?

Beechnut Mon 09-May-22 16:18:55

Juliet27

I accidentally knocked my very old Teddy out of the cupboard the other day. I said sorry and gave him a kiss before I put him back. Am I odd?

Definitely not. You’re a loving Teddy mum ?

Chewbacca Mon 09-May-22 16:33:58

I agree that adults collecting Teddy bears isn't odd. But bringing them out and about with you is surely unusual behaviour?

Unusual behaviour - possibly, but without the eccentrics amongst us, it would be a dull old world. We need more eccentrics.

Georgesgran Mon 09-May-22 16:36:02

I believe Grayson Perry takes his teddy, Alan Measles, with him on motor bike rides.

AreWeThereYet Mon 09-May-22 16:36:11

When we were on holiday in NZ one Christmas years ago we returned to the hotel each evening to find a bottle of Champers and a small teddy on the bed. It was getting like a teddy bears picnic after a few days so we asked the receptionist why they kept appearing. They were apparently a Christmas gift for staying each night over Christmas. We gave most of the Champers back (we were travelling around) and left with five teddies. One we called Wellington, and he was tucked into the top of MrA's rucksack while we were travelling. At the airport one day I was a bit gobsmacked to see a group of schoolchildren all crowded behind MrA (absorbed in a travel guide) all giggling and pointing and taking photos. I was very relieved to find it was Wellington that was drawing the crowds, not a pair of MrA's undies hanging out of his rucksack. His mate, Duncton Bear, used to sit in the back seat of my car when I commuted to work. Now they both live on a bookshelf in the bedroom.

Judy54 Mon 09-May-22 16:44:11

I always loved Teddy Bears as a child (never dolls) and still do. I still have my childhood Teddy rather battered but still loved. I would not go so far as including him everything I do and taking him out for meals and photographing him ( he is not very photogenic anymore, but neither am I come to that) Each to their own!

Callistemon21 Mon 09-May-22 16:51:38

Inspired by The Repair Shop, I've thought about having him restored to his former glory but decided he wouldn't be "him" then (after I'd found out how much it would cost)
Maggiemaybe my childhood Teddy is in a box in the attic - I really should have a go at being a Teddy Lady and repairing him myself.

In the meantime, he has been usurped by a teddy I won in a raffle who sits on DGD's bed. I do chat to him sometimes. He's lovely and he never answers back

Chewbacca Mon 09-May-22 17:00:06

I had my 2 childhood teddy bears repaired about 10 years ago and it cost me £50 per bear.

Chocolatelovinggran Mon 09-May-22 17:07:48

Now you've piqued my interest, Chewbacca.
Where would I go to have my bear repaired ?