A COLLECTABLE GUND USA WINNIE THE POOH DISNEY BEAR VINTAGE 1990S

A CUTE VINTAGE WINNIE THE POOH BEAR PLUSH TEDDY BEAR. WEARING A RED STRAP TIE. SHE HAS A BLACK HAND STITCHED NOSE, SMALL BEADY GREEN TINTED EYES & SOFT VELVET PAW FEET. MADE SOMETIME IN THE 1990S (POSSIBLY EARLIER) BY FAMOUS PLUSH BEAR AMERICAM MANUFACTURER GUND.
 
Gund is the oldest manufacturer of soft toys in the United States and one of the earliest (next to Ideal) American companies to make teddy bears, beginning in 1906. Gund attracted a lot of attention in 1948 when it won the right to produce toys from Walt Disney Companys animated cartoons and films, including such well-loved bears as Winnie the Pooh. The license deal made Gund a household name as any store that sold Disney toys bought them from Gund.
 
MARKINGS: GUND DISNEY CLASSIC POOH
 
SIZE:
22CM WIDE 23CM HIGH
 
CONDITION: IN VERY GOOD CONDITION.
 
GUND BEARS:
The Gund Manufacturing Co. got its start in 1898 in Norwalk, Connecticut before the teddy bear was even born. When the company was first founded it made innovative toys and novelties to sell in New York City. That makes Gund the oldest manufacturer of soft toys in the United States. And one of the earliest (next to Ideal) American companies to make teddy bears, beginning in 1906. And its bears were truly soft, suitable for hearty hugs from loving children.
Founded by German immigrant Adolph Gund, who was also an inventor, the company received numerous patents for mechanisms that created movement in its toys. An innovator, Gund also created many toy company industry standards for such things as safety and how the toys were actually made.
Gunds first motto was GEE, which it used in advertising until the late 1920s.
Jacob Swedlin, a Russian émigré, joined Gund in 1909. He had a passion for stuffed toys, a passion that along with hard work brought him to the attention of Adolph Gund. Before long, Swedlin was being trained as one of the toy makers. Eventually he became Gunds personal assistant, learning the ins and outs of the entire company.
Then, when Gund retired in 1925 with no children, he sold the company to Swedlin for the nominal sum of $1,500 ($20,500 in todays dollars). Swedlin brought his brothers Abe and John into the company, which was now J. Swedlin, Inc., although it kept Gund as its trademark.
The company prospered under the Swedlin brothers and soon began to expand into ever larger quarters in New York City, where it had first moved in the early 1900s. It continued its lines of teddy bears, but also grew its toy-making interests. And it was their toys that drew most of the attention, sometimes outshining the teddy bears.
Gund attracted a lot of attention in 1948 when it won the right to produce toys from Walt Disney Companys animated cartoons and films, including such well-loved bears as Winnie the Pooh. The license deal made Gund a household name as any store that sold Disney toys bought them from Gund. And Winnie the Pooh was a definite favorite.
The company celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1998. Today Gund still resides in New Jersey, selling over 1500 items, including such teddy bears as Gund, Baby Gund and Gund Snuffles. They typically under-stuff their bears, which makes them softer and more cuddly than those of their competitors.
Gund was bought by Enesco, a giftware manufacturer, in 2008, who was then bought by the private equity fund Balmoral Funds in late 2015. Gund went through some rebranding in 2015, but continues to produce quality, huggable teddy bears, which can be bought at such stores as J.C. Penney and Macys.
 
WINNIE THE POOH:
Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne is a beloved 1926 childrens book that has captured the hearts of readers for generations. The story revolves around a lovable bear named Winnie-the-Pooh and his adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood alongside his friends Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Rabbit, Owl, Kanga, and Roo. The book is filled with whimsical tales, endearing characters, and valuable life lessons.
In 1961, The Walt Disney Company licensed certain film and other rights of the Winnie-the-Pooh stories from the estate of A. A. Milne and adapted the Pooh stories, using the unhyphenated name "Winnie the Pooh", into a series of features that would eventually become one of its most successful franchises.
 
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