There is an unmistakable charm associated with Ganz teddy bears. These stuffed animals have been around since the 1950s, and they are still in production today. They make good listeners, and all they want in return is your love. Occasionally, they may ask you to take them home with you. Our fondness for Ganz teddy bears does not appear to be dwindling at all.

While it may seem to be a timeless toy, the teddy bear actually did not make its debut until late in 1902. That year, however, it serendipitously appeared at the same time in two different, far apart markets — the United States and Germany.

In America, the teddy bear, according to tradition, got its start with a cartoon. In 1906, Society ladies carried their teddies everywhere, and children had their pictures taken with their teddy bears. Meanwhile, American manufacturers were turning out bears in all colors and all kinds, from teddy bears on roller skates to teddy bears with electric eyes. American teddy bear companies faced stiff competition from all the teddy bears imported from Germany, and many of the U.S. companies didn’t last long.

In Germany, toy making was an old and established industry, and many German firms, such as Bing, Schuco, and Hermann, joined with Steiff in making fine teddy bears. Artist bears also set the stage for a new kind of manufactured bear, the artist-designed manufactured bear. Today artist-designed manufactured bears are offered by Ganz and they offer collectors the opportunity to own artist-designed bears that cost less due to mass production.