Personalised Teddy Bear Collections Remain More Popular Than Ever

Once thought to be something of a fad, teddy bear collecting by adults is going stronger than ever. Today, many adults have highly personalised teddy bear collections, possessing a dozen or more bears that each hold a dear place in their owner’s heart.

Why do teddy bears remain so popular while other collectibles (Beanie Babies, Troll dolls, Furbies, etc.) come and go? The reasons are thought to be mostly psychological, and can be loosely broken down as follows:

• The psychological effects of teddy bears can help to transform a house into a home. Simply having a bear or two placed around the home makes the whole place feel warmer, cosier, and more welcoming. They bring a smile to the face of visitors, help people to relax, and provide comfort to lonely individuals.
• Teddy bears remind people of childhood. As teddy bears are often one of the first gifts an infant receives, and just about every toddler grows up dragging a special bear behind them, teddy bears are strongly associated with the nurturing one receives during their early years. Teddy bears allow us to escape the burdens of adult life by enabling us to return to those early years when we were totally taken care of.
• They often remind us of someone special or evoke memories of compassion. Be it a parent, a favourite relative, an unusually kind teacher, or a neighbour, odds are good that some positive role model once gave you a teddy bear to express caring or sympathy. Even in our adult lives, a personalised teddy bear is a common gift to receive on Valentine’s day from a special someone. Psychological assessments have actually proven that teddy bears positively influence one’s state of mind owing to this strong association with love. As such, it’s not uncommon for police and firefighters to use teddy bears to help comfort victims; teddy bears have, since their inception, been universal symbols of compassion.
• They remind us of special occasions. Teddy bears carry with them the memory of our best Christmases, birthdays, Mother’s days, childhood outings, and so on. This effect is highly personalised; teddy bear helps us to recall long sequences of positive individual memories that are uniquely valuable to us.
• They provide tactile comfort. Touch is absolutely key to making human beings feel better; as such, the soft, warm feel of the teddy bear makes it the perfect object to hold when one needs solace. Just cuddling a teddy bear has been shown to lower blood pressure and help to flood the brain with endorphins—all without a single harmful side effect.

All of these benefits are, of course, just as applicable to adults as they are to children (possibly more so in some areas, such as their ability to combat stress and hypertension), so it’s little wonder that teddy bears remain so popular with adult collectors.

So, if you’re feeling stressed or blue, why not try a bear? There are certainly much worse coping mechanisms out there.