skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Murphy got to go on another Florida outing. I'm not sure why he always ends up in the car. Maybe because he's just traveled all the way from Germany and I think he needs to see America. This outing took him alligator hunting (looking) in the Florida Everglades. Driving through the Everglades, you don't really need to search for them. We saw at least 50 of them on the side of the road, just basking in the sun. Murphy wasn't afraid, even though they were just on the other bank (hard to see in the picture, just to the right of his shoulder). He's quite the brave bear!
Ahhhh...sunny Florida. Life is good. I'm probably the biggest beach bum wanna be that you'll ever meet. Sun, beach, ocean waves and breezes, life doesn't get much better. But now, back to business. Oh, wait...Can I take the business to the beach? Sure...teddy bears love the ocean too. They're not quite the sun worshiper that I am, you know, it fades their mohair. They do love to be photographed in new places. So I grabbed the newest member of my family, a wonderful early Bing teddy bear I named Murphy, and some antique beach toys, and off to the beach. Now I'll be on a new mission...I need to find antique beach toys for the bears. Antique sand pails and shovels, how about an antique boat? Antique child beach chairs are hard to come by, but hey, I'm in Florida, I need to look for different things. I may look a little strange to the average beach goer - carrying teddy and his toys down to the beach. But bear people understand and they smile as they watch me and my antique teddy bear crossing the sand.
Heading south for the winter has become a yearly tradition for me for several years now. There's lots of quality antique shows to sell at, buy buying has always been challenging for me. And of course, that's the fun part of my business...finding new bear friends and their toys and accessories. There just aren't many primitives around down here, and antique teddy bears are just plain hard to find anywhere. I'm accustomed to weekly auctions and estate sales back in Michigan, but antique auctions down here are few and far between. And estate sales are basically unheard of...which is something I truly don't get, with all the seniors down here...go figure. But I keep plugging along, searching all the time. I was shopping at a weekly flea market on the way home from a 3 day antique show, actually getting some good prims. I was toodling down the aisle, when I spotted him. OMG...He sat there looking at me, begging me to take him home. I happened upon a handsome teddy bear that I quickly grabbed. Of course, the dealer was sure he was an early Steiff and didn't hesitate at guaranteeing me that. I gave him my opinion, but didn't argue with him when he still insisted it was Steiff. German, English, American...they're all endearing to me. He was cute as a button, so into my cart he went. Now I'm toodling along with teddy sitting there, a happy camper, as I push him along. Okay, antique teddy bears are here, but you sure have to be on a bear hunt, which I always am.
Posts
