Charlie Bears: what they are and how to tell them apart

Charlie Bears began with Charlotte "Charlie" Morris and William Morris, and the first collection of 12 bears launched on 1 February 2006. We sell Charlie Bears at Goldenhands in Hastings Old Town, with the current bears listed on our website.

Where Charlie Bears come from

Charlie Bears has its home at the Bearhouse in Launceston, Cornwall, which is the company's design and production home. Companies House lists Charlie Bears Limited as incorporated on 28 February 2005, active, and registered at Unit 2 Milford Park, Pennygillam Industrial Estate, Launceston, Cornwall PL15 7PJ.

Before Charlie Bears began, Charlotte owned and ran three teddy bear shops in the UK, including one in Leeds where she met William. The first collection was shown at the NEC in Birmingham in spring 2006 and took over 100 retailer orders. The first QVC UK appearance followed in September 2006.

The company says it has created over 2,500 different designs and supplies over 500 shops worldwide. That is a lot of small faces, names, paws and neck tags for one bear cupboard.

The main Charlie Bears ranges

The Plush Collection is the core Charlie Bears range. These bears are fully jointed, with hand-embroidered detail, and are mostly open editions with some numbered limited pieces.

The Isabelle Collection uses mohair, alpaca, plush and wool. These are limited editions of 200 to 500 pieces, each with a numbered certificate of authenticity and a tote bag. The Isabelle Collection is recommended for collectors aged 14 and over.

Bearhouse Bears are the children's range. They are for 18 months and over, not jointed, and machine washable.

The Minimo Collection is made up of fully jointed miniature mohair characters for collectors. A stockist gives Minimo edition sizes of roughly 600 to 2,000.

The Plumo Collection takes its name from "plush" and "mohair". Plumo characters use plush fabric with mohair or alpaca touches, are fully jointed, and are limited to 1,000 pieces worldwide. They are listed for ages 3 and over.

Joints, editions and retired bears

Most Charlie Bears characters are five-way jointed, which means the head, both arms and both legs move. Some are wobble-jointed, large standing figures have an internal armature, and Bearhouse and baby-safe lines are not jointed.

A limited-edition bear is not just a bear with a fancy name on the swing tag. Only limited-edition bears carry the bear's name and edition number on a neck tag. The Isabelle Collection, for example, has numbered editions of 200 to 500 pieces. Plumo characters are limited to 1,000 pieces worldwide.

"Retired" has a particular meaning in Charlie Bears collecting. It means the bear has sold out at the Bearhouse and stockists can no longer reorder it. It is not the same as a numbered edition selling out.

How to look after one

Stockists advise keeping bears out of direct sunlight to help stop fading. They also advise dusting with a cool hairdryer or a low-suction vacuum. The same care advice says to keep bears away from pets and smoke.

Mohair and limited pieces are often displayed behind glass by collectors. That keeps the shelf feeling a little like a tiny gallery, with noses and paws lined up behind the pane.

How to tell a real Charlie Bear

Stockists advise looking for a sewn label naming Charlie Bears. They also advise checking for an embroidered paw-print mark reading "Charlie Bears".

Other details to look for are neat ring-fastened joints and real mohair or alpaca on the collector ranges. When buying second-hand, stockists advise asking for photos of the tag and paperwork. Limited-edition bears should have the bear's name and edition number on a neck tag.

Our Charlie Bears shelf is here: https://goldenhands.co.uk/collections/charlie-bears