Frequently Asked Questions
Within the U.K., Royal Mail Special Delivery is the only recommended service to entrust your bear. It includes tracking, insurance and next-day delivery. However for heavy packages weighing over 2kg (big bear!) it may be necessary to use the Standard Parcels service or Parcelforce, for which enhanced compensation is available. But whichever way you send your bear, please use some kind of trackable method. Oh, and please put him in a box - no need to buy one, supermarkets are only too glad to give them away. Stuffing your old friend into a Jiffy bag is not a good way for him to travel and he will probably never speak to you again! Please email for where to send your bear.
Is there a charge for quoting? No, quotes are free, regardless of whether or not you decide to go ahead.
How long does the work usually take? Usually about four weeks (but please check with us) depending on the volume of work, what needs to be done to your bear and whether materials have to be ordered in especially. You would be kept informed and consulted if necessary at every stage. We will always try to respect your deadlines and 'fast track' any bear intended as a birthday gift, etc
Can work be done quickly for a bear belonging to a child (adult?) who can't be parted for too long? Yes of course, provided the necessary materials are in stock. It often happens that a beloved teddy has to be taken from a child for necessary repairs and we always try to keep the time they are parted to the 'bearest' minimum.
All labour and in 99% of cases, materials are included. However, very occasionally an expensive fabric (such as a larger quantity of mohair cloth) has to be specially ordered for a particular bear, and in such cases an extra charge for the material would have to be made. There is never any extra charge for components such as eyes, joints, paw pads, growlers, stuffing, etc. and these tend to be the most frequent repairs. Return postage is extra. We do add on a bit if we need to obtain any extra packaging, etc. to return your bear. Please remember that although your bear without his stuffing and possibly a limb missing may well be small thin and lightweight when you send him, chances are that he will go home considerably bigger, fatter and may need to travel in a bigger box! This will sometimes mean that his return postage is higher because of the extra weight.
Yes.
Can you quote from just a picture or a description? No, unfortunately not. Even a good photograph of the bear cannot always tell the whole story because it is still impossible to know exactly how damaged a bear may be, how a bear is constructed, exactly what needs doing and how much (or little) work - and thus cost - might be involved.
Payment is due when you have received your quote and we will let you know the address to send your bear to. Payment can be by cheque, postal order or PayPal secure online payment. (Please note that we have to add on an extra 2% for Paypal payments, as they charge us to use it.) Details will be given on request. This website does not take direct payments.
Do you give valuations on old bears? Sorry but this is outside our scope. Please consult a specialist auction house who will usually have a resident teddy bear expert - this is normally a free service. Alternatively, the larger teddy bear fairs will have an expert valuer on hand; this is also free. However if we can tell you the bear's age and manufacturer (assuming you did not already know these) we are always happy to do this.
It depends on the individual bear, his age, condition, the degree of restoration he is having (if any) and what he is made of. Erring on the side of caution, it is mostly not advisable to give more than a surface sponging. It also needs to be borne in mind that even if cleaning were 100% successful, you may either not recognise or even like the bear afterwards! It does happen. A great deal of serious damage can occur through washing / cleaning an old (or even a not-so-old) bear, and washing that has gone wrong is one of the main reasons that many bears need restoration in the first place! Additionally, many elderly bears don't scrub up too successfully and may not look very different.
Can you repair my bear but not make him look new? You've come to the right place - this is one of Oldenbears' main aims.
Are there any restrictions on what you can or cannot work on?
We are unable to work on the following: 1)- any teddy or animal that has an insect infestation. Although NOT a common occurrence, it can happen to old bears and you will know if your bear is affected. (Seal him in a polythene bag and pop in the freezer for a few days to kill off the bugs - don't worry, the bear will NOT be deep frozen like a chicken!) But please don't send him to us with bugs!
2)- any teddy or animal that has been vomited over, or has suffered any other mishap involving body waste! Unbelievably, a small minority of people really do expect us to work on these, saying they 'tried to wash it.' Sorry, but we won't even go there! ' (Ordinary 'dirt' through age is no problem, however - we can cope with that.)
3)- Replace disintegrated foam rubber chip stuffing (widely used in the 1970's) because it is a severe irritant which fills the room with fine dust when disturbed, and can cause respiratory problems. This stuffing is actually no longer produced. However, it may still be possible to just give the bear a top-up with a safe, modern equivalent. We would need to see the bear.
4)- Bears/animals made of real sheepskin and some other real furs like kangaroo skin (popular in the 1940s-50's) as these are very hard, brittle, disintegrate on contact with a needle and are impossible to work on.
5)- Repair rod-jointing on bears (to test whether this applies to your bear, move one of his arms or legs - if both move together in the same direction, the bear is rod-jointed.)
6)- Repair original musical boxes, growlers or squeakers, although these can usually be replaced with new ones - many of the original tunes are still available in the musical boxes. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT TODAY'S GROWLERS DO NOT HAVE AS DEEP A TONE AS THE OLD TYPE AND THEREFORE DO NOT SOUND THE SAME! Unfortunately this is a 'fact of life' and nothing can be done about it.
Borderline - decided on an individual basis! Removing/replacing plastic safety components such as lock-in eyes, jointing and noses, as by their very nature, these are intended to be difficult and often impossible to remove. Even when it is possible, please be aware that it will most likely be a time-consuming and therefore expensive process, causing extra damage which may need more work and the bear will almost always have to be dismantled in order to access safety components. Additionally, bears that have these components tend to be the cheaper ones, so you may wish to weigh up whether you really feel the cost is worthwhile. But do feel free to send your bear along for a no-obligation quote.
What if I decided not to go ahead at this time? All that would be asked is the bear's return postage (whatever you paid) and he would be sent back to you immediately, no questions asked.
I live overseas. Can I send you my teddy for repair? Yes, you are welcome to, but (especially if you are in the US,) you need to consider that your bear would have to be returned airmail via International Recorded Royal Mail Parcels, which is not a guaranteed service and is only tracked within the UK. Shipping costs are relatively high, time in transit is anything from 2 - 4 weeks, and you may be subject to customs duty at your end. Also, you would need to make it clear on the package that the bear is for temporary export only to avoid us having to pay import duty at this end. Payment would have to be by PayPal only.
My teddy is not valuable or collectable but needs repairing. Will the cost be less? No, unfortunately not. Restoration costing cannot be based on a bear's value. Regardless of an individual bear's monetary value & collectability, restoration still involves the same amount of work - and sometimes even more because often this type of bear tends to be relatively recent, made of lower grade materials and therefore more difficult to work on.
My poor teddy was attacked and damaged by a dog. Can you help him? Yes, almost certainly! To see what can be done, take a look at the Gallery. (Many of these bears were victims of dog attacks!)
Do you have a price guide for restoration work to give me an idea? Yes - here's a link but please note that it is a guide only; not a definitive price list. A firm price can only be given on sight of the bear.
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