Please meet Hans, Hermann Teddy's Old German Teddy Bear!

Please meet Hans, Hermann Teddy's Old German Teddy Bear!   He is a replica of a 1929 model, so has a nice antique look.   He is a limited edition, too, and he is number 1005.   He doesn't like all these numbers, by the way.   He just refers to himself as "Hans."  He is made of brown tipped mohair, and he has a working growler.   He has all his tags, too.   He's a big size, 16 inches tall.   He wears a nice green silk ribbon, his favorite color.   He does have minor wear on the back of his legs, but he's in overall great condition.  

I bought this bear for under a dollar in 2013.   The person who put him up for sale didn't know anything about Teddy bears apparently.   I actually have a second bear of this exact model, so I knew who he was right away.

Hans was born in Coburg in the Bavarian region of Germany.   He was always a very active bear.  He loved fishing in the nearby Itz River in the springtime.   In the summer you might find him at the local castle, Veste Coburg,  working as a tour guide, and in the autumn, he spent time making his own mustard to sell at the local Oktoberfest.   In the winter, he would travel to Austria to do a little skiing in the Alps.  He was a well-traveled bear.  

Hans' Friday evening dinner parties were legendary.   He would invite his Teddy friends over for Black Forest Cake covered in honey.   Afterwards, he might suggest a game of poker or perhaps pinochle if everyone was prepared to stay late.  Sometimes on cool nights, they would light a bonfire in the courtyard to warm their muzzles and paws and maybe do a little dancing in the firelight.   One Friday night, I once asked him how he lost the fur on the back of his legs, but he blushed and changed the subject.   It was rumored he turned his backside to the flames and was singed by the heat while doing the bunny hop.  We'll never know for sure because he's just not saying.   He'd rather play pinochle.