Teddy Bears and Steiff Animals: First Series Sale Price: $5.49
	This series is considered to be the standard reference among collectors of teddy bears and Steiff collectibles. Each book contains hundreds of full-color examples, loads of information, complete descriptions, and collector values...

	Steiff Fynn Teddy bear - Russet Sale Price: $34.64
	Soft and fluffy bear.

	Teddy Bear Collecting For Fun, Profit And Because They Are Cuddly
	The first Teddy Bear was designed and made by Rose and MorrisMichtom. The Michtoms were influenced by Teddy Roosevelt andClifford Berryman.It seems that in November 1902, President Theodore 'Teddy'Roosevelt traveled to Mississippi to settle a border dispute between Louisiana and Mississippi...

	Steiff Sweet Dreams Lamb Music Box Pale Pink Sale Price: $40.49
	Steiff Sweet Dreams Lamb Music Box - Pale Pink Made of soft plush for babies soft skin, with removable music box. Machine washable Complies with Oekotex Standard 100 Product Measures: 8" x 8" x 4" Recommended Ages: 0 years & up

	Steiff 2011 Teddy Poverman Heirloom Bear Sale Price: $325.00
	he wears an airbrushed, aged vest embroidered with holiday symbols-heart, a flag, and a Shamrock-symbolizing just some holidays for which he was dressed throughout the years. (Our Steiff Family Heirloom Series pays tribute to Teddies with interesting stores and that led fascinating lives...

	Steiff Teddy Kapitan EAN 667954 Sale Price: $349.99
	Bring some turn-of-the-century nostalgia to your Steiff collection with Teddy Kapitan. This 20-inch, five-way jointed classic is made from sun-bleached looking grey mohair. He is handsomely attired in a dapper navy blue uniform jumper, complete with nautically-inspired buttons and trim...

	VW STEIFF TEDDY BEAR Sale Price: $54.95
	A cult toy for the heart. The "Button in ear" is one of the oldest and most famous brand marks and represents highest quality. Volkswagen Lifestyle offers enthusiasts and collectors a Genuine Steiff teddy bear made of soft, cuddly plush with the "button in ear"...

	Teddy Bears and Me
	A book about all things Teddy Bear, from the history of some of the famous makers to Artist Bears and from war time Teddy Bear stories to stories about the Teddy Bears I own.

	Steiff Fynn Teddy Bear - Beige Sale Price: $23.19

	Teddy Bears: All You Need To Know About How To Collect Them,Make Them And Make Money From Them
	Teddy bears really can make you money. Many work-at-home people are figuring this out for themselves. No one likes to have to clock into work every morning and fight traffic just to get there. If you have a passion for teddy bears or crafting this could definitely be the business for you...

Most of us who turn wood come from a woodworking background in flat work. The wood lathe opens up a new world of woodworking with new tools that have their own learning curve and the preferred way to learn is to turn simple projects. A file handle meets the basic criteria of a woodturning project for learning purposes in being inexpensive, entertaining, and useful as a finished item as well as teaching important skills in basic woodturning.

All that is needed for a file handle is a square of wood and, if desired, a scrap piece of copper pipe for a ferrule. The tools that are used are the roughing gouge to reduce the wood square to round; a parting tool to determine the finished diameters, reduce the ferrule section and part off the handle; and a spindle gouge to leave a finger groove for comfort.

A trip to the woodpile should give a suitable piece of wood for the handle. In fact, since a square of about 1 1/4" will be sufficient, a piece of ash or maple will likely supply three or four appropriate blocks. Just a few minutes at the band saw or other cutting station and the wood should be ready to go.

Mark the centres on each end mount the wood between spur center at the head stock of the wood lathe and the tail stock at the other end. Make sure the wood will clear the tool rest before turning on the lathe. There will be some discussion among wood turners as to what the appropriate speed should be, but basically the speed with which you are comfortable is a good one to use. For things this size 1200 rpm is likely good to start.

The roughing gouge is used to turn the wood to a rough cylinder. In conjunction with a measuring gauge, the parting tool is used to determine the final diameters of the butt end, hand grip, finger grip, and ferrule. Either the roughing gouge or the spindle gouge can be used to cut to the final surface but the spindle gouges will generally give a smoother texture and can be used for all the shaping or for the final cut before sanding.

The finger section gives a comfortable feel to the tool and is coved with the spindle gouge. This is the section that really emphasizes cutting with the grain and is a valuable learning place for new wood turners. Similarly the ferrule section needs precise cutting with the parting tool to precisely fit the pipe section. After a quick sanding and finish on the lathe with a bit of shellac, if desired, it can then be parted off and another one mounted.

One of the delights of a woodturning project like this is giving it away to a woodworking friend. Most commercial file handles are miserable to use and a poor fit to most hands so this is a welcome addition to any woodworker's tool kit. Also, the gratitude is usually more than sufficient to inspire the next one and the one after that. After all, in woodturning as in most other things, practise makes perfect, or at least close.

Darrell Feltmate is a juried wood turner whose web site, Around the Woods, contains detailed information about wood turning for the novice or experienced turner as well as a collection of turnings for your viewing pleasure. You too can learn to turn wood, here is the place to start. Wondering what it looks like? Follow the page links for a free video.

There are several wood turning projects fully explained on the web site. In particular, a selection of beginner's projects may be found on the Beginner's Projects page complete with explanation and step by step photos.

Plans and instructions with pictures for turning the file handle here can be found at http://aroundthewoods.com/woodturningbasics/projects/filehandle/filehandle1.html

I have a 1992 Steiff teddy bear and I want to sell him. How much and where is best to sell?

He is jointed and he growls. He has never been played with, just put in a cupboard. He is quite large about 22 inches. Is ebay the best option? Is he worth a lot of money?
Thanks because I don't know anything about Steiff bears.

50 quid starting bid

	Steiff Sleep Well Bear Pale Pink 11" Sale Price: $38.99
	Steiff Sleep Well Bear - Pale Pink Steiff Sleep Well Bear is made of beige plush for babies soft skinwith a pink and white stripe outfit. This plush complies with Oekotex Standard 100 Machine washable at 86 degrees Fahrenheit Product Measures: 11" x 9...

	Steiff Sweet Dreams Lamb Music Box Pale Pink Sale Price: $40.49
	Steiff Sweet Dreams Lamb Music Box - Pale Pink Made of soft plush for babies soft skin, with removable music box. Machine washable Complies with Oekotex Standard 100 Product Measures: 8" x 8" x 4" Recommended Ages: 0 years & up

	Steiff Sleep well bear comforter, pink [Baby Product] [Baby Product] Sale Price: $23.50
	Steiff Sleep Well Bear Comforter has a face made from baby-soft plush pink with the name Steiff embroidered on the front. Babies love playing with the knots on each corner. Machine washable. Yellow label with the famous Steiff gold plated button in the ear...

	Steiff Sweet Dreams Lamb Pale Pink 11" Sale Price: $35.09
	Steiff Sweet Dreams Lamb - Pale Pink Made of soft plush for babies soft skin. Machine washable Complies with Oekotex Standard 100 Product Measures: 11" x 10" x 4" Recommended Ages: 0 years & up

	Steiff Bertie Baby Pantom Bear Sale Price: $199.99
	Pantom animals first appeared in the Steiff catalog in 1911. These marionette rarities, which take their name from the word "pantomime," were designed by Albert Schlopsnies, a creative mastermind who worked with Steiff in the early part of last century...

	Steiff Baby Softshell Cuddly Blanket Blue Sale Price: $59.00
	New! Plush for baby soft skin. Complies with Oeko-Tex standard 100Machine washableSize: 39 inchesEAN: 238840New in its original plastic

	Steiff Sleep Well Bear Music Box Beige Sale Price: $20.00

	Steiff Sleep Well Bear Blue 11" Sale Price: $38.99
	Steiff Sleep Well Bear - Blue Steiff Sleep Well Bear is made of beige plush for baby-soft skin. Sleep Well Bear, Blue wears a blue and white stripe outfit. Product Measures: 11" x 9.5" x 3.5" Recommended Ages: 0 years & up

	The Snowman Sale Price: $5.00
	Who needs words to tell a story? In Raymond Briggs's charming tale, told with 175 softly hued, artfully composed frames, a little boy makes friends with a snowman. He wakes up on a snowy day, tells his mother he's going outside, then begins a flurry of snowman-building...

	Steiff Sleep Well Bear Grip Toy Pale Pink Sale Price: $10.00

Do Aussie mums appreciate Steiff teddy bears?

I want to buy a friend a steiff teddy for her baby's christening but don't want to do a big song and dance about "oooh it's a steiff bear!! wow!!"

i am an american and have no idea what they are.

i think the mom will be thrilled you bought something special for what she consiters a special day.

i am not catholic but one if my best friends is.
she knows that i do not agree with christening but to show her how much i loved her and her family i bought the baby his first rosary.

she was so touched she cried.

	Steiff Fynn Teddy bear - Russet Sale Price: $34.64
	Soft and fluffy bear.

	Steiff Fynn Teddy Bear - Beige Sale Price: $23.19

	Steiff Fynn Beige Teddy Bear Sale Price: $18.00
	7"Cosy Friends by Steiff is an excellent quality plush range of collectable Teddy bears and animals for all ages. Fynn is made from a super-soft, high-quality plush in a beige colour . A very reasonably priced Steiff Teddy bear...

	Steiff Sleep Well Bear Pale Pink 11" Sale Price: $38.99
	Steiff Sleep Well Bear - Pale Pink Steiff Sleep Well Bear is made of beige plush for babies soft skinwith a pink and white stripe outfit. This plush complies with Oekotex Standard 100 Machine washable at 86 degrees Fahrenheit Product Measures: 11" x 9...

	Steiff Lotte Suitcase Bear Sale Price: $39.00
	Steiff Lotte Teddy Bear In Suitcase - WhiteLotte Teddy Bear is an unjointed white teddy made from cloud soft plush with button eyes and a black nose. Comes in a reclosable play-suitcase. Product Measures: 8" x 6" x 3" Recommended Ages: 3 years & up

	Steiff Sleep Well Bear Grip Toy Pale Pink Sale Price: $10.00

	Steiff Classic 1905 Teddy Bear Blond 12" Sale Price: $265.39

	Steiff Charly dangling Teddy Bear - Beige Sale Price: $27.99

	Steiff 11" Frosty Teddy Musical Bear, North American Exclusive, Limited Edition, 2007 Pieces Sale Price: $274.99
	Our gorgeous cinnamon-colored musical Frosty Teddy is ready to put on a show with his miniature snowman hand puppet. The puppet is based on a highly collectible version from the 1950Æs. The Teddy is an all-new design with a music box that plays the classic holiday song ôFrosty the Snowman...

	Steiff Fynn Teddy Bear - Russet Sale Price: $34.99
	Steiff Fynn Teddy Bear - Russet Fynn is an adorable, cuddly, soft plush teddy bear. He's slightly understuffed to make him extra huggable. Ideal for hours and hours of play. A true best friend for your little one...

My child smeared a valuable Steiff teddy bear with red lipstick. How do I get it out?

The dry cleaner won't even look at it

Ohhh, what a disaster. I have a collection of Steiff myself and can sympathize.

First of all, I absolutely agree with the previous poster's suggestion that you contact Steiff Inc. Their CS is very good, and I'm sure they have dealt with similar dilemmas in the past... and probably far worse than lipstick!

If for some reason they can't help, here is what *I* would do... There's a product called "Motsenbocker's Lift-Off #2" (sounds like something from the old'n days, eh?

This product will remove just about anything.... from... just about anything. It *does* remove lipstick, and I theorize that since it's color/fabric safe... (it's often used on carpet and upholstery) it would be suitable for the prized plush.

I'm sure you realize that regardless of what you use... it's not going to be perfect, but getting it clean and hopefully stain-free... will result in your being able to display it once again.

Here's the site where you can purchase the "Mots"... it's $15.19 for 47 oz:

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/lipstick

Hope it's helpful.. Good Luck!

	Steiff Sleep Well Bear Pale Pink 11" Sale Price: $38.99
	Steiff Sleep Well Bear - Pale Pink Steiff Sleep Well Bear is made of beige plush for babies soft skinwith a pink and white stripe outfit. This plush complies with Oekotex Standard 100 Machine washable at 86 degrees Fahrenheit Product Measures: 11" x 9...

	Steiff Lotte Suitcase Bear Sale Price: $39.00
	Steiff Lotte Teddy Bear In Suitcase - WhiteLotte Teddy Bear is an unjointed white teddy made from cloud soft plush with button eyes and a black nose. Comes in a reclosable play-suitcase. Product Measures: 8" x 6" x 3" Recommended Ages: 3 years & up

	Steiff Fynn Teddy bear - Russet Sale Price: $34.64
	Soft and fluffy bear.

	Steiff Sleep Well Bear Grip Toy Pale Pink Sale Price: $10.00

	Steiff Fynn Teddy Bear - Beige Sale Price: $23.19

	Steiff Fynn Beige Teddy Bear Sale Price: $18.00
	7"Cosy Friends by Steiff is an excellent quality plush range of collectable Teddy bears and animals for all ages. Fynn is made from a super-soft, high-quality plush in a beige colour . A very reasonably priced Steiff Teddy bear...

	Steiff 11" Frosty Teddy Musical Bear, North American Exclusive, Limited Edition, 2007 Pieces Sale Price: $274.99
	Our gorgeous cinnamon-colored musical Frosty Teddy is ready to put on a show with his miniature snowman hand puppet. The puppet is based on a highly collectible version from the 1950Æs. The Teddy is an all-new design with a music box that plays the classic holiday song ôFrosty the Snowman...

	Steiff Sweet Dreams Lamb Pale Pink 11" Sale Price: $35.09
	Steiff Sweet Dreams Lamb - Pale Pink Made of soft plush for babies soft skin. Machine washable Complies with Oekotex Standard 100 Product Measures: 11" x 10" x 4" Recommended Ages: 0 years & up

	Steiff Sleep Well Bear Blue 8" Sale Price: $29.99
	Steiff Sleep Well Bear - Blue Steiff Sleep Well Bear is made of beige plush for babies soft skin and wears a blue and white stripe outfit. This plush complies with Oekotex Standard 100 Machine washable Product Measures: 9" x 8" x 3" Recommended Ages: 0 years & up

	Steiff Classic 1905 Teddy Bear Blond 12" Sale Price: $265.39

What or where does the name Steiff Bears the German bears that can cost a small fortune.?

DIfferent types and ever so cute

You are paying for the name and history.
Similar to cars, pay loads for a Jaguar, or much less for a Ford, as they are the same underneath.

Steiff Teddy Bear

	Toysmith Curly Fashion Build-a-Bear Sale Price: $9.25
	Curly Fashion Build-a-Bear

A Complete Guide to Collecting Teddy Bears for the Serious Hobbiest

67 Facts about Teddy Bears for anyone who is a Teddy Bear collector or is thinking about it. Here are just some of the contents in this book:Fact 54: Make Your Own Teddy BearsFact 55: Making Wax Dipped Teddy BearsFact 56: Military Teddy BearsFact 57: Microwavable Teddy BearsFact 58: Show Your Love With Handmade Teddy BearsFact 59: One Of A Kind Teddy Bears And Their MakersFact 60: Learning With Teddy Bears & IncentivesFact 61: How To Clean Your Teddy BearsFact 62: How Much Are Your Teddy Bears Worth?Fact 63: How To Decorate A Room With Teddy BearsFact 64: How To Replace Old Teddy BearsFact 65: How To Get A Personalized Teddy BearsFact 66: Inviting Your Teddy Bears For TeaFact 67: 5 My First Teddy Bears

	Building A House For Emily/Emily Returns/Little Sherlock Bear Sale Price: $1.99

	Build A Bear Kit-Brown Sugar Puppy Sale Price: $9.31
	COLORBOK-Build-A-Bear: Brown Sugar Puppy. Everything you need to stuff and finish sewing this cuddly puppy together and dress her! This package contains a 7 inch ready to sew front and back; 6yd/5.4m embroidery floss; a plastic safety needle; 2oz/60g of stuffing; a satin heart; a dress; 2 ear bows; one fabric sticker; instruction sheet; and a birth certificate...

	Build-A-Bear Gift Card Sale Price: $50.00
	Give the furry fun of making a stuffed animal friend. Each new friend can be brought to life online for FREE, our online world stuffed with fun to play together and get pawsome virtual stuff! Animals start at only $10...

	Science First Build-a-Pulley Kits; Ball Bear Sale Price: $23.00
	Build-a-Pulley Kit, With 3 ball-bearing wheels, 2 end brackets, 2 center brackets

	Build-A-Bear Workshop Sale Price: $25.03
	Create your own stuffed animal on the DS. Brush and care for it or buy virtual clothes and accessories to unlock mini-games. Format: NINTENDO DS Genre: CHILDREN UPC: 855433001588 Manufacturer No: 00158

	Build A Bear Presents: Holly & Hal Moose: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure Sale Price: $6.98

	Website review: Build-A-Bear.com

	Build-A-Bear Workshop 18 in. Pink Poodle Plush Stuffed Animal Sale Price: $49.95
	This 18 inch poodle is soft and cuddly. It is machine washable. It is a great edition to any build a bear collection

To many of us, it is hard to remember our childhood without at least one cuddly teddy perched somewhere in our bedrooms. Most of us had one while growing up. Yet, what brought about the use of a teddy to bring comfort to a child and where did the teddy bear come from? It was in 1902 that the teddy bear was invented, simultaneously in Germany and in the USA. The story behind the development of the teddy in America was attributed to the US President Roosevelt.

The President was in Mississippi hunting, the hunt wasn't going to well, until someone in the party captured and tethered a bear. The president was then invited to shoot the bear, however, the president declined adding "spare the bear, I will not shoot a tethered animal." A cartoon depiction was then later published in the Washington Post. That same month Brooklyn shopkeepers Morris and Rose Michtom, decided that they would make a soft toy bear, to honour their President. The bear was called "Teddy Bear" and was displayed in their shop front. The bear became an immediate hit, with its sweet and cuddly design. The Michtoms went on to make their fortunes with the help of the teddy bear through the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company and the President had found himself an effective political mascot.

In Giengen, Germany, Margarete Steiff was the owner of a stuffed toy business. Her nephew Richard Steiff, who was a former art student, who enjoyed sketching bear cubs at the Stuttgart zoo, designed a bear which his aunt made as a prototype. The Steiffs introduced their first bear at a Toy Fair and an American buyer ordered 3,000, seizing upon the bear popularity that was gripping the United States.

Many teddy bear manufacturers began to appear during this boom period, with the American manufacturers facing stiff competition from German manufacturers, due to the fact that Germany had an established toy making industry. In England the J.K. Farnell & Co began to establish themselves and one of the most famous bears "Winnie The Pooh" was originally a Farnell bear.

Despite the First World War, the bear industry was still healthy, however, with the outbreak of World War II, factories were used to manufacture arms and not teddies. Between the 1950`s and 1970`s, the established teddy bear producers began to struggle with their high quality, hand finished teddies, when competing against cheap imports from the Far East. However, a saviour was to be found in the way of a British Actor, Peter Bull. Peter Bull appeared in films such as Dr Strangelove, Oliver Twist and Scrooge to name just a few, had an interest in teddy bears and openly admitted his love for them. This led him to write a book about his affection for teddy bears, which helped to initiate the resurgence of the teddy.

Today, antique bears, such as those manufactured by Steiff are highly desirable and can be sometimes be seen making an appearance in toy auctions. In 1994, Christies Auction House sold a Steiff teddy bear called "Teddy Girl" which sold for $176,000. It has been estimated that in 1999 in the United States alone $441 million was spent on the teddy by collectors.

For your children's teddy bears go to The Stock Shop.

Clue that leads to build a bear workshop and scavenger hunt list?

I am having a scavenger hunt birthday party and i need a clue to lead to build a bear workshop. a riddle maybe?
I am 15 and i am also in desperate need of a scavenger hunt list for the mall (please be as creative as possible and not too easy). It can cost money but it has to be a minimal amount. PLEASE HELP!

Hmm, just say easy stuff like turn right and that kind of thing.

	Growler the Ghostly Bear

	Boyds Bears, "McShamus O'Growler", Plush

	Just Call Me Growler Sale Price: $11.86

	Steiff Classic 1920 Teddy Bear Blond 20" Sale Price: $291.99

	Steiff Classic 1906 Teddy Bear 20" Sale Price: $314.99
	Steiff's 51 cm Classic 1906 Teddy, five ways jointed, made from pure beige-colored mohair, with a growler.

	Little Growler With Pull Growler- Pre-order Sale Price: $199.00
	Material: Mohairplush, excelsiorfilling, pull growler voice Size: 13,8 inch Limited Edtiion: 100 pieces Pre-order today, I will contact you on arrival Ships direct from Germany, please allow 10- 20 days for delivery

	Limited Edition Collectible Steiff Mohair Teddy bear 1908 Sale Price: $380.00
	First there were years of being kissed and cuddled - and having its ears nibbled - as Baby's furry friend. After this, it spent decades forgotten in a dark archive only then to be whisked halfway around the world...

Teddies, irresistible, cuddly and universally loved. That's the outside, but what about the inner bear? What fabrics, stuffing and squeakers go into our favourite friends?

Fabric

Over the years bears have been made in almost every material you can think of. The classic fabric, that was used for the earliest bears, is mohair (wool from Angora goats) which has a realistic texture and is very resistant to dirty. Over the years manufacturers experimented with other, cheaper, materials and in wartime there was even an economy fibre woven from nettles! Synthetic fabrics are the most widely used substitutes for mohair as they are washable and can be dyed in a rainbow of colours.

Paw Pads

Many of the earliest bears' pads were cut out of felt or sometimes suede. This was felt to be however, a rather expensive material for a simple child's toy. In the 1930s a cheap substitute called rexine was used. This was made from oil cloth but was prone to cracking. Natural leather and velveteen were also used. More recently pads have been made from plush, either incorporated within the limbs or with inserts of a different colour. It is usual today for washable synthetics to be used.

Stuffing

Wood wool was the earliest stuffing and continued in use for many years. From 1918 onwards kapok, a soft fibre made from the seed pods of the kapok tree became popular, whilst in World War 2, bears had economy stuffing, for example waste from cotton mills or cut up stockings. Today many stuffings are washable, for obvious reasons and polyester wadding and plastic pellets are popular.

Features

Eyes were initially made from wooden shoe button eyes. Glass eyes were available and the first ones were made from blown glass, imported from Germany. However these were expensive and it was found to be cheaper to simply paint the colour onto the back of the glass. Eyes were originally fitted with a small metal hook, but after World War 2 safety regulations led to the development of today's plastic eyes, secured from the reverse with a washer.

Noses proved the most difficult feature to achieve satisfactorily as plastic and leather were too hard, so eventually hand-embroidered noses became the most commonly found. These are a useful clue to a bear's manufacturer as different companies favoured different shapes and ways of stitching. Today children's toys usually have lock-in safety noses in plastic, while collectors' bears are more likely to have the traditional hand-sewn noses.

Mouths are traditionally hand-stitched, usually with a single line from the centre of the nose finishing in an upside down "V". Changing the shape of this "V" can completely alter a bear's expression from a beautiful smile to a more pensive or even cross-looking face.

Joints

Early bears could move their heads and limbs well as they had a card or metal disc inserted on either side of the joint joined by a pin and fastened off with a small metal washer. Plastic rods replaced metal pins in the 1940s and today cardboard joints are obsolete having long since been replaced by plastic, although hardboard joints are still used for some artist bears.

Squeakers and Growlers

Squeakers were tried in teddy bears, and an odd contraption comprising a reed in an oilcloth bag was also experimented with. However the tilt growler is universally agreed to produce the "real" teddy bear voice. These growlers comprise cardboard tubes with a small pair of bellows attached to a reed. When the bear is turned over a weight at one end opens the bellows and when it's stood upright again the air is released giving a slow, realistic growling noise. The same principle is used in today's teddy bears, some of whom can be seen at DevonBear Designs on a range of products including aprons [http://www.devonbeardesigns.com/prod6.asp?prod_id=3340&id=266&sub_cat=579&grpid=3340&msg=&offset=] and greetings cards [http://www.devonbeardesigns.com/prod6.asp?prod_id=3344&id=272&sub_cat=581&grpid=3344&msg=&offset=].

Helen Dickson is the owner of DevonBear Designs. She designs and makes a small range of really practical - and pretty - textile items and stationery all inspired by the wonderful coast and countryside of South Devon, England. Helen is a talented watercolour artist and all DevonBear Designs products feature one of her images. Visit her site at http://www.devonbeardesigns.com

Steiff Teddy Bears...what is a Growler?

I am getting a steiff Teddy my very first one for my 18th Birthday (well you have to start somewhere lol) and i have been looking them up on the internet and i know what mohair is but i don't know what the growler is i have a faint idea that it is something to do with the bear growling lol but apart from that i don't know how it works or if it effects the value of the bear if anyone knows could you please let me know.

Hi

A growler is a device which is put inside the teddy, so that when it's turned upside down and then the right way up again, it makes a growling or squeaking noise - so the man in your dream was right!!

I'm not sure about values in terms of Steiffs with or without growlers, but maybe take a look at prices of both options, which should give a good indication - also, if you're going to choose one for your birthday, maybe try to visit a good toy store, so that you're able to take a proper look - and ask questions!

Good Luck - hope you find one you love!