Ty

Boyds

GUND

DAKIN

Russ

Dean's Bears

Holy Bears

Vermont Teddy Bear Co.

Merrythought

Raikes

Applause

Puffkins

Muffy

Patriotic Plush

Sally Winey

Most of this information is helpful with all plush products, including those listed above.

So--you have decided to pack some of your beloved bears away?  Painful I know, but it must be done.  Or maybe you just want to display them in a Curio cabinet?  Or are you moving, and you want to know how to pack them away until the move is over?  Well Bunches of Bears brings you various information, learned by Bearkhardt, all on how to store and display your Bears.

To Display is to Enjoy:      What preparatons you make will depend on what you are displaying.      Displaying synthetic plush:                     Do keep out of direct sunlight as much as possible, to keep from fading.                     Do try to keep dust to a minimum.                     Do clean the area in which you will place your collection prior to displaying, be sure that the surface in which you place your Bears on is completely dry.                     Do keep plush away from heat sources, all moisture sources, sources of undesireable odors.                     I highly encourage you to display your Bears in a glass curio cabinet.  This is the best way to avoid harm to your collection, and the best way to minimize the dust factor.                      When displaying in a curio type cabinet, air flow is weak, attempt to find Silica gel packets, these are often found in leather products and the like, to reduce the risk of moisure damage, mold growth, the presence of odors & destruction of cloth material; especially in Ty products containing PE and PVC pellets.  (The pellets used in Ty products eventually emit gases which can discolor and destroy plush material, and the effects of the gases are multiplied if your collectible is in an air tight place.)                                          Silica gel, (which oftentimes comes in unlabled packets except for the words, "Do Not Eat") , is a Dessicant--it absorbs and retains water vapor.  Silica gel can hold up to 40% of it's weight in moisture.  It can take the relative humidity in a closed container down to 40%! Silica Gel is a virtually harmless substance, it is basically a "Porous Sand."  Once the Silica gel has been totally saturated, you can reclaim it by heating the gel to 300 degrees F.  I would personally purchase more instead of going through the trouble of the reclaim process, mainly because I have to find out, "How do I know when it is time to reclaim?"                               If you are in any way concerened about the use of Silica gel, view this link!                                  To Purchase Silica Packets Online Click Here!           Keep in mind that you must clean ot your curio cabinet several times a year, cleaning out dust and the like.  When cleaning glass, be sure not to use harmful chemicals, or strong smelling solvents, you need to keep the cabinet pure.  In Bear collecting, collectors look for smoke-free, damage-free, mint conditon Bears.      While Using Beanie Containers (Lucite containers):                Many Beanie collectors know the new risk of the "beans", pellets, inside their beloved Beanies emitting gasses over time and "Gassing themselves to death."  The fabric will eat itself away and discolor.  To prevent this from happening, do what children have done for years while catching Lightning-bugs in a jar...Poke holes in the conatiner!  This simple act of punching/drilling just a few holes in your beanie container may help your beanie from gassing itself, and destroying your most prized plush investment.      Use Tag Protectors!                Tag protectors, often come Acid free and UV Resistant. UV resistant means the tag will not fade due to the effects of sunlight, and Acid Free means it will not yellow.  There are many different tag protector companies, BTP is the most popular.  You can find tag protectors at some Ty retailers alongside the beanies, but if you haven't found any, here are 3 resources I have found for you.                Ty Regular sized tags, teenies, and large Ty heart tags found on Large + sized ty products; Disney; Limited Treasures; Bamm Beanos.  Great Selection!  Order now!                iluvcollectibles.com has regular sized Ty tag protectors.  Renowned Collectibles dealer!  Order now!               Babieswithbeans.com has regular sized and large+ sized Ty Tag protectors.  Go to this seller now, be sure to scroll down till you find where to order these Tag protectors, Affordable prices!  Order Now!     Displaying Mohair and Other Animal Hair Bears:           All the above display information for synthetic plush applies here.                               EXTRA TIPS:                                         You can place cedar wood products in with your Steiff and other Mohair bears to prevent moths and other parasites that can deystroy organic materials such as mohair which comes from the Angora Goat. These goats are NOT slaughtered for the use of their beautiful hair, but instead are sheared as a sheep is for wool.                                         Moisture can be devastating to any organic material such as Mohair, take all precautions to avoid moisture exposure.

To Store is Not Goodbye:     If you have decided to finally store some of your Bears away to make room for new, It can be done safely.           Do NOT store in any plastic bag, unless specified that it is safe for long term usage.  For example, Steiff come in their own shipping bags that have many tiny holes punches into it, in order for air to circulate, without the damage of "suffocation."  Plastic bags often will deteriorate over time, several years, and leave holes in the bags and leave your Bears open to the elements.  (Moisture, Heat, UV Light, Odors, Parasites, Fabric Discoloration and Destruction)           I believe it would also be to your advantage not to crush any type of plush material, especially in Ty INC's line of Beanie Buddies.  This may lead to undesireable creases in the long-run.  Also, attempt to store your plush product in a natural position.  Do not bend or distort your bear in such an un-natural way that your plush collectible might stay that way, or have a tendancy to (lean, look, or sit) that way after many years of storage.           You can place your bears in large Rubbermaid type bins, be sure to include the proper amount of silica gel packets; Silica Gel Protection Stats can be found by Clicking Here! And be sure to include the proper amount of cedar blocks (Especially for Mohair).                     You can use tissue paper, BUT make sure it is white acid free tissue.                Acid free Tissue keeps the fabric from yellowing due to outside forces.  Oftentimes wedding gowns are packed in white acid free tissue paper.                 Below I have found several online stores that you can purchase this tissue from.                                                  To Order Acid-Free Tissue Paper                                                 To Order Acid-Free Tissue Paper                                                 To Order Acid-Free Tissue Paper                         I also believe this tissue can be purchased from specialty paper stores, Michael's, and other higher-end stores of crafting, (Jo-Ann Fabric).           You can store these containers in closets, and in areas in which are free from any harmful outside forces.  Use common sense. If your attic gets very hot and humid in the summer, do not place your bears in there at that time.  Use your discretion.            Do NOT Place in a basement, or anywhere near possible moisture sources.  You have made a great investment and you do not want to lose that investment.

To Move Can be Sad, But Friends Can Come:     If you are moving to a new location, and may not be able to unpack your bears for several weeks, you are assuredly safe just packing them away in boxes and white tissue paper.  Keep in mind though, that you have valuable Bears in those boxes, don't leave them in bad conditons, (ex:  garage, basement, attic, near moisture sources, near kitchens where odors may develop on your bears.)  And remember to unpack them, as soon as you can!

I hope that these storage and display precautions and tips I have provided you helped you, and if you have any tips of your own I will post them {Giving you the proper credit} or any questions I will be happy answer them!  Email me!

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Last Updated August 31, 2002

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