One of the world’s most beloved collectible toys, the teddy bear, is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Steiff USA, the American arm of the German company that produced the first bear, is presenting a special exhibit at this weekend’s 28th Annual International Gift & Collectible Expo at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Rd., Rosemont.
The exhibit will include an original teddy bear from 1904, which is the oldest surviving teddy bear and the second model ever produced. A similar piece sold for $120,000 at auction in 2000, to a Taiwanese collector, says Martin Frechen, the North American president of Steiff.
Also in the exhibit will be a replica of the world’s first teddy bear, named Plush B55. No original from the first 3,000 bears first sold in 1903 in German department stores exists, he says. (The company has issued a limited-edition centenary bear, suggested retail price $325 to $350; it’s available at FAO Schwarz in Chicago.)
The International Collectible Expo displays the hottest new lines of limited edition collections and gift products. The popular Swap ‘n’ Sell, a two-day market (noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 30), gives collectors a chance to trade or sell retired pieces from their collections. (Participants must buy a table in order to sell.)
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Show hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and June 30. Cost: $10; two-day pass, $13. Call: 877-746-9757 or see the Web site, www.collectibleshow.com.